My Paradigm system did well with an older Yamaha RX-V659 and now performs very well with a Pioneer Elite VSX-21THX.
Good for you on the purchase...good gear.

yeah i wasn't planning on purchasing speakers until the end of the year but got a good deal on these so had to take them

and ill look into the pioneer receiver. seems like its very similar to the onkyo in terms of features, and pioneer has treated me well in the past.

I have a quick question. I had the crossover in my CC-350 go out I think. It doesn't sound like a blown driver, just very muffled like only the low end of the dialog missing all the mid and upper ranges. I put it on the L/R channels and it sounded the same exact way so it's not a bad channel on the amp or my preamp. My question is this, if I replace it with a cc290 or 390 will it still be fairly seamless with my Monitor 7 v1?

Anybody have any thoughts on this?

yeah i wasn't planning on purchasing speakers until the end of the year but got a good deal on these so had to take them

and ill look into the pioneer receiver. seems like its very similar to the onkyo in terms of features, and pioneer has treated me well in the past.

I could be wrong, but Pioneer doesn't use Audyssey and Onkyo does.
I had an "Elite" before my 906 and there was a big difference with Audyssey. (similar power)

I could be wrong, but Pioneer doesn't use Audyssey and Onkyo does.
I had an "Elite" before my 906 and there was a big difference with Audyssey. (similar power)

I currently have a Pioneer Eite the tsx94 and am dissapointed in it.

I could be wrong, but Pioneer doesn't use Audyssey and Onkyo does.
I had an "Elite" before my 906 and there was a big difference with Audyssey. (similar power)

supposedly it has MCACC which is Pioneer's version of Audyssey.

Any other recommendations on receivers that work well with Paradigms? Probably gonna use it for 80% HT and 20% music

supposedly it has MCACC which is Pioneer's version of Audyssey.

Any other recommendations on receivers that work well with Paradigms? Probably gonna use it for 80% HT and 20% music

Anthem is an awesome pairing, but pricey.

Onkyo's tend to pair well at a better price point, but their support has become dismal in the last couple of years.

Denon is a nice balance of price, sound, and support. I'd recommend the 1910 as the lowest version that still supports HDMI up-conversion of all analog sources.

Anthem is an awesome pairing, but pricey.

Onkyo's tend to pair well at a better price point, but their support has become dismal in the last couple of years.

Denon is a nice balance of price, sound, and support. I'd recommend the 1910 as the lowest version that still supports HDMI up-conversion of all analog sources.

yeah no way im getting the anthem. its probably amazing but would be like 5 times what i payed for the speakers :eek:

I will add the Denon to the list. Right now i have

Onkyo 706/707/806
Denon 1910
Pioneer Elite VSX-21TXH

Any other suggestion in the same price range??

Had Pioneer with MCACC, and moved on to Anthem D2v with ARC - can't say MCACC was even close, clearly in my opinion lesser in quality room correction even to the scaled down version of Audyssey that comes with a basic receiver, which I tried with a Denon receiver I returned for the Pioneer. I know alot of people have hit and miss feelings and results with Audyssey - mainly the best results from at least Audyssey Pro that can be added onto the higher end Pre-Amps from the likes of Integra/Onkyo Pro.

Personally with the choices you have laid out - I would narrow it down even further to not include the Pioneer if room correction is important.

Don't get me wrong - I am still running One of the Pioneer receivers in my bedroom and its not horrible, but I would prefer a better implementation of room correction, which I honestly will state that isn't quite up to par with the likes of even the basic Audyssey IMO.

All this talk of room correction has me wondering whether we are actively handicapping ourselves by not investing in an SPL meter and learning the fundamentals of elementary audio calibration.

AFAIK, no automatic calibration routine is "perfect" and even after the routine is finished, some rooms probably could use some acoustical treatment and better SW placement.

Had Pioneer with MCACC, and moved on to Anthem D2v with ARC - can't say MCACC was even close, clearly in my opinion lesser in quality room correction even to the scaled down version of Audyssey that comes with a basic receiver, which I tried with a Denon receiver I returned for the Pioneer. I know alot of people have hit and miss feelings and results with Audyssey - mainly the best results from at least Audyssey Pro that can be added onto the higher end Pre-Amps from the likes of Integra/Onkyo Pro.

Personally with the choices you have laid out - I would narrow it down even further to not include the Pioneer if room correction is important.

Don't get me wrong - I am still running One of the Pioneer receivers in my bedroom and its not horrible, but I would prefer a better implementation of room correction, which I honestly will state that isn't quite up to par with the likes of even the basic Audyssey IMO.

makes sense. i dont know much about these receivers so im relying on opinions. Scrap the pioneer, understood.

I have had success with Onkyo and like their products. What do you think of the three i listed?

All refurbed

706 - $430
707 - $530
806 - $550

Would the 706 be good enough? Or are the 707/806 worth the extra dough?

all this talk of room correction has me wondering whether we are actively handicapping ourselves by not investing in an spl meter and learning the fundamentals of elementary audio calibration.

+10000000000

makes sense. i dont know much about these receivers so im relying on opinions. Scrap the pioneer, understood.

I have had success with Onkyo and like their products. What do you think of the three i listed?

All refurbed

706 - $430
707 - $530
806 - $550

Would the 706 be good enough? Or are the 707/806 worth the extra dough?

I strongly recommend you get the Denon instead of the Onkyo. I used to buy only Onkyo, but they have gone horribly downhill in the last couple of years, and I'll never buy another one. Check out the threads here on AVS.

Pay a little more and get a Denon 1910 or better.

Could I set a Pioneer Kuro 5020 on top of a Paradigm CC-190 or CC-190 center channel? I'm very interested in a 5.1 Paradigm kit in the Monitor series. Tonight I realized the center channels are huge! I'm not sure I can fit in the center channel without something drastic like putting the TV on it, or wall mounting the center above the TV. Does Paradigm sell a wall mount for their centers?



I strongly recommend you get the Denon instead of the Onkyo. I used to buy only Onkyo, but they have gone horribly downhill in the last couple of years, and I'll never buy another one. Check out the threads here on AVS. Pay a little more and get a Denon 1910 or better.

I read the threads for the past three years. Lots of love for the current model Onkyo 707. I've had it since Thanksgiving and it's just fine. And, for my tastes, a better value than the similar Denon models. But to each, their own.

Hey guys,

Currently updating my HT setup. Just purchased the pio elite SC-25 and have purchased the def tech procinema 800 package for speakers.

PM 800's front and back
PC 1000 center
sub is a stand by sony SA-W3000 until i get a new one.

I have to say these little speakers really hit pretty hard but i'm feeling they are not big enough or the right set up for my room.

My great room is 25x13x8 with an opening to my kitchen. My couch is up against the wall the 13 foot way and my plasma is against the other. I have a club chair and love seat that are out of my sweet spot.

Went to an authorized paradigm dealer and he suggested the following within my budget.

Set of monitor 7's for the fronts
CC-290 for the center
ADP-390's for the rear
DSP-3400 for the sub
Priced around $2,645 for the package.

What are your thoughts on this set up? and the ADP-390's will be up on the wall that my couch is up against.

Thanks,
TV

I strongly recommend you get the Denon instead of the Onkyo. I used to buy only Onkyo, but they have gone horribly downhill in the last couple of years, and I'll never buy another one. Check out the threads here on AVS.

Pay a little more and get a Denon 1910 or better.

I, on the other hand, was very impressed with the Onkyo SC-886 pre/pro I had....before it was stolen.:( I am planning on getting a receiver for the bedroom system, and it will an Onkyo. Really good bang for the buck.

Which setup would you think would be better? I know this is the Paradigm thread but just want an honest opinion.

1. Paradigm Cinema 70 5.1 ($299) & eD A2-300 or HSU STF-2 ($350) = $650

2. Energy Take Classic - ($245) & eD A2-300 or HSU STF-2 ($350) = $600

3. Paradigm Cinema 90 5.1 ($650)

Could I set a Pioneer Kuro 5020 on top of a Paradigm CC-190 or CC-190 center channel? Adding to my previous question: could I put the center channel in a cubby, which would serve as a TV stand? Does that harm the acoustics the center is inside another box or cabinet?

All this talk of room correction has me wondering whether we are actively handicapping ourselves by not investing in an SPL meter and learning the fundamentals of elementary audio calibration.



All this talk about room correction seems to get people to forget the true need for real room acoutic treatments instead of just electronic counter measures.

ARC may have made one of the largest additions to my diffficult room, but there is no question that upon adding acoustic panels, many other more important problem areas were corrected...

Learn how to make your own panels for really cheap or buy them - there are alot of resources out there, make use of them...

Quick question for you guys,

Local dealer has a lightly used pair of Paradigm Esprit V.3 for sale. Asking $340. for them. I have Atoms and a cc-190 right now and have been thinking about a new L/R and moving the Atoms to the rear.
Should I be interested in these? Do the esprit match up with the 190 and atoms? Not sure of the the version # of the 190 and Atoms but I bought them new last year.

Thanks for your replies!
Luke

Bump to this question, anyone with any thoughts?

Which setup would you think would be better? I know this is the Paradigm thread but just want an honest opinion.

1. Paradigm Cinema 70 5.1 ($299) & eD A2-300 or HSU STF-2 ($350) = $650

2. Energy Take Classic - ($245) & eD A2-300 or HSU STF-2 ($350) = $600

3. Paradigm Cinema 90 5.1 ($650)whats your total budget $650? the 90 is a nice system

Hey guys,

Currently updating my HT setup. Just purchased the pio elite SC-25 and have purchased the def tech procinema 800 package for speakers.

PM 800's front and back
PC 1000 center
sub is a stand by sony SA-W3000 until i get a new one.

I have to say these little speakers really hit pretty hard but i'm feeling they are not big enough or the right set up for my room.

My great room is 25x13x8 with an opening to my kitchen. My couch is up against the wall the 13 foot way and my plasma is against the other. I have a club chair and love seat that are out of my sweet spot.

Went to an authorized paradigm dealer and he suggested the following within my budget.

Set of monitor 7's for the fronts
CC-290 for the center
ADP-390's for the rear
DSP-3400 for the sub
Priced around $2,645 for the package.

What are your thoughts on this set up? and the ADP-390's will be up on the wall that my couch is up against.

Thanks,
TV

I can't comment on the above other than to say "Buy the best you can afford".
I was originally looking at Monitors (very good speakers) when I thought I can afford more. Listened to Reference Studio line and bought those instead. I am currently upgrading the Studios.
Somewhere down the road I will have Sigs.

Long story short, buy the best that you like and can afford.

Hey guys,

Currently updating my HT setup. Just purchased the pio elite SC-25 and have purchased the def tech procinema 800 package for speakers.

PM 800's front and back
PC 1000 center
sub is a stand by sony SA-W3000 until i get a new one.

I have to say these little speakers really hit pretty hard but i'm feeling they are not big enough or the right set up for my room.

My great room is 25x13x8 with an opening to my kitchen. My couch is up against the wall the 13 foot way and my plasma is against the other. I have a club chair and love seat that are out of my sweet spot.

Went to an authorized paradigm dealer and he suggested the following within my budget.

Set of monitor 7's for the fronts
CC-290 for the center
ADP-390's for the rear
DSP-3400 for the sub
Priced around $2,645 for the package.

What are your thoughts on this set up? and the ADP-390's will be up on the wall that my couch is up against.

Thanks,
TV

That sounds like a good setup for sure! I got:
Paradigm Monitor 11's
Paradigm CC-290
ADP-390's with very tall stands!
DSP-3200
And the price I paid for that system was lower than $2600!!! I got a great deal and thats Canadian Pricing!! DSP-3200 shakes the house so I see no advantage in getting the DSP-3400 but thats me! :)

All this talk of room correction has me wondering whether we are actively handicapping ourselves by not investing in an SPL meter and learning the fundamentals of elementary audio calibration.

AFAIK, no automatic calibration routine is "perfect" and even after the routine is finished, some rooms probably could use some acoustical treatment and better SW placement.

Well the truth is there's no such thing as perfect, period.

Room corrections today, compared to even five years ago, have come a long way and largely that has to do with more and more processing power in receivers and pre-amps.

I think reading the Audio Theory & Setup forum should be mandatory for any beginner in this hobby, because I whole heartedly agree that room/speaker interaction is the single most important part of getting good audio. The difference it can make, is far more significant than throwing out thousands of dollars to upgrade gear.

My years of going through the audio grinder, included many types of auto and manual EQ's starting from just an SPL meter to using the Behringer 8024 & REW to the stand alone Audyssey SEQ. It was also paralleled with room treatments and design.
As much as I had a decent grasp of things, there simply was no solution as simple and effective as the Audyssey MultEQ XT in the final result, regardless of if it was an on-board version or the SEQ. When executed properly of course.

The strength of most of the auto room EQ's I've tried actually is in the bottom end where EQ is needed the most IMO. Unfortunately a lot of them did damage to the top end in the process. Audyssey's second generation platform was the first auto EQ that did justice to the top end while doing better with the bottom end than I was able to achieve manually.

Anyways, that all was a very long winded way of saying that for the majority of consumers even less than perfect room correction will yield better results than doing nothing. Plus what an SPL meter doesn't do, that Audyssey and other competent room EQ's can do, is work in the time domain, which can make a significant impact on multi channel set ups.

Adding to my previous question: could I put the center channel in a cubby, which would serve as a TV stand? Does that harm the acoustics the center is inside another box or cabinet?

I am in the same boat. My plasma with the stand is 92 pounds and I have it atop my CC590. The plan is to build a until that will house the CC and serve as a platform for the plasma. As long the speaker is not tucked into the cabinet there should be no impact. Just remember if your CC is ported at the rear whatever you put it in needs to be open at the back so the speaker can breath.

Anyone interested in a CC-300?

Which setup would you think would be better? I know this is the Paradigm thread but just want an honest opinion.

1. Paradigm Cinema 70 5.1 ($299) & eD A2-300 or HSU STF-2 ($350) = $650

2. Energy Take Classic - ($245) & eD A2-300 or HSU STF-2 ($350) = $600

3. Paradigm Cinema 90 5.1 ($650)

Anyone?

Anyone?

You probably won't get much of a reply because speaker choice is highly subjective. You'll need to listen each of your choices and decide for yourself which one sounds better to you.

Which setup would you think would be better? I know this is the Paradigm thread but just want an honest opinion.

1. Paradigm Cinema 70 5.1 ($299) & eD A2-300 or HSU STF-2 ($350) = $650

2. Energy Take Classic - ($245) & eD A2-300 or HSU STF-2 ($350) = $600

3. Paradigm Cinema 90 5.1 ($650)

I think you're probably getting a better sub in #1 or #2. So I would lean toward one of those. I have never heard the Energy Takes, so I can't offer an experienced opinion on those. I have read good things about them though. I have compared the 70s vs 90s and honestly, if you can place your sub and set your crossover appropriately, I'd be surprised if you notice much difference between the two. Neither of them is going to crank out a lot of bass. That's why I say that I would go for the better sub. I think you'd be getting a decent setup with any of these three systems for the price. Good luck.

I am thinking about an upgrade so I might have a Studio CC v.2 for sale, ash black, mint condition. PM me if interested.

Question: The Studio CC v2 center angles toward the ceiling when on a flat surface...is that how it is designed to work or should I be putting lifts under the back of it to angle it toward the listening position?

Also, when I have the wiring plugged into the top red/black it seems like there is only sound coming out of the tweeter...when on the bottom I only hear the other drivers and no tweeter...what is causing this? I don't have the plates that connect the top and bottom so I'm wondering if that is the problem...any way to get things working without the plates?

