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April 2017 review of the Paradigm Persona 9H A home run for Paradigm!

I have been following all the contested threads about the new Paradigm Persona line of speakers and it seems that many people are having difficulties in believing that Paradigm, a company well respected for value loudspeakers could produce a product that can rival the best exotic loudspeakers on the market.

The review came out today in the Absolute Sound April 2017 issue and what my ears have told me is true, is true. 
John Atkinson, compared the Pardigm 9H $35k to the Magico S7MK 2 $58k and found that Personas to be in the same class as these highly thought of prestigious loudspeakers. I think I read on one  of the threads that a Magico owner was saying that wasn't possible!

I am not an expert, on loudspeakers, I do know what sounds real to me, and when I heard these speakers my jaw hit the floor. Stunning realism. I could almost reach out and touch the Beatles, and Miles Davis. Huge sound stage, totally transparent, and smooth, with dynamite bass. 

At this point I am torn between the Legacy Audio Signatures and The Paradigm Persona 3F which shares the same driver technology of the 9H but costs $10k, I am lucky to be working with a dealer that represents both of these awesome lines of loudspeakers. 

It seems to me that many audiophiles need to open their minds and stop being so brand loyal to the point of obsession,  and start looking at the sound, and only the sound. I know for me as a professional photographer, I have gone back and forth between Canon and Nikons, and I love them both but am wedded to neither. Why in the audio world do people have such furvor over what they buy with the belief that their product and only their product is the best? In the camera world it seems much more fluid with people changing camera brands without ever starting a written riot if someone dares to bring up another brand or question their choice. 



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audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,793 posts
 
We should all be free to express our opinions

I think the point of the thread was to let people know that the review on the Persona's has validated what many people who have heard these speakers setup correctly already know. Paradigm has arrived in the uber speaker club and should be considered by anyone shopping for great speakers. 

As per a time and phase aligned speaker being the only right speaker is poppy cock, There are many engineers that will not build first order crossovers due to the intrinsic demands that they make on the drivers employing overlapping frequencies, and the power handling  demands placed on the drivers which then limit dynamics and causing greater distortion at higher spls, due to the greater bandwidth necessitated by these designs causing increased  heating of the voice coils  which adds distortion,  add lobbing effects lat the pass band,  and these kinds of designs also have serious trade offs to offset the advantages in just preserving time coherency. 

However, not all listeners are sensitive to time related effects and a rooms interaction with a set of speakers in terms of setting overall diffraction and reverberation times, usually create more adverse time related distortions than if  a speaker  better tracks a microphone because the wave launch of the drivers is all in phase, vs not being in phase in the first place.

In the annuls of audio you have had great speakers with all different types of crossover designs:

The legendary JSE infinite slope, the famous Spica TC 50 which combined a first order and fourth order crossover slope, The Infinity IRS, The Infinity RS 1B whiich employed I think third order and second order slopes. the Quad ESL, and ESL 63, The Wilson Watt Puppy, and many, many more. 


scorpio1951
189 posts
 
   To go back to the original question, I also read the review of the new Paradigm speaker. I have read many reviews written by Anthony Cordesman over the years I respect him very much. Having said that, just listen to your own ears and get the speakers that you like the best, and for a price that it is worth it to you. Then, be happy!
tpinto59's avatar
tpinto59
10 posts
 
Wow! I purchased the Persona 9H speakers and their's nothing pretentious here. On the contrary, people best get off the supposed quality names of Magico, Focal, Rockports, and legacysetc. They might want to pay attention to what Paridymn accomplished. They are certainly  the new bench mark for their price segment, and possibly those other brands that simply can't out perform the Persona's. Either the retailer isn't carrying this incredible line of speakers, and bias to their brands or margins. Paridymn hit a home run, and not only in performance, but aesthetics. They have bragging rights and vanity is synonymous too. They will own this market segment, and steal from the higher priced segments. Hey, I'm just a music lover, my validion and accolades come from simply being a consumer. Do yourself a favor and listen to the 9H floor speakers. Honestly, a real work of art. I also purchased their bookshelves for rears......real music to my ears. The entire system including the center channel makes for a magnificent soundstage.
ctsooner
2,480 posts
 
Glad you are happy with your purchase, but honestly, there is no best in class. Only best for whomever owns them.  That's the reality.  Looks too are subjective also.  That's reality.

As I posted on a Paradigm forum on another board, they are nice speakers.  I have heard them enough times to make a good judgment for MYSELF.  I'm glad they got a nice review, but just like reviews for Vandersteen's (my market winner) they are from reviewers in their system and should be taken that way.  It's a great start to a search, but a great review does not really 'validate' any component. We all want our own buyers validation though and it comes out in many peoples post, including mine.  That's human nature and isn't changing anytime soon.

BTW Troy, you really need to go back and read your post about first order crossovers.  A few of the things you say are true of them, but they can be done properly, it's just that it's so hard and very expensive to do.  Vandersteen, Avalon and a few others over the years have done a great job and not that the tech can support it even better, you can get some great speakers using it.  

Sell on as that's how your posts come across.  Sorry, but they really do and they don't have to.  There are many dealers who are on these boards and they aren't selling like you seem to do (off the board I've spoken with others who feel the same way I do, but they don't post and before you ask, only a couple own Vandersteen's or Ayre or Basis or any other gear that I love.  I actually told one to go to the local store here to audition the 9h's as he's in this price range.).  

Overall it's the best effort by Paradigm and if it wasn't for Vandersteen's, I'd have brought a pair home to see how it worked in my room even though my wife hates how they look (she want's zero drivers to ever show), but it's still kind of my room, lol.  
mr_m
1,900 posts
 
tpinto59,

People  are on those "supposed" quality brands for a reason. That is, those brands have stood the test of time, are of quality build and have won accolades from reviewers and most important of the consumers who buy them. I'm not looking down on the Persona's as I have not yet heard them. The Persona's deserve a audition, not pedestal placement. I think you will get a better assessment of Paradigm''s new baby when it has grown up in a while. Then some years down the road you will know where they stand with the masses....
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