I had Studio 2's for a long time, and now have Stage 4's. It's impossible to give a quantity of how much times better as a function of cost something is. Get the best you can afford; they are all good values. There's something very nice about the 2 series speakers, and they sound great. The quality of bass in the Stage's is noticeably better, and the overall sound is "bigger", with better definition inside the music. If all you care about is bang for the buck, you will never beat the 2 series. Otherwise, get the best you can afford and enjoy.