Tonight I'm auditioning a freshly refoamed and recapped pair of Paradigm 3se's. I do a lot of repairs and cleanups that never make it to a post, but I'm dropping a comment here because I really like Paradigm.
The models employ a simple 1 cap/1 resistor/1 inductor first order crossover to integrate two Vifa drivers. These are 6.5" drivers. The bass is as you'd expect with a little bit of pump from the back port. The tektons have me spoiled as far as deep bass goes so maybe I'm a little picky. They reach far enough and I could live comfortably with them.
Paradigm do a great job with all around likable speakers. Staging is a little forward but comfortable, good sense of forward and back, and nice detail retrieval. Timbres are satisfying. Definitely more colored than a Yamaha or Monitor Audio, but I would take this color between the two. The staging is gorgeous and things are involving; strong center image. If the people responsible for this speaker ever read this, kudos for designing great and affordable speakers.
I'm consistently surprised at how cheap these are selling on the used market. If I was starting out again, it would be with paradigms I think.
Ps I rotated the speaker's to the other side of the room
PPS I'm not getting up to turn the lights on OK?
Edit half an hour later: popped my Chapman BBC monitors onto the chairs to compare and theyre way more musical. They cost more though. There are some real values out there but sometimes the good stuff really does sound better.