Paradigm vs Vandersteen

I have the 2ce sigs and I have heard the paradigms but in less than ideal conditions to be fair. For Jazz, you will love the vandys for the timbre and naturalness with the right amount of detail which won't give you a headache after long listening sessions. The paradigms seemed too bright for my taste.

IMO the Vandersteen's are a much better speaker. As Swampwalker said "Very different sound" I use to own Paradigm Studio 40's v.2 and ended up getting rid of them due to their hot upper end. I do beleive that Paradigm is a above average value but, one must carefully choice what equipment to match with them. My neighbor has the 2CE sigs and if it weren't for the low WAF I would have a pair too.

both are well designed and highly listenable......the vandy more laidback, the studio...well,more like a monitor style with gobs of detail. both speakers play all music catagories well,with the paradigms having the edge on classic rock. both speakers play well with a wide variety of components. ifyou have a dedicated listening room(without kids or cats) the vandy.....otherwise the studio.

This is an excellent thread and many Audiogoners know my positive position on timbral accuracy that Thiel and Vandersteen provide.

I owned the original Studio 100s back in 1997 for about a year powered by Parasound and then Bryston electronics. They were my first high end speaker. I now have the Vandersteen 2Ce Sigs and have been thoroughly enjoying them for about a year. IMO there is no comparison for accuracy of timbre and timing; the Vandersteens are truly superior in this regard as well as in the areas of extension and especially imaging. It takes awhile at first to get used to them simply because they sonically reveal so much initially, and, at first, this may seem disconcerting, but after a short time they pull you deep into the music with a natural and detailed sound. Their presentation begins at the plane of the speakers and moves back into a deep soundstage. The Paradigms, on the other hand, present forward of the speaker plane, and tend to push the music toward you. The Paradigms present; the Vandersteens invite. These are very different sonic experiences, but for me the invitation aspect of the Vandersteens, coupled to the fact that they are not degrading timbral accuracy, makes them my choice.

The Vandersteens are far more refined, more listenable for long periods and they offer a true taste of what high-end audio is all about. They're not the most revealing speaker in the world, and they don't have the clarity of some of the competition, but you can't go wrong with the 2Ce Signature.