The top of the CC is angled upward, but the bottom and the drivers are pointed straight out.

The top of the CC is angled upward, but the bottom and the drivers are pointed straight out.

Thanks...I figured out the gold plate issue...I just connected a wire from the bottom red to top red and same for black...

So really I should take the grill off and try to get the tweeter/drivers pointed at the listening position that way, huh?

I've got problems fitting the Monitor CC190 or CC290 center into my living room. Another option, which I demoed yesterday, is to use a Cinema 330 center with Monitor 7 / 9 towers. I thought the "voices" were mismatched between the Monitor and Cinema line. Does that sound reasonable, or am I looking for excuses to buy big, expensive speakers? :)

I then considered going with a complete Cinema 330 5.0 kit with a DSP-3x00 sub. Again, from what I heard and reading reviews, while the 330 line is much easier to fit, I think the sound quality is not what I'm looking for (and willing to pay for). Again, am I being realistic, or just imagining minor differences to justify overspending on speakers?

Finally, I had a Polk TSi demo -- different store with no direct comparison to Paradigm. Any thoughts on Polk vs Paradigm? Since I can't do direct comparisons of speakers I'm considering, I have to draw on the greater knowledge of the forums to help out.

Anyone have experiences on trying to remove little "dents" in Paradigm's tweeter domes? I'm not sure if the Paradigm Studio line using silk, soft, or some other kind of material for their tweeters...I've read up on tricks like "sucking" on the speaker around the tweeter, using a toilet paper cardboard roll to do the same thing, scotch tape, etc...I've tried "sucking" but couldn't get it out...it is right by the edge of the tweeter but I have no idea if it even affects the speaker's output sound...might be better to leave it alone...any thoughts?

Lots of questions regarding matching CC's, here's a new article from Secrets regarding timbre matching and the Sig C5 in general.

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/home-theater-speakers/775-mixing-and-matching-the-paradigm-c5-center-channel-speaker-and-two-electrostatics.html?showall=1

BTW, wow that thing is over 80lbs!? Warp, I didn't realize you were a body builder!! ;)

Lots of questions regarding matching CC's, here's a new article from Secrets regarding timbre matching and the Sig C5 in general.

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/home-theater-speakers/775-mixing-and-matching-the-paradigm-c5-center-channel-speaker-and-two-electrostatics.html?showall=1

BTW, wow that thing is over 80lbs!? Warp, I didn't realize you were a body builder!! ;)good article

To date, I've listened to speakers from these lines. I've found it practically impossible to do A/B comparisons. Suprisingly, even getting a 5.1 demo is difficult. The woes of small cities.

Paradigm Monitor : I fell in love with these at first listen. Don't know why. They just felt right. A second listen with my own material, and I'm ready to buy if I can decide just what speakers and sort out practicalities

Paradigm Cinema 330 (center) : Didn't perfectly voice match the Monitor towers. Probably great as a matched kit, but I've decided to spend more for better performance.

KEF iQ : Sounded good as a stereo pair. Didn't care for them in the 5.1 demo. Why? Don't know.

Polk TSi : Sounded good. Cheaper than the Paradigms. Wish I could hear them A/B. Still prefer Paradigm for no good reason.

PSB Image : Listened to a stereo pair of bookshelfs. Sounded good. No 5.1 demo available. Seemed pricey to me.

Velodyne sub : Boomy and thumpy. Did not integrate with Polks they way the Paradigm subs integrated with Paradigm speakers. Probably a configuration problem. But left me unimpressed.

Definitive Technology : Meh. First demo was a $599 5.1 kit, far below the quality I want. Second demo was the towers with 8" powered woofers, which is exactly what I don't want.

Vienna Acoustics : Love at first listen until I realized they are $3000 a pair!

High-end electrostatics at BestBuy : I missed the name. Some $3000+/pr speakers that sounded poorly when turned up.

I began my search intended to buy an 7.1 SVS surround system, with Aperion a second option. Shop based on the numbers and research and expert reviews and get a deal from online-only manufacturers.So my first surprise, is I've done a complete 180. I'll probably buy a pricey Name Brand from a local boutique shop driven substantially by gut reaction and emotional response to the demo.

But that gets to my next big surprise: the internet dealers (i.e. SVS and Aperion) are no cheaper than buying name-brand at the store. I guess it's the "market" at work, because everyone has about the same price for about the same product quality. Maybe the online guys actually sell better performance for the same price, but that's untestable by me, since I can't listen to their product.

And as I'm leaning strongly towards Paradigm, I'll probably not even get my SVS sub -- something I've been lusting for for about 10 years. The Paradigm subs seem to be of similar quality, similar price, similar size to SVS and match stylistically the rest of the speaker system.

The third surprise is I have to do a sizeable room change: probably going to wall mount the TV to make room for the center channel.

And the fourth surprise was I'm leaning towards towers for the front LR. I meant to go bookshelf to save money. But Towers appear a better value than Bookshelf + Stands for the front LR.

To conclude, the kits I'm most seriously considering are these, which are within $100 of each other. As always, I recommend comments and ideas :)

5.1 : Paradigm Monitor 9 + CC-290 + Mini Monitor + DSP-3200
7.1 : Paradigm Monitor 7 + CC-190 + Mini Monitor + DSP-3200 + Atom Monitor

just finished paying for my S4s V2....hope i will be happy with them like everyone else :)

can anyone confirm pricing on the SE series for me...

every press release and review for the SE series says the prices are:

SE3 - $699/ea
SE1 - $299/ea
SE Center - $499

Does the piano black finish cost more?

can anyone confirm pricing on the SE series for me...

every press release and review for the SE series says the prices are:

SE3 - $699/ea
SE1 - $299/ea
SE Center - $499

Does the piano black finish cost more?

Your pricing looks right. No, the glossy black is the same price.

Your pricing looks right. No, the glossy black is the same price.for $100 more he could get the studio 10's over the SE-1

Can someone verify for me please whether the Paradigm ADP-590 surrounds are dipole or bipole? TIA

Can someone verify for me please whether the Paradigm ADP-590 surrounds are dipole or bipole? TIAread this http://www.paradigm.com/en/pdf/dipolar_confusion.pdf

read this http://www.paradigm.com/en/pdf/dipolar_confusion.pdf

Thanks osofast, I already read that and unless I missed it, they make no mention whatsoever about the ADP-590. I'm not looking into the differences or which may be better, I just want to know where the ADP-590 stands. I take it then since Paradigm is bestowing the virtues of dipoles I can safely deduce that the ADP-590's are in fact dipoles?

Anyone have experiences on trying to remove little "dents" in Paradigm's tweeter domes? I'm not sure if the Paradigm Studio line using silk, soft, or some other kind of material for their tweeters...I've read up on tricks like "sucking" on the speaker around the tweeter, using a toilet paper cardboard roll to do the same thing, scotch tape, etc...I've tried "sucking" but couldn't get it out...it is right by the edge of the tweeter but I have no idea if it even affects the speaker's output sound...might be better to leave it alone...any thoughts?

One other question to go with my above question...are Monitor and Studio tweeter "caps" the same? I've never taken one apart so do you know if the "cap" is part of the tweeter or is it a separate part that I can remove and smooth out from the inside?

I am a newbie to HT, but am very excited about getting my small room set up.

I bought the Onkyo 3007 AVR (http://www.us.onkyo.com/model.cfm?m=TX-NR3007&class=Receiver&p=s) and the Paradigm 110 CT (5.1) speaker set.

My room is fairly small and I was going to wait until I moved to take full advantage of the 9.2 capabilities of the 3007.

Now I've changed my mind. And I've heard such great things about Paradigms, I'd like to keep all my speakers Paraidigms.

SO- I need suggestions on a pair of speakers for the Audyssey Front High speakers, and I also need the middle set of speakers (I'm sure there's a name for those, but I'm not sure what it is).

So I already have the L/R/C and need those middle speakers but they need to be IN-WALL units given the traffic along those walls. The high speakers do not need to be in-wall units.

I was actually fantasizing about buying another 110 CT and using the fronts for my high, along with the additional subwoofer (and selling the other 3 speakers)... but I'm not sure how smart that is (I think the L/R are probably overkill for how little use the Audyssey High's get used)... but I love the idea of the double subwoofer too... and I'm not sure buying the whole 5.1 set and selling half is very smart money wise either...

Anyway- can anyone please suggest what pairs I want for the Highs and the middle surround in-wall units??

Any links to comparisons, reviews or other threads to help me choose would also be appreciated (I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with how much information is on the AVS Forums)...

I am a newbie to HT, but am very excited about getting my small room set up.

I bought the Onkyo 3007 AVR (http://www.us.onkyo.com/model.cfm?m=TX-NR3007&class=Receiver&p=s) and the Paradigm 110 CT (5.1) speaker set.

My room is fairly small and I was going to wait until I moved to take full advantage of the 9.2 capabilities of the 3007.

Now I've changed my mind. And I've heard such great things about Paradigms, I'd like to keep all my speakers Paraidigms.

SO- I need suggestions on a pair of speakers for the Audyssey Front High speakers, and I also need the middle set of speakers (I'm sure there's a name for those, but I'm not sure what it is).

So I already have the L/R/C and need those middle speakers but they need to be IN-WALL units given the traffic along those walls. The high speakers do not need to be in-wall units.

I was actually fantasizing about buying another 110 CT and using the fronts for my high, along with the additional subwoofer (and selling the other 3 speakers)... but I'm not sure how smart that is (I think the L/R are probably overkill for how little use the Audyssey High's get used)... but I love the idea of the double subwoofer too... and I'm not sure buying the whole 5.1 set and selling half is very smart money wise either...

Anyway- can anyone please suggest what pairs I want for the Highs and the middle surround in-wall units??

Any links to comparisons, reviews or other threads to help me choose would also be appreciated (I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with how much information is on the AVS Forums)...

Dolby IIz is marketing nonsense. You should invest in good quality fronts (and acoustic treatments), and you'll be much much better off.

The pseudo-height/pseudo-front channels are pointless, and serve no purpose at all, except at best to fill a weak front soundstage due to low quality or underpowered speakers.

Dolby IIz is marketing nonsense. You should invest in good quality fronts (and acoustic treatments), and you'll be much much better off.

The pseudo-height/pseudo-front channels are pointless, and serve no purpose at all, except at best to fill a weak front soundstage due to low quality or underpowered speakers.

OK... I get that opinion. I actually thought the same until I started reading post after post of folks that LOVE the front/high channels.

So... just for argument's sake... what if I've bought into the marketing hype (it's also for me a thought "if it has the capability- why not utilize it"?).

IF I wanted to add a strong set of Front (highs) and some in-wall side surround... what would you suggest I get? Which models should I consider?

I am a newbie to HT, but am very excited about getting my small room set up.

I bought the Onkyo 3007 AVR (http://www.us.onkyo.com/model.cfm?m=TX-NR3007&class=Receiver&p=s) and the Paradigm 110 CT (5.1) speaker set.

My room is fairly small and I was going to wait until I moved to take full advantage of the 9.2 capabilities of the 3007.

Now I've changed my mind. And I've heard such great things about Paradigms, I'd like to keep all my speakers Paraidigms.

SO- I need suggestions on a pair of speakers for the Audyssey Front High speakers, and I also need the middle set of speakers (I'm sure there's a name for those, but I'm not sure what it is).

So I already have the L/R/C and need those middle speakers but they need to be IN-WALL units given the traffic along those walls. The high speakers do not need to be in-wall units.

I was actually fantasizing about buying another 110 CT and using the fronts for my high, along with the additional subwoofer (and selling the other 3 speakers)... but I'm not sure how smart that is (I think the L/R are probably overkill for how little use the Audyssey High's get used)... but I love the idea of the double subwoofer too... and I'm not sure buying the whole 5.1 set and selling half is very smart money wise either...

Anyway- can anyone please suggest what pairs I want for the Highs and the middle surround in-wall units??

Any links to comparisons, reviews or other threads to help me choose would also be appreciated (I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with how much information is on the AVS Forums)...

I feel the Onkyo 3007 is way to much receiver than the Cinema 110. The 3007 is a receiver meant to power higher end speakers.

I would put more money into the speakers and less into the receiver if i was you

I feel the Onkyo 3007 is way to much receiver than the Cinema 110. The 3007 is a receiver meant to power higher end speakers.

I would put more money into the speakers and less into the receiver if i was you

The Cinema 110's were the highest level cinema speakers Paradigm had as a set and I got a great deal on them. I guess I could go through the trouble of selling them and upgrading. The other thing is that this room is rather small, so I was more likely going to upgrade the speakers when I moved into a bigger place. I bought the 3007 because of the network capabilities (and multiple zones) also thinking it's a unit I can grow into as well.

The reason I posted was to get other opinions of what I could do with what I have (and specifically what two sets of speakers to add to what I now have)... AND if folks want to tell me to do something different- then that's for sure a valid opinion as well, and I'm appreciative of anyone taking the time to actually respond to my question...

I guess my only request would be to actually include model numbers for me (for whatever "direction" you are suggesting). As a newbie that makes life a whole lot easier than trying to guess what models match general advice statements like "upgrade". If that's not too much to ask :)

AND please note that I genuinely appreciate any and all feedback regardless of the level of detail.

I feel the Onkyo 3007 is way to much receiver than the Cinema 110. The 3007 is a receiver meant to power higher end speakers.
i think not. Seperates are meant to power high end speakers. but then again what do you consider high end speakers?

Can someone verify for me please whether the Paradigm ADP-590 surrounds are dipole or bipole? TIAThe ADP-590's are Adaptive DiPoles, meaning they are dipolar down to the crossover point (300Hz) of the 7 inch woofer, where the output becomes monopolar. This design serves the purpose of having all the benefits of dipoles, but without the bass cancellation that would normally go along with true dipoles.

I currently have Studio 100s and a CC-690 with ADP-590 surrounds.
Using a Onkyo 906 bridged for the 100s and standard output to the 690. I realize that the 906 doesn't put out rated output with all channels driven.

My concern is that I have double the power in the 100s as the 690. Even with Audessey, it would seem to be unbalanced in louder listening conditions.

If I got the XPA-3 I would have balanced input to the fronts and probably more dynamic range than using the 906.

Value your input on this.. TIA ayrton :confused:

I currently have Studio 100s and a CC-690 with ADP-590 surrounds.
Using a Onkyo 906 bridged for the 100s and standard output to the 690. I realize that the 906 doesn't put out rated output with all channels driven.

My concern is that I have double the power in the 100s as the 690. Even with Audessey, it would seem to be unbalanced in louder listening conditions.

If I got the XPA-3 I would have balanced input to the fronts and probably more dynamic range than using the 906.

Value your input on this.. TIA ayrton :confused:xpa-3 is a good choice

I bought the Onkyo 3007 AVR (http://www.us.onkyo.com/model.cfm?m=TX-NR3007&class=Receiver&p=s) and the Paradigm 110 CT (5.1) speaker set.

[...]

SO- I need suggestions on a pair of speakers for the Audyssey Front High speakers, and I also need the middle set of speakers (I'm sure there's a name for those, but I'm not sure what it is).

So I already have the L/R/C and need those middle speakers but they need to be IN-WALL units given the traffic along those walls. The high speakers do not need to be in-wall units.
Newbie also. I'm close to buying a Monitor series, and am considering Front Height speakers. I figured I'd buy the Atom Monitor for Front Height to stay in the same family and (presumably) keep the "voice" the same.

