Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
Product Strengths
- Superb upper-octave and midrange response delivers flat and detailed sound
- Excellent bass performance is often compared to systems with separate subwoofers, with room correction
- Remarkable clean and detailed sound is due to beryllium drivers over a wide listening area
- The enclosure is inert and well-built using wood composite material and viscoelastic adhesive
- Outstanding life and dynamic realism exists, even in loud and complex passages
Product Considerations
- Placement is important due to the rear-firing woofers
- A PC is required to set up ARC-2 room correction system
- Some may find the upper midrange and treble response flat and may prefer a roll-off
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs. Magico S7—the Persona 9H has room correction, unlike the S7
- Vs. Legacy Aeris—the Persona 9H goes deeper in bass compared to the Aeris
- Vs. Børresen Acoustics 01 Silver Supreme Edition Loudspeakers—the Persona 9H delivers bass that smaller speakers simply cannot
- Vs. Wilson Audio Alexia Series 2 Loudspeakers—the Persona 9H plays in big Wilson pools at half the price
Takeaway: The Paradigm Persona 9H is a high-performing loudspeaker that delivers excellent sound quality and strong bass, making music sound alive. Its advanced technology makes it a great choice for serious audiophiles.
All
Persona 9H
reviews
Manufacturer details
- Design: 6-driver, 3-1/2 way hybrid floorstanding with active bass acoustic suspension
- Crossover: 3rd order electro-acoustic at 2.4 kHz (tweeter/mid), 3rd order @ 400 Hz (mid/front bass), 2nd order @ 200 Hz (rear bass)
- High Frequency Driver: 1" (25mm) Truextent® Beryllium dome
- Midrange Driver: 7" (178mm) Truextent® Beryllium driver
- Low Frequency Driver: Four 8-1/2" (215 mm) ultra-high-excursion X-PAL™ drivers
- Frequency Response On-Axis: ±2dB from 19 Hz - 45 kHz
- Sensitivity Room/Anechoic: 96 dB / 93 dB
- Low Frequency Extension: 15 Hz (DIN)
- Suitable Amplifier Power Range: 15 - 500 watts
- Maximum Input Power: 400 watts
- Impedance: Compatible with 8 ohms
- Dimensions (HxWxD): 51.75" × 11.875" × 20.5" (132cm × 30cm × 52cm)
- Weight: 190 lbs. (86 kg)
- Finishes: High Gloss: Vanta Black, Harmony White. Metallic Gloss: Aria Blue, Sonic Silver
Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
- Paradigm designs and manufactures their own drivers, including the rare and expensive Beryllium drivers used in their higher-end Persona and Founder series, allowing for precise control over performance characteristics.
- They utilize Perforated Phase-Aligning (PPA) lenses over tweeters and midrange drivers, a visually distinctive technology they claim smooths and widens dispersion while protecting the drivers.
- Paradigm is known for integrating Anthem Room Correction (ARC) technology from their sister company, Anthem Electronics, to optimize bass performance and room integration of their subwoofers.
- They focus on delivering high dynamic range, enabling their speakers to play loudly and cleanly without compression or distortion, even at mass-market price points.
Select products
Monitor SE 8000F
- Positioning: The entry-level floorstanding speaker in Paradigm's lineup, offering high performance at an affordable price.
- Description: Features a 5-driver, 3-way bass reflex design that delivers robust bass and clear highs, with dynamic sound and excellent imaging. Compared to higher-end models like the Premier 800F, it offers great value for those with budget constraints, making it ideal for medium-sized rooms where affordability and quality are key.
Premier 800F
- Positioning: The mid-range floorstanding speaker in Paradigm's lineup, balancing performance and value.
- Description: Features clear midrange and well-integrated bass, using Active Ridge Technology (ART) for reduced distortion. While it offers superior sound quality compared to the Monitor SE 8000F, it remains more accessible than the Founder 120H.
Founder 120H
- Positioning: The high-end floorstanding speaker in Paradigm's lineup, designed for audiophiles seeking advanced technology and superior sound.
- Description: Features a hybrid design with active bass and a built-in amplifier, providing deep, controlled bass and precise sound. Its advanced technologies, such as the AL-MAC high-frequency driver, offer a more refined audio experience than the Premier 800F.
Persona 9H
- Positioning: The flagship model in Paradigm's lineup, representing the pinnacle of their speaker technology and design.
- Description: Features Truextent Beryllium drivers for exceptional clarity and Anthem Room Correction for precise audio tuning. It surpasses all other models in the lineup, including the Founder 120H, in terms of technological sophistication and soundstage.
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Used
Paradigm
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Product Strengths
- DSP use smooths out frequency responses in rooms with non-standard shapes
- Enhanced Bass Alignment (EBA) technology delivers deep and fast bass
- Built-in DSP and DACs
- Finished in high-gloss piano lacquer
- The new tweeter has a 1' beryllium dome for high power handling and superior transients, increasing dynamic range and contrast
Product Considerations
- Requires a digital streamer to feed it source files
- Requires AC cables and an Ethernet cable between speakers
- The balance is dark, with recessed midrange and treble
- Placement may require more distance to walls than usual
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Kii THREE speakers can sit on a desktop
Takeaway: The Meridian DSP7200SE loudspeaker is a technologically advanced speaker with great sound quality and a sleek design that simplifies a home audio system. The built-in technology helps the speaker sound good in different kinds of rooms.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Vantage 3 Live is a unique product: a complete system delivering stunning audio quality combined with exceptional convenience and flexibility. Vantage 3 Live will have you re-listening to all your favorite recordings, enjoying its unrivaled dynamics and scale, breathtaking detail and delicacy. Most of all, it has a musical, natural sound with all types of music, whether recreating an intimate acoustic recording or the spine-tingling, electric atmosphere of a rock concert.
