Paradigm Studio 100 v.3 or B&W 703?

Wow. You really seem to be limiting your choices both in speakers and amps. Not that the ones you listed aren't very good products(by the way, I have a McCormack DNA 0.5 Rev. A), it's just that you are really in a sweet spot price-wise and it would be a shame if you couldn't broaden your horizons a bit to see what else is out there. Off the top I'd list Silverline, Soliloquy, Audio Physic, Triangle, Von Schweikert, Meadowlark, VMPS, and Coincident Tech. that compete in that range, most of which I'd take over the B&Ws or the Paradigms. Of course that's a personal choice, but you can gain a lot if you can manage to venture a little out of the mainstream. Don't even bother shopping for an amp until you've identified the speakers that really float your boat -- just my opinion. Best of luck.

I am assuming you have already at least auditioned these pieces to narrow them down to this short list. If you feel sure that these are what you are after, I would go with the Paradigms as well. I owned a pair of B&W N804 speakers and sold them for Studio 100.2s. I haven't regretted it one bit except that the 804s looked better. The 100.2s are wonderful speakers if you give them good clean power. Their dynamics are impressive and I don't find them to be unclear at all, regardless of the input. Compared to the the B&W, the bass is more full, the mids are richer, and the sound is overall more "coherent" which gives great rhythm to all types of music. I use McIntosh amps with mine, chosen over McCormack 125, Classe 100, and Krell KSA 100 (among others) in my system. Audition however because synergy doesn't come easily. I haven't yet heard the new versions so in my recommendation I am assuming they continue with their respective family-sound characteristic. Best of luck - Arthur

Sold N804 for Studio 100?????????? I personally prefer a completely different sound than the two, but great googly moogly........well, that's why they say "to each his own"...I heard it much differently during the audition process.

Aball,
By the way, in a previous post about B&W (not too long ago), you mentioned that you owned the N802 and briefly auditioned the N804's. In this post, you mentioned that you sold the N804's in order to get the "much better" Studio 100's. Something smells fishy here...

Aball, do you really prefer the Studio 100.2s to the N802 that you owned? if so, wow! the paradigms must be an incredible speaker. BTW, it's funny the way you have changed speakers, from N802 to N804, then to the Studio 100.2s (according to your previous posts). ( :-] )