I really like the Persona 5F speaker, and that may be obvious to anyone who has read the review up to this point. It is an outstanding floorstanding speaker: It sounds great, it is built well, it measures superbly, and it looks terrific. However, for the asking price, it had better tick all those checkboxes, because it is not an inexpensive speaker. ‘Expensive’ is, of course, relative; there are those for whom a pair of these would not be a considerable expense. But for most people, $17k is not a sum that can be spent on a whim. Furthermore, there is no shortage of solid loudspeakers around this price range: Monitor Audio, Revel, Kef, Focal, Bowers & Wilkins, Dali, Dynaudio, to name just a few. This naturally leads to the question: what does Paradigm bring to the game to distinguish themselves in this crowded market with these Persona 5F speakers?      

One thing that sets them apart is that there are virtually no missteps in terms of sound. The upper treble is a tad hotter than perfectly neutral, but that can easily be equalized. This is not to say that the Persona 5F speakers are particularly forward or bright, which is not the case. They have a very good spectral balance and are simply a bit brighter than what might be termed a ‘warm’ sound signature. The midrange frequencies of the 5F speakers are easily the best of any speaker I have had in my home thus far. I cannot imagine a loudspeaker with more midrange clarity; in this range the Persona 5F were superb. The bass felt natural and not boosted or otherwise disconnected from the rest of the sound. It was powerful when it needed to be and extended quite deeply for a tower speaker of its size. The dispersion is wide and uniform, so they will have very good coverage across a large listening area instead of a single ‘sweet spot.’ The Persona 5F speakers have enough dynamic range to handle a good sized room too. They can get loud and have no problems doing so, and their imaging and soundstage is also terrific.

Their build quality and appearance are excellent, as one would expect at this price point. As I noted before, their styling is reminiscent of a high-end luxury car. The designs of the grilles on the mid-woofer and tweeter are distinctive and very telegenic. Aesthetics are a very subjective matter, however, and those looking for speakers that will fit in a traditional decor will be looking for wood finishes or at least muted color schemes, will not find the Persona speakers to be aesthetically compatible with their decor. But I do think most people will find them to be very appealing to look at.

Bottom Line

If you are in the market for a $17k speaker set, there are lots of great choices, but I would say that the Persona 5F speakers have qualities that make them a very viable choice at this price. For me, their strongest quality is their midrange clarity. I ran A/B comparisons with some other speakers I had on hand, and that was the Persona’s standout feature. Nothing could touch them on that point. One example was the chorus in the ‘Mozart Requim Realization’ album. Other speakers sounded good, but the differentiability on the individual voices of the chorus on the Persona speakers was very much on another level. Of course, the other speakers used were not near the same price range as the Persona 5Fs, but I don’t normally have a lot of five-figure speakers kicking around. Regardless, the detail and clarity of the Persona 5F midrange was eye-opening. I am not certain to what extent the beryllium cone of the midrange driver is the cause of the terrific midrange sound, and I am more inclined to believe that it is the overall construction and design of the speaker rather than exotic diaphragm material.

To bring this review to a close, I would say that the Paradigm Persona 5F speakers deserve strong consideration for those shopping for tower speakers in this price range. Paradigm has entered the high-end market with a very strong product. Those shopping for high-end loudspeakers would be remiss not to give the Persona speaker line an audition. I believe those who do listen to them will be as impressed as I was, and if that is the case, Paradigm is sure to have great success with the Persona product line.