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Paradigm Persona 3 vs 5 vs Monitor Audio

I just spent a couple of hours comparing the Paradigm Persona 3 and 5. The 3 sounded very good and I was sceptical about whether the 5, for one additional speaker, was really worth 70% more. I expected it to be very similar to the 3 with some added bass. After hearing the 5, I think it offers more than the additional bass. As good as the 3 sounded, the 5 had added depth and realism, even on music without that much bass. I listened to St. Saens 3rd Symphony and Beethoven’s 7th (2nd movement) to hear the bass and Eva Cassidy, Cecilia Bartoli and Brahms Piano Trio #1 for other characteristics.

The 3 is well priced compared the competition and certainly is a good choice. If you can afford the extra $7000, the 5 is definitely better--to me worth the significant price differential.

 To complicate my choice, we then visited another dealer to hear the Monitor Audio pl300ii and it’s an excellent speaker too if you like what I do--wide soundstage, good imaging, realistic rendition of individual instruments. It’s not an easy decision between the Paradigm 5 and the Monitor. To confuse myself further, I’m going tomorrow to hear the third speaker on my short list--the KEF Reference 3 which I’ve liked in prior hearings. I hope to make a decision after that.



brownsf
urbie19
110 posts
 
Pick the monitor audio 200 or 300 generation 2 they throw a wider deeper more real sound stage than anything paradigm makes the voice piano instruments sound way more natural with the monitors, the paradigms with that beryllium Tweeter and midrange are very bright and edgy and in your face and the bass is much tighter deeper and faster with the monitors.
urbie19
110 posts
 
First of all I didn't run it down, I just said what I heard and the monitor  was much more three-dimensional.The soundstages wider deeper the cymbals sound more brassy and real The voice piano, instruments sound more natural. The bass was faster tighter deeper more articulate with the monitor platinum's.
urbie19
110 posts
 
And since I'm the one that started this forum I can say anything I like I didn't say the paradigm were bad I just said I didn't like them cuz it to my ears the mid-range and the Tweeter are bright and forward sounding I prefer a more natural sound that the monitor has I don't like cymbals that sound metallic because symbols are brassy not metallic soundingand I like the human voice to some warm like a dozen real life not hard and cold and the sounds they just more three-dimensional wider and deeper and the layering of the different instruments is a lot better you can hear the space between the instruments better just look at the postage a worth put up here he has both of them and he said the same thing unfortunately spend a lot of money in the paradigms and the platinum's were better in every area.
mofojo
2,297 posts
 
Longest sentence I ever read. Lol
urbie19
110 posts
 
Yes definitely the personas are very bright and forward sounding if that's what you like.and their three-dimensionality is nowhere near as good as the monitor audio Platinum and the depth and imaging is also not as good the air and space between the instruments it's much better defined with the monitors. The bass is faster tighter more articulate as well. The Platinum is Will beat anything that paradigm makes and we'll leave them in the dust. For the money the paradigms are not worth it you'll get better performance from speakers that are not as overpriced. Monitor audio driver technology is way ahead of paradigm.
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