Keep Paradigm Reference or switch to Rocket (1 Viewer)

[Mike Peveler]

I guess the header says it all, I currently have Paradigm reference 40's, a studio cc 20's for rear and studio ADP's for sides. I've read alot online about the Rocket Speakers, I am considering either the 750's or 250's as mains and the 200 center. Just wondering if anyone has had a chance to compare. My room is a dedicated theater but smallish about 17x12. Thanks!

 

[Harold A]

Mike,

I have heard the Rockets. They are an impressive sounding speaker. I am in a similar position. I have a pair of Dahlquist speakers now which I enjoy greatly and sound very good to me. I have considered upgrading but don't think that the money spent on a Rocket set-up would be worth it. I think they do sound better then my Dahlquist but not enough to justify the price. If I had an old pair of crappy speakers or was starting from scratch I think the Rockets would be near thr top of the list.

The Paradigms are great speakers and so are the Rockets. Think of it as switching from a Mercedes to a BMW they are both great.

 

[Sihan Goi]

The Paradigm Reference series has a deep rooted history of being price/performance leaders, and many swear by them. The Rockets are a new upstart and don't have the same kind of user base to support it, so unless you can at least get an audition, I'd say stick to your Paradigms first.

 

[Chas_T]

Mike,

I think Harold and Sihan have covered some valid and great points. I own Paradigm. I have never listened to Rocket speakers.

The Rockets are well received in the marketplace as there are threads with positive praise. However, I am thinking too that they may sound different and be as good/better then the Paradigm's.

However, I know for myself, if I was going to upgrade my Studio Series off 100's and 40's, it would not be to Rockets, with no disrespect to that brand.

I'd probably go more in the line of higher end such Dynaudio, B&W, Watt Puppies or something like that. There are many brands to consider, but to use a car analogy as before, jump from a Honda to a Benz.

My disclaimer here is that some may think Paradigm is a Benz and that is fine. I love my Studio series, but do not view them in that way.

Save your money if you can and go to another level. That is my 2 cents.

Also, this thread should be moved to the Speakers section.

 

[Greg_R]

There was a poster on AVS who compared (IIRC) Studio 100s and the large Rockets. I believe he liked various things about both speakers but gave the nod to the Rockets. However, I agree with Chas... I'd look for a significant step up in performance (according to the comparison, rockets are more of a sidestep). For a dedicated HT, I'd be happy with the Paradigms and look for other improvements (better display, better subwoofer, etc.).

 

[Tony Genovese]

I guess the header says it all, I currently have Paradigm reference 40's, a studio cc 20's for rear and studio ADP's for sides. I've read alot online about the Rocket Speakers, I am considering either the 750's or 250's as mains and the 200 center. Just wondering if anyone has had a chance to compare. My room is a dedicated theater but smallish about 17x12. Thanks!

I do not think this is an upgrade. You will end up out of pocket a fair amount of change, and it would be a lateral move, at best. If you didn't already own the Paradigms it might be a different story. The Rockets are drop dead gorgeous. If looks are important and money is not an issue, go for it. On a strictly price/performance basis, it doesn't make sense.

 

[Chas_T]

"Side Step" and "Lateral Move." Perfect words in reply to this question.

 

[Mike Peveler]

Thanks guys just wanted to see what public opinion was.

 

[Terry St]

This thread probably belongs in the speaker forum, but anyways...
I was the fellow who posted the results of an A/B shootout between Studio 100's and Rocket 750's over on avsforum. You can read it here.
To sum up, we found that the Rocket 750's and Paradigm Studio 100's are very comparable speakers. However, the rockets are definately an upgrade from the Studio 100's rather than a lateral move. Just not a huge upgrade. In Canada the Rockets and Paradigms are almost the same price, but the Rockets are a fair bit cheaper than Paradigms in the states.
Personally, I would not spend a large ammount of money to upgrade to rockets from Studio 100's, but from Studio 40's it may well be worth considering.

 

[Walt N]

Mike, is there something about the Paradigms that you definitely don't like, or is it just the "new and different" bug eating atcha? For sure they are somewhat different sounding speakers both of excellent build quality IMO, but surely not everyone is going to prefer the same one over the other. I've heard the Paradigm Studio 100's and I bought and kept Diva's (and now have Rockets) so you can guess what my preference is, however that doesn't mean yours will be the same. If you can tell us what you hope to gain by the change, perhaps we can better answer your question.

