[Antman27]

Hello all , I have posted I am looking for new speakers soon and several folks have recommended the Sapphire XL.
Mike also think I will love them
I was looking for some users comenets
I now own Paradigm Studio 40's and my complaint is they dont play low enough
Can anyone compair the Sapphire XL to my 40's
I will be powering them with a Denon 3805 AVR
Thanks for your thoughts ~

[Zero]

I was one of the folks that recommend you audition the Sapphire XL.  Even though I retain no insight into your acoustical space, I feel compelled to advise that there is only so much output you should expect from compact two-way monitor. Do you own a sub-woofer and have you ever thought about adding one to your room?

Paradigm products have never tickled my fancy, but I still retain a massive amount of respect for their company – what they do – and how they do things. The Studio series has represented a solid value for years. But in keeping all subjective semantics aside, the extra $200 invested towards the Sapphire XL gets you a hell of a lot more. The build quality is off the grid, along with the famous Scan Speak drivers used throughout all topped off with a thorough crossover. The XL is not just another fly by night speaker you buy and get tired of – its one you get for keeps. 

A word of caution however; The Studio 40 is voiced on the aggressive/forward side of neutral and sports a very punchy sound that’s more like being in the 4th or 5th row of an event. If it’s the yardstick you judge other speakers by, than the XL by direct comparison will sound more laid back/soft, taking more of a mid-hall perspective. It may take a bit of transitioning to grow accustom with this new sound, but through time I think you’ll find your stripes may change.

If sound-quality is your concern, than the Sapphire XL is a step in the right direction. If its bass you thirst for, then turn your attention towards getting a sub, I’d even entertain the idea of getting a separate high quality amplifier (which could improve bass performance tremendously).

Good luck!

[Antman27]

A6M-ZERO PM sent

[CSI]

I've had my XL's for several weeks now and in my very small (10 x 13) listening room the bass is awesome in drive, extension and, above all, definition. I favor the upper bass (it is important to me to get upright jazz bass correct) and don't really need the pants flapping, dish rattling variety. The XL's will surprise you in this regard - they are the best small speaker I've ever heard (and the best speaker I've every owned, period) and some friends who have heard them think I've got a hidden sub. I am using a PrimaLuna 35wpc tube amp but occasionally swap in my pair of CIA D-200's for even more bass control and extension. The speakers are laid back as noted elsewhere and if you prefer an "in your face" approach you might not adjust. Not to come off snobbish but these speakers are for listening to music, not to sound. I concur that you should invest in a good separate amp. You don't need to spend a ton of money - check out the Odyssey Khartago, for example. You can keep your Denon for a preamp for now. Denon receivers are as good as they get but you are asking a smallish power supply to do a lot of work. If you get the Sapphires and still need bass (and you might in a medium to large room) then add one or two ACI subs later. I can only tell you I won't sell you my XL's. I wouldn't give them up for anything!

[Antman27]

Thanks guys ,
I realy do not have room for an Amp and my room is NOT the best
If I upgrade and keep my denon and have the XLs the same place as my paradigms are now willl the XLs still sound much better than my paradigms or will the limitations of my space make the XLs suffer to the point of not worth the upgrade ?
Thanks for your thoughts also IF I were to find a pair of xls used what would be fair price

[ajayrav]

Thanks guys ,
I realy do not have room for an Amp and my room is NOT the best
If I upgrade and keep my denon and have the XLs the same place as my paradigms are now willl the XLs still sound much better than my paradigms or will the limitations of my space make the XLs suffer to the point of not worth the upgrade ?
Thanks for your thoughts also IF I were to find a pair of xls used what would be fair price

The XLs CAN sound great in your room with a little work. 

First, get your XLs onto dedicated stands.  As is, the speakers are placed too close to each other.  Further, you would want to pull the speakers so that they are positioned in a plane in front of the TV, rather than being flush with it. Listen to music in 'Pure Direct mode.  The XLs image spectacularly.  Play with speaker positioning and you will be amply rewarded.

[Antman27]

Yea I am sure my paradigms may sound better on stands also but its a compromise
I do not think stands are a great Idea with a 3 year old and a crazy golden retriever
If I were to get stands to open it up on each side of the TV stand I would just get tower speakers
So its a tough call ~

[xyzlene]

if you were to purchase the xl's (approximately 22 lbs)  with the dedicated speaker stands (approximately 40 lbs)  along with blue tack (which is supplied) , your looking at 60 pounds of equally distributed weight per stand/speaker.  


after about 1 week the adhesive (blue tack) applies quite a strong bond to the stand almost impossible to separate.   I can lift the base of the speaker attached to the stand. it's almost as if the stand and speaker were one piece.

the speakers easily take a week to break in.  My advice.. take the amp/cd player with the xl's in a secured area for one week.. After that align them properly for optimum sound.  you'd have to be a quarterback to knock these down.

