If you had $1,000 to spend...

 

cawley
Unregistered guest
for a PAIR of speakers, what would you pick?

No Subs allowed

If you pick bookshelf models, we will assume that you already have the stands, and can put the full $1,000 towards the speakers themselves.

Let the opinions fly...
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 2541
Registered: Feb-05
Paradigm Studio 20v3's. Spend the rest of the money on music. There are a lot of great speakers in this price range I'm sure you will get many excellent suggestions. Try to go out and listen to as many as you can and let your own ears make the choice.
 

Gold Member
Username: Frank_abela

Berkshire UK

Post Number: 1120
Registered: Sep-04
Totem Arros (around that price aren't they?) or Rainmakers.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Davidpa

Portland, Oregon US

Post Number: 80
Registered: Nov-05
used NHT 2.9s
 

Silver Member
Username: Ziggyzoggyoioi

Outside Philadelphia, PA

Post Number: 210
Registered: Jun-05
Alegria Emmas (bookshelf)
Energy C-5 (floorstander)
Ohm Microwalsh Tall (floorstander)
Paradigm Studio 20s (bookshelf)

The Totem Arros are great, but I believe they're closer to $1300 these days.
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 7048
Registered: May-04


I'd sure give some of the Alegria speakers a listen. The single driver configurations have a lot to offer if your music fits what they do well.

 

Gold Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 3482
Registered: Mar-05
I second the Alegria Emma. Am currently auditioning one right now, and am much impressed.

My other rec is the Ascend Acoustics CMT-340SE which will start shipping in mid-January.

The single-driver Alegria speakers that Jan refers to are also worth looking into, in fact with a $1K budget I'd be tempted to get the $600 Emma for general listening and the $270 Ling Single for specialized music listening.
 

Silver Member
Username: Exerciseguy

Brooklyn, NY USA

Post Number: 354
Registered: Oct-04
I'd spend about $600 on those Paradigm Studio 20v3s and pocket the rest, but if your committed to spending the whole amount, then you'll come a little closer by getting a pair of Epos M12.2s for about $800., or the Paradigm Studio 40v3s for about $900.

Here's a list Tawaun put together for me a while back, before the Alegria Emma was released:

1. Odyssey Epiphony $595
2. Ohm Micro Tall $1000
3. Epos M12.2 $895
4. Epos M5 $650
5. Dynaudio Audience 42 $850
6. Epos ELS3 $299
7. Paradigm Studio 40 $900
8. Totem Dreamcatcher $450
9. Von Shriekert VR 1 $1000
10. Usher HTS 520 $500
11. Paradigm Studio 20 $650
12. Algeria Audio Lings $349
13. Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 $349
14. Wharfedale Diamond 9.5 $600
15. B&W DM 602 S3 $600

You can find better prices than those listed by Tawaun.
 

Anonymous
 
Where can you get Studio 20v3 for 600? Everywhere I see them listed at MSRP of $800
 

Anonymous
 
Also, for those of you lucky to have heard both, how do the Emmas and the Studio 20s compare?
 

Silver Member
Username: Exerciseguy

Brooklyn, NY USA

Post Number: 358
Registered: Oct-04
www.dependableaudiovideo.com ask for Tony.

...I might be wrong, but that's the amount I remember. Maybe they were $550? Give him a call.
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 7058
Registered: May-04


I have not heard the Paradigms in a setting that would allow a comparison.
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 2550
Registered: Feb-05
The Paradigm Studio 20v3 retails for $800 and the Studio 40v3 retails for $1200. Both can be had for at least 10% less. Christopher the Studio 40v2 was $900. I know I've owned them both.
 

Anonymous
 
Thanks, Chris. I will check that out. They are actually just a couple of towns away from here.
 

Silver Member
Username: Exerciseguy

Brooklyn, NY USA

Post Number: 360
Registered: Oct-04
Let me know what price they quote you.
 

