Help me with this choice Paradigm, JM Lab, Sonus

"I much prefer the JM Labs over both the speakers you mentioned. I think Sonus Faber does very well with classical, vocal and jazz music but I doubt you'd find them as acceptable for rock."

Interesting how perceptions vary. I own Electra 926's, and there is no question but that the Cremona Auditors and Cremonas rock better (to my ear), and certainly WAY better then the JM Labs monitors I have heard (906, mini utopia, micro utopia).

I believe the big question between the two is how you personally are struck by the voicing of the two speaker lines, which in both cases is distinctive and not truly neutral (at least not in the way you would find in a British monitor/full range speaker from the likes of PMC, AVI, or ATC). The Sonus line tends to have a lush character to the sound, where as JM Labs seem to me to have a characteristic clarity and a somewhat bright emphasis deriving from the famous tweeter. As a friend of mine says, speakers are like ice cream – everyone has their favorite flavor. You just need to decide which flavor is for you.

Thanks a lot Guys and/or Gals. I am taking everybody's advice into consideration. Keep it coming.

Don't buy anything until you give the Energy Veritas 2.2i's an audition. Great dynamics (good for rock) and sound good played loud without getting harsh. One of the best tweets I've heard, liquid smooth mids (some find them a little too laid back in this respect), huge soundstage and imaging is supurb. I only recently ran across the Veritas line and before that had heard very little about them. I was blown away. Speakers with the stands designed for them (both very beautiful) will be well within you budget.

Excellent responce by Newmanoc. Not only do the Sonus Fabers rock but they do it with relish. I find there presentation open, communicative, clear, and superbly
listenable. Thye have as much accuracy as one could want
along with an unfailing ability to make you listen to the MUSIC and not how the speaker is reproducing it. Give a good long hard listen to them.

PS. The other point about flavors....couldn't agree more with that either. Everyone's got a favorite, everyone's got
a line that just doesn't light their fire. Doesn't mean they are not good....just that they are different.

I too listen mainly to rock music. I have had the JM Labs Electra 906's and the 926's. I did not like either one for rock music. The metal tweeters are quite unforgiving and the base is a little lite. Neither of these characteristics is acceptable for rock music and the inherent bad quality of rock recordings.
I have since moved to non-metalic tweeters (Soliloquy) and like the sound much better. I would suspect this is why some have recommended the Sonus Fabers as well.