 

[Salvador]

Mike, is there something about the Paradigms that you definitely don't like, or is it just the "new and different" bug eating atcha?

I have 20's and i get a similar feeling like that. I just can't seem to put my finger on it but i feel that something is missing with my current setup. I already added the SVS to take care of the bottom end, but the imaging of my 20's leaves a lot for me to be desired. I'm thinking an amp like the odyssey stratos would take care of that though (as oppossed to the amps in my 3802).

btw, what happened to the "total posts" info below each users name?

 

[Sihan Goi]

Salvador, the addition of an amp will help with the imaging, but consider going separates too. I've auditioned the 3801 connected to an ATI amp, and while imaging was fairly good and sound was pretty crisp and clear, after I switched the 3801 for a lowly Parasound AVC-1800 prepro, the imaging and soundstage simply opened up, and sounded noticably more 3-dimensional. The 3801 had a pretty good sized soundstage, but lacked the depth. I'm guessing the upgraded 3802 would too.

 

[Mike_Ch]

Salvador,

If you upgrade your front-end (amp/stereo preamp/better cd player), you'd get a much better improvement in imaging and soundstage IMHO. Even without upgrading your source, an amp like the Stratos with a good 2 channel pre will do wonders for music. The Denon is not too crash hot as a 2-channel pre IMO.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Mike Peveler]

Walt it's kind of the new and different bug I've owned Paradigms for 4 years. My problem with the Rockets is paying $150+ just to audition them that is what I would be out if I decided not to keep them. I use to work in the industry and have owned Def Tech Klipsch and small Theil's and for my money the Paradigm's have been the price for performance speaker I have ever encountered.

 

[Bolivar G]

How about a person like me. I just have my mains and CC left to buy now. I was leaning heavy towards Paradigms studio 40's or 60's . The 3 speaker lines I been considering have been Studio's, Rockets and LSi's
I just cant make up my mind
Is the CC the most important speaker in a HT only setup??

 

[Brian Fitterman]

Just the fact that you would have to sell your existing ones to do the upgrade makes it a pretty expensive upgrade. You would really have to like the difference to make that kind of move.

Reguarding that review, the big thing it points out is the difference between tweeters. And what that comes down to is the difference between Metal and Cloth tweeters. I am not sure of the magazine I read it in, but one reviewer talked about this when reviewing a Montior Series brand speaker which uses metal dome. They tend to show off more detail, including bad details (errors) in recordings. Cloth tweeters tend to be more subtle and forgiving.

IMO, its a personal preference. I for one do not like mail ording $3000 worth of speakers without ever hearing them. I know they will take them back, but it would cost a ton to ship them here and back. If they make the jump and actualy let dealers carry them, then I would give them a shot.

 

[BobRoulier]

Mike, Maybe you can audition these speakers in your area!
For me I own the 100s and love them! but hearing all this talk about the rockets makes you wonder I dont think for me It would be a huge upgrade plus I would lose money so not really worth it. It would be like upgrading from my 49tx to a denon 5803 ya I would gain a couple of things but how signifigant and I may loose some things I am use to.
I guess the bottom line is if you crave more and you are ready to upgrade then why not? at least listen to them otherwise you will never know! right?
Bob

 

[Brae]

Mike [Peveler], what is it about your Paradigms that you feel you may be missing? Is it more mid-range, bass, something warm/bright, please tell.

Considering you are in Kentucky, maybe you should drive up Interstate 75 into Detroit and across the water into Windsor. There, you will find LivewireAudio that can sell you 80's or 100's for a really attractive amount.

Keep in mind that whatever the Canadian list is they will better it, and the fact that CAN$1.00 is only US$0.65! This means your spending power just increased by +50%!!

Just a thought. Speak to Fred Grandis about his three different trips from Rocky River, Ohio. I almost made the 800 mile trip from Atlanta.

 

[Walt N]

Mike, I live in Kentucky near the CVG airport. If you don't mind the road trip and would like to hear my Rockets let me know. You could bring some of your speakers to compare. My e-mail address is in my profile.

 

[Mike Peveler]

Walt I sent you a private message.