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Paradigm Persona series

I'm beginning to poke around and gather opinions and information about a "super speaker" to replace my aging Thiel 2.4s.  I like the idea of bass dsp room correction and I am a bit of a point source type imaging nut (thus the Thiels).  So among other choices I've been looking at the Paradigm Persona series specifically the powered 9H with room correction for the bass.  However I'm skeptical of the "lenses" i.e. pierced metal covers on the midrange and tweeter specifically because of Paradigm's claim that such screens "screen out" "out of phase" musical information.  The technology in the design seems superlative but I just can't get past the claim re out of phase information and the midrange and tweeter covers.  What could possibly be the science behind this claim?  It just seems like its putting a halloween moustache on the mona lisa given the fact that the company is generally a technology driven company.
pwhinson
steve59's avatar
steve59
1,870 posts
 
Bump, have the persona 7f in my listening room right now where the salon 1 & 2, usher be20dmd, Kanta 3, a couple 90’s kef Reference the VA strauss And Beethoven have spent time. These are easy to power, so I would suggest a quality 50 wpc over a powerhouse ‘affordable’ unit. I’m using my hegel h360 but I’ve heard these with a few pieces driving them and I wonder if the Pathos I liked them so much with at the shop would make the same magic here? Not bright, no sibilance, but I can understand why some folk say so as the detail in the midrange is uncommon and bass is tight. The speakers with the Hegel do seem more like surgical instruments than musical instruments, but its early days and I haven’t spent any time on placement yet, I may not they’re really fun as they sit.  I’ll add more as I spend time with them.
yyzsantabarbara
5,136 posts
 
@steve59 Congrats that is a great speaker. You 360 amp is one that I have heard a few times and liked somewhat with the KEF Blade. However, I have heard the Persona 5F with an amp that sounds a bit like the Hegel 360, the neutral SimAudio 860A. I think the Sim is a bit better than the Hegel but I found that very long listening sessions with the Sim + Persona could be a little fatiguing. The short sessions with the Sim were amazing.

One reason I did not get the Persona 3F was that I wanted to buy the very neutral Benchmark electronics stack and I was assuming it would not be a good match with the Persona.
steve59's avatar
steve59
1,870 posts
 
The Yamaha is still on my short list along with the blade and a couple others,but for now I'm just going to enjoy these.
yyzsantabarbara
5,136 posts
 
The Blade + Meta is what I am looking at when I get the large living room for music. We will have to wait for the Blade + Meta future release. Covaid also needs to be managed so my kid goes back to school and I can use the living room (his playroom).

I will be buying a second AHB2 (maybe this week) and then the last item will be the NS5000 for my office. It should be good combo. I will do a home demo of the NS5000 with the Benchmark electronics (via Music Direct), so no risk. If it does not sound good the NS5000 will go back and I find something else for the Benchmark gear.

Looking forward to your comments on the Persona 7F. I am flipping back and forth between a big Persona or the Blade for the living room. Likely the Blade now with this Meta stuff.
steve59's avatar
steve59
1,870 posts
 
I’ve only heard the Blades at axpona while ive had time to listen to the 7f with a variety of components. The R 107/2 and R105/3 had residence here, the 105’s for 25 years so I was ready for something different. There’s a few pair on my list including the blade is the VA ‘the musik and I’d like to hear the new magico A5, but these personas are really good and I have to sell them to move on. I just finished alice in chains unplugged and could play it again. Thats how it is with this system, the more time I spend with them the harder it is to walk away, fast, tight and dynamic bottom to top with a deep, wide soundstage. I get the impression the entire recording is laid bare, pretty cool. 3 weeks in.
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