Since you're adding to a Cinema series system, would it make sense to buy Cinema speakers for the front height? If you want to upgrade but stay in the Cinema family, you could upgrade your fronts to Cinema 330 and move your 110s to the Front Height.

And, for what it's worth, I listened to a pair of Monitor 7 fronts with a Cinema 330 center. I didn't think it was a great team. The Cinema didn't match the Monitors as well as well as a Monitor center did. That's just me, and I don't know much, but it seems keeping the system matched works best.

i think not. Seperates are meant to power high end speakers. but then again what do you consider high end speakers?

i said "higher end" not high end. meaning speakers better than those included in the Cinema 110 package.

and someone has $2500 to spend on surround sound, would you recommend a $1500 receiver? That leaves $1000 for 5 speakers and a sub. Thats an average of $166 per speaker.

I just think it would be smarter to spend more money on the speakers and less on the receiver. Thats just my opinion so take it for what its worth

my setup you ask? A pair of mini monitors, a cc-190 center channel, powered by a Yamaha receiver (cant remember the model atm). My sub is a HSU, na dthe whole thing sounds great to me. I dont have audiophile ears, but this system hasnt served me wrong so far. I have no rears because i just dont have space in my room for em.. Oh well.

To date, I've listened to speakers from these lines. I've found it practically impossible to do A/B comparisons. Suprisingly, even getting a 5.1 demo is difficult. The woes of small cities.

Paradigm Monitor : I fell in love with these at first listen. Don't know why. They just felt right. A second listen with my own material, and I'm ready to buy if I can decide just what speakers and sort out practicalities

Paradigm Cinema 330 (center) : Didn't perfectly voice match the Monitor towers. Probably great as a matched kit, but I've decided to spend more for better performance.

KEF iQ : Sounded good as a stereo pair. Didn't care for them in the 5.1 demo. Why? Don't know.

Polk TSi : Sounded good. Cheaper than the Paradigms. Wish I could hear them A/B. Still prefer Paradigm for no good reason.

PSB Image : Listened to a stereo pair of bookshelfs. Sounded good. No 5.1 demo available. Seemed pricey to me.

Velodyne sub : Boomy and thumpy. Did not integrate with Polks they way the Paradigm subs integrated with Paradigm speakers. Probably a configuration problem. But left me unimpressed.

Definitive Technology : Meh. First demo was a $599 5.1 kit, far below the quality I want. Second demo was the towers with 8" powered woofers, which is exactly what I don't want.

Vienna Acoustics : Love at first listen until I realized they are $3000 a pair!

High-end electrostatics at BestBuy : I missed the name. Some $3000+/pr speakers that sounded poorly when turned up.

I began my search intended to buy an 7.1 SVS surround system, with Aperion a second option. Shop based on the numbers and research and expert reviews and get a deal from online-only manufacturers.So my first surprise, is I've done a complete 180. I'll probably buy a pricey Name Brand from a local boutique shop driven substantially by gut reaction and emotional response to the demo.

But that gets to my next big surprise: the internet dealers (i.e. SVS and Aperion) are no cheaper than buying name-brand at the store. I guess it's the "market" at work, because everyone has about the same price for about the same product quality. Maybe the online guys actually sell better performance for the same price, but that's untestable by me, since I can't listen to their product.

And as I'm leaning strongly towards Paradigm, I'll probably not even get my SVS sub -- something I've been lusting for for about 10 years. The Paradigm subs seem to be of similar quality, similar price, similar size to SVS and match stylistically the rest of the speaker system.

The third surprise is I have to do a sizeable room change: probably going to wall mount the TV to make room for the center channel.

And the fourth surprise was I'm leaning towards towers for the front LR. I meant to go bookshelf to save money. But Towers appear a better value than Bookshelf + Stands for the front LR.

To conclude, the kits I'm most seriously considering are these, which are within $100 of each other. As always, I recommend comments and ideas :)

5.1 : Paradigm Monitor 9 + CC-290 + Mini Monitor + DSP-3200
7.1 : Paradigm Monitor 7 + CC-190 + Mini Monitor + DSP-3200 + Atom Monitor

I run a DSP 3200 in my Studio system and I am happy with its performance. Mind you I haven't listened to a Sub 12 yet :)

I just think it would be smarter to spend more money on the speakers and less on the receiver.

OK. So may I ask WHICH speaker models you recommend upgrading to then?

i said "higher end" not high end. meaning speakers better than those included in the Cinema 110 package.

and someone has $2500 to spend on surround sound, would you recommend a $1500 receiver? That leaves $1000 for 5 speakers and a sub. Thats an average of $166 per speaker.

I just think it would be smarter to spend more money on the speakers and less on the receiver. Thats just my opinion so take it for what its worth

I agree with you. If I had $2500 to spend on a 5.1 speaker set and receiver I'd put no more than $600 on the receiver and the balance on the speakers. I'd possibly even put less on the receiver...and still get a decent receiver...
I may even scale back to a 3.1 system for the bulk of the purchase spending the money on the best quality fronts/center and sub I could get that sounded great to my ears. It does not take a lot of money to get a nice pair of surrounds a bit later and perhaps you have an inexpensive pair of speakers that would work as surrounds until you had enough for matching surrounds.

A great, to your ears, set of speakers may last a decade or more easily while electronics change more quickly as features are developed and have a lesser impact...in general and staying within the basic price frame...on the system as a whole.

The ADP-590's are Adaptive DiPoles, meaning they are dipolar down to the crossover point (300Hz) of the 7 inch woofer, where the output becomes monopolar. This design serves the purpose of having all the benefits of dipoles, but without the bass cancellation that would normally go along with true dipoles.

Thank you very much, BTT, that is exactly the type of informative and helpful answer I was looking for! :)

OK. So may I ask WHICH speaker models you recommend upgrading to then?

thats entirely dependent on your budget. there are $10,000 speakers and $10 speakers lol

I have a question concerning surround speakers. I am looking at the signature s6 series and c5 for the fronts. As for the surrounds, if I get the dipoles I have to mount them next to the ceiling as there is a window on one side of the room. The other option is to use ceiling speakers. I have read that the dipoles are the best, but they should not be mounted up high. Could I get your opinions on the two choices? My listening will be 50/50.
Thanks.

I have a question concerning surround speakers. I am looking at the signature s6 series and c5 for the fronts. As for the surrounds, if I get the dipoles I have to mount them next to the ceiling as there is a window on one side of the room. The other option is to use ceiling speakers. I have read that the dipoles are the best, but they should not be mounted up high. Could I get your opinions on the two choices? My listening will be 50/50.
Thanks.

I'd recommend S2's, and just aim them at the listening position. Will be better for both movies and multi-channel music.

I recently got the am40 mounts from pinpoint and used them to mount my mini monitor v6. I love them. I didnt have to drill holes in the speaker and they look great. I could only use 1 because the other side of the room has a door in the way but I got some help building a shelf. Here are some pics. They sound great up there.

Anyone have experiences on trying to remove little "dents" in Paradigm's tweeter domes? I'm not sure if the Paradigm Studio line using silk, soft, or some other kind of material for their tweeters...I've read up on tricks like "sucking" on the speaker around the tweeter, using a toilet paper cardboard roll to do the same thing, scotch tape, etc...I've tried "sucking" but couldn't get it out...it is right by the edge of the tweeter but I have no idea if it even affects the speaker's output sound...might be better to leave it alone...any thoughts?

...leave them alone... it sounds great as is and anything else you try will only damage it... If your that paranoid put that grill back on !:D

i said "higher end" not high end. meaning speakers better than those included in the Cinema 110 package.

and someone has $2500 to spend on surround sound, would you recommend a $1500 receiver? That leaves $1000 for 5 speakers and a sub. Thats an average of $166 per speaker.

I just think it would be smarter to spend more money on the speakers and less on the receiver. Thats just my opinion so take it for what its worthyou said

I feel the Onkyo 3007 is way to much receiver than the Cinema 110. The 3007 is a receiver meant to power higher end speakers.

i think the 3007 would be a perfect receiver for the 110's. i hope you dont consider the 110 system to be low end? its far from it.

Hey folks,

Just a quick question. I have read that the onkyo or denon receivers are really good for powering my speakers. They are, Monitor 7 V5 for the fronts, CC-390 for the centre, and titan V3 for the surrounds.

I am currently using the Sony STR-DG500. Would moving up to something like the Denon AVR-790 really make that much of an audio difference for blu rays and Tv?

OK. So may I ask WHICH speaker models you recommend upgrading to then?studio series:D:D studio 20's with the cc690 center thats you 3.1 system to start out with. the 20's will be moved to rear surround duty in the future when you get you 100's floorstanders.

I run a DSP 3200 in my Studio system and I am happy with its performance. Mind you I haven't listened to a Sub 12 yet :)
Good to hear. I wanted a 3400, but it fails WAF :)

What do people think about performance improvements stepping up through the Monitor line?

Monitor 7 vs Monitor 9 for fronts? I've heard both, but not A/B so I can't really say what's better and by how much.

CC-190 vs CC-290? Again, both sound good per se. But I can't do an A/B so I don't really know the difference.

This is a $400 question :) Whether to step up in the line.

...leave them alone... it sounds great as is and anything else you try will only damage it... If your that paranoid put that grill back on !:D

Thanks for the reply...I actually couldn't help myself and took the tweeter out and with a q-tip tried to get the dents out...of course with Paradigm's tweeter type there are still creases there but at least now I can say I tried...it still seems to sound great and with the grill on hopefully it is just a matter of time before the pain eases up :)

studio series:D:D studio 20's with the cc690 center thats you 3.1 system to start out with. the 20's will be moved to rear surround duty in the future when you get you 100's floorstanders.

Now that sounds like a system for the Onkyo 3007 to be powering :D

Ok my studio 100's have been playing for 2 weeks now and sounding better and better. Still waiting for my new tweeter as one was dead on delivery. On a side note these speakers sound so much better with the grills off. I am just not happy with my pioneer vsx94 thx esp. when a show is in 5.1 for some reason I can't get the sub to work and when listening to music I can't get 2.1!

Good to hear. I wanted a 3400, but it fails WAF :)

What do people think about performance improvements stepping up through the Monitor line?

Monitor 7 vs Monitor 9 for fronts? I've heard both, but not A/B so I can't really say what's better and by how much.

CC-190 vs CC-290? Again, both sound good per se. But I can't do an A/B so I don't really know the difference.

This is a $400 question :) Whether to step up in the line.

I've compared the 7's, 9's and 11's...the 7's and 11's at my home A/B comparing for a week thanks to my local shop liking my business lol. If the choice is between the 7's and 9's I'd choose the 9's without hesitation.
I felt they had a wider sound stage, the mids and highs are better and the 9's go a bit deeper in the lower range. If I was able to I'd prefer the 11's...which is what I did WITH WAF wow!...The 11's have a great sound stage and go quite deep.

I also have the CC190 and 290...upgraded from the 190 to 290 after buying the 11's lol...I started with Monitor 3's and the 190 which was a nice match but when I went up to the 11's they became a bit buried and overwhelmed by the 11's so I grabbed the 290 to see if it would work better and it sure did make a difference. Dialogue is much more defined and clear as well as other signals sent to the center...I really like the 290.

is it only me or have a i made a monumental jump going from an Energy Take Classic set up to Sig S4s???? i realise ppl have done their upgrades very incrementally but i seem not to......just an observation :D

Do you guys know if the "dome" of the tweeter is the same across different models? I have a Paradigm onwall center (Monitor series) that I am not using so if I took out just the "dome" (the whole triangular piece) and put it in the Studio CC that currently has the small dents in it would that affect sound quality for the worse?

Ok my studio 100's have been playing for 2 weeks now and sounding better and better. Still waiting for my new tweeter as one was dead on delivery. On a side note these speakers sound so much better with the grills off. I am just not happy with my pioneer vsx94 thx esp. when a show is in 5.1 for some reason I can't get the sub to work and when listening to music I can't get 2.1!

Check your sub setting in your AVR and make sure it's set to "plus". Pioneer use 3 possible settings available through the MCACC set up menu:
1. Off - sub is off for all program material
2. Yes - sub is on for multi-channel program material only
3. Plus - sub is on all the time

Hope that helps!

I... If the choice is between the 7's and 9's I'd choose the 9's without hesitation.

I also have the CC190 and 290...upgraded from the 190 to 290 after buying the 11's lol...I started with Monitor 3's and the 190 which was a nice match but when I went up to the 11's they became a bit buried and overwhelmed by the 11's so I grabbed the 290 to see if it would work better and it sure did make a difference. Dialogue is much more defined and clear as well as other signals sent to the center...I really like the 290.I thank you for your opinion. My wallet, however, does not :D

It sounds like you the 190 might be a good fit with the Monitor 9. Going 9's & CC290 & adding Atom's for Front Height is at the edge of my budget.

Any experience with the Mini Monitors or Atoms? I plan to use Minis for surrounds, thinking they'll be a good fit with either 7's or 9's. And Atoms for Front Height.

I thank you for your opinion. My wallet, however, does not :D

It sounds like you the 190 might be a good fit with the Monitor 9. Going 9's & CC290 & adding Atom's for Front Height is at the edge of my budget.

Any experience with the Mini Monitors or Atoms? I plan to use Minis for surrounds, thinking they'll be a good fit with either 7's or 9's. And Atoms for Front Height.

Actually Paradigm recommends the CC-390 with Monitor 9's and 11's. But that being said, I went with the CC-290 with my 9's. The CC-290 has same size bass drivers as the 9's. The CC-190 drivers match that 7's. I always thought it was best to match the drivers up across the front. The 190 may not be enough to keep up with the 9's.

my room is 11x24 and here is my system
denon avr3808
studio 100v3
cc570v3
2xadp470v.3 7.1
dsp3200 sub
awesome in home theater but if i dont use the sub in stereo those 100 sound thinny and barely no bottom end its missing something i tried an anthem mca-2 and was ok more dynamics nice sound but still thinny i have a chance to buy an ati 1505 for 500.00 can is that a good deal and is ati a good match for the 100s. also would you bi-amp the front and use the receiver to power the surrounds any help would be appreciated i believe i may be experiencing some cancellation in my basement wich is half finished and the floor is click floor thanks

I thank you for your opinion. My wallet, however, does not :D

It sounds like you the 190 might be a good fit with the Monitor 9. Going 9's & CC290 & adding Atom's for Front Height is at the edge of my budget.

Any experience with the Mini Monitors or Atoms? I plan to use Minis for surrounds, thinking they'll be a good fit with either 7's or 9's. And Atoms for Front Height.


I'm using Atoms as surrounds. They were my first Paradigm purchase some years ago and are still wonderful speakers.

awesome in home theater but if i dont use the sub in stereo those 100 sound thinny and barely no bottom end its missing something i tried an anthem mca-2 and was ok more dynamics nice sound but still thinny i have a chance to buy an ati 1505 for 500.00 can is that a good deal and is ati a good match for the 100s. also would you bi-amp the front and use the receiver to power the surrounds any help would be appreciated i believe i may be experiencing some cancellation in my basement wich is half finished and the floor is click floor thanks

Something is not right, it likely has nothing to do with amplification and it's more likely a set-up issue. Read up on some set up tips in the Audyssey and Audio Set Up & Theory threads.

Actually Paradigm recommends the CC-390 with Monitor 9's and 11's. But that being said, I went with the CC-290 with my 9's. The CC-290 has same size bass drivers as the 9's. The CC-190 drivers match that 7's. I always thought it was best to match the drivers up across the front. The 190 may not be enough to keep up with the 9's.
The 390 is too monstrous, price aside.

