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Paradigm Persona B Loudspeakers Professional Review

I met Jerry Seigel at the RMAF this past October and had a quite lengthy discussion with him on audio reviewing in general. He was very nice in person and not what I expected. I never mentioned this to him, but I always felt he liked everything he auditioned.

Not so for the Paradigm Persona B loudspeakers. I won’t bore you with the specifics of the review as you can read it online, but he summed it up as he couldn’t wait for the audition to be over. The words bright and brittle kept being mentioned in the review and he gave it 2 LP’s out of 10. I have never heard these particular speakers, but I have always felt that Beryllium speakers were too bright for my taste and that is what he seems to say in the review. I am looking forward to what The Audio Doctor has to say about this as he always seems to be pushing their top of the line Persona speakers in these pages.

Has anyone heard the Persona B speakers and what do you think about them? I was actually thinking of a 3rd system in the spare bedroom with some kind of stand mounted speakers. I believe these speakers will be off my review list.
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jph_1
3 posts
 

I have a pair of Persona B’s. I have a pair of KEF LS50’s. I love the sound of the KEF’s,  but after awhile they can sound harsh in my environment—high ceilings and hardwood floors. I ended up getting the Persona B’s after hearing them. These have all the detail and clarity of the KEF’s, but match better with my room. I can listen to these for hours. I’ve done AB comparisons with the KEF’s and prefer the Personas in this room. I just can't part with the KEF's, so the KEF’s will go to carpeted environment. 

 

Roger Kanno’s (SoundstageHIFI) review seems closer to my experience. So glad I heard the Personas before reading Jerry Seigel’s review. 


nabcs's avatar
nabcs
55 posts
 
Hello, I am new to the forum.

I have Paradigm Persona 9H with Triode TRX-M845, and sincerely, it’s really a mystery for me when someone claims that the Paradigm Persona 9h are bright.

In my setup none of this is happening... the sound is full and three-dimensional and I can hear for hours. For example, last Saturday my wife had a birthday party and I took the opportunity for a listening session that started at 10pm and only finished at 3am !!

And any change of equipment or cable is really evident with this speakers. I tried Synergistic Research and Kubala Sosna and the differences are really evident...in the end I choosed Kubala.
dmance's avatar
dmance
45 posts
 
The 9H sounds completely different than the Persona B's.  Paradigm really compromised the magic of the Be midrange to become a woofer with the bookshelf's.  The crossover in the B's makes my ZOTL amp sound lifeless ...yet it sounds magical driving the 9H's.  Honestly the 9H is the best high efficiency speaker i've heard.
mzkmxcv
777 posts
 
Nope, they are for sure too bright. People saying it’s better are most likely dealing with a placebo effect, which is 100% real, and will influence even direct A/B comparisons. I will not hesitate to say that every single speaker Paradigm makes today is not worth their price, it’s all marked up due to the beryllium.

Measurements: https://www.soundstage.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1788:nrc-measurement...

There is a 5dB rise from 5kHz to 10kHz, it for sure is a bright speaker. Also, in the off-axis measurements, you can see a drop in output in the crossover region (which is ~1400Hz and not the stated 2kHz), which shows sub-par crossover design.

Also, Paradigm gives BS specs. They state 60Hz-20kHz at +/-2dB on-axis, and yet if you go 100Hz-20kHz it’s already +/-4dB, and if you go to 60Hz it’s actually +/-6dB. I don’t respect any company that gives BS specs.
nabcs's avatar
nabcs
55 posts
 
mzkmxcv...seems that you have an agenda against Paradigm, sorry but is what looks like.

I’ve never heard a Paradigm in my life ... the 9Hs are the only paradigm I know.

96dd sensitivity and ARC room correction was the keys for curiosity to heard them.

For me specs are not sound...I love SET tube amps and specs of this kind of amp are crap, but I don´t change for any transistor amp in the world.

What makes me a really uncomfortable is when someones said that I like bright speakers and that’s not the case ... I have 25 years of experience and I’ve had dozens of equipment at home. Marten, Rockport, TAD, Estelon are reference speakers that I had in the past and I know when a speaker is bright. I hate a system that is bright and lean...I like a full, natural and organic sound and at this moment is what I have here at home.
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