[Mark Burrows]

I just finished adding a HT room to the house and have Sapphire XL as my main speakers. The Hi Fi company which did the installation were amazed at the sound quality of the speakers. They sat down and listen to 10 or more CDs and loved every minute of it. They wanted me to buy their speakers but I told them I was going with ACI. Simply said, I made the right choice. Music and Movies sound outstanding. The sound is just beautiful, imaging, depth and clarity are too good to be true. I have been with ACI for 25 years and have NEVER been dissatisfied.

[ScottyWatty]

Antman27:

I am a big Paradigm fan.  I've auditioned many of their reference speakers: Studio 100, 60 and 20. I'm sorry I have not heard their 40.  I like the 20's the best.  In fact, I was going to buy the 20's for their clarity of sound. 
I decided to give the ACI XL's a try first since they could be returned.
I can tell you that I am very happy with the XL's and can't imagine upgrading to a "better" speaker. 

Though the Paradigms "sound" very good, they have that "Paradigm sound," which implies a slightly colored sound.  The drivers used in the XL create music with great purity, not unlike some of the studio monitors I've used in my studio work, yet without the piercing highs.

Of the scores of speakers I have auditioned in the $1,500-$3,000 range, the XL's were the purist, even (accurate?) and enjoyable for long listening sessions.

I play all kinds of music on them: classical, folk, opera, bluegrass and classic rock.  I know what should be created in the final mix as a musician and singer.  The XL's are the one's I chose to most closely represent what we are trying to reproduce in the studio. 

I cannot give any higher a recommendation than the XL's at any price range.  They are everything represented in the ads and by current users.  They do not color the music.  They are listenable for hours. 

If you like rock:  Play "Get Over It" by the Eagles.  I dare you to tell me the hair on the back of your neck doesn't stand up and your foot doesn't start tapping and that you don't start dancing like no one's watching!

Are you a pop opera lover:  Put on Bocelli or Groban and turn the lights out.  Tell me you don't get emotionally involved and think you're getting a private concert!

Bluegrass or folk:  Don't waste your time looking elsewhere...these are the speakers you've been looking for.

You will not believe the pleasing bass these speakers put out.  Not over-emphasized, not emphasized at all...just right! 

I give you my personal promise, with my name on the line, you will not be disappointed with the XL's.
The cherry inlaids are absolutely beautiful. 

Recommendations:

Drive it with a quality tube amp.  I use the Prima Luna II with KT-88 tubes.  Lush, warm, driving, involving.

Use the DH Labs speaker cable and interconnects you can purchase at a discount at ACI.  I use the T-14 speaker cable and BL-1 Series II interconnect.  They are great!

[ScottyWatty]

I forgot to mention, I also purchased the dedicated Sound Anchor XL speaker stands.  They look great and maximize the sound of the speakers.

I am currently using a "consumer grade" (not professional) level CD player and it still sounds outstanding through the Prima Luna and XL's.  You don't need the best of everything to still get incredible sound from the XL's.

Burning-in is a way over-used term in my opinion.  These speakers sounded great out of the box.  I can honestly tell you I did not hear more than a 5-10% improvement in sound between the first hour and the 200th!  They just sounded great with the DH Labs cables "out of the box."

ScottyWatty

[griller]

Great stuff ScottyW !  You and everyone who's mentioned the Sapphire XLs is making this so tough for me. I definitely want to get them. Now the one who must be obeyed thinks I should grab the EMerald XL $1999 package special for the family room first! We've already budgeted for new big screen, but having trouble coming up with additional funds for both Sapphire XL for me and Emerald package for the family room. At least I have till the end of the month to see if I can somehow do both 

[TONEPUB]

You don't need the best of everything to still get incredible sound from the XL's.

ScottyWatty

However, if you are interested, you can really upgrade your components quite far and hear
 a lot more from the Sapphire XL's.  I took my speakers out of my main reference system
just to see how they would do and I was amazed at just how much sound they were capable
of!

Even though I have them in my second system, I am very happy and the Sapphires are
paired up with some fairly nice gear:

Aurum Acoustics CDP  CD player/linestage
Aqvox Phono stage
Avid Volvere turntable /SME 309 arm/ Dynavector 17D3 cart
Nagra PSA amplifier

These are very impressive speakers indeed!!

And yes, they sound great with tubes or solid state!!