Good note on the drivers. Though, Paradigm advises the 290 with 7's.

But by your reasoning, the Atom Monitors would be good surrounds with the Monitor 7 fronts; and Mini's with the 9's. Hmm...need to mull this over.

Can you purchase Paradigms online? I can't seem to find any dealers... are they only sold in BM stores?

They are only in B&M stores, if new. Of course, you can buy used ones online at sites like Audiogon.

I don't see any of these options in the menu for the AVR.???

Check your sub setting in your AVR and make sure it's set to "plus". Pioneer use 3 possible settings available through the MCACC set up menu:
1. Off - sub is off for all program material
2. Yes - sub is on for multi-channel program material only
3. Plus - sub is on all the time

Hope that helps!

I don't see any of these options in the menu for the AVR.???

Look in your Manual on page 125, it explains it all. Specifically - look top right paragraph on that page. Or download the SC-27 PDF manual, and look on page 125, both say the same thing.

SW – LFE signals and bass frequencies of channels
set to SMALL are output from the subwoofer when
YES is selected. Choose the PLUS setting if you want
the subwoofer to output bass sound continuously or
you want deeper bass (the bass frequencies that
would normally come out the front and center
speakers are also routed to the subwoofer).3 If you did
not connect a subwoofer choose NO (the bass
frequencies are output from other speakers).

Just want to share some excitement with everyone...

6th Ave is having a huge sale on the Phantom towers from the cinema line...originally supposed to be $600, they're marked down to $200!

I bought the Cinema 90's a couple weeks ago, but once I saw this, I just had to get them. Now I have the Cinema Phantom :)

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/marlin29311/newht.jpg

I know I'm not on caliber with most of you guys (yet), but it's an exciting deal for my first real home theater (even though I'm still stuck in the corner...)

Just want to share some excitement with everyone...

6th Ave is having a huge sale on the Phantom towers from the cinema line...originally supposed to be $600, they're marked down to $200!

I bought the Cinema 90's a couple weeks ago, but once I saw this, I just had to get them. Now I have the Cinema Phantom :)

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/marlin29311/newht.jpg

I know I'm not on caliber with most of you guys (yet), but it's an exciting deal for my first real home theater (even though I'm still stuck in the corner...)you sold your 90's?

No - still have the 90's. I think I'm just going to hold onto them until i move out of the corner and use them as the surround back speakers and have a 7.1 setup.

Here is what i am looking to get. Right now i have the Yamaha RX-V765 with a Panasonic DMP-BD60K (Panasonic TH46PZ85U going to up this to 1 of the 65s)

Looking at the 2 pair Paradigm Monitor 11 Speakers
1 Paradigm cc290 Center Channel
! Paradigm DSP 3200 Subwoofer
100 ft Audioquest Type 4 Speaker Cable
Do you think that the cc290 or take the next step up to the CC-390
Any thought all ?

Here is what i am looking to get. Right now i have the Yamaha RX-V765 with a Panasonic DMP-BD60K (Panasonic TH46PZ85U going to up this to 1 of the 65s)

Looking at the 2 pair Paradigm Monitor 11 Speakers
1 Paradigm cc290 Center Channel
! Paradigm DSP 3200 Subwoofer
100 ft Audioquest Type 4 Speaker Cable
Do you think that the cc290 or take the next step up to the CC-390
Any thought all ?

Paradigm recommends a CC390 with that system.
I bought a smaller center with my system and am currently upgrading it.

tried my luck today and found a Sig C3......hopefully i get to buy it to match the already bought S4s :D

Here is what i am looking to get. Right now i have the Yamaha RX-V765 with a Panasonic DMP-BD60K (Panasonic TH46PZ85U going to up this to 1 of the 65s)

Looking at the 2 pair Paradigm Monitor 11 Speakers
1 Paradigm cc290 Center Channel
! Paradigm DSP 3200 Subwoofer
100 ft Audioquest Type 4 Speaker Cable
Do you think that the cc290 or take the next step up to the CC-390
Any thought all ?

I have the cc290 with the 11's and dsp3200 and the adp-390's and its awesome!! The cc290 is a big center and work well with the 11's...I asked the audio guy as well about the 390 and he said they are all timbre matched and will work well with everything!! Just turn up the center by a couple db's! nice choice in system! haha :)

tried my luck today and found a Sig C3......hopefully i get to buy it to match the already bought S4s :D

I really wish I could get into the signature line :mad: . I currently have a 7.1 system consistiong of Studio 100 v2 fronts, rears, and surrounds as well as a Studio 690 v4 center. But the cost of "upgrading" to the signatures is just insane. If I sold all 7 of my current speakers and bought and put the profits towards a pair of Sig S8, S6 and then a C5 center I would still have to come out of pocket about 6k. Ive auditioned the Signature line up at my local shop several several times and I just cant justify dropping 6k to upgrade to the signature line. They look awesome, and they sound awesome... but then again so does my current set up.

Just want to share some excitement with everyone...

6th Ave is having a huge sale on the Phantom towers from the cinema line...originally supposed to be $600, they're marked down to $200!

I bought the Cinema 90's a couple weeks ago, but once I saw this, I just had to get them. Now I have the Cinema Phantom :)

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/marlin29311/newht.jpg

I know I'm not on caliber with most of you guys (yet), but it's an exciting deal for my first real home theater (even though I'm still stuck in the corner...)

Is 200 bucks a good price for these as these are the V2 version? I called them and they have some more but these are the older V2 versions.

I was orginally looking at the MOnitor 7 or higher, but for 200 I am thinking why now.

Is 200 bucks a good price for these as these are the V2 version? I called them and they have some more but these are the older V2 versions.

I was orginally looking at the MOnitor 7 or higher, but for 200 I am thinking why now.


They're actually the V3 models.

6th Ave is having a huge sale on the Phantom towers from the cinema line...originally supposed to be $600, they're marked down to $200!

Be careful with buying Paradigm's from 6AVE online. I bought a speaker package from them last year...V5 Titan monitors, CC-290, and ADP-390's. One of the Titans started malfunctioning not long after I got them. They had me send it in for repair. I got the speaker back in worse shape than when I sent it. It had dirty fingerprints all over it. The rubber surround on the woofer was twisted and wrinkled, and there was a large chip in the cabinet. To top it off, it still wasn't working properly. I said I wanted a new one, and they said no. Eventually I had to return the pair for a refund. I then bought some replacements locally.

Even after I got my new replacements from the local dealer, I ran into a problem again. The difference was, all I had to do was drop them off at the dealer. They took care of the rest. I didn't have to sit on hold, talk to 20 different people, pray that someone could eventually help me, and ship stuff back and forth. The problem was resolved much more quickly through the local dealer, and with much less down time on my system.

In the end 6AVE basically made it right since I got my money back, but it was a long and drawn out hassle. If you have a local Paradigm reseller, it's probably worth going that route if the cost difference isn't that great. In this case, it seems like an exceptional deal that couldn't be matched by a local dealer. I just want others to be aware of the potential headaches with buying from an online vendor.

Also of note...when i talked to Paradigm directly when trying to resolve the situation, they told me Paradigm was never supposed to be selling the Monitor series online anyway. That may have complicated my issues.

Anyway, just trying to save some people some headaches...:)

Be careful with buying Paradigm's from 6AVE online. I bought a speaker package from them last year...V5 Titan monitors, CC-290, and ADP-390's. One of the Titans started malfunctioning not long after I got them. They had me send it in for repair. I got the speaker back in worse shape than when I sent it. It had dirty fingerprints all over it. The rubber surround on the woofer was twisted and wrinkled, and there was a large chip in the cabinet. To top it off, it still wasn't working properly. I said I wanted a new one, and they said no. Eventually I had to return the pair for a refund. I then bought some replacements locally.

Even after I got my new replacements from the local dealer, I ran into a problem again. The difference was, all I had to do was drop them off at the dealer. They took care of the rest. I didn't have to sit on hold, talk to 20 different people, pray that someone could eventually help me, and ship stuff back and forth. The problem was resolved much more quickly through the local dealer, and with much less down time on my system.

In the end 6AVE basically made it right since I got my money back, but it was a long and drawn out hassle. If you have a local Paradigm reseller, it's probably worth going that route if the cost difference isn't that great. In this case, it seems like an exceptional deal that couldn't be matched by a local dealer. I just want others to be aware of the potential headaches with buying from an online vendor.

Also of note...when i talked to Paradigm directly when trying to resolve the situation, they told me Paradigm was never supposed to be selling the Monitor series online anyway. That may have complicated my issues.

Anyway, just trying to save some people some headaches...:)

Thanks for the feeback. 6th Avenue is one of my local shops. But still don't know if 200 is a good price for the V3.

Be careful with buying Paradigm's from 6AVE online. I bought a speaker package from them last year...V5 Titan monitors, CC-290, and ADP-390's. One of the Titans started malfunctioning not long after I got them. They had me send it in for repair. I got the speaker back in worse shape than when I sent it. It had dirty fingerprints all over it. The rubber surround on the woofer was twisted and wrinkled, and there was a large chip in the cabinet. To top it off, it still wasn't working properly. I said I wanted a new one, and they said no. Eventually I had to return the pair for a refund. I then bought some replacements locally.

Even after I got my new replacements from the local dealer, I ran into a problem again. The difference was, all I had to do was drop them off at the dealer. They took care of the rest. I didn't have to sit on hold, talk to 20 different people, pray that someone could eventually help me, and ship stuff back and forth. The problem was resolved much more quickly through the local dealer, and with much less down time on my system.

In the end 6AVE basically made it right since I got my money back, but it was a long and drawn out hassle. If you have a local Paradigm reseller, it's probably worth going that route if the cost difference isn't that great. In this case, it seems like an exceptional deal that couldn't be matched by a local dealer. I just want others to be aware of the potential headaches with buying from an online vendor.

Also of note...when i talked to Paradigm directly when trying to resolve the situation, they told me Paradigm was never supposed to be selling the Monitor series online anyway. That may have complicated my issues.

Anyway, just trying to save some people some headaches...:)

6th ave is like 30 min away from my house, so they are my local retailer. They don't sell those speakers online anymore either...they only sell the prepackaged Cinema lines, and that's it. I think that's true of any internet retailer.

The special was for instore only, and I was actually instore to get them. I've not had any problems with them, and they've been super helpful when I had one of my speakers not working properly. They basically opened up a new system for me and pulled out a new speaker for me, and then tested it to make sure it was fine.

$200 is an amazing price for new V3's. If you ebay them, the closest price I've seen is $350.

6th ave is like 30 min away from my house, so they are my local retailer. They don't sell those speakers online anymore either...they only sell the prepackaged Cinema lines, and that's it. I think that's true of any internet retailer.

The special was for instore only, and I was actually instore to get them. I've not had any problems with them, and they've been super helpful when I had one of my speakers not working properly. They basically opened up a new system for me and pulled out a new speaker for me, and then tested it to make sure it was fine.

$200 is an amazing price for new V3's. If you ebay them, the closest price I've seen is $350.

dude you from flemington?

i just graduated from Hunterdon Central

dude you from flemington?

i just graduated from Hunterdon Central

No kidding! I graduated in 2004.

No kidding! I graduated in 2004.

You guys are younglings. :) Which 6th Avenue did you go to? Only one of I know around here is on Rt 10 in Livingston.

24 ain't that young....

I go to the one up on Rt1 in Woodbridge.

You guys are younglings. :) Which 6th Avenue did you go to? Only one of I know around here is on Rt 10 in Livingston.

yeah im only 19, lot of years ahead of me :D

and i had no idea there was a 6th ave so close. maybe ill check it out sometime

24 ain't that young....

I go to the one up on Rt1 in Woodbridge.

Compared to 36 you sure are :)

i would suggest going to 6th ave to get a good price and then head on over to the sound exchange in somerville. They are really knowledgable. When i went to 6th ave the guys didnt know anything about speakers at all. They will match the price and give you better service.

I just got a denon 1910 yesterday and hooked it up to my current crappy bose acoustimass 10. I ran audessy and it told me my speaker suck. It set the crossover at 250 which show how bad the range is on my speakers.

I cant wait to put my order in for my paradigms in a week!!!!!

Just finalised my deal on the C3 :D I can't wait to hear that system

S4+C3= Heaven (I hope)

throw in the ULS-15 in there and that should be a decent sound system.

It's a pity my surrounds will be Energy Take Classics cause that's my current set-up. Saw some S2s but ain't got no more money. So I'll wait till Xmas then get those and an emotiva amp.

i would suggest going to 6th ave to get a good price and then head on over to the sound exchange in somerville. They are really knowledgable. When i went to 6th ave the guys didnt know anything about speakers at all. They will match the price and give you better service.

good to hear that its a good place. i plan on buying a studio 20 setup from them

i would suggest going to 6th ave to get a good price and then head on over to the sound exchange in somerville. They are really knowledgable. When i went to 6th ave the guys didnt know anything about speakers at all. They will match the price and give you better service.

I disagree. I worked with Lucky (that was the guy's name)...he knew his stuff cold. He's the one that got me over to Paradigm from DefTech. Giovanni also helped me out as well. We were randomly talking about receiver's and he knew all the stats on my VSX-9130 off the top of his head. They know what they're doing over there.

And santa - where are you getting your money from to buy a studio 20 setup? You're 19...wtf. I'm 24, have a full time job and make well over the national average for a family and can't afford that...I only ask out of sheer jealousy lol.

I disagree. I worked with Lucky (that was the guy's name)...he knew his stuff cold. He's the one that got me over to Paradigm from DefTech. Giovanni also helped me out as well. We were randomly talking about receiver's and he knew all the stats on my VSX-9130 off the top of his head. They know what they're doing over there.

And santa - where are you getting your money from to buy a studio 20 setup? You're 19...wtf. I'm 24, have a full time job and make well over the national average for a family and can't afford that...I only ask out of sheer jealousy lol.

oh no no no the studio 20's aren't for me. there for my dad. he doesnt know anything about speakers nor does he have much time to go out and buy speakers so im doing it for him.

i have the monitor 9 v4 with a cc-370 v4, 2 mini monitors v4 and a ps-1200 for myself. and i got it all used for a pretty good price tho.

after college ill step up to the studio line. too expensive for me right now. or maybe ill convince my dad to upgrade the studio 20's too me :D

I've got a tough decision to make.

Right now in my living room I have a set of SVS SBS-01, however I'm only using it as a 3.1 setup because I have no space right now for the rear speakers.

My dealer is offering me a brand new set of Paradigm SE1 bookshelfs for almost 35% off retail. $500 for the pair in either of the finishes that are available.

If I get them, I'd be forced to sell my set of SVS speakers....Since I currently use them as a 3.1 setup, I wonder if I'd be missing out by going to a 2.1 setup. The SBS-01's are home theater speakers whereas the SE1's are amazing for anything.

Decisions, decisions....what would you do if you were in my shoes?

Why not keep some of the SVS's for rears....

Wow..... all this talk about age.... I am 26 and just bought Sigs, I do feel good now.

Why not keep some of the SVS's for rears....

Because I'm maxed out and my CFO (wife) gave me a budget for our home theater speakers, which I spent on the SVS speakers, which I'd now have to sell if I decide to get the Paradigms. I'd pretty much break even.

I have a pair of atoms for my dedicated 2.0 music listening in another room. I've heard the Se1's at the dealer and they sound amazing. I basically have to decide if it's worth going from a 3.1 setup (5.1 when I get it all hooked up) to a 2.1 setup, but a 2.1 set up that has better detail. Hmmmmmmm

here's a review on the SE1's

http://www.hometheatermag.com/compactspeakers/paradigm_special_edition_se_1_speaker_system/#

I'm in the process of gathering the system setup I'd like to use for my still under-construction basement project. I have an older pair of Monitor 7 v2 speakers and was planning on using them as the front L/R pair, adding in a CC-290, 2 ADP-390s and a sub.

