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Paradigm 3f, KEF reference 3, Monitor Audio PL300II

I've been auditioning speakers in the $15,000 range and am almost ready to decide.  My short list right now is the KEF Reference 3 and the Monitor Audio PL300II.  I'm planning to hear the Paradigm Persona 3f this weekend.  I've also heard speakers from B and W, Wilson, Wilson Benesch and Proac but none made the final cut.  I really expected to be blown away by the Proacs and, while they were very good, I prefer the KEF and Monitor Audio. Unless the Paradigm is even better, it will be a tough call. They both seem to have great imaging and soundstage, reasonable bass and pretty life like presentations.  We all know how hard it is to compare and contrast speakers, especially when there's a large time gap between listening sessions. The Monitor Audio dealer has offered to bring them to my house, set them up and let me live with them for a week at no cost. Sounds like a great offer but I don't want to accept if I'm leaning more towards the KEFs.  Any helpful advice would be appreciated.  
puli
ricred1
2,053 posts
 
verdantaudio,

The Audiogon community would benefit greatly if more of us responded with the knowledge and responsibility that you display with your posts. You answered the question by describing differences without degrading either speaker or anyone. I really believe that some members make comments about components that haven't listened to or haven't listened to under the right conditions. High-end speakers are chameleon like and can sound drastically different depending on the room and other components associated with the system. 
verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,500 posts
 
ricred1 - Thank you for the kind words.  I am far from perfect in my posts but I do try.  
urbie19
110 posts
 
I also agree with you ricred,but I can only make my opinion from what I hear at the time in the room it was in. The paradigm sound very bright forward and hard sounding.I like a speaker that has a wide deep soundstage very layered sound so you can hear the air between the instruments and very natural sounding which I don't think the paradigm is.
jtgofish's avatar
jtgofish
515 posts
 
You should try to listen to some Yamaha NS5000s.That might mean crossing the border into Canada.They are wonderfully complete and natural sounding speakers.That very rare combination of sounding both highly transparent and detailed and also musically engrossing [as opposed to just engrossing in a "hi fi" sense]. .
yyzsantabarbara
4,914 posts
 
@jtgofish I wanted to get the Yamaha NS 5000 for my small upstairs room but I realized the bass was too strong and I did not want to use any DSP.

So now I have the Yamaha NS 5000 and the Paradigm Persona 9H facing off in competition for my larger downstairs space. These 2 are different sounding but I enjoy both sounds. I will likely end up with the 9H because my toddler son won’t be able to knock that one down (I hope). Though the Yamaha is a little more interesting since it is so unique.
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