Sophisticated and natural with life-size scale, Vantage Live exceeds any expectation from an integrated system and rivals the very best achievable with multi-component, traditional hi-fi systems. Vantage Live is the culmination of many years of research and development between YG and Bel Canto. Two compact, three way loudspeakers combine with an elegant controller to blend harmoniously with any size of room and all design aesthetics.
Advanced DSP crossovers have been tuned on the basis of extensive listening, combined with complex, multi-domain physics and acoustic models, optimized using supercomputer and cloud computing resources. Top tier DSP and DAC circuits provide effortless dynamics, clarity and musicality. Custom amplification provides a dedicated 700W amplifier for each of the three drive units, yet the whole system is cool and efficient.
The result is a velvet black background with a beautiful, smooth delivery across all types of music. Incredible dynamics, astounding realism and deep, authoritative bass. The Reference 3 models include new technologies and design innovations based on novel theoretical models, detailed multi-domain simulations and thousands of hours of listening. An new, hybrid Lattice tweeter uses a novel airframe in a specially-selected aerospace alloy, machined by YG Acoustics. It delivers exceptionally low distortion over a huge bandwidth, with a wide imaging sweet-spot.
Product Strengths
- Three 700W amplifiers are included, one for each driver; each has been optimized for its particular driver
- 25' ST optical fiber cables are included, which attach to the control module
- YG Acoustics developments include a new lattice tweeter, and an enclosure made from an "aerospace alloy"
Product Considerations
- The sound wasn't perfect, but it had some hard-to-describe arresting qualities that held many in the room in its spell
Takeaway: The Vantage 3 Live combines YG Acoustics' speaker design with Bel Canto's amplification and digital processing in an all-in-one system. The speaker system aims to deliver high-quality sound through optimized components and innovative materials.
Video review
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Video review
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What competes at this price?
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Excellent clarity, detail resolution, and agility in sound reproduction
- Impressive bass definition and punch, delivering huge amounts of bass effortlessly
- Combines muscularity, insight, scale, and attack for an engaging listening experience
- Design is unique and striking, with impeccable build quality and a flawless finish
- Offers extensive specification and numerous control options, all implemented expertly
Product Considerations
- Sonic presentation might be a little too 'safe' or 'civilizing', potentially losing some of the vibrant energy in music
- Lacks some features compared to competitors regarding connectivity and adjustability
- Requires a large listening space to avoid overpowering the room
- The provided remote casing feels cheap and insubstantial compared to the overall package
- Room correction (ADAPT) is not as automated or precise as some other systems and the application may crash
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs KEF LS60 Wireless: KEF LS60 offers more flexibility, including a subwoofer output, but at higher volumes, Focal Diva is the clear winner
- Vs Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90: Beolab 90 is in a league of its own and provides a more complete audio experience
- Vs Scala Utopia Evo: Diva Utopia is cheaper in the long run, as the Scala Utopia Evo needs additional components, such as Naim Classic components
- Vs Diablo Utopia Color Evos: The Color Evos may represent the ultimate Focal experience
Takeaway: The Diva Utopia is an all-in-one speaker with impressive sound that expertly combines performance and design. It offers a unique blend of luxury and high-end audio quality that can be enjoyed by anyone looking for a simplified audiophile experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- When combined with the BXT module, the system delivers tight, dynamic, and nuanced bass reproduction
- The addition of the BXT allows the system to reveal subtle details in the lower frequencies that are typically missed
- The BXT system offers a balanced sound, with the midrange frequencies benefiting from the addition of the BXT module
- Are relieved of some bass duties, letting them focus more on the mids
- The combination with the BXT module creates a cardioid dispersion pattern, reducing reflections from side and rear walls—minimizing the influence of room acoustics
- Ease of use is another strength of the concept
Product Considerations
- Some perceive it as sounding 'too digital' or 'too analytical' on its own, lacking the warmth of other speakers, but the BXT module helps to address this
- The display on the Kii Control is considered small, making it difficult to read in poor lighting conditions
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Versus ATC speakers, ATC speakers have a warmer, more colorful sound
Takeaway: The system, especially when paired with the BXT module, delivers exceptional sound quality with deep, controlled bass and reduced room interaction. For those wanting a system with great clarity and power, this could be a good pick.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Astonishing control, detail, coherence, and extension due to 200 Watts being connected directly to the bass driver
- The new ATC tweeter is more revealing yet sweeter than the SEAS unit it replaces, making the speaker more charming without losing transparency
Product Considerations
- Installation potentially difficult, as it is a large and heavy speaker, weighing 75kg each
- Bass performance reveals flaws in recordings that are tweaked to sound good on most speakers
Takeaway: The ATC SCM150 ASL speakers deliver clean and controlled sound with impressive detail and extension, making them ideal for critical listening. The new tweeter improves upon previous versions, offering a sweeter and more revealing sound.
Video review
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