My question to the group is, would the older v2 7s work OK as the fronts, or should I really consider replacing them with the new models? My thought is that the front L/R really isn't nearly as important as the center for movies and they still sound great for stereo playing. I'm just not sure on the match, since they have the 3 drivers vs. the 4 in the current models.

I'm scared to even listen to the other lines after reading all the discussions here on how good the Signature and Studio are. :)

I've got a tough decision to make.

Right now in my living room I have a set of SVS SBS-01, however I'm only using it as a 3.1 setup because I have no space right now for the rear speakers.

My dealer is offering me a brand new set of Paradigm SE1 bookshelfs for almost 35% off retail. $500 for the pair in either of the finishes that are available.

If I get them, I'd be forced to sell my set of SVS speakers....Since I currently use them as a 3.1 setup, I wonder if I'd be missing out by going to a 2.1 setup. The SBS-01's are home theater speakers whereas the SE1's are amazing for anything.

Decisions, decisions....what would you do if you were in my shoes?

I don't know jack about the SVS's, but I've had my SE1's for almost two weeks now and they are great. I bought 3 for my front stage for $300 each, so that's a great deal you're getting. Any way you can get 3 for $750? They are sold as single units from Paradigm. The SE1's image very well so I don't think you're going to miss the center too much. I just did a quick test on mine and whatever was on HBO sounded good in stereo mode. You will definitely need a sub to cover the low end with these. Also, I started them out on 24" stands and wasn't quite wowed. Put them on some 36" stands (Sanus NF36) on Monday and it's a great improvement.

I'm in the process of gathering the system setup I'd like to use for my still under-construction basement project. I have an older pair of Monitor 7 v2 speakers and was planning on using them as the front L/R pair, adding in a CC-290, 2 ADP-390s and a sub.

My question to the group is, would the older v2 7s work OK as the fronts, or should I really consider replacing them with the new models? My thought is that the front L/R really isn't nearly as important as the center for movies and they still sound great for stereo playing. I'm just not sure on the match, since they have the 3 drivers vs. the 4 in the current models.

I'm scared to even listen to the other lines after reading all the discussions here on how good the Signature and Studio are. :)

They should be just fine...enjoy.

I disagree. I worked with Lucky (that was the guy's name)...he knew his stuff cold. He's the one that got me over to Paradigm from DefTech. Giovanni also helped me out as well. We were randomly talking about receiver's and he knew all the stats on my VSX-9130 off the top of his head. They know what they're doing over there.

And santa - where are you getting your money from to buy a studio 20 setup? You're 19...wtf. I'm 24, have a full time job and make well over the national average for a family and can't afford that...I only ask out of sheer jealousy lol.

I spoke to Jerry at sound exchange and was very knowledgeable. They will most likely get my business when I decide to purchase the speakers. FYI.. Leaning towards the Studio 60s now.

I'm trying to decide between the Ultracube 12 vs DSP-3200 vs DSP-3400. I'm currently running Studio 60v5's and a Studio 490v5 upfront. I'm about 50/50 music and HT. Any thoughts?

I'm trying to decide between the Ultracube 12 vs DSP-3200 vs DSP-3400. I'm currently running Studio 60v5's and a Studio 490v5 upfront. I'm about 50/50 music and HT. Any thoughts?

I have a set of Studio 40 v4's, a CC590 v4, and Atoms in the rear. I have a DSP 3200 and am happy with it. For HT use it digs deep on Blurays, it can energize the room, and it shakes the house quite well. For music I have it crossed over at 60hz in order to minimize the boominess and it sounds very good. Depending on the material you barely feel a rumble on the floor as it blends in nicely with my Studios. I bought the 3200 as a temporary sub until I had the $$$ to purchase a Sub 12 but this plan is on hold because the 3200 has pleasantly surprised me. I even think about going up to 3400.

I'm trying to decide between the Ultracube 12 vs DSP-3200 vs DSP-3400. I'm currently running Studio 60v5's and a Studio 490v5 upfront. I'm about 50/50 music and HT. Any thoughts?


Room size..? open to other areas? you need to include those spaces in the calculations. LxWxH

Room size..? open to other areas? you need to include those spaces in the calculations. LxWxH
Room is 2200 cubic feet and not really open to other rooms. I'm also considering the svs pb12-nsd.

Hey Guys,

I am in the middle of building a system and have been doing a lot of research on speaker brands, and receivers - and im trying to find the best bang for what I am looking for. Budget also has to be considered - I'll go more on that in a bit. At first I was looking at Klipsch but have recently heard Paradigm Studio Speakers and need some help.

First, here's my goal:

Said Goal: Create a Full, Dynamic sound stage for a "in the movie" experience for home theater use.

As far as receivers go, I plan on getting the Pioneer SC-27. Ive heard of other brands like Rotel, NAD, Dinan, Onkyo, Yahmaha, etc etc - But I think the pioneer best fits for what im looking for in a receiver, and the price is fairly good... Video quality is also important too. Right now, I dont plan on getting an amp, but that will have to come after I have broken in whatever speakers I buy and feel that It needs more power. If I do go with an external amp, I would be looking at Emotiva XPA-5. It seems to be getting some nice reviews and I like that price range.

Speakers: Originally I was looking at the Klipsch RF-63 series with matching center RC-64 and surrounds RS-62. As far as subs go, I would be choosing the HSU VTF3 MK2 sub, and then later one get a second one - or just go with the one VTF3 MK3. Ive heard a lot of mixed reviews on the Klipsch - and unfortunately there isnt a place around my area (Burbank) that has their products for retail so I can hear them. I was just talking with one of the forum members who also was in my situation and said that "if you cant demo them, its probably for a reason." The other brand I was thinking was Paradigm. There is a dealer here in Beverly Hills and I decided I would go and try them out - even though they are much more expensive I tried out the Studio 60s (v4 i think?) And wasnt really impressed with them. The Martin Logan's at BB sounded better...(but ML is wayyy out of my price range). So I tried the new Studio 100 v5 and was pretty impressed. At lower volumes it was ok, but sounded better at higher volumes. I had tested it out with one of my soundtracks (just for clarification, the soundtrack was from Avatar ) through their cd player and he had that running to a 2 channel 50watt NAD stereo amp. I wish I could have heard the set through 5.1 setup. If I went with Paradigm, Id probably buy the Studio 100s pair, then later get the CC-690, then the HSU sub, then the surrounds. Depends on my budget, I cant really drop 5K+ all at once.

I understand finding the right speaker for you is all about listening for yourself and trying it out in home or whatever. But sometimes it can be hard, especially when you cant demo them. I would just like to hear people's opinions on these speakers and possibly other great speakers I may have missed that will help me reach my goal. *imax sound is great because I feel in the movie with all the highs, deep lows, and great surround. Obviously they have tons of speakers and crazy expensive equipment, but..whatever.

Thanks for your time!!!

Ryan

Well since you're apparently from somewhere around beverly hills then I would expect the answer to this question is no..... but have you looked into buying used instead of new? Youll probably be able to pick up a used pair of 100s for like $1500, I'm sure you could put a pretty nice 5.1 set up together of all Paradigm Studios, a receiver and some decent sub for around 4k easily.

Hey scooby,
Im not sure what the "no" response is referring to. If its about the 5K thing - im not saying my budget for new speakers is 5K. I guess my main question is will Paradigm fullfill my goal?

"Said Goal: Create a Full, Dynamic sound stage for a "in the movie" experience for home theater use"

Hey scooby,
Im not sure what the "no" response is referring to. If its about the 5K thing - im not saying my budget for new speakers is 5K. I guess my main question is will Paradigm fullfill my goal?

"Said Goal: Create a Full, Dynamic sound stage for a "in the movie" experience for home theater use"

yes. paradigms are excellent speakers. I would recommend a very nice sub for the "in the movie" feel

So I recently got a pair of SE1s in Gloss Black for an office 2.0 setup, driven by an Emotiva BPA-1 (miniature 50wpc amp).

For reference, I owned a Monitor series 5.1 setup for 5 years (Monitor 9v3s, CC-370v3, Monitor 3v3 rears, PW-2200 sub), and I currently use a Signature Series 7.1 setup for my home theatre (W5v2s LCR, 4x ADPv1 surrounds, Sub 1). I actually never owned any Studio Series speakers (I jumped straight from Monitor to Signature).

SE1s sound closer to the Signature Series speakers than the Monitor series, which is exceptional considering that they are priced only slightly above the Mini Monitors. Paradigm's last minute decision to use the G-PAL tweeter on the SE1s instead of the titanium dome is what really makes the SE1 a stellar value. They could have called the SE1 the Studio 0, because it is basically a smaller Studio 10. I didn't get the Studio 10s because of limited desk space, but the SE1 would be right at home in the Studio lineup.

Due to their low-ish power handling and sensitivity, I wouldn't get the SE1s for a large room, but for my near-field listening application, they are ideal. Bass is much deeper than I expected from such a small cabinet, and the highs are amazingly crisp (not quite as sweet as the Beryllium tweeter in my W5s, but much better than the Monitor series).

Midrange clarity is where the SE1s fall short compared to my Sigs (at almost 10x the price, however, that's to be expected), but the fact that they are even in the conversation means Paradigm pulled off the bargain of the century with the SE1s.

I just purchased a pair of Studio 100 v5 and was wondering what cables I should buy. I will be hooking them up to a Pioneer Elite SC-25. I only have these two speakers so I am considering bi-amping them. Is this a good idea?

What gauge cables should I get? I was looking at the bluejeans cables: the BJC 12 White terminated on both ends with banana plugs: http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm

I just purchased a pair of Studio 100 v5 and was wondering what cables I should buy. I will be hooking them up to a Pioneer Elite SC-25. I only have these two speakers so I am considering bi-amping them. Is this a good idea?

What gauge cables should I get? I was looking at the bluejeans cables: the BJC 12 White terminated on both ends with banana plugs: http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm

Nothing wrong with those speaker wires and Bluejeans is a forum sponsor so it's good to give them some business. You may want to skip the banana plugs and go with bare wire.

Of course plenty of people will tell you to cut the ends off of a couple extension cords and go with that as your wire.

Nothing wrong with those speaker wires and Bluejeans is a forum sponsor so it's good to give them some business. You may want to skip the banana plugs and go with bare wire.

Of course plenty of people will tell you to cut the ends off of a couple extension cords and go with that as your wire.

OK thanks. qhat gauge wire should I use? 10 or 12? Is there a limit to the benefit of getting an increasingly thicker wire?

Picked up my first Paradigm speaker, a CC-190 v6. A massive upgrade for me! Dialog has such great theatrical quality now!

Picked up my first Paradigm speaker, a CC-190 v6. A massive upgrade for me! Dialog has such great theatrical quality now!

now get the fronts to match :D

Here's another SE review (http://www.avguide.com/review/paradigm-special-edition-speaker-system-the-perfect-vision-86?src=Playback). This one is from the Perfect Vision. SIAP

Picked up my first Paradigm speaker, a CC-190 v6. A massive upgrade for me! Dialog has such great theatrical quality now!

Well Done...enjoy...

OK thanks. qhat gauge wire should I use? 10 or 12? Is there a limit to the benefit of getting an increasingly thicker wire?

Wire thinkness is determined by distance run by the wire.

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

OK thanks. qhat gauge wire should I use? 10 or 12? Is there a limit to the benefit of getting an increasingly thicker wire?

How far are your speakers from the source? Generally speaking the longer the run the thicker the wire but in my opinion there is a limit.

Anyone know if the tweeter domes are the same material for all the different lines? I have an extra Monitor center that I am not using and would like to replace my dented Studio CC center dome with the Monitor one...it would only be the dome...are they all "pure aluminum"?

How far are your speakers from the source? Generally speaking the longer the run the thicker the wire but in my opinion there is a limit.

The speakers are about 8 feet from the receiver. I just ordered 10 gauge BJC White from Bluejeans. It might be overkill, but as long as it is not hurting the signal by going too big, then I'm fine with it.

Are there any discounts bluejeans offers as a forum sponsor?

The speakers are about 8 feet from the receiver. I just ordered 10 gauge BJC White from Bluejeans. It might be overkill, but as long as it is not hurting the signal by going too big, then I'm fine with it.

Are there any discounts bluejeans offers as a forum sponsor?

I'd recommend you order the best possible (12AWG?) from monoprice.com. Also a forum sponsor, but a lot cheaper, especially for speaker cable.

Copper is copper, I promise. And 12AWG is larger that you'd need for almost anything, including running it across a standard house.

I'd recommend you order the best possible (12AWG?) from monoprice.com. Also a forum sponsor, but a lot cheaper, especially for speaker cable.

Copper is copper, I promise. And 12AWG is larger that you'd need for almost anything, including running it across a standard house.

+1^^^

I just recieved a 100 ft roll of their 12AWG CL2 rated and it is VERY high quality and only cost around $24.

I am putting together my first HT, in small room (13' X 7').

I'm building/buying my system while looking ahead (for when I move to a larger space). Here's what I currently have:
RCVR: Onkyo 3007
Fronts/Center: Cinema 330's
Front Highs: Cinema 110's
Side Surrounds: (still choosing, the purpose of this post) need to be in-wall models
Surround Back: Cinema ADPs
Sub: Cinema 110 CT

Given the room is so mall, I want some in-walls (temporarily, while I'm in this space- when I move I'll upgrade the side surrounds to Cinema ADP's).

So I've been going back and forth between the PV-160's or the CS-160's

The specs are SO CLOSE. Here they are for your convenience:

Design (Both)
2-driver, 2-way in-wall / in-ceiling, IRP™ chassis / mounting bracket
Crossovers (Both)
2nd-order electro-acoustic at 2.5 kHz
High-Frequency Driver(s)
PV's: 25-mm (1 in) silk dome
CS's: 19-mm (3/4 in) PTD™ dome
Bass / Midrange Driver (Both)
165-mm (6-1/2 in) mineral-filled polypropylene cone
Low-Frequency Extension (Both)
55 Hz (DIN)
Frequency Responsex (Both)
On-Axis ±2 dB from 70 Hz - 20 kHz
30° Off-Axis ±2 dB from 70 Hz - 18 kHz
Frequency Response (Both)
Sensitivity - Room / Anechoic 89 dB / 85 dB
Suitable Amplifier Power Range
PV's: 80 - 15 watts
CS's: 90 - 15 watts
Maximum Input Power
PV's: 50 watts
CS's: 60 watts

There's about a $50 each (so $100 for the pair) difference in cost.

I've asked friends (and local sales people) about which I should go with and am getting a 50/50 split, so I thought I'd ask here. Those that are encouraging me to go for the CS's say the "timbre match" is what I'll appreciate about going that route.

I have to be honest, and embarrassingly say I have no idea what that means, how important it is, or if it's a valid comment given this comparison. So I thought I'd ask here so I could get other opinions, and learn for myself.

I am by no means an audiophile (or at least am early in my audiophile career) and am thinking with such a small width of 7' (the love seat is against one of those walls- so the in-walls will be directly at the end of one part of the love seat, and the other will be a foot away from the other end- of that make sense) that I could go with the lower end models.

Opinions please!

With a room so small I don't believe you even need to run a 7.1 setup...there are so few things encoded in 7.1 at this point that it doesn't make sense, and especially considering the small room.

