Apartment HT -- Difference btwn $400 Energys and $1250 Paradigms?

I think most people will appreciate the difference.

Taking your examples, the Energy system is a good little system, and you could be pretty happy with it, but the M1 are better. I think you'll notice a difference in overall clarity, especially when it comes to vocal clarity when watching movies, the Paradigm tweeter is just higher quality and have flatter, more accurate response that can be compared to a larger expensive speaker. As a result, you'll notice the M1s will just plain sound better with music, there is a certain thinness to the sound of the T5 even when well matched to a sub. Dynamically the M1 and T5 are both suited to a smaller space like yours, but the M1 won't sound as constricted at a room filling volume.

Unless you are ready strapped for cash, investing more upfront in the speaker system is always a wise thing to do. It's the one thing that you probably won't need to change out as the technology improves. I have had my speakers for years now and I've changed displays twice since then.

Man $1250 is a lot for such small speakers.

You might want to throw 5 NHT SuperZero 2.0 speakers into the mix @ $99 each. And then add the subwoofer of your choice.
http://www.nhthifi.com/Bookshelf-spe...&category=3772

Or two pair of Cambridge Audio s30 @ $219/pr
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CAS30

And add the matching center speaker
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CAS50

That's under $650 for 5 speakers and you'll still have $$ for a nice sub.

Energy's need a lot of sub to fill the void. I have a set of encores from 2004 and without the sub, bass is non existent. The dialog can be stale as well from th center. You may want to go the direction of beefier bookshelves with a sub instead.

I tend to pick up differences - the preference and choice is yours to decide.
The Paradigm is a solid option and the reviews have spoken.

This is for an option to consider.
Focal Sib
http://www.abt.com/product/48234/Focal-SIBCUB51JB.html

$1250 isn't a lot if they are quality speakers. I liked the encores over the original takes. Although I never heard the M1s, people do rave about them.

I think the difference would be much less profound with sports or just general tv watching.

I have the M1's and I chose them because I wanted the best micro-satellites I could find. The M1's are designed with that goal, they use the same tweeter drivers that Paradigm uses in their $800-2500 speakers, and they are designed to look good without giving up any sound quality. The difference between these and other satellites is their linearity, they sound accurate in the midrange, which a lot of satellites fall short of. This is heard as just more convincing sounding vocals, and spoken dialogue will be,on a whole, more clear and intelligible. To make another comparison, the M1's are still far more accurate sounding than something like the Superzero's mentioned above.

Like all things, there will be diminishing returns, but at the same time, I think the M1s will be something that you should never need to upgrade from unless you move to a much larger space and you need something that can play louder.

It's all relative, for *my* tv watching, my speakers are $1000 a pair, and I upgraded from speakers that were $500 a pair, and I appreciated the difference it made. Unlike some people on this forum, my budget is still rather limited, but I still like to invest in quality equipment when I know I will get good use of it.

No, what I was thinking is that you can get larger speakers for $1250, like regular bookshelf speakers. But if you have size limitations then maybe the Millennia One is the best choice.

Small size, yet filling sound for HT, games. Seems like a good candidate for definitive technology speakers.

This might be an option...

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/

Jeff

How about the infinity primus 162 you can find them for around $85 a pop and they get great reviews! Although they are discontinued they are still available.

The biggest mistake people make when starting out is to buy a system with inadequate front speakers that don't have ANY mid-bass and inadequate overall output. Even a small room is too big for itty-bitty front speakers like those in most speaker "sets", including the Paradigm MilleniaOne. The front speakers are too small, the subwoofer is totally inadequate to produce any real bass without distorting, and the whole setup is incredibly overpriced. It is not going to sound very good at any volume level.

My suggestion;

Four of the PSB Image B4 speakers for the front and rear ($650 total), the Image C4 center speaker ($299), and the Polk PSW505 subwoofer ($300).

This system will give some some real hi-quality sound; FAR better IMO than than anything I have seen suggested here so far. It will cost $1250 and is twice the system of the Millenium.

I think the $1k home theater in a box systems and the speakers like the Paradigm system have really improved and some of them have become very comparable to what you can put together by buying individual pieces.

Having said that, I have not heard the Paradigm MilleniaOne 5.1 setup so I do not know how it compares to Definitive Technology Pro Monitor 1000's and a subwoofer.
I don't own them but I have listened to the DefTech speakers many times and I think they are pretty salty for small designer friendly speakers.
A 5 channel set is in the same price ballpark as the Paradigm speakers, but with a sub (which is needed) they would cost a little more.

http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Tec.../dp/B000V41XII

http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Tec...223457-9514347

A couple of subs that are generally highly regarded that don't break the bank are.
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/stf-1.html
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/stf-2.html
The Polk 505 sub is budget friendly and generally gets good reviews too.
For low to moderate listening levels any of these will probably get the job done.

There is a review of the MilleniumOne by a forum member who owns them...do a search for it. I was seriously looking to use them as my surrounds and front heights until I realized I needed eight speakers. At $250 a speaker it is $2000 and I just did not have that kind of money for just surrounds.

The reviewer LOVES the MilleniumOne, so I think you will to.

Let me repeat myself infinity primus 162,very good sound in my opinion!