Amazing top-end and mid-range. Imaging very very good. Nice transparent reproduction.

None found yet

I agonized over deciding between these and the B&W 602 s2. They were, to me, virtually equal. I don't think you could go wrong with either one. In the end I was influenced by two things. One, I feel that the top-end and mid-range on these speakers is just a 1/2 step better than the B&W. Two, the local store sold these for 50 bucks less. The B&Ws I think have a punchier bass sound and might not be as accurate as the Paradigms but in comparing the two, any differences are noted only by splitting hairs. I've got a pair of 12 year old JBL L20T Studio Monitors that I use as a benchmark to judge other speakers by and I believe that the 5 v2 is every bit as good if not better and they aren't even broken in yet. I listen mostly to classic rock and a fair amount of classical. I use Onkyo receivers to power both sets of speakers. Can't go wrong with these at the price but you should listen to both and flip a coin like I did.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer, JBL, BA, Cambridge Soundworks, B&W

Excellent sound in such a small package. Accurately gets all range of sound from about 85hz to 20,000hz. Great speakers.

The only complaint is the finish on the speaker box is not the nicest finish used. But your buying speakers, not furniture.

I was debating between the B&W 602's and the Paradigm monitor 5. I found a store that carried both brands and compared these side by side. The monitor 5 sounded just as good as the 602's and was 250 less. The monitor 5 with on of the Paradigm subs (I bought the ps-1000) is the perfect combo for music and movie lovers. The combo blows away event the B&W 800 series at several thousand less. I have been looking for several months and am very happy with my purchase.

Similar Products Used:

B&W, Klipsch, and Niles.

Wonderful sound, stage, imaging, range

Took a long time to break in.

This is my review # 3.
They've finally broken in. It took about 3 weeks but today they finally sound like they did at the store. Good full range sound, crisp clean but not too bright highs. Blends in well with my sub, also finally broken in and positioned in the right spot for the room.
I sprung for a spl meter and a test cd from stereophile and with some fine tuning the system is where I've been trying to get to.

sound stage, bright highs

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This is a follow up of previous review:
The 5 v 2's have taken considerable time to break in and I don't think they have yet fully broken in. I'm expecting the bass to fill in a bit more. I'm also working with the sup placement too. I find that facing it sideways rather than forward firing sounds best.
Some of the previous reviews seem a bit too gushy making me think that the writer sells them.
I would rate these great for the money.
These produce the best imaging I've ever heard on par with linn's that I've heard. There is a very good sweet spot
3-D effect in 2 channel stereo (in phase) that blows me away. I find that the l to r spacing is not as important as toe in is for the imaging. They are about 5' apart and 10 ft from the listening position, not according to spec but soounds great.

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Awesome speakers, worth every penny. Plus, they blend really well with my Paradigm PS-1000 sub. Def. a 5 star rating!!!!

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch, Boston Acoustic

Amazing sound

Stability on stand?

These mains are amazing. I checked pretty much everything around, and for the dollar, these were it. Since i have a small basement and size does matter, the Monitor 5's were a steal. Not real big, but provide big sound. They provide sharp, crisp sound, and even have decent base although not needed with my sub.
Listening is basically for dvd's, music, and watching hockey.
Only issue is that on my stands, these speakers are a little shakey, either need wider stands, or turn the system down.


My system:
Television Sony Kp53v85
Reciever Marantz SR7000
DVD Sony S560D
Mains Paradigm Monitor 5 v2
Center Paradigm Cc 370 v2
Rears Paradigm Mini Monitor v2
sub Paradigm ps1000

If in the NW, they guys at Sound City were amazing, decent price, but service beyond expectations. Great guys to deal with.

Similar Products Used:

Cerwin Vega

imaging, midrange, highs, acuracy and holy sh#t price!!!

faux wood finish is a bit cheap. low bass (60 htz and below) has really started suffering after considerable break in time.

Let me start first in saying that i am a real fan of Paradigm as a company. Not only do they provide a great high quality speaker, but they do it at all price points from $150-2500. Great job.
This said, the monitor fives are an incredible deal. I paid $400 for the pair(open box) and these speakers are worth at least twice that much. [if i was rating these based purely compared to other $500 and below speakers, i would not have any thing to complain about, since i'm not, this review is written as if there was no price to worry about]
Moving on, the first thing that really amazed me about these speakers was their imaging. If set up corectly they are insanley accurate in placing the musicians infront of you, especially the vocals. They sound very natural and spacious; great. I dont have them set up perfectly (about a foot and a half too high) and they still sound great, albeit a bit hollower and not as accurate. They are set up in my dorm room along with a Yamaha psw320 sub (not bad for the price, very high out put)and they play insanely loud with little distortion. The only times i reach their limits is if i'm playing bass heavy hip hop at near concert levels ( i occasional do) , then the distortion becomes noticeably high, but...$400 come on. They are also very efficient and work well with my low powered Onkyo DS484 reciever (another bargain product, though)which gives 55x2.
I now hear sounds on good recordings that i'd never heard before like the quiet tapping of drumsticks in silent portions of music right before the next set begins or the perfectly accurate sound of a metal slide moving up and down the strings of an electric guitar; just the right ammount of reverb.
As far as negatives: the fake wood covering is less than spectacular, i don't care, but the construction is very solid and well braced. More importantly, as the speakers broke in (well over 200 hours now)they lost significant bass below 60 htz. This is really only a big problem in reproducing upright bass in many of my favorite jazz recordings in which bass solos seem to be absurdly quiet especially when low strings are plucked (as opposed to bowed). Too bad for jazz, but my sub picks up pretty well @ about 90 htz(it sure as hell shakes the walls)for all other music (even helps jazz too). That said, a sub is a must, unless u dont really care about reproducing the full spectrum of sound. hahaha. buy a good sub, please.
>i listen to modern and classic jazz, hip hop, classic rock, blues and some newer rock, almost always at high volumes for 2-4 hours a day (read these speakers are not fatiging to listen to) with the afore mentioned Onkyo reciever and a JVC minidisc/cd deck alond with monster Z1 cables (which actually help, go buy some good cables). the spekers are placed on 3 foot high dressers, seven feet apart, a foot in front of the wall. my room is 13x16.
Hope this helped.

Similar Products Used:

polk, other paradigm, bose, def tech. not too much in terms of high end though.