I would just use the ADP's as your side surrounds for now (which is good, the dipoles will work really well in this setup) and hold off on making the 7.1 setup.

I just listened to some Paradigm speakers yesterday and rather than narrowing down my decision it actually added to the mix. First I listened to the SE-1s (I would actually get the SE-3s but they only had the SE-1s in stock). They sounded nice and I am sure the SE-3s would sound at least as good. Then the salesperson recommended listening to the Studio 10s. I did that and listened to the 20s and 60s as well. I had previously listened to the 60s but not the 20s as I figured I needed a tower because I have a fairly large room. In any case I really liked the 20s and am trying to determine if they would work for me. My thinking is that the Studio 20s (without stands) would come in around the same price as the SE-3s and a fair amount less than the Studio 60s. Although I was thinking I would need towers, maybe a pair of 20s would work for me. I will get a sub to take care of the low frequencies and I really like the design and quality of the Studio series versus the square box of the SEs. The salesperson said I could pair the 20s with any of the Studio centers (including the 690 which may be overkill but I want it anyway).

So, my questions I am hoping you all can help me with is:



What would be the difference between the Studio 60s and the Studio 20s? Would the 60s just basically go lower and louder or will they also present a more detailed and transparent sound?


Will the 20s work well sitting on a table rather than stands? If I have to buy the stands for them then I might as well spend another $100-200 and just go for the 60s.


Would the 20s be enough for my 24'x22'x8.5' fully enclosed room? I don't plan on playing at extremely loud levels, but I want to go loud enough to get near movie theatre levels. In addition to the 20s I would have a 590 or 690 center and some in-ceiling surrounds as well as a nice subwoofer.


I haven't even decided on Paradigm for certain yet but I do really like their speakers. Basically though it will come down to getting the best value between the brands I am considering and that is why I am particularly interested in the Studio 20s.

Thanks,

Matt

I just listened to some Paradigm speakers yesterday and rather than narrowing down my decision it actually added to the mix. First I listened to the SE-1s (I would actually get the SE-3s but they only had the SE-1s in stock). They sounded nice and I am sure the SE-3s would sound at least as good. Then the salesperson recommended listening to the Studio 10s. I did that and listened to the 20s and 60s as well. I had previously listened to the 60s but not the 20s as I figured I needed a tower because I have a fairly large room. In any case I really liked the 20s and am trying to determine if they would work for me. My thinking is that the Studio 20s (without stands) would come in around the same price as the SE-3s and a fair amount less than the Studio 60s. Although I was thinking I would need towers, maybe a pair of 20s would work for me. I will get a sub to take care of the low frequencies and I really like the design and quality of the Studio series versus the square box of the SEs. The salesperson said I could pair the 20s with any of the Studio centers (including the 690 which may be overkill but I want it anyway).

So, my questions I am hoping you all can help me with is:



What would be the difference between the Studio 60s and the Studio 20s? Would the 60s just basically go lower and louder or will they also present a more detailed and transparent sound?


Will the 20s work well sitting on a table rather than stands? If I have to buy the stands for them then I might as well spend another $100-200 and just go for the 60s.


Would the 20s be enough for my 24'x22'x8.5' fully enclosed room? I don't plan on playing at extremely loud levels, but I want to go loud enough to get near movie theatre levels. In addition to the 20s I would have a 590 or 690 center and some in-ceiling surrounds as well as a nice subwoofer.


I haven't even decided on Paradigm for certain yet but I do really like their speakers. Basically though it will come down to getting the best value between the brands I am considering and that is why I am particularly interested in the Studio 20s.

Thanks,

Matt


The purpose of the stands is just to get the speaker to ear height. You can also rest them on a tv stand, entertainment center, shelf,etc... I actually have a preference for bookshelf speakers with a good quality sub. I actually have the Studio 10s (shelf not tall enough to fit the 20s) and a Paradigm Sub 15. I crossover all my speakers at 80hz anyways so the bottom extention that a floorstanding speaker would offer over a bookshelf does me no good in my set-up. Certainly others will have different opinions. The 20s also just got a nice review in Hometheater review.

http://hometheaterreview.com/paradigm-reference-studio-20-v5-bookshelf-speaker-reviewed/

I would just use the ADP's as your side surrounds for now (which is good, the dipoles will work really well in this setup) and hold off on making the 7.1 setup.

You mean keep the ADP's in the back and not use any side surrounds? IF I go with any side surrounds, they must be in-walls given the setup of the room (size, traffic pattern, etc).

What would be the difference between the Studio 60s and the Studio 20s? Would the 60s just basically go lower and louder or will they also present a more detailed and transparent sound?


Will the 20s work well sitting on a table rather than stands? If I have to buy the stands for them then I might as well spend another $100-200 and just go for the 60s.


Would the 20s be enough for my 24'x22'x8.5' fully enclosed room? I don't plan on playing at extremely loud levels, but I want to go loud enough to get near movie theatre levels. In addition to the 20s I would have a 590 or 690 center and some in-ceiling surrounds as well as a nice subwoofer.



The 60s will sound cleaner when harder driven, simply because the driver handling the mid-range is not being asked to also deliver the entire bass output.

Depends on what you mean by "table". Ideally, the speakers would be placed on stands in order to avoid the boundary reflections present with a table placement. Since the cost difference between the 20s and the 60s is several hundred dollars, there is still a significant cost savings even with stands (you don't need $500 stands!!!).

I would say that the 20s will be straining to hit reference levels in that size of room clearly. Too many people say that it doesn't matter if you use a sub and x-over at 80 Hz. Well, they are wrong. The typical hi-pass x-over is 12dB/octave, which means that signals in the L+R channels are only down ~15 dB at 40 Hz (and only 3 dB down at 80 Hz). There are very high sound levels present in many soundtracks (and music of course) in the 60-80 Hz range.

A good dealer typically offers a trade-in policy within the 1st year after purchase. You could try out the 20s to see if they will work for your room and listening levels. If not, bring 'em back and get the 60s.

I'd recommend you order the best possible (12AWG?) from monoprice.com. Also a forum sponsor, but a lot cheaper, especially for speaker cable.

Copper is copper, I promise. And 12AWG is larger that you'd need for almost anything, including running it across a standard house.

I agree with 100%. But the Bluejeans speaker wire is prettier. :)

I am putting together my first HT, in small room (13' X 7').

I'm building/buying my system while looking ahead (for when I move to a larger space). Here's what I currently have:
RCVR: Onkyo 3007
Fronts/Center: Cinema 330's
Front Highs: Cinema 110's
Side Surrounds: (still choosing, the purpose of this post) need to be in-wall models
Surround Back: Cinema ADPs
Sub: Cinema 110 CT

Given the room is so mall, I want some in-walls (temporarily, while I'm in this space- when I move I'll upgrade the side surrounds to Cinema ADP's).

So I've been going back and forth between the PV-160's or the CS-160's

The specs are SO CLOSE. Here they are for your convenience:

Design (Both)
2-driver, 2-way in-wall / in-ceiling, IRP™ chassis / mounting bracket
Crossovers (Both)
2nd-order electro-acoustic at 2.5 kHz
High-Frequency Driver(s)
PV's: 25-mm (1 in) silk dome
CS's: 19-mm (3/4 in) PTD™ dome
Bass / Midrange Driver (Both)
165-mm (6-1/2 in) mineral-filled polypropylene cone
Low-Frequency Extension (Both)
55 Hz (DIN)
Frequency Responsex (Both)
On-Axis ±2 dB from 70 Hz - 20 kHz
30° Off-Axis ±2 dB from 70 Hz - 18 kHz
Frequency Response (Both)
Sensitivity - Room / Anechoic 89 dB / 85 dB
Suitable Amplifier Power Range
PV's: 80 - 15 watts
CS's: 90 - 15 watts
Maximum Input Power
PV's: 50 watts
CS's: 60 watts

There's about a $50 each (so $100 for the pair) difference in cost.

I've asked friends (and local sales people) about which I should go with and am getting a 50/50 split, so I thought I'd ask here. Those that are encouraging me to go for the CS's say the "timbre match" is what I'll appreciate about going that route.

I have to be honest, and embarrassingly say I have no idea what that means, how important it is, or if it's a valid comment given this comparison. So I thought I'd ask here so I could get other opinions, and learn for myself.

I am by no means an audiophile (or at least am early in my audiophile career) and am thinking with such a small width of 7' (the love seat is against one of those walls- so the in-walls will be directly at the end of one part of the love seat, and the other will be a foot away from the other end- of that make sense) that I could go with the lower end models.

Opinions please!I would get the CS-160's. I've installed and listened to both, and the CS-160's are a large step up in build quality and sound, IMO.

I would get the CS-160's. I've installed and listened to both, and the CS-160's are a large step up in build quality and sound, IMO.

Cool. Thanks for taking the time to respond. I'll take listening experience over specs any day of the week :)

Hello,

I would like to join the Paradigm club :) I'm hoping to get rid of my 10 years old Bose setup :) Yes, I'm embarrassed to admit I paid $1000+ back then for them :)

Can someone please help me pick out speakers for me? Pretty please :)

I have a room that is about 16 feet by 12 feet. The LCD is going to be on the 16 feet wall side with the sofa on the opposite end of the wall.

I just ordered the Pioneer Elite VSX-23TXH receiver.

I would like to put two floor standing speakers in the front next to the LCD - like the Monitor 11 or lower series.

I was thinking about the Paradigm Monitor series, but would love to hear your recommendation for a 5.1 surround setup.

Thanks in advance,

Hello,

I would like to join the Paradigm club :) I'm hoping to get rid of my 10 years old Bose setup :) Yes, I'm embarrassed to admit I paid $1000+ back then for them :)

Can someone please help me pick out speakers for me? Pretty please :)

I have a room that is about 16 feet by 12 feet. The LCD is going to be on the 16 feet wall side with the sofa on the opposite end of the wall.

I just ordered the Pioneer Elite VSX-23TXH receiver.

I would like to put two floor standing speakers in the front next to the LCD - like the Monitor 11 series.

I was thinking about the Paradigm Monitor series, but would love to hear your recommendation for a 5.1 surround setup.

Thanks in advance,

I'm very fond of my Monitor 11's...they sound great and I have them connected to an Elite 21.
Suggestions are hard. Most of us are fans of the speakers we own, or want to own and of course recommend them.

It also depends on your budget. The Monitor line is very good but is not as costly as the Studio line, etc.
Have you listened to Paradigm? That certainly helps...especially when you listen within your budget...resisting all temptations lol.

As much as I am fond of my system, see link for pics, if I had the chance and money I spent on it I'd have bought Studio's instead and would have bought a 3.1 system then added the surrounds as money became available. After listening to the Studio's I really love the sound.
Good luck and keep us informed...

Hey Sassy,
The 11s would probably do the job.

If you go to Paradigm's site, locate the speaker you're interested in and click on "Recommended Systems" it will give you an idea of what components go with that speaker.

http://www.paradigm.com/en/paradigm/news/

Thanks ayrton and Kai Winters for your suggestion.

I decided to visit a local dealer today, but failed since one of them seem to be out of business and the other one closed at 5PM and doesn't open on the weekend.

My main concern is having the two front speakers. Do you think with the size of my room - would it be okay to buy a Monitor 7 or 9 or 11 series? Any recommendation? I do hope someday I move into a bigger house with more spacious room. Therefore, I would like to buy something that would last for a long time :) and for a bigger room for the future :)

Or should I got with the Studio series for the front?

As for the budget, I didn't set one, but I don't mind spending more for good stuff that will last me for 10 years - hopefully under $2500 :)

Any information is helpful.

I'd skip the 7s and go for the 9s (of course I say this as someone who owns a pair of Monitor 9s). I demoed the 7s a while ago and didn't care for them...the 9s don't take up really any more floor space and sound much better, IMHO. The 11s are great if they fit in your budget.

Thanks ayrton and Kai Winters for your suggestion.

I decided to visit a local dealer today, but failed since one of them seem to be out of business and the other one closed at 5PM and doesn't open on the weekend.

My main concern is having the two front speakers. Do you think with the size of my room - would it be okay to buy a Monitor 7 or 9 or 11 series? Any recommendation? I do hope someday I move into a bigger house with more spacious room. Therefore, I would like to buy something that would last for a long time :) and for a bigger room for the future :)

Or should I got with the Studio series for the front?

As for the budget, I didn't set one, but I don't mind spending more for good stuff that will last me for 10 years - hopefully under $2500 :)

Any information is helpful.

I would recommend at least listening to the Studio 20's before making a decision on the 7s,9s, or 11s.

Thanks ayrton and Kai Winters for your suggestion.

I decided to visit a local dealer today, but failed since one of them seem to be out of business and the other one closed at 5PM and doesn't open on the weekend.

My main concern is having the two front speakers. Do you think with the size of my room - would it be okay to buy a Monitor 7 or 9 or 11 series? Any recommendation? I do hope someday I move into a bigger house with more spacious room. Therefore, I would like to buy something that would last for a long time :) and for a bigger room for the future :)

Or should I got with the Studio series for the front?

As for the budget, I didn't set one, but I don't mind spending more for good stuff that will last me for 10 years - hopefully under $2500 :)

Any information is helpful.

My room is a good bit larger overall, see link to my pics, and the 11's do a great job for music and movies. I feel the cc290 is a great match as well. The Atoms are a great surround while not being overwhelming in the room size wise resulting in WAF approval. The sub also does a very good job.
I spent roughly $1800 for the 5.1 system.
I feel the 11's are a superior over the 7's and 9's and are worth the extra money spent.

If you feel the Monitor line is as good as you want then you will be very happy with them.
If you decide you "love" the sound of the Studio's but can't afford a 5.1 Studio system at one time I strongly suggest buying what you can in the Studio line and finishing off the 5.1 when money becomes available...otherwise you will just wind up upgrading and spending more in the long run. Wish I had the patience to do have done that lol.

The Studio 20's are $1200.00 ish per pair, 10's around $800.00 retail, etc. So going with a 5.1 with Studio 20's as fronts and 10's as surrounds, etc. is going to run you over $3000.00 but well worth the money in my opinion. Replacing the 20's with the 60's would run up the cost of the system but you'd have a wonderful system for a long, long time.

I just listened to some Paradigm speakers yesterday and rather than narrowing down my decision it actually added to the mix. First I listened to the SE-1s (I would actually get the SE-3s but they only had the SE-1s in stock). They sounded nice and I am sure the SE-3s would sound at least as good. Then the salesperson recommended listening to the Studio 10s. I did that and listened to the 20s and 60s as well. I had previously listened to the 60s but not the 20s as I figured I needed a tower because I have a fairly large room. In any case I really liked the 20s and am trying to determine if they would work for me. My thinking is that the Studio 20s (without stands) would come in around the same price as the SE-3s and a fair amount less than the Studio 60s. Although I was thinking I would need towers, maybe a pair of 20s would work for me. I will get a sub to take care of the low frequencies and I really like the design and quality of the Studio series versus the square box of the SEs. The salesperson said I could pair the 20s with any of the Studio centers (including the 690 which may be overkill but I want it anyway).

So, my questions I am hoping you all can help me with is:



What would be the difference between the Studio 60s and the Studio 20s? Would the 60s just basically go lower and louder or will they also present a more detailed and transparent sound?


Will the 20s work well sitting on a table rather than stands? If I have to buy the stands for them then I might as well spend another $100-200 and just go for the 60s.


Would the 20s be enough for my 24'x22'x8.5' fully enclosed room? I don't plan on playing at extremely loud levels, but I want to go loud enough to get near movie theatre levels. In addition to the 20s I would have a 590 or 690 center and some in-ceiling surrounds as well as a nice subwoofer.


