Anyone has heard the Paradigm S8 and can comment ?

Listened (briefly) at a dealer, comparing them side-by-side with JM Lab equivalent model (size and price-wise....don't remember the model #).

Audition was brief because I (old ears) and wife (young ears) found S8s excessively bright and piercing in the highs. All it took was a minute to decide these things were death to music listening pleasure. Maybe if they were listened to WAAAAY off axis they would be tolerable, but otherwise, no cigar.

JM Labs...a fine, smooth wine that you savor on your palate as long as possible.

S8...grimacing the whole time its on your palate (and to add insult to injury...it burns on the way down).

I listened to them in our home side by side with the Studio 100 V3s we owned at the time. They were an integral improvement over the 100s, with more detail and high end smoothness. Their bass extension was also better. The soundstaging capabilities seemed similar between the two sets of speakers. The difference was insufficiently compelling to trigger their purchase, but I thought that they were a very solid and respectable speaker, with no glaring weaknesses. The final answer will come only when you listen for yourself.

From a practical standpoint, I'd certainly say that they're at LEAST worthy of an audition. They are far better than a lot of other speakers that I've heard, but they should be at their price point.

I had the exact oppisite xperience. Heard them with some Mac tube gear. No detail, poor imaging and very muddy. The room was not the greatest but, even considering that, they were bad. Much better out there for the same price.