Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Well think I'm the first on commenting on the Monitors 7 v5, since all the reviews here are from the v4!. First you really should listed to these babies!!!! Have tried many other speakers, like Monitor Audio RS6, PSB's, B&W's and in this price range none come closer. All the things that everyone mentioned in their reviews with the v4 like: "harsh in the highs" or "not to much bass" or a "flaw bass" is corrected with the v5. In fact the speaker arrangement is completely different with the v4! (4-driver, 2-1/2-way bass reflex instead of the 3 driver of the v4). When I listened in the store they where hooked up with a NAD system, although listened ok they where really flat although the bass was impresive!! But when I hooked them with my integrated amp Creek S2 (old but one of the best ever!) wao!!! it's a completely different experience!! Everything comes ALIVE!!!!. The highs where extra clear, no harsh at all!, the mid range was present but not overtaking, and the bass!!! rocks!!. What I can say it was a deep soundstage, transparent and cohesive. Also I have tried different music from jazz, salsa, clasical, dance and hard rock, these babies handle everything with ease. You should consider audition the Monitors, now there are v6, which only differs in the screws in the front of the cabinet!
Have to agreed with one other reviewer, the more I listened to these Monitors the more please I'm with them!!

Reid

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
2.18 of 5, 11.00 votes

Price Paid:  $615.00 from Clark Music

Summary:
I find it suspect that these and other Paradigm models receive so many rave reviews. Like an other reviewer said, if you listen to rock and pop music these speakers are not recommended. They have absolutely no warmth at all. They have a harsh freeze dried sound. They are also rather obnoxious at high volumes. If you listen to acoustic jazz or mellow electric music a la Pat Metheny, they sound good. Bass is about what I expected for a relatively small floor standing speaker. I hate shopping at discount stores for speakers but I wish I had checked out some of the KEF models at Circuit City before I bought the Paradigms. I suppose I can live with them for a while since I don't listen to very many mainstream commercial recordings.

Strengths:
Clarity and detail. Efficiency. Attractive,sleek design.

Weaknesses:
Bright, harsh sound in the mid frequencies especially when reproducing vocals and electric music. Light cherry cabinet veneer has a cheap look.

Similar Products Used:
B & W CDM 7

Price Paid:  $659.00 from Live Wire Audio

Summary:
I haven't yet purchased these speakers, but I plan to. I had the unique oppurtunity to listen to these speakers side by side with monitor 9's and a pair of $3500 Thiele towers (not sure which model). At first the salesman took me into a room and just cranked the snot out of them. I was quite disappointed, and commented that they just sounded WAY too bright. But then I examined the listening area, I was not about to discount speakers that had garnered reviews from people with way more experience than I have. Two flaws, he jacked them way up thinking I wanted to hear how 'loud' they were, and the room was way too tall, almost like being in a warehouse or something (it had overhead climate piping), and way too narrow. He took me to another room, which had no tv's or anything else, just speakers. In this room, there were multiple sets of speakers as well as a setup where he could rapidly flip between speaker sets. Again, I was taken aback by how 'shrill' the paradigms sounded, completely opposite from what I expected, perhaps lending credence to other reviews here saying they exhibit excessive highs. He at that point told me that they hadn't been subjected to a 'break-in' and explained to me that the woofers are rather 'tight' from the factory and need a break-in to loosen them up. Since I had read about this before, I took his word on it. He then turned a paradigm sub on, at which point I asked him to turn it off because I wanted to audition only the speakers, not the sub. He then put on Supertramp's 'Crime of the Century' and let me have a listen. After a half hour, it seemed as though monitor 7's 'warmed up', and I began to notice the detail in the vocals and drums. He then switched to the monitor 9's, and I immediately noticed a 'boominess' in the bass guitar, so I had him go back to the 7's. The longer I listened to them, the more I warmed up to them. The detail is amazing. I started wondering if my ears had simply 'desensitized' themselves to the highs of the speaker. He then said 'listen to these' and put on the $3500 thiele's. I immediately said, man for $3500 you haven't impressed me. He asked why. The thiele's had no spatiality at all. You could close your eyes and hear precisely where the speakers were. When he switched back to the paradigms, you could no longer pinpoint the speakers, the soundfield was so much deeper. And the longer I listened, the less 'bright' they sounded, and the more detailed they sounded. He put on the monitor 9's. 'No, those are boxy sounding in the bass'. Back to the 7's. He then left the room so that we could sit and listen more. My non audiophile spouse said that she heard exactly what I was talking about regarding how dead and direct the Thiele's sounded. I then realized that any 'harshness' or 'brightness' the Paradigms exhibit is not a fault of the speaker, but a fault of people's ears not accustomed to the level of detail these speakers produce. The vocals on 'Crime of the Century' were unbelievably detailed, the first track 'School' had a section of toms where you could precisely pick out their location in the soundstage. The Thiele's were the biggest disappointment for 6 times the price of the Paradigms, I could hear no redeeming quality in them. If the Paradigms have any lack of warmth or bass, it's due to the fact that they bring out each and every detail in the source material without any colouration. And to be honest, that takes some getting used to. But once you're used to it, you will no longer be able to accept the blunted sound prevalent in many other speakers.