I haven't even decided on Paradigm for certain yet but I do really like their speakers. Basically though it will come down to getting the best value between the brands I am considering and that is why I am particularly interested in the Studio 20s.

Thanks,

Matt

I had ver. 3 20s and LOVED them. In my room(13X20X8) I had no problem getting them to play loud enough, my ears gave in before they did. You will need a sub with them, no question about it. At the time I was running them with a pair of PC-12 Ultras. I didn't like the match and bought some 40s for the front. I should have bought different subs and kept the 20s. My fav setup so far was 4 20s and a 470. The Ultra 12s dropped off pretty quick above 60hz in my room and just didn't match the 20s as well as I wanted. I now have a PC13 and a room full of Rockets but am seriously thinking about going back to a room full of Paradigm, I loved the 20s that much. For my money I would/will buy 20s and a good sub and be done with it. Countless weekends and nights after work were spent with just the 20s and my favorite music! I now have a Bigfoot for a center and am not looking forward to buying a 690 to replace it....time and money heals all wounds!

A couple weeks ago I posted about how I had just bought a pair of Atoms to use in my office. I am running them off an older Onkyo TX-SR700 receiver, mainly playing MP3 music. Well, I just moved my Velodyne CHT-10 into the office and hooked it up to the Onkyo...and now the music sounds phenomenal. The Atoms sounded great before, but now without having to "worry" about the low end, they are absolutely singing. Very happy with how this system has turned out.

A couple weeks ago I posted about how I had just bought a pair of Atoms to use in my office. I am running them off an older Onkyo TX-SR700 receiver, mainly playing MP3 music. Well, I just moved my Velodyne CHT-10 into the office and hooked it up to the Onkyo...and now the music sounds phenomenal. The Atoms sounded great before, but now without having to "worry" about the low end, they are absolutely singing. Very happy with how this system has turned out.are your atoms crossed over at 80hz?

I did some re-arranging today and condensed my home theater a bit. I put my Studio CC on top of my HTPC and hoping that's not a problem. So far no ill effects. I also moved my Studio 40's so that they are closer together, maybe 6 ft. apart. So far all sounds fine. Just wondering if anyone thinks this could present any problems?

I did some re-arranging today and condensed my home theater a bit. I put my Studio CC on top of my HTPC and hoping that's not a problem. So far no ill effects. I also moved my Studio 40's so that they are closer together, maybe 6 ft. apart. So far all sounds fine. Just wondering if anyone thinks this could present any problems?

I wouldn't place anything like a hard drive anywhere near a loudspeaker... but maybe I'm just old school?

are your atoms crossed over at 80hz?

Actually yep, they are. Why do you ask?

I wouldn't place anything like a hard drive anywhere near a loudspeaker... but maybe I'm just old school?

I would tend to agree. Speakers have magents. Are they likely to be able to damage the hard drive? Well, probably not; but why take the risk?

would it be okay to buy a Monitor 7 or 9 or 11 series?
Or should I got with the Studio series for the front?



The new SE3 floorstander is the same price as the Monitor 11, and has a nicer cabinet and drivers from the Studio Series. Just don't get the SE Subwoofer, it's undersized for most home theater applications.

I agree with previous suggestions; get Studio Series bookshelves over Monitor floorstanders. Don't forget the Studio 10, they can be had for under $600/pair and will also outperform the Monitor 7/9/11, assuming you have a subwoofer.

I would tend to agree. Speakers have magents. Are they likely to be able to damage the hard drive? Well, probably not; but why take the risk?

Prior to placing the Studio CC on top of the PC, I had them right next to each other for the past year or so and no problems. Do you think being on top of the PC instead of next to it makes it any more hazardous? But I do get hwat you're saying.

Thanks ayrton and Kai Winters for your suggestion.

I decided to visit a local dealer today, but failed since one of them seem to be out of business and the other one closed at 5PM and doesn't open on the weekend.

My main concern is having the two front speakers. Do you think with the size of my room - would it be okay to buy a Monitor 7 or 9 or 11 series? Any recommendation? I do hope someday I move into a bigger house with more spacious room. Therefore, I would like to buy something that would last for a long time :) and for a bigger room for the future :)

Or should I got with the Studio series for the front?

As for the budget, I didn't set one, but I don't mind spending more for good stuff that will last me for 10 years - hopefully under $2500 :)

Any information is helpful.

The simple rule of thumb is to buy the best speakers you can afford that you like. The performance of all the other components of your system is dependant on the quality of your speakers.

My system is built around Monitor 7 front speakers, a CC-290 for the center, titans for surround, and the equivalent to the PDR-10 for the subwoofer. Altogether I figure they came to just about$2,000. When I bought my speaker I also listened to the reference level Paradigms and they did indeed sound better. On my history professor’s salary, however, I’d still be using my old JBLs if I had waited to save up the money to buy the reference speakers.

Your Pioneer Elite 23 will drive the Monitors just fine. The main thing is that you enjoy.

Receiver:
Onkyo SR-607

Speakers
Paradigm Titan (bought in 1998) for L/R Front
Paradigm CC-150 - For Center
Paradigm Micro - L/R Surrounds
Paradigm PDR-10 Subs

DVD/BD: PS3

HDTV: Panasonic TS-50S1

Thanks ayrton and Kai Winters for your suggestion.

I decided to visit a local dealer today, but failed since one of them seem to be out of business and the other one closed at 5PM and doesn't open on the weekend.

My main concern is having the two front speakers. Do you think with the size of my room - would it be okay to buy a Monitor 7 or 9 or 11 series? Any recommendation? I do hope someday I move into a bigger house with more spacious room. Therefore, I would like to buy something that would last for a long time :) and for a bigger room for the future :)

Or should I got with the Studio series for the front?

As for the budget, I didn't set one, but I don't mind spending more for good stuff that will last me for 10 years - hopefully under $2500 :)

Any information is helpful.

To accommodate your floorstander preference and your budget, you could consider a Special Edition 5.1 setup:

SE3 x 2 = $1400
SE1 x 2 = $600
SE-CC = $500
SE-SUB = $700

So, the MSRP total would be $3200, but then if you get the usual 20-30% discount, that should fit your budget nicely.

To accommodate your floorstander preference and your budget, you could consider a Special Edition 5.1 setup:

SE3 x 2 = $1400
SE1 x 2 = $600
SE-CC = $500
SE-SUB = $700

So, the MSRP total would be $3200, but then if you get the usual 20-30% discount, that should fit your budget nicely.

Is it possible to get 20-30% discount? Few places I visited - 3 authorized Paradigm Reference dealers in northern NJ offered no more than 10% off list (after negotiation I am assuming may be 15%), actually one place did not offer any discount at all I wouldn't buy from them anyway but what is the normal discount on Studio line?

For any sub below the Sub 12, I'm not sure I'd recommend Paradigm. The SE Sub is probably fine for music, but it wouldn't have the oomph for home theater LFE.

The Epik Empire is such an absurd value at $800, it's hard to pick the puny Paradigm SE Sub for almost the same price. The other SE speakers are tops for value though, IMHO.

Is it possible to get 20-30% discount?

Sorry, but I'm only speaking about my own experience about my discount. Specifically, the discount from Canadian MSRP (Canadian MSRP is higher than U.S. MSRP).

But, I thought I remember reading in this thread about others (in the U.S.) who have also received 20% discounts. Can't remember.

For any sub below the Sub 12, I'm not sure I'd recommend Paradigm. The SE Sub is probably fine for music, but it wouldn't have the oomph for home theater LFE.

May be true. But aesthetics might be a factor for MySassyGirl, so the SE sub may be preferred for the WAF (in particular, the Rosewood finish). Another cheaper subwoofer to keep MySassyGirl on budget could include the HSU brand among others.

Thanks everyone for their input.

I just came back from a local dealer to test out some Paradigm speakers.

I tested Monitor 7, Special Edition 1, and Studio 20.

I was very impressed with the Monitor 7. It gave me the chill when he played the Celine Dion titanic song :) While playing, he switched to the Special Edition 1, and I lost that feeling. And then he switched back to Monitor 7 again and then changed it to the Studio 20. I felt the Monitor 7 and Studio 20 were similar in sound.

I was thinking about getting the Studio 60 just because it was in the "Studio" series, but I'm not sure what to do now since I heard the Monitor series 7. I am still indecisive now.

I think I need to drive another 30-60 miles to another dealer in hope to do more testing.

At the end of it all MySassyGirl let your ears be the final judge, as long as it is in your budget or spending plan. You will be happier that way in the long run.

Note that the Monitor 7 is very efficient, so it will play louder at a given volume setting than most bookshelves. Our ears always tell us that louder=better, so make sure when you are comparing the Monitor 7s to the SE1 or Studio 10/20 that you turn up the volume on the bookshelves to match the output of the Monitor 7.

Prior to placing the Studio CC on top of the PC, I had them right next to each other for the past year or so and no problems. Do you think being on top of the PC instead of next to it makes it any more hazardous? But I do get hwat you're saying.

The speaker may be closer to the hard drive sitting on top. Is the speaker shielded? If not, I'd definitely move it.

The speaker may be closer to the hard drive sitting on top. Is the speaker shielded? If not, I'd definitely move it.

According to all the reviews and specs I see on it, it is shielded, so it should be ok, I would think. I have space under my wall mounted 50" Panny plasma to mount a stand for it, so I may do that. Or I may just build a little stand that will go over the HTPC and in between the other components, or I could just put a board or something else between the CC and the PC just to make sure. But it has been on top of the PC for over 12 hours now and no ill effects so far.

Thanks everyone for their input.

I just came back from a local dealer to test out some Paradigm speakers.

I tested Monitor 7, Special Edition 1, and Studio 20.

I was very impressed with the Monitor 7. It gave me the chill when he played the Celine Dion titanic song :) While playing, he switched to the Special Edition 1, and I lost that feeling. And then he switched back to Monitor 7 again and then changed it to the Studio 20. I felt the Monitor 7 and Studio 20 were similar in sound.

I was thinking about getting the Studio 60 just because it was in the "Studio" series, but I'm not sure what to do now since I heard the Monitor series 7. I am still indecisive now.

I think I need to drive another 30-60 miles to another dealer in hope to do more testing.

Hopefully you'll be able to listen to SE3s instead of SE1s ... the SE3s would sound even better than the Monitor 7s you were impressed with (and they'd still keep you on budget). The SE3s combined with SE1 surrounds and a SE-CC would be a fantastic sounding system.

And, you do realize that the Studio 60s would take you above your $2500 budget for a 5.1 system, right? (unless you were planning to get the Studio 60s and skip the ".1")

Yes, I need to listen to the SE3.

If I decide to pick up the Studio 60, do you think I need a subwoofer? Or is it better to have one no matter what...

Gosh, I wish I can find a store in the Bay Area, CA that would offer me 20%. So far, the first store said he can give me 10%.

Thanks,

Hopefully you'll be able to listen to SE3s instead of SE1s ... the SE3s would sound even better than the Monitor 7s you were impressed with (and they'd still keep you on budget). The SE3s combined with SE1 surrounds and a SE-CC would be a fantastic sounding system.

And, you do realize that the Studio 60s would take you above your $2500 budget for a 5.1 system, right? (unless you were planning to get the Studio 60s and skip the ".1")

Yes, I need to listen to the SE3.

If I decide to pick up the Studio 60, do you think I need a subwoofer? Or is it better to have one no matter what...

Gosh, I wish I can find a store in the Bay Area, CA that would offer me 20%. So far, the first store said he can give me 10%.

Thanks,for home theater you need a sub. if you like the 60's you should look in to the SE3 with matching surrounds and sub.

are the SE3s really as good as everyone is making them out to be???? it seems as if people are replacing the Studios with this SE line......are they "really" that good?

are the SE3s really as good as everyone is making them out to be???? it seems as if people are replacing the Studios with this SE line......are they "really" that good?

studios are way better IMO but if your looking to spend X amount of dollars, then you have to go with what you can afford. or do a very good 3.0 studio 100 LR and cc690 center, then you can build from there.

for home theater you need a sub. if you like the 60's you should look in to the SE3 with matching surrounds and sub.

FOR SURE. Save some money with the SE3s and get a sub because even the Studio 60s can need a sub for home theatre but maybe not so much for music. Again, this is based on your $2500 budget for a 5.1 speaker system. However, if your budget is a bit higher, I'd choose the Studio 60s because they look much sexier. :)

I suspect that only audiophiles will notice the difference between the Studio 60s and SE3s, and then only if they are A-B demoed (...maybe).

are the SE3s really as good as everyone is making them out to be???? it seems as if people are replacing the Studios with this SE line......are they "really" that good?

The SE speakers are basically Studios with less fancy cabinets and lower power handling. The sound itself should be very similar, since they use the same drivers.

They were intended as a way for Paradigm to introduce the sound of their Reference line to people on a budget.

Is there a MSRP price chart online? I can't seem to find one. I would like to see the price difference with the SE3, Monitors, and Studios if possible.

Thanks in advance,

Is there a MSRP price chart online? I can't seem to find one. I would like to see the price difference with the SE3, Monitors, and Studios if possible.

Thanks in advance,
The U.S. MSRPs for the Special Edition are:
SE3 $700
SE1 $300
SE-CC $500
SE-SUB $700

And here are the other MSRPs, as reported in this link:

http://forum.blu-ray.com/1905665-post91.html


For those interested in Paradigm and Paradigm Reference pricing, I have posted a list of what I got from my Dealer for Canadian pricing and for U.S. pricing from the HomeTheater Magazine Buyers guide issue in January - except prices were changed to the v5 version of the Studios since the Magazine prices show v4 prices.


Suggested MSRP for Paradigm and Paradigm Reference speakers. Canada prices listed first - U.S.A. listed second.



