Paradigm Persona series

I have heard the Vandersteen about 5 times. The $7K CT version and the most expensive one. I think every time I heard them, except once (most recently),  Richard Vandersteen was in the same room. I thought I would like them more because I love Thiel, especially the CS3.7. However, the Vandersteen did not pull my strings to buy them. Now these demos were all under an hour and not using my demo tracks so maybe that had some bearing.

When I heard the following speakers under similar demo situations (not my demo tracks)  I thought I could easily live with any of them. I did not have the room then so I did not buy them.

Thiel CS3.7 (still wish I bought had this one)
KEF Blade (I will buy this soon now that I have room)
KEF Ref 1
KEF Ref 5
Vivid Kaya 90
Vivid Giya G1
Magico A3
Magico S3MK11
Paradigm Persona 5F
Wilson Alexa 1
Magnapan (for got the model #)

Revel Salon 1 (did buy this one long ago after a demo since I had space)

Maybe my hearing is geared towards a certain sound that is in the Persona camp. I have actually heard a ton more speakers, some mentioned on this thread,  but no need to mention them since they did not move me.

@audiotroy 

I am actually spot on.

Given the same Amp, a Persona will sound brighter, than a Dali (for instance) with the same amp.

Thats my entire point, and the one most here have made. It’s a bright speaker, not a bad speaker. 

Of course amps, pre amps, tubes etc can affect it.  But the speakers character will always be prevalent in the system.  Can you tweak the system with sources and room treatment and eq, of course.  

Generally speakers are the most expensive component in a system and the hardest to change.  So yes, for most people getting the speaker right matters most.

Thats the point.  I don’t think anyone here has said they are bad speakers.  

The 7F shares almost no resemblance to the 1028be. Not sure where you get that.  Also, there is no enhanced bass in the 7F.  They have perhaps the tightest bass I have ever heard.  So to a lot of people that would likely be heard as “lean” in the bass due to years of hearing boomy speakers and hearing lots of the room or speaker enclosure.  Sounds like you’re letting what you read influence your impressions. I just saw you raving about them in another thread yet now you’re changing your tune based on what others are saying.

It’s amazing how much “audiophiles” are psychologically influenced and don’t even realize it.

What recordings did you hear through the 7F that made it sound two dimensional and boring? If the 7F is capable of providing a huge deep and wide holographic stage on good recordings, that means they can extract the same when available from other recordings. If the mentioned “bad” recordings don’t have the soundstage, there’s no way they’d suddenly have anything better on another pair of speakers. The speakers don’t pick and choose when they want to have space in the soundstage. That goes against logic, physics, and science completely.

Santa, that's my point.  We all like different things in a speaker. Some overlook hot and or bright thinking they are highly detailed and if they 'stage' great or have another positive thing, they love them...until they grow tired and get the next most talked about speaker (or amp or DAC).  

Bottom line is that it's all good.  I always caution friends who are getting into higher end audio, to beware.  Dealers know what tracks they can play on a system to make it sound 'best'. They will always stay away from tracks that won't sound good due to the compromises that said designers have to make.  Kind of like going to the store to buy a new top end TV, but they are all turned to their brightest setting where they will look their best for a half hour or so.  Good luck watching at that setting all day long, lol......  

Unfortunately that makes zero sense. The brightest tv at Best Buy only looks good if you’re ignorant and know very little about picture quality.

Dealers likely play “only good music” or only their music because I’m sure many customers come in with some hot garbage that would sound bad on any speaker. I don’t know of any dealer that wants to “trick” the customer, but when someone goes into a store and says “hey do you have this *insert artist here* album?” The dealer may play some garbage remaster on Tidal which sounds like trash compared to the CD master the guy has at home. That’s the kind of stuff I’d think they’re worried about, if they really are trying to exclusively play their stuff.