Picked the demo 281's up from Adire today (1 Viewer)

[Darren_T]

Man those suckers are heavy and they are the sealed box non floor standing monitors. Can't wait to get them home for a listen. I'll post an update to this thread when I've had a chance to listen to them for a while. I know it won't be much of a comparison but I'll post my thoughts on my Paradigm Mini Monitors and their comparison or lack thereof to the 281's. Now that my Tempest is configured correctly I'm quite impressed with it so I'm sure I'll be having lots of fun tonight!

Darren

 

[Craig Woodhall]

You can always count on Dan, he is a great asset to us DIYers.. Let us know how you like them..

Craig

 

[Darren_T]

Ok, here are my first impressions. Mind you this is only after listening for about an hour back and forth.

I have an Onkyo TX DS 777 at 100 watts per channel.

The demo 281's are sturdy well built speakers. They are the sealed enclosure with a slightly larger volume compared to the standard 281 kit so I would think they put out just a little more bottom end than the standards.

I listened to my Mini Monitors alone set to large first and enjoyed the experience as I always do. I was surprised by the amount of bass and how well it was defined. I'm used to running them small with a sub so I was pleasantly reminded of their range. I listened to Steve Miller Band, Pearl Jam, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles DVD on PCM and a small bit from Terminator 2. Just a selection of differnt CD's with piano, strings, and some good bass here and there. I mostly judge speakers by listening to music not HT. I then did the same with the 281's and thought they sounded great also. Great clarity and they definately reveal poor recordings as a good speaker should. Great bass also.

I'm not sure if I'm just too used to the sound of Paradigm speakers or what but the 281's sounded a bit bright and forward to me. I wonder if it could be because I only have 8' to 9' from the speakers to my sitting area. That and I have about 7' between speakers (entertainment center between them). I read that these are far field speakers so that might explain it. Because they sounded bright to me I thought the Mini Monitors reproduced strings more accurately and since I prefer a laid back speaker I felt more comfortable listening to my Mini Monitors. I will set up the 281's again and leave them there for a week then do an a/b test again to see if I still feel the same way.

When I was auditioning B&W's against Paradigms I found the B&W's to be much more laid back and airy than the Paradigm monitor 7's and was delighted with them. I wonder if they would sound bright with my setup and room also.

Overall I'm very impressed with the 281's especially when you consider the price of build it yourself. I just currently think they are too bright and forward sounding for my space. Time will tell. I'll update as my opinion develops. Remember, this is just after an hour so not much to go on yet.

Darren

 

[Michael R Price]

Kit281 forward sounding? I agree, although I haven't listened to the Mini-Monitors. You may want to ask Dan W about the crossover tweak that will reduce the treble by 1-2db. And if the speakers haven't broken in, that's a quite huge difference with the 281s (at least it was with mine; I'm not sure how much the demos have been used).

Was there a difference from the Paradigms in the clarity and imaging, or at louder volumes? That's where I'd expect the 281 to be an improvement worth paying for.

You may want to audition the GR A/V-1s, since they might have a smoother treble (compared to the 281s).

If only I lived in Washington! I also find it real nice of Dan and Adire to lend out their products for demos.

 

[Darren_T]

Yup, I think it's really cool that they have demo speakers for people to take home and try out. I talked with Dan briefly and he is a really nice easy going guy. Glad to see people that really seem to like the business they are in. Yes, 281's do perform better at higher volumes. I don't think I can give a good review of the soundstage because I think my room needs to be a bit deeper to get to the sweet spot. I could toe them in a bit more but I'm not sure it would do them justice then either. I'm thinking the sweet spot is about 2 - 3 feet further back than I can get. I think I would really like them more if there is a crossover tweak that could reduce the treble as you said. I believe it would relax them a bit. As it is I find them a tad harsh for my taste but that could also be because I'm not able to listen at an appropriate distance. They really sound great as a full range speaker, the lows are wonderful. I'm really impressed that the mids are as clear as they are being 8" drivers. They crank really well. My ears are just a bit sensitive to forward sounding speakers. If I remember correctly I believe the independent review that is on the Adire site for the 281's stated that if you listened too close they could become a bit bright but when listening a couple feet back from wherever they were it became much more laid back and the sound stage expanded. This is why I kind of think I might not have the room for these speakers but the crossover tweak may make them work out after all.

I'll expand upon my thoughts in this thread as they change or develop.

Darren