Brunner

I have been looking at getting a pair of Studio 100's but have been told that the 80's have a more neutral sound. The local Paradigm store only has a set of the 100's, 40's and 20's. Are the 80's better than the 100's? I know to trust my ear, but since there isn't a pair of 80's to audition them against I can't tell.

I've also got a Denon 2801 so I'm sure I'll have to get an amp down the line if I get the 100's.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

DavidY

During my demos with the Studio/80 and Studio/20 (both V.1 series), I had found that the 80's sound muddy as compared with the 20's. Although it's just relative....a number of other Paradigm lovers have found the same thing. I have assume that this is due to the 80's larger 8 inch woof/midrange. All the others have a 6.5 inch woof/midrange (Studio/100 has a dedicated 6.5 inch midrange). Furthermore, due to the larger driver size, the 80's will not likely timbre match the other speakers as well as the others. To summarize, I would recommend you go with the Studio/100 (the V.2 series is over 20 pounds heavier than the V.1 series ), Studio/60 or possibly the Studio/40 (a lot of people regard the 40's as the best value...I have not heard it personally).

BTW, I have Studio/60 mains, CC-450 centre and Studio/20 rears (all V.1 series)....and still in love with them for the past few years.

Dave