Paradigm Signature S4: Any info please

I have to agree with "tngjsv" ... I had a friend purchase an entire home theater setup with the Paradigm Studio V3's. For the money I was amazed at the V3’s and gave him my thumbs up. I was looking at upgrading from my Klipsch La Scala’s to something smaller and a little smoother. I went and listened to the B&W Nat 804’s and then JM Lab’s Cobalt and Electra series, Proac and Thiel 2.4’s. I was ready to BUY the 804’s when I thought I would look at a few other pairs … man, am I glad I did. Just for fun I thought I would head back and compare what I had heard to the Paradigm’s. I brought my own music each time and had them set each speaker system up with and without a sub. I tried for an “apples to apples” comparison as much as possible. I listened to the Paradigm Studio 40’s and was amazed at how good they sounded in comparison to the much more expensive speaker systems. THEN I HEARD THE SIGNATURE S4’s … It was pure love! Everything was better. With the seismic sub hooked in it was quite possibly the best I have ever heard. I was a diehard Klipsch fan but these little speakers changed my mind. Jazz, Blues, Classical and Rock … all forms of music I played seemed more detailed and much clearer. I moved the speakers around looking for bad placement or dropouts – they sounded great. The price was in line with what I have been looking at but I was hoping to find a demo set or a slightly used set. NOTHING …. It’s been three months and I have sold off all my other equipment. I’m not a person who buys new very often – I have had NO problems buying used equipment and I have bought and sold a TON over the years with great luck. I think this will be my first NEW purchase in a decade and I am going full 5.1. I will set the s4’s in the front, S2’s in the rear and go with the C3 center. The sub will have to be a seismic … I just cant quite fork out for the signature sub and the 12” seismic is more than enough.

In short … BUY THE S4’s …. If you’re worried about the cost vs. appeal take the chance – you wont be disappointed. As a testament check ALL the used sites. No one is unloading these speakers. You usually see a few pairs than where bought and NOT liked but I have had my eye out for three months and nothing. Read the reviews - there are a ton of them ... all are very positive.

If you don’t like them post the on Audiogon and I’ll buy them! If I can find them in the midst of all the dozens of pairs of B&W 804's that now litter the sites. What a disappointment they turned out to be ...

So, I'm a dealer? How many sales to I have on AG? Check ...

I picked the B&W 804's originally because of the many positive reviews that I had read, and the fact that there were bargains to be had on-line. I wanted (and still want) a good deal on a great speaker ($2000-$4000). I listened to the 804's FIRST before anything else and didn’t like them at all. I would have stayed with the LaScala's if the B&W's were my only option.

I cant honestly see why anyone with ears would pay $4000 for a pair of 804's Everything I read about the detail in the midrange was WRONG... they had a shrill tweeter and the mid's sounded muffled. Frankly ... I hated them.

Still confused?

It's funny to read my review from way back and to think about how far I have come and how little I knew then.  I've since owned a set of B&W 802's and loved them along with Dynaudio C1's shortly after and ultimately Proac D Two's. All of which I feel were superior to the Paradigm S4's in my system.  The B&W 802's had one of the sweetest mid-range signatures I have found but I just couldn't keep them.  My listening space went from 25 X 20 living room, to a smaller converted bedroom. What a difference time has made ...

I felt like the problem I originally had with the 804's was the system I evaluated them with and room I evaluated them in.  It was a B&W/Rotel dealer and the amplifier was a mid-line Rotel.  For some reason I just didnt feel the love - in fact the system sounded pretty bad as I recall.  The S4's were powered with a Music Fidelity KW 500 in a nice big room which, in my opinion was the reason for my instant fondness of the Paradigm S4. I did get them home and paired them with a Modwright pre and Levinson amplifier which kept me happy for years,  I ultimately upgraded as my tastes changed. 

I felt like the Levinson 23.5 I had back then, did much better with the B&W's. I have since demoed the 800D and was astonished at how good they sounded powered with ARC REF 600 amplifiers.  I guess what I didnt understand at the time, is the speakers are just part of a system and if you combine the wrong components, no mater what the price tag the result can be quite disappointing. Yet any one of those components can be placed in a different system with fantastic results.   

I have to apologize for my post, as it shows a rather defensive posture.  In the years following that post I bought and sold many, many pieces and have learned a lot about synergy and the importance room size and speaker placement make.  There are very few absolutes in high end audio.  The 804 setup I demoed all those years back, was less than optimal.  They were stuffed in a tiny room and setup for aesthetics, that's too bad.  Had they been placed in a proper room with an amplifier that fit my tastes ... I may have very well fallen in love but thats just my opinion.      

PS - I have have been a dealer, just a big fan of the S4.