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Want to Upgrade Speakers from Paradigm

I have had my Paradigm Signature 6 version 3's since 2012 and I am getting the upgrade bug.  The honest main motivation is I am tired of their looks: outrigger feet; the gray plates; cherry veneer.  I do like their slim low profile.   I am pretty happy with the sound but I am sure they are not the end all of speakers.  I spent $6K for them and adjusted for inflation, that is about $7.2K today.  However, I believe high end audio does not follow inflation and increases at a much higher rate.  So my question is how much in your opinion would I need to spend today to better the sound.  I really like the looks of the Sonus Fabers such as the Olympica Nova 3 which retail at $13,500.  How would my Paradigms compare to them or maybe Revels?

Thank you!

Rest of my equipment is Benchmark DAC3 and AHB2 amp with Macbook as streamer.
adurerca
freediver
1,137 posts
 
Are the room acoustics sorted out?I ask because Paradigm voices ALL speakers in an Anachoic Chamber & if your room has issues they will be magnified by the S6...
As for "better",what exactly do you want to change about how they sound?
teo_audio
2,197 posts
 
upgrade the crossovers
Upgrade the crossovers
Upgrade the crossovers

There’s probably no better way to increase the quality over that of a personally owned set of paradigms, than to upgrade the crossovers of the personally owned pair of Paradigms.

For me, someone who literally has all the parts around me to do so... I could be done in less than an hour.

Yes, I know what the crossover looks like, it’s right here in these images..and it does need an upgrade. Eg, small film bypass caps across the electrolytics and possibly replacement of the smaller valued ones, with all film types.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/paradigm/1.html
They look like some of the last ones that Najeeb designed, before he left Paradigm. (did a few shows with him) He was their chief designer for 9.5 years.
adurerca OP
38 posts
 
I live in a small house with an open floor plan where the kitchen, dining and living room are one big room.  The stereo is tucked away in a corner at the end of the kitchen cabs.  The speakers are only 4'-6" apart on tile floors.  The dining table is directly in front of the stereo area.  There is a solid slab of marble on the same backwall which is the kitchen backsplash and ends right before the speakers.  The room has vaulted ceilings, like a tent.

A pretty horrible acoustic situation.  I listen mostly at lower volumes (until the wife leaves the house) and at low volumes I miss out on bass and nice details.  Really not sure what I would want to improve.
freediver
1,137 posts
 
^^^OMG you could NOT have a worse miss match IMO than hard acoustics & Paradigm speakers...
 If I were you I would
1: keep the speakers & get a REALLY good headphone system for low volume listening..
2:Change whatever amp you have to a Sugden A21SE &  get a pair of Fritz Carbon 7SE or whatever his latest version is...I just spent 2 WONDERFUL weeks with the A21Signature version(22wpc.) & am now converted away from tubes to Pure Class A Single Ended SS...What sold me most was LOW Volume listening,simply amazing...The Carbon 7SE's are a darkish,very warm signature speaker,it will lighten up in your acoustics & truly shine with the Sugden...
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