[dn38416]

How many people have compared the Diva 2.1 to the Paradigm Studio 20's?

Anyone compare the Diva C3 center to the Paradigm Studio CC center?

I'm trying to decide if the increased price for the Paradigms will be accompanied by an equal increase in performance/quality.


These speakers will be placed in a solid bookshelf at 30" high, with about 16" of depth. My room is 11' x 18'. My receiver is a Denon 3802, and I'm using a Definitive Technology ProSub 100TL on the sub-out.


Any advice would be very much appreciated!

Matt

 

[reaper]

I've compared a friend's (gatrswmr) Diva 6.1s/C3 to my Paradigm Reference Studio 40s/CC. He has the 3802 and I have the 3801. So, it was a pretty similar comparison. The biggest difference we noticed was a brighter (crisper) tweetwer on the Diva Speakers in general. I haven't listened to either the 2.1 or the 20s. But I'd be willing to bet that trend would continue to those incarnations as well.


In response to your question about the increase in price/performace... that's a personal preferance. I'd respond yes, get the Paradigms because I like the sound of the Paradigm tweeters. I think they are more natural and lifelike. But gatrswmr would probably say, no get the Divas because he prefers the bright sound of the Diva tweeter (and that rosewood finish).


Don't know if that helped...


reaper

 

[Greg_R]

Sound is affected so strongly by room interactions (and our own personal perception) that any comparison is not meaningful unless you do it yourself in your own listening room. I think there is a website where you can find Diva owners for an audition?


Either way, I feel that you are approaching the knee in the price/performance curve with both these speakers.

 

[Steve Ozmai]

Quote:

Originally posted by reaper I've compared a friend's (gatrswmr) Diva 6.1s/C3 to my Paradigm Reference Studio 40s/CC. He has the 3802 and I have the 3801. So, it was a pretty similar comparison. The biggest difference we noticed was a brighter (crisper) tweetwer on the Diva Speakers in general. I haven't listened to either the 2.1 or the 20s. But I'd be willing to bet that trend would continue to those incarnations as well. In response to your question about the increase in price/performace... that's a personal preferance. I'd respond yes, get the Paradigms because I like the sound of the Paradigm tweeters. I think they are more natural and lifelike. But gatrswmr would probably say, no get the Divas because he prefers the bright sound of the Diva tweeter (and that rosewood finish). Don't know if that helped... reaper

Hi dn38416 and reaper,


Both of these speakers are great products for the money. Many have done comparisons directly with the Diva vs. Paradigm reference, and if you get a few minutes, dn38416, you should post this exact same inquiry on the big Diva thread here. You'll reach far more people this way, and will most likely benefit from the HUGE pool of collective knowledge these threads can offer. I know for a fact that many have done this exact comparison, and several people have even taken their Diva's into their local HiFi dealers to do blind A/B comparisons.


Regarding your comments, reaper, do you know how many hours the Diva 6.1/C3 had on them when this comparison was done? The only reason I ask is because in all accounts where I've heard these speakers discussed, the findings are reversed completely. In most cases, and in my experience, the Paradigm series of speakers is actually quite a bit brighter than the Diva's. This is due to the use of a smaller 25mm PAL (pure aluminum dome) tweeter as opposed to the Diva's 28mm German silk dome. By nature of their design, silk dome tweeters tend to be a bit more relaxed than metal domes, and begin an ever-so-slight inherent roll-off right after about 10 kHz. In the Diva's case, this tweeter is about 3 dB down at 20 kHz, whereas the Paradigm is about 2 dB down at 20 kHz. Take a look at the TN28 Diva tweeter specs here: Diva Tweeter Link


However, this tweeter does take a pretty serious break-in period before you'll realize this performance. Out of the box, the Diva tweeter can sound somewhat "bright" and even "harsh" at times. But after about 70-100 hours of playing time, the high frequencies become much more extended and smooth, setting up a wide and relaxed soundstage usually 2-4 ft behind the speakers. If you did this test before the Diva speakers had been given adequate break-in, this may explain your findings.


