Paradigm speakers

@initma

Appreciate you are asking about the Prestige. I thought you also asked  ownership and quality questions....got carried away....

I auditioned the Prestige and felt that like the previous versions of Paradigms I've owned, their upper end presentation was too bright and strained for my tastes. While I tend to prefer detailed and reveling speakers (vs "warm" and "lush" I guess), I've come to feel the Paradigms lack good balance and integration between the mid and upper range drivers. Of course this is all personal preference and not science-- you should buy what sounds good to you. 

Don't you dare tell Audiotroy that you perceive the sound of Paradigm as less than perfect or especially as bright (as I do). Don't you know he'll tell you that he hears better than you and he loves them, that Paradigm spent $4M developing the line and there are reviewers that thought they were good--so you must be wrong. You, in fact did not hear what you heard--or they were not set up right.

Initm, Paradigm gets a fair share of reviews. Their flagship 9H had a kind cover story review and a few, more realistic comments from audio show reviewers. While reviews can be descriptively helpful how most things audio react and compare in your listening space can be worlds different.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/paradigm-prestige-95f-loudspeaker

Like jsl1234 I'm a previous owner (Paradigm Studio 100s versions 1 and 2 and in home audition their S8s). In MY subjective opinion and with respect to the Audio Doctor's, Dave, Paradigm has a definite house sound that I continued to hear with the 9H at a brick and mortar store detailed in the 9H thread below. Yes, in MY opinion they are a bit bright but more importantly, FOR ME, they didn't make music FOR ME.  
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/paradigm-personas-a-first-listen?page=3

I didn't understand speaker presentation until the Paradigm V2s, S8s, and my current and more expensive used Avalon Eidolons were in the house to compare at the same time. How one comes to the rationale of listening to the music and not the system simply must be experienced. For everybody in my family and I it was a night and day difference.  Beware of what retailers and fanboys may have to say and most importantly beware of your own listening ability especially in an unfamiliar environment.

I would trust a manufactures suggestion of run in time at least as a baseline. In the end I find the whole system needs to settle in with any change.

As to your questions regarding playing loud, most will agree there are many factors that can damage speakers. Keep in mind this is home audio not extreme duty pro (public address) audio.  You may want to consider powered speakers which may have a more tailored design between amplifier and drivers and consequently may be more durable. These might be interesting to you.
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/full-range-loudspeakers-2017-09-06-speakers

Grpgr4blu,

The Prestige series is a bit bright, so are Rahido, Monitor Audio Platinum Series I, B&W, and many others high performance and high resolution speakers. 

As usual, speakers don't have a sound unto themselves, the sound you get has to do with the entire system, unless you are talking about fully active speakders with built in amps and dac, this is what is called the art of system matching, which is something I am particularly good at.

I am not saying there isn't a house sound, there is, and you can't make a bright speaker sound dull nor can you make a dull speaker sound bright, but you can find matching components that will compliment the things that you like about speaker x and minimize the things that you don't.

Grpgr4blu obviously doesn't know a damm thing about  this, or he wouldn't make sure ridiculous comments, he would know this as a fact.

If you have a speaker system which tends to favor upper octaves over more of a midrange centric system with a downward shelved treble such as a Vandersteen, then you need to add a warmer digital front end or a tube preamp or both along with neutral to wamer sounding cables, have you wondered why so many people talk about the Vandersteen/Ayre combo?

Vandersteens tend to sound warm and a bit rolled off in the top end, Ayre is neutral to a bit dry sounding, therfore, the match elevates both,

Same thing with the current Wilsons and ARC for example. ARC has always been neutral to a tad more forward compared to such tube brands like CJ, and the current Wilsons are less forward then past years with the Focal tweeter, get my point, it is finding a synergistic match of components.

The Personas have superb driver integration more so than the last series where you had a Beryilium tweeter coupled with an aluminum hybrid woofer. 

Dave owner
Audio Doctor NJ