[RYCeT]

Hi guys, I need your opinion for these speakers. My budget is up to $1200. I've listened to the Paradigm a while ago. Though it's not serious listening, I remember I liked it. I don't have a chance to listen to the Thiel. I got a chance to find one pair used for $1200. I also got the chance to find 1 pair of Paradigm S1 clearance sale for $800. From the review and opinion I've read, it seems thiel is a step above the paradigm, However, it needs power and location.
The speakers will be used mainly for music, but I will eventually make it 5.1 for movies. My receiver is panasonic XR57. I wondered whether it will be enough for Thiel, I don't think I will have problem with Paradigm since I've been using this receiver to power the Titan n Atom. My favourite headphones is Sony CD3k. Which one of these speakers will have similar character to my headphones? Any opinion?

 

[audiofil]

Both are very demanding speakers.
Thiel in particular require some serious amplification.

If you're decided on keeping the receiver I'd say go for the Paradigm.

 

[Happy Camper]

Unless you want to make the Thiels a project for upgrading your gear, I agree with audiofil.

 

[RYCeT]

Hi guys, How will you describe each of these speaker's characteristics?

 

[Racer24]

I've had no experience with the Thiel but do own a pair of Paradigms. I recently went back to test their higher end (always looking to upgrade). In my noob opinion they were much warmer and softer sounding than the others I auditioned. I couldn't be happier with the bookshelves I have. They're a great utility speaker for my wide varying needs.

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

Not exactly the question you asked, but I figured I'd post my 2 cents. Have you considered the Paradigm Studio 20's? I did some comparisons and found the 20's to be as good as the S-1's and the S-1's also had a tendency to sound slightly bright on some songs. They are also much better value for money IMO.

 

[Lenni]

sorry I don't have the answer to your question as I never heard the Thiel's

what I'm gonna say though without proper amplification, cables, source you'll be wasting your money, either way

 

[koven]

If it was purely for music I'd easily take the Thiel's, but for home theatre... it's probably a toss up. The Thiels are typically going to sound warmer.

 

[Happy Camper]

For the price, the Paradigms are an excellent all rounder. A friend has his HT done in Paradigms and I'm impressed every time I visit. It has nice bass extension at low volumes and beautiful mids. You could use a sub with either for HT but I think the Paradigms all around would be your best bet. They are a more forgiving speaker and sound good with receiver power.

The Thiels are a premier speaker for two channel listening. They need a good 100-200w to get them off the ground but boy do they blossom. A HT of these would require some serious upgrading of wire, amp, source and room treatments but when done you'd have a nice high end system. When I was shopping for speakers I was down to the Maggies, Martin Logan and Thiels. My goal (at the time) was clarity, accuracy and imaging. The M-Ls won out for HT but if I was going strictly two channel, I'd have gone with the Thiels.

 

[cAsE sEnSiTiVe]

Having owned Thiel's in the past, I would not drive them with a receiver if your goal is to be satisfied for musical playback. I have not heard those particular Paradigm's. Will they reach deep enough for you? Are you running a sub with the system? Regardless, if I were choosing blindly, I'd veer from the Thiel's unless an amplifier upgrade was in your future. They are very revealing of your chain, and not the easiest drive in the world. Also, they are picky regarding placement. They need to be away from any bordering wall to sound their best. If you're not willing/able to do this....consider it another strike against choosing them.

Vandersteen's on the other hand, do very well with receivers, yet scale pretty well with better equipment down the road.

 

[steady339]

As a Paradigm S1 V.3 owner I would describe the sound of the Paradigms as very neutral and smooth, highly transparent and revealing--an accurate studio monitor sound that faithfully reproduces the true sonics of recordings.  I am running the S1s with a Pioneer VSX-1019HS receiver and a Eastern Electric MiniMac Plus external DAC and I can literally listen all day without listener fatigue!  The Thiel 1.6 has aluminum tweeters.  The high-tech, pure beryllium tweeters of the S1 are three times as light as aluminum, twice as strong, unlike aluminum a resonate frequency far out of the range of human hearing, and have superior self damping. The Paradigm S1 tweeter easily out-classes the Thiel tweeter and gives the S1 an important advantage over the Thiel in the accuracy of sound reproduction of the high frequencies.  Beryllium tweeters are going into many top-of-the-line, high dollar speakers today--Revel Salon, Magico, Focal.  Also, the extremely low resonance, cast aluminum, curved surfaces encloses are an advantage of the S1 and another trend in hi-end speakers--Magico, Genelex.  In addition, the midrange of the S1 is excellent and Paradigm, like Thiel, has a good reputation for midrange accuracy.