Strengths:
Exquisite detail, something most ears won't be accustomed to. Have a better soundstage than $3500 Thiele speakers.

Weaknesses:
They need a warmup period, and even then, a lot of people will feel they are too 'bright'. If you're expecting 'bumping' bass, get yourself some Cerwin-Vega's as these reproduce the bass in the source material, and nothing more. I'm not sure if these are even weaknesses.

Similar Products Used:
Thiele, Cerwin-Vega, Bose, Optimus

aeh10

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
3.10 of 5, 10.00 votes

Price Paid:  $650.00 from All Pro Sound

Summary:
For the money, I can think of no other floorstanding speaker that matches the superiority of these speakers, again for the money. I will admit that I was actually moving toward purchasing JBL's Stadium Series, but when I called my local audio pro shop the salesperson told me to come in and give the 7v.4 a try. I walked out two days later with a great deal, on some excellent speakers. As far as the performance the speakers are very crisp and refined handles the low levels of base very well. Construction of the speaker is immaculate and will impress. They are the perfect size with the perfect sound. At times the sound can be too "bright" a good receiver may resolve that issue. I upgraded to Denon's AVR 2807 and was amazed at what I was missing. Do yourself a favor go out and try these speakers before buying anything else, I promise that they will not disappoint.

Strengths:
Clarity, responsiveness, low level production, can handle anything thrown at them, price$$$$$.

Weaknesses:
At times can sound too bright, but I am not complaining. Try them out!!!

Spock1234

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.33 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $750.00 from Ed's TV, PA

Summary:
I bought the Monitor 7s ver. 4 last year. I paid US$750 (MSRP), but the salesman threw in a free center channel speaker (Paradigm On-the-Wall CC370). After evaluating them for about 10 months, I can report that I am extremely happy with these speakers. The sound quality is exceptional. The highs are clear and detailed. The mid-range is rich and full. This is especially obvious when listening to Jazz and Blues recordings which contain male voices and acoustic guitar segments. The bass extension is low enough to ‘feel’ the music, but it never sounds ‘boomy’. The single best thing about these speakers is that they are ‘Neutral’. If you are used to listening to other speakers that make the music sound ‘shrill’ or ‘boomy’, the Monitor 7s may sound a little ‘flat’ initially. But after you listen to them for a day or two, you will appreciate of the neutrality the Monitors. These speakers have given new life to my old CDs. At last, I can hear my recordings the way the artists intended them to sound. In order to get the best sound from these speakers I recommend the following: Allow them to break-in for a couple of days before playing them at high volumes; Bi-wire them (it make them sound more ‘open’); place them at least 2 feet from the side and back walls.

Strengths:
Beautiful, Neutral sound. Clear highs, Rich mid-range, Tight bass.

Weaknesses:
None.

Similar Products Used:
Bose, Infinity. My current system: Receiver - Onkyo TX-SR602, Center Channel - Paradigm OW-CC370, Surrounds - Paradigm ADP-170.