Great bookshelf speakers
Written: Oct 12 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great sound at a reasonable price.
Cons: Somewhat out-dated appearance... although other colors might be better.
The Bottom Line: Just excellent speakers at this price. Worth spending a little more on them too as speakers are something you will have for years!
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| gunf1ghter's Full Review: Monitor 5 |
My review is of the newer series version of the Paradigm Monitor 5 which features the addition of a bass extension driver below the woofer. You can get pictures and specs of the new model at www.paradigm.ca and browse to the products section.
I was in the market for a decent bookshelf speaker for my bedroom. I listen to music in the office that is playing out of the bedroom stereo system (a Yamaha integrated amplifier) and even like to crank up the music in there before going to bed.
I went to the one dealer in the greater Denver area and auditioned the mini monitor on the advice of many positive reviews, at epinions and elsewhere. The minis sounded pretty decent so I opted to get a set. The problem was that they would have to be ordered in the light cherry color that I wanted (not my favorite color but matches all the furniture in the bedroom better than black or dark cherry do).
One of the salespeople commented that they had a set of Monitor 5's that were in the color I wanted and they could make me a decent deal on them. I listened to these speakers and was immediately impressed. Bass extension and even midrange tonal qualities were much better than on the minis. I took them up on their offer and have now had the speakers going for days.
These speakers really do offer audiophile level delight at a beer and tacos price (compared to typical audiophile speakers that can cost $1000 or more a set). They are a little bigger than I had initially thought, but still a reasonable size compared to some large floor-standing towers. Put them on some decent stands and they will do a good job of getting out of the way in a modest sized room. I am not really impressed with the vinyl wrapped mdf look (looks rather 1970s'ish) but the front baffles and drivers have a very up-to-date appearance... and after all it's the sound quality that is the most desireable thing in a set of speakers. The speakers are beefy too, weighing in at over 50 lbs for the pair. Paradigm uses something like a die cast enclosure that really keeps these speakers stable during playback.
These speakers just sound great... they are very "nuetral" sounding which I like. Sound is crisp and accurate without coloring the music with artificial boominess, boosted mid-range or shrieking treble. Stereo seperation and imaging is quite good... these speakers are fairly laid back and will "disappear" if properly setup and powered by a decent amplifier.
About the only drawback of the speakers other than the appearance is that they are fairly greedy for current, meaning you probably don't want to run them on some budget reciever or cheezy mini system amplifier. Pair them up with a good amp or reciever though and they'll be singing to your sheer delight.
Very satisified.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
gunf1ghter
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Reviews written: 36
Trusted by: 6 members
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