No kidding - Lake Quivira? Small world! I know right where that is. Just at the top of the Johnson County line. Yeah, Olathe is getting to be a rather large suburban mess. I see you live in Vegas? I usually end up there once or twice a year. That's another city marked by change in the last decade. The housing additions are all the way the the mountains now. I love the area though.

I'm thinking if the M80s are in fact CLOSE to the Studio 100s, then it's a no brainer. I'm saving the cash and going with Axiom. I get the feeling Axiom uses Paradigm as their benchmark. The nice guy at Axiom did say their speakers share much in common from research, design and builing with Paradigm.

I will still contact the one and only local Paradigm dealer today about a direct in-home comparison. We'll see what they say since the Monitor 11s will need to be ordered.

Guys, my sincere thanks for all the input. I'm very impressed with all things Outlaw, the products and the customers!

I strongly agree with Gonk. Recommending speakers is like recommending ice cream. Once you have decided to spend enough money to get quality speakers it is all about personal preference. One persons dream of "mint-mocha-delight" may be another persons nightmare.

You should audition any speaker you are interested in before you buy it. I would no more buy a pair of speakers I had never heard than I would buy an acoustic guitar I had never played.

Electronics can be ordered online sight unseen because what you are looking for is transparency, and most quality equipment provides it these days. It is my belief that if you took two quality pieces of equipment (say an Outlaw 990 and an Anthen AVM 30) and did a double blind test using the same modes with all other things being equal, that the human ear wouldn't be able to detect a difference. The very reason nobody in the audiophile trade does double blind tests is because there is a lot of money to be made selling gear that doesn't make a diffence sonically ($400 interconnects for instance).

Speakers are a completely different story. Every loudspeaker has a signature sound to which people react differently. I worked for three years selling audio gear at a brick and mortar, and found out first hand how true this really is. Time and time again I auditioned the same pieces of equipment and would get completely different reactions from one customer to another.

I apologize for going on and on, but I see so much attention to electronics these days in the various audio forums when it is speakers that make the most diffence in the overall sound of a home audio system.

Well, here's the latest. I'm going to go with what I KNOW I liked. I called the Paradigm dealer and he made me an offer I can't refuse. Version 3 Monitor 11, 3 and 370 center all in rosenut color for a little less than Axiom 80s, 3s and center, with sales tax included on the Paradigms. No restocking fees should I decide I don't like them. Nor, will there be any shipping cost associated with a return. I could go ahead an order a set of the Axioms for a side by side, but I don't think the headache is worth it. Besides, my wife would bury me and the speakers and the Outlaw gear in the backyard.

CJL1138, you illustrate what is so nice about online speaker companies. Having a 30-45 day trial with minimum risk is a great option. If there is any piece of equipment that one needs to not only hear, but hear in their own room, its speakers. Hearing a speaker in the room it will be placed is light years better than hearing it in a retail store. Some local dealers are really flexible about letting you take them home for a trial period, but most (or at least all I know) are not.

You might wish to consider Aperion Audio (at aperionaudio.com). They give a 30 day trial and will pay shipping both ways. They also have a 10 year warranty and full trade-up value for up to a year.

Jed M,

You make a great point. If they will let you take it home for a free trial, and you don't mind the headache you should definitely go for it.

After one week with new speakers, I can now answer m y own question, If Klispch sound good, what will sound great?

Answer: Paradigm!

The new version 4 Monitor series sound killer. Much smoother top end than the Klipsch horn sound and much better mid-range. The Monitor 11s are monsters! Bonus points to Paradigm for making them look as good as they sound.

If the lower priced Monitor series are this good, I can't even imagine how good the Studio series must sound with the 990.

Glad you like your speaks K-Man..now about that Velodyne sub.. :p . You can't go wrong with the LFM for the $$$$. It's an awesome sub and you will be very happy- when you are ready , of course.

I just got back from a business trip and have had some time to really exercise my system. I can enthusiastically recommend Magnepan speakers. They also offer a "toe in the water" method of trying them out. You can order their smaller MMG series of speakers online for $500. If you don't like 'em, you send 'em back. You can also trade them in on other Maggie speakers and apply the $500 to the cost of the new speakers.

A friend of mine was using the MMG's with TACT gear and I liked the sound. So I replaced my aging Dahlquist DQ-20i's with a pair of Magnepan 1.6/QR speakers. The detail and soundstage are absolutely amazing. They are easily the best sounding speaker I've ever owned and they pair perfectly with the Outlaw LFM-1 subs I have.

The only real drawback is the size. They're about 5ft tall and about 19" wide. If that's not an issue for you, I'd say you owe it to yourself to listen to a pair.

Cheers,

Ritz,

How's the "timbre" problem with the Magnepan mains and the Definitive center? Do you notice anything unpleasant or even unusual as the sound moves across the center?