Paradigm Persona 3 vs 5 vs Monitor Audio


I just spent a couple of hours comparing the Paradigm Persona 3 and 5. The 3 sounded very good and I was sceptical about whether the 5, for one additional speaker, was really worth 70% more. I expected it to be very similar to the 3 with some added bass. After hearing the 5, I think it offers more than the additional bass. As good as the 3 sounded, the 5 had added depth and realism, even on music without that much bass. I listened to St. Saens 3rd Symphony and Beethoven’s 7th (2nd movement) to hear the bass and Eva Cassidy, Cecilia Bartoli and Brahms Piano Trio #1 for other characteristics.

The 3 is well priced compared the competition and certainly is a good choice. If you can afford the extra $7000, the 5 is definitely better--to me worth the significant price differential.

 To complicate my choice, we then visited another dealer to hear the Monitor Audio pl300ii and it’s an excellent speaker too if you like what I do--wide soundstage, good imaging, realistic rendition of individual instruments. It’s not an easy decision between the Paradigm 5 and the Monitor. To confuse myself further, I’m going tomorrow to hear the third speaker on my short list--the KEF Reference 3 which I’ve liked in prior hearings. I hope to make a decision after that.



brownsf
Mofo lets me clarify. The Legacy Aeris are amazing but different then the Personas, the Aeris has that big warm sound, yet with good detail, like that you get out of a physically large speaker such as a Wilson Maxx or Alexia, so in terms of image size, height of image and deep bass they sound close to a mega speaker which is why we said the Aeris can compare with speakers like a pair of Wilson Alexia II which are $58k and other similar types of products.

The Persona not the 3 but a 5, which is under discussion and consideration by Brownsf, sounds smaller then the Legacy’s but in terms of midrange clarity and creating a more focused soundstage, the Personas are better, they do sound physically smaller, also their bass is deep and tight but not as room filling as the Aeris.

At the 2016 New York Audio SHow we heard the YG Carmels $20k+ as well as the Magico S1 MK II also $18k and both of those speakers were not better than the Persona 3F.

As per the Persona B don’t know how or what this gentleman heard but we have the Persona B the LS 50 and the KEF Ref 1 in the same demo room.

The Persona B have way deeper bass then the LS 50, and in many ways outperform the Ref 1 which are one of the top rated $8k sets of monitors, so the Persona B are absolutely worth $7k for an incredible monitor that offers some of the same qualities and is built the same way as the floor standers of the line.

Most people will take the Persona 3F at for $10k vs $7k plus stands for the B the 3F are screaming good and are a steal for a loudspeaker with this kind of speed, detail, and image specificity. The only issue with the 3F is that they are not as big sounding as some other speakers.

In our shop we use the Persona B on a set of Target stands $400.00 so we have $7.4k vs $10k however, the 3F is just the better way to go unless you have to have a monitor.

Hope that clarifiies the points I raised in other posts. Long story short, one of the reason’s we love both Legacy and the Personas is that both of these lines represent incredible value and sound quality and both of these companies products challenge much more expensive loudpeakers.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ


Audiotroy-Appreciate your input.  After hearing the Persona 3 and 5, the Monitor Audio PL300ii and the KEF Reference 3 multiple times,  I narrowed it down to the Persona 5 (despite the big up charge). and the KEF.  Wish I could hear the KEF Reference 5 but it's not displayed anywhere in my area.  Tough call for me among the remaining two.  I do like the wide soundstage and imaging of the KEF.  Seems that I like whichever I'm hearing at the time.   I'd say that I'm leaning toward the KEF right now (and I'm not listening to anything) despite the positive things about the Persona 5.  I checked out the Aeris and it appears to be an active speaker which requires AC power, which won't work for me.  
I’m sorry, but anyone who thinks the LS50’s sound anywhere near the Persona B... 

Speechless.  
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Interesting that AudioTroy likes the Persona B over the KEF REF 1 (I know you sell both). I need to check out the B's. I love the REF 1 and leaning toward the REF 3 if I go passive. All dependent on room size I end up with.