TJHUB and I hear almost the same, or maybe we just know what we like and want and that happens to be the same thing...I don't know. Regardless, my thoughts exactly echo what he stated: that the Paradigm tweeter is among the best domes I've heard (the Be Beryllium, not the older ones), but the midrange suffers from sounding like a boxed speaker trying to reproduce 80% of the sound spectrum we as humans hear. And while the Be dome is very good, it still can't match the "stairway to heaven" and resolution effect that the finest ribbons possess. I prefer the LCY, RAAL and G2 ribbons tweeters over every dome I've heard. I also really like which ever ribbon tweeter Evolution Acoustics uses.
The Paradigms have design trade-offs, just like every other speaker in the world. Their particular trade-off is the lack of timbre accuracy and good resolution at the expense of being able to be driven loud while still maintaining their signature sound; you can really crank these things and they'll just laugh at you and beg for more. Salk speakers, on the other hand, cannot be driven to ultra levels and have a lower nominal rating than some speakers, and that is their trade-off. It all depends on which trade-off you're willing to live with.
I've not yet heard Patrick's SS7's, but I hope to very soon. I have heard the HT3's, SS12's, HT2-TL's and SongTower's; all with the standard tweeters and the RAAL upgrade. In my opinion there is nothing that competes at this price range. As we all know, though, this hobby is highly subjective, so I cannot stress enough how important it is for a consumer to listen for themselves, preferably in their own home. One man's treasure is another's trash, and you can be rest assured Salk is definitely my treasure. These speakers have yet to reach their limits, and they won't be going anywhere for a long time.
