Paradigm Persona series

@prof  What's up with the masochism? Despite the ongoing protestations, is it that you enjoy the self torture? : )

It's abundantly clear these speakers are not for you. The repeated insistence appears more an imposition and declaration of your experience as primary and superior to that of others. 

david_ten

I'm just fascinated with speakers.   When the opportunity arises to listen to a high end speaker, I take it, even if I've heard it before.

I'd been seriously considering the Persona's early on, with a somewhat positive first encounter (though with caveats), so I gave them another audition not long ago and it gave me a better handle on my feelings about them.   Though I noticed things in the last audition - e.g. about the tone - that didn't stick out the first time.  This was another opportunity to see how they sound in a different set up, powered with different amps etc, as another data point.  It solidified some of my impressions, and since this is the Paradigm Persona thread, and we audiophiles like to talk about our speaker experiences, I'll report mine in a thread like this.

And nothing I've said - zero! - implies my experience is "superior or primary" to anyone else's.  In fact I have been careful to say it's clearly my own subjective reaction.  The speakers leave ME cold, and TO MY ears they sounded X.   I clearly stipulated this was my SUBJECTIVE reaction, rather than just declaring some objective condemnation, like a number of audiophiles tend to do.    I said, as I've said before about the Persona series, I understand why  OTHER PEOPLE like them.   So I have no idea why you are imagining otherwise.

Prof, 

Again we get that these speakers aren't for you, but have to ask what was the gear, electronics and source driving them?

We have found that with the right electronics and digital the speakers can sound extraordinary, but with the wrong gear they are not going to be a good sounding speaker, 

The Paradigms are very particular in what you use them with, we have found using them with warmer electronics, and or a dac will bring them alive.

Based on your previous likes with Devores which are very organic but highly colored loudspeakers we would think that you would not find the Personas to your taste.

It is like the Vandersteen or Harbeth guys, they are not going to like a Rockport, or  a Persona. 

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ Persona dealers

Yes I know audiotroy. As I said, I disagree. I’ve heard the Persona’s in 4 different set ups now, all different gear, and a speaker’s "personality" does not radically change (unless you put some incredibly colored tube amp on it or something).


They are really excellent speakers. But this is a thread in which to discuss them, and if I have further encounters or thoughts, I post them.  If you think for some strange reason I’m posting too many comments on them, compare the number of your posts continually extolling your opinion, vs my meager contribution ;-)


And btw I don’t just like "colored" speakers (and the Persona’s certainly aren’t the most neutral measuring speakers out there - that top end peak!). I also love the Joseph Audio speakers which, especially the Pulsar, measure more neutral than the Persona floor standing speakers.


I was a fan of Dunlavy, again measured very neutral. I also own Waveform speakers (very neutral), Thiel, even the Harbeth SuperHL5 plus I owned and enjoyed, and despite some like to disparage their cabinet design, JA said of the measurements: "measured performance is beyond reproach." And an Aussie mag stated they had the most evenly balanced frequency range from bottom to top than they’d ever measured. And to me even those made instruments and voices sound significantly more natural to me. (Again, I don’t make any claim that anyone else should feel the same).


And of course I’ve heard a great many other speakers that measure everywhere from colored to extremely neutral. So I have a pretty good yardstick.


It’s ok if someone doesn’t fall in love with the Persona’s. It really is :-)

@david_ten ,

That's cool, to each his/her own.  I wasn't trying to convince you. 

I was just saying that I think in ideal world better to get speakers first, if possible, although I didn't do it that way either for various reasons.  Maybe the next time I go through the ordeal I will try to follow my own advice, haha.

Cheers