Anonymous
 
Will do.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Cousin_it

Post Number: 44
Registered: May-05
Ohm Microwalsh Tall
 

Silver Member
Username: Nuck

Parkhill, Ontario Canada

Post Number: 915
Registered: Dec-04
Psb 25's, and a pair of lings
 

John Wagner
Unregistered guest
I would not get a bookshelf speakers unless my room was very very small but I will tell about one of the best kept secrets out there, SDAT sb-639d speakers ! $$$
 

Silver Member
Username: Nuck

Parkhill, Ontario Canada

Post Number: 917
Registered: Dec-04
And a free white van with licence plates from a 1972 Matador, New Jersey.
 

Silver Member
Username: Exerciseguy

Brooklyn, NY USA

Post Number: 362
Registered: Oct-04
Here we go again.
 

Anonymous
 
Chris --

You were dead on -- 600 for 20v3 and 900 for the 40v3. Sixth Avenue won't go a dime under msrp.

Thanks for the tip.
 

Silver Member
Username: Exerciseguy

Brooklyn, NY USA

Post Number: 363
Registered: Oct-04
Realize that dependableaudiovideo is NOT an authorized dealer (Paradigm doesn't even sell online), but I've delt with them, and they seem to stand behind they're products, but the decision is all yours. If you do decide to deal with them, tell Tony I sent you to him, he might even do a little better if you ask him.
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 2575
Registered: Feb-05
"You were dead on -- 600 for 20v3 and 900 for the 40v3. Sixth Avenue won't go a dime under msrp."

Those are not the msrp's for Paradigm v3 speakers and I would be afraid of anyone who would sell them for that.

http://www.bradfordshifi.com/prices.htm


 

Silver Member
Username: Exerciseguy

Brooklyn, NY USA

Post Number: 364
Registered: Oct-04
Art, I think those are the retail prices, not MSRP.
 

Anonymous
 
MSRP Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price

It appears that the dealer is not an authorized dealer which means no warranty. The question is is the warranty worth $200 (difference between authorized dealer and unauthorized)

Art and Christopher, thank you both for your help. Still working this one out myself.
 

Anonymous
 
Didn't mean to hijack the thread. Please go back to the best speakers under $1,000. I know Eddie is a little preoccupied (and hope everything is ok), but where are the rest of Ascend people?
 

Anonymous
 
Didn't mean to hijack the thread. Please go back to the best speakers under $1,000. I know Eddie is a little preoccupied (and hope everything is ok), but where are the rest of Ascend people?
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 2576
Registered: Feb-05
No I'm sorry Christopher they are not. The Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price is exactly that with Paradigm (full retail and MSRP are the same thing, look at the top of the list). I have 2 friends who are authorized Paradigm dealers. Again I would be afraid of a dealer selling them for those prices. You should still be able to get them for 10% off. It isn't quite as good as the price you can get them for at dependableaudiovideo but it is worth the difference. Paradigm really stands behind their products.
 

Silver Member
Username: Exerciseguy

Brooklyn, NY USA

Post Number: 365
Registered: Oct-04
Art, I'm sure they do, and would agree that it's better doing business with authorized dealers, but since I've done business with them before, and had an excellent experience, so I don't see them as being all that risky doing business with.

"Let the buyer beware"
 

New member
Username: Patriots_fan

Post Number: 6
Registered: Jan-05
Only having 1000 to spend limits your choices but if it were me I'd buy something from the Paradigm monitor line or the PSB Image line.
 

bump123
Unregistered guest
bump
 

Silver Member
Username: Dakulis

Spokane, Washington United States

Post Number: 764
Registered: May-05
Hey Anon,

I love my Ascend 170s and they're absolutely fantastic at what I have them doing.

But they don't compare to my 1976 Altec Lansing Stonehenge IIs, MSRP $479 a piece (in 1976). That brings them in slightly under $1000 with a 10% retail discount and tax, right? LOL

As soon as Tim gets me a pair of the Emmas to listen to, I'll jump in on a more relevant subject, like modern speakers that work for under a $1000.
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