Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
These are great mains for any home theatre. They beat anything I have heard in the price range. When matched with a good sub and driven by a good amp they really come alive.

Strengths:
-Presence
-Clarity
-Quality

Weaknesses:
-Need to be matched with a sub to really enjoy them.

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha NS tower
Paradigm Monitor 3

Price Paid:  $359.00 from Virginia (store with

Summary:
Put my system together in March. Knew a Paradigm dealer, so I snagged 3 pair of Monitor 5 v3's, sheilded, for $359 a pair, although for the quality, I would still have bought them at the 550 list price.
System:
Yamaha RX-V1300 amp
6 Paradigm 5 v3 speakers (mounted on walls with B-Tech BT77s)
Paradigm Servo 15 sub
Paradigm X-30 Crossover
Panasonic RP62 DVD w/ digital audio.

Unbelievable sound quality. I listen to everything from rock to rap to classical. Had a picnic this summer, opened up the windows and blasted em. You could hear the music, crystal clear, far from the house. Movies are just as incredible. (of course, the sub helps alot). I have listened to many people's home theater systems, and so far nothing compares. Even with the sub off, these speakers deliver a suprising amount of bass, although nowhere near enough for my spoiled tastes.

Strengths:
High quality sound for the money.

Weaknesses:
They are a tad big for a home theater system.

Price Paid:  $520.00 from university audio

Summary:
these speakers are sick! best speakers i have heard for half a buck. i like them better than the b&w 602's. my friend bought them and we listended to them for about 8 hours so far. they aren't even properly broken in yet! we listened to things like Eric Dolphy, Spiritualized, Alice Coltrane, My Bloody Valentine, Sleep, The Flaming Lips, Beck, Air....they all sound amazing on these things. they have phat bass for a non floorstanding speaker. if 600 is you limit....i highly recommend these little guys.

Strengths:
great mids and highs...great mid-bass

Weaknesses:
need a sub for that really low vibrateyeranus sound

Similar Products Used:
b&w 602's, polk rt10's

Price Paid:  $550.00 from Park Avenue Audio (N

Summary:
This review is for v3. These speakers are great. Crystal clear with a surprising amount of bass for the size. For this price range, I think it's really tough to beat these. Spreakers definitely need a bit of break in time, but it's worth it.

Strengths:
Clear, crisp and decent bass.

Weaknesses:
Break in time and faux wood cabinet.

Price Paid:  $500.00 from Kromer Audio

Summary:
This review is acutally for the newer v3's. I got them at a great price as the store was having a clearance sale on their v2's (price paid was $500 canadian plus tax). I got the v3's for the same price plus another 15% discount. These speakers are amazing! Very accurate from the highend, through midrange and even give a great bass response (given their size of course). I've got them hooked up to a cheapo technics 2 channel amp (100W / channel) for now. What amazed me even more is how much richer they sounded once they were broken in (took about a month or so). The bass really filled out once they broke in.

I've got my jvc s500 dvd player hooked up to my amp and do alot of movie watching as well as listen to alot of music. movies come through great. Of course you dont' get that rumble that you get with a nice sub but dialogue is very clear and natural sounding, and effects come through just fine.

These speakers excel at music reproduction with my setup. I've never heard Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue album sound so sweet. Oscar Peterson's piano sounds so real he could be playing in my living room. Techno/house/hiphop sounds awesome too, though the speakers dont' give that kick that you get with bigger woofers. however the bass is very accurate and much better than I thought it would be.

Before I got these, I was considering getting one of those 'home theatre in a box' deals. After listening to my paradigms, I went into the sony store and was listening at one of their small 5.1 systems they had on sale for around $700. Wow did it sound flat! I'm so glad I decided to get these monitor 5s

Strengths:
price! (paid 500 instead of 750 and they were brand new)
sound! incredible sound for the price, and even up against more expensive pairs
bass ... much better than anticipated
oh and the monitor 5 v3s are biwirable.

Weaknesses:
nothing really, would like more bass but there's only so much you can ask for.