Nonetheless, neither of these qualities is "better" than the other...in the end, it all boils down to what sounds best to YOUR ears. If you like the sound of a metal tweeter, the Paradigm may be your best choice. However, if you do significant 2-channel listening, and like the sound of a soft dome tweeter, you may consider a Diva audition. The best way to answer your question would obviously be to hear the Diva yourself. Take a look at the following site set up by a proud Diva owner: www.audioenvy.com. Here you can actually arrange an audition of the Diva speakers and learn exactly what to expect from these speakers!


Thanks again for the post...please let me know if I can be of any further assistance!


Kindest regards,

 

[rt297]

I have auditioned the Studio Reference line at my local dealer, and I find that the Paradigms have the brighter sound. They are excellent speakers, but I prefer the laid back quality of the Divas. The metal tweeter wears on my ears eventually. Not as bad as NHT or Klipsch by any means, but more so than the Diva.

 

[reaper]

Quote:

Regarding your comments, reaper, do you know how many hours the Diva 6.1/C3 had on them when this comparison was done?

The comparison was by no means completely fair/scientific. The Divas were in a different room than the Paradigms for one thing. I listened to two sets of 6.1s. One set was at gatrswmr's apt and was fairly new. While I do know he performed some breakin on these speakers, I am not aware of how many hours were involved. The other set was at the home of another forum member (dunno his name anymore) and I was under the impression he had owned them for more than 1 month and they were fully broken in.


As for posting the question in the Diva thread, I would argue that you'd reach far more Diva enthusiasts but maybe not as many Paradigm enthusiasts... but that's beside the point.


By the specs you provide and the comments of some other listeners it does seem as though they would seem less bright than the 40s. I don't know how to scientifically explain what I heard, only reporting my impression. I'd also like to point out that gatrswmr came to a similar conclusion describing the 6.1s as more "in your face."

In the end, I just want to say that whatever speaker makes you happy is what you should go for. I am not trying to say the Diva speaker is less than or greater than the Paradigm, just different. I prefer the Paradigm difference and it's worth the extra money to me. Others do not and get their dream speakers for much less. Listen to both and by all means, by what you like.


reaper

 

[davidw]

Take a look at my post in the main Diva thread. I own Studio 60's and have owned 20's, and recently demoed a Diva package including 6.1's and 2.1's at someone else's house. In sum, I found the 60's and 6.1's to be very similar in their midrange (scarily similar), as well as in their imaging and soundstage (wide and excellent for both). I noted only the the 60's were a touch brighter, something which I had not noted in the 60's prior to hearing the Divas. I am not certain whether the 60's are neutral in the highs and the 6.1's a little laid back, or whether the 6.1 are neutral and the 60's are a little forward. Would have to listen to some serious hi-fi speakers to establish a point of reference there. Either way, there are *much* brighter speakers out there than the Paradigm Reference speakers. The Paradigm Monitor series is brighter still, but there are many other speakers that are brighter than the Monitor series. I actually marginally prefer the highs on the 60's to the 6.1's in most cases. However, I ocassionally have found the 60's fatiguing on extended listening sessions with certain types of music. I would not anticipate encountering this fatigue with the Divas. In short, I concluded it was pretty close to a wash. At Canadian prices, I would run, not walk to get Paradigm. At US prices, the nod might go slightly to the Divas, though a decent 10-15% discount on the Paradigms could make it a dead heat. Just my $.02.

 

[gatrswmr]

As reaper stated, I too thought that the Divas were more "bright" than his Paradigm Studio 40s. The Divas have had at LEAST 100+ hrs of break-in, so they should be totally broken in. Perhaps room placement plays a role in that since I have a smaller room. Regardless, the quality of sound is largely based on what each person prefers, therefore, a lot of opinon is in choosing a speaker. I could not be happier with my Diva's. I don't know about the 2.1s but the 6.1s are amazing to me. As previously stated...Some people get thier dream speakers for much less, but listen to what you can and buy what YOU like.


Regards

-Eric