PARADIGM

Cinema 70 - 89/ea - 79/ea
Cinema 90 - 109/ea - 99/ea
Cinema Micro - 119/ea
Cinema CC - 139/ea - 129/ea
Cinema 110 L/R - 159/ea - 149/ea
Cinema 110 C - 159/ea - 149/ea
Cinema 220 - 259/ea - 239/ea
Cinema Phantom - 299/ea - ?
Cinema 330 - 379/ea - 349/ea
Cinema ADP - 139/ea - 129/ea

Atom Monitor - 169/ea - 149/ea
Mini Monitor - 249/ea - 219/ea
Titan Monitor - 309/ea - 279/ea
Monitor 7 - 419/ea - 379/ea
Monitor 9 - 569/ea - 499/ea
Monitor 11 - 759/ea - 699/ea
CC-190 - 319/ea - 299/ea
CC-290 - 529/ea - 499/ea
CC-390 - 749/ea - 699/ea
ADP-190 - 269/ea - 249/ea
ADP-390 - 459/ea - 429/ea


PARADIGM REFERENCE

Millenia 20 - 619/ea - 529/ea
Millenia 30 - 999/ea - 899/ea
Millenia 20 Trio - 1219/ea - 1099/ea
Millenia 200 - 779/ea - 699/ea
Millenia 300 - 1249/ea - 1099/ea
Millenia ADP - 679/ea - 629/ea

Studio 10 - 479/ea - 399/ea
Studio 20 - 699/ea - 599/ea
Studio 60 - 1149/ea - 999/ea
Studio Esprit (L/R) - 1199/ea - ?
Studio 100 - 1649/ea - 1499/ea
Studio CC-490 - 999/ea - 799/ea
Studio Esprit C - 1199/ea - ?
Studio CC-590 - 1399/ea - 1199/ea
Studio CC-690 - 1649/ea - 1499/ea
Studio ADP-590 - 749/ea - 699/ea

Signature S1
Cherry - 839/ea - 749/ea
Piano Black, Natural Maple - 939/ea - 849/ea

Signature S2
Cherry - 1349/ea - 1249/ea
Piano Black, Natural Maple - 1499/ea - 1399/ea

Signature S4
Cherry - 1749/ea - 1599/ea
Piano Black, Natural Maple - 1999/ea - 1799/ea

Signature S6
Cherry - 2699/ea - 2499/ea
Piano Black, Natural Maple - 2999/ea - 2749/ea

Signature S8
Cherry - 3599/ea - 3299/ea
Piano Black, Natural Maple - 3999/ea - 3649/ea

Signature W5 (lL/R)
Cherry, Piano Black, Natural Maple - 3199/ea - 2999/ea

Signature C1
Cherry - 1349/ea - 1199/ea
Piano Black, Natural Maple - 1449/ea - 1299/ea

Signature C3
Cherry - 2099/ea - 1899/ea
Piano Black, Natural Maple - 2299/ea - 2099/ea

Signature C5
Cherry - 3649/ea - 3299/ea
Piano Black, Natural Maple - 3999/ea - 3599/ea

Signature W5 C
Cherry, Piano Black, Natural Maple - 3199/ea - 2999/ea

Signature ADP1
Cherry - 1349/ea - 1199/ea
Piano Black, Natural Maple - 1449/ea - 1299/ea

Signature ADP3
Cherry - 1699/ea - 1499/ea
Piano Black, Natural Maple - 1899/ea - 1699/ea

I found this price chart when googling online. It doesnt have the SE line but it has all the others as well as the subs. earlier in this thread someone had the SE pricing.

http://www.bradfordshifi.com/prices.html

studios are way better IMO but if your looking to spend X amount of dollars, then you have to go with what you can afford. or do a very good 3.0 studio 100 LR and cc690 center, then you can build from there.

+1 on that.

The Studio's are a much better sounding speaker, and after they're broken in they're even better then that. They just cost more, and if it's all about budget than the best sounding one you can afford is the best one to get. Just my .02

Is it possible to get 20-30% discount? Few places I visited - 3 authorized Paradigm Reference dealers in northern NJ offered no more than 10% off list My local dealer normally retails Paradigm for 5% off MSRP. They're currently running a progressive sale, up to 15% off of a purchase of 3+ speakers. I assume it's 15% off store pricing, but not verified, which works out to 19% off MSRP. And then you have to add in sales tax, always ignored in these discussions :)

This site has MSRP for most of the Paradigm (http://www.the-soundwave.com/catdbquery.php?cat=Speaker) line. It's been a handy reference as I've shopped.

All that said, having nearly pulled the trigger on a Monitor 9 / CC-390 / Mini Monitor / DSP-3200 system, I'm now leaning strongly towards an SVS MTS system. (sigh) Buying speakers is more confounding than the TV purchase :)

Does anyone know if it would be a good thing or bad thing to replace my Studio 60 v3 tweeters with brand new v1 signature tweeters?
I believe these are G-PAL which is what they used in the v4 studio line, and they seem like they would fit perfectly.

So I think it just comes down to how they might sound.

The reason I'm looking at doing this is I have a dented tweeter cap in one of my v3 Studio 60s.

Has anybody bought speakers from Audiophileliquidator.net before?? My local Paradigm dealer closed their doors a couple of years ago and am now looking for another.
Thanx in advance.

Hi,

I sent this message to Paradigm a week ago and still waiting for a response, I just resent it to them. Any ideas what is going on here? Is it defective?

I bought a CC-290v5 center channel speaker about 2 months ago from an authorized Paradigm dealer. The speaker is hooked up to a brand new Denon 2310CI receiver.

When watching movies, I have the volume at -15db (with +15db being max. volume) and the audio (spoken in particular) coming out from the speaker sounds buzzy, not at all good on the ears.

I have tried putting in a different speaker in the center channel and the audio is nice and clear. I also adjusted the speaker level for the center channel to -12db from within the Denon receiver and no change in the audio quality. I wanted to see what can be done to fix this problem.

Thanks,
Chad

something to look at for your defective speaker...check the rubber seal on the midrange especially. If it is not tightly sealed against the metal it will flap and cause the buzzy noise you are hearing. I just had this on a new ADP3 surround and my dealer replaced it within a week.

Has anybody bought speakers from Audiophileliquidator.net before?? My local Paradigm dealer closed their doors a couple of years ago and am now looking for another.
Thanx in advance.

Run ...don't walk...away from them. There have been multiple threads on audiophileliquidator.net on AVS. Not a good reputation...very shady.

Run ...don't walk...away from them. There have been multiple threads on audiophileliquidator.net on AVS. Not a good reputation...very shady.

Enough said, I did search this thread for them in this thread but neglected to search AVS. I should have known it was too good to be true. Now I need to find another authorized dealer.
Thanx

I finally decided on my speaker upgrade this weekend and am now the proud owner of:

Monitor 9's for my L/R
CC-290 Center Channel

I went in thinking I was getting the monitor 7's but after extensive A/B testing walked away with the 9's, which was the top of what my budget would allow. I've only been able to listen to them at home for about 6 hours or so, and they already sound fantastic. From what I've read there's a break in period so maybe they'll even sound better in a little while. I can't imagine. I had some old Bose (I know, bad word) bookshelf speakers from college that I was replacing, so you can probably imagine what a difference I'm experiencing now. Yes, I was an uniformed young man in college when I bought those, but I've come a long way since then. Glad to be a Paradigm owner. I'm hearing things in my music and movies that I didn't even know were there before.

Does anyone know if it would be a good thing or bad thing to replace my Studio 60 v3 tweeters with brand new v1 signature tweeters?
I believe these are G-PAL which is what they used in the v4 studio line, and they seem like they would fit perfectly.

So I think it just comes down to how they might sound.

The reason I'm looking at doing this is I have a dented tweeter cap in one of my v3 Studio 60s.

I'd ask Paradigm.
My understanding is that crossover designs are a significant part of the speaker equation, and using a driver with potentially different electronic characteristics could have a negative effect.

I am about to upgrade my monitor 3 v3s to some used studio 20 v3 but after hearing all this talk about the se1 I might think twice. Would the highs sound better on se1 or the v3 20's. The 20's are floor models so I get the 5 year warrenty and their about the same price so I cant decide. I have heard the 20s and the se1 but I have never done an a/b comparison. Any opinions?

I am about to upgrade my monitor 3 v3s to some used studio 20 v3 but after hearing all this talk about the se1 I might think twice. Would the highs sound better on se1 or the v3 20's. The 20's are floor models so I get the 5 year warrenty and their about the same price so I cant decide. I have heard the 20s and the se1 but I have never done an a/b comparison. Any opinions?

I went from Monitor 3v3s to SE1s for my office 2.0 system, and the difference was phenomenal. The Monitors always seemed a little muddy in the midrange. Having a smaller mid/bass cone helps the SE1 with midrange clarity, yet they still match or exceed the much bigger Monitor 3s in bass output.

As for the Studio 20v3 vs. the SE1, I haven't heard the 20v3 so I can't comment. The 20s might be the better choice if you have a large space, since the 20s have better power handling and slightly better sensitivity. But they are a 6-year old model, so I certainly wouldn't pay more than $450ish/pair for them. The SE1 likely beats the 20v3 in high frequency detail, since it's a newer version of the aluminum tweeter.

I am sure I could get them for 450 or 500 used but I dont mind paying 600 for them with a 5 year warrenty. This is the only dealer in the state so I cant go somewhere else. Plus they were set up with a bunch of speakers and they got demoed when someone ask to hear them. I wouldnt want them if they had been playing all day everyday. I will go back and listen again but I dont have a sub so I think for home theater the bass would be better on the studio 20s but I really was impressed with the se1s. If I could afford the se3s I would jump on them. Im so confused. If I had a sub I would get the se1s bec they are brand new. Thanks for the advice hopefully I will make the right decision

Thanks for the MSRP pricing guys.

Am I reading this right for the Studio Sub 12?

SUB 12 $1999 12" Powered Subwoofer, 1700 Watts RMS

I think I just fainted. 2K for 1 sub? Oh my...what have I got myself into? :)

Is it worth it?

Thanks for the MSRP pricing guys.

Am I reading this right for the Studio Sub 12?

SUB 12 $1999 12" Powered Subwoofer, 1700 Watts RMS

I think I just fainted. 2K for 1 sub? Oh my...what have I got myself into? :)

Is it worth it?

I just ordered the Sub15...$2800...should be here Wednesday :). Don't look now but Paradigm has subs over $5k. Just like anything else, you can buy products in a variety of price points that perform great at their price point. Holds true just like any other product (You can buy cars from $10k to $500K...doesn't mean a car at $25K isn't any good).

I just ordered the Sub15...$2800...should be here Wednesday :). Don't look now but Paradigm has subs over $5k. Just like anything else, you can buy products in a variety of price points that perform great at their price point. Holds true just like any other product (You can buy cars from $10k to $500K...doesn't mean a car at $25K isn't any good).

the law of diminishing returns;)
John

the law of diminishing returns;)
John
Couldn't agree more. I have a subwoofer fetish...now leave me alone :p

All,

Looking for recommendations on a complete HT system. I just recently listened to the studio 60s and they are AMAZING! So I was thinking those for my Front L/R speakers.

Recommendations for Rears? Should I go BP setup? or Studio 10s? I didnt get a chance to listen to the Studio 10s as rears, but I got to hear them which they sounded good, but didn't get the full affect of surround sound with them being that they were in front of me.

The Center Channel I would like to be smaller but still sound great. I listened to the cc590, not sure if I like the size of it. Sounded good but not sure if I'm a fan of the size.

Sub? Open for suggestions. I live in an apartment on the 2nd floor so, not going to be using it to its full potential until I buy my own place. Sometime around next year.

Also receivers? I was thinking Denon - AVR3310CI? That sufficient? or does someone know something better or better bang for the buck around the same price tag?

I think with everything above, I was quoted around 5k. A lil bit more then I wanted to spend outright, but I tend to think I wont be upgrading for awhile. And I love movies and music.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

Has anyone added an Emotiva amp to their Paradigm system. I am thinking about getting an XPA-5 to power my fronts/center/rears (Paradigm 100/Paradigm 690/Paradigm 100) and then having my Yamaha 3800 power the surrounds which are also Paradigm 100. Does anyone have any input on as to whether the XPA-5 would improve the sound compared to just using the Yamaha?

Has anyone added an Emotiva amp to their Paradigm system. I am thinking about getting an XPA-5 to power my fronts/center/rears (Paradigm 100/Paradigm 690/Paradigm 100) and then having my Yamaha 3800 power the surrounds which are also Paradigm 100. Does anyone have any input on as to whether the XPA-5 would improve the sound compared to just using the Yamaha?

Hey scooby, I'm working on an XPA-3 for my 906. I've done a lot of searching and there is a lot out there that favor Emotiva.

I would use it for my fronts only. (Studio 100s, CC-690) The 145 W will handle my ADP-590s just fine.

Let us know..

I finally decided on my speaker upgrade this weekend and am now the proud owner of:

Monitor 9's for my L/R
CC-290 Center Channel

I went in thinking I was getting the monitor 7's but after extensive A/B testing walked away with the 9's, which was the top of what my budget would allow. I've only been able to listen to them at home for about 6 hours or so, and they already sound fantastic. From what I've read there's a break in period so maybe they'll even sound better in a little while. I can't imagine. I had some old Bose (I know, bad word) bookshelf speakers from college that I was replacing, so you can probably imagine what a difference I'm experiencing now. Yes, I was an uniformed young man in college when I bought those, but I've come a long way since then. Glad to be a Paradigm owner. I'm hearing things in my music and movies that I didn't even know were there before.

Speaking of Bose... I had a co-worker a few days ago say something along the lines of "and if you really wanted, you could get a Bose setup (referring to the little cube Bose speakers) and that would be really nice"
and normally I would give my whole speech about Bose being a ripoff, but he would have agreed but disagreed and just said something like "I agree there are speakers better than Bose, but they are still really good"

So I just painfully stayed quiet.

What would you guys normally do?

I'd ask Paradigm.
My understanding is that crossover designs are a significant part of the speaker equation, and using a driver with potentially different electronic characteristics could have a negative effect.

Thanks for the advice. I feel exactly as you do. I actually emailed Gary Tekada the day before I posted this and asked his advice.

At this point the only possibility would be the v1 signature tweeters.

If somehow those are the exact tweeters used in the Studio v4s and they work with the v3 Studio 60 crossover, then I'd love to do it.

Does anyone know the MSRP of v1 Signature tweeters?
I know the v2s sell for around $300/each but they are the Beryllium ones.

Thanks!

I know it can get old trying to educate people on Bose. I always tell people that for the price of the Bose package you can get a great sounding setup. Those Bose are expensive. I woulndt pay 400 for them. What really pissed me off was when this chick told me I need to try to upgrade to Bose. It's like damn were u listening to the movie at all? I really had to bite my tounge.
It was not easy but it paid off in the long run

Speaking of Bose... I had a co-worker a few days ago say something along the lines of "and if you really wanted, you could get a Bose setup (referring to the little cube Bose speakers) and that would be really nice"
and normally I would give my whole speech about Bose being a ripoff, but he would have agreed but disagreed and just said something like "I agree there are speakers better than Bose, but they are still really good"

So I just painfully stayed quiet.

What would you guys normally do?

Thanks for the advice. I feel exactly as you do. I actually emailed Gary Tekada the day before I posted this and asked his advice.

At this point the only possibility would be the v1 signature tweeters.

If somehow those are the exact tweeters used in the Studio v4s and they work with the v3 Studio 60 crossover, then I'd love to do it.

Does anyone know the MSRP of v1 Signature tweeters?
I know the v2s sell for around $300/each but they are the Beryllium ones.

Thanks!

I e-mailed Paradigm a while back about swapping out my V.1 tweets for V.2 or V.3's but never got a response back. I'd probably consider doing it for my V.1center if I knew for certain it would be okay.

audiogon has a good reputation for used gear. There are frequently Paradigm speakers there.

In the interest of full disclosure I plan to put my Studio 100 v3's there in the next couple of months.


Enough said, I did search this thread for them in this thread but neglected to search AVS. I should have known it was too good to be true. Now I need to find another authorized dealer.
Thanx

Thanks for the MSRP pricing guys.

Am I reading this right for the Studio Sub 12?

SUB 12 $1999 12" Powered Subwoofer, 1700 Watts RMS

I think I just fainted. 2K for 1 sub? Oh my...what have I got myself into? :)

Is it worth it?


I got one and thought it was great. Then I got a second one and can't believe how good they are together.

I know it can get old trying to educate people on Bose. I always tell people that for the price of the Bose package you can get a great sounding setup. Those Bose are expensive. I woulndt pay 400 for them. What really pissed me off was when this chick told me I need to try to upgrade to Bose. It's like damn were u listening to the movie at all? I really had to bite my tounge.
It was not easy but it paid off in the long run

I agree - inform them. I wish someone informed me back in college when I bought my Bose. Now I would invite them to come over and play them my new Paradigms and then go through the trouble of hooking back up my old Bose just so they could hear the difference. After that I don't think there would be need for any discussion.

Well finally got the wife's approval to buy the Emotiva XPA-5 for my system. But thing is now that I've actually gotten the ok from the Bank of Wife I'm having second thoughts about buying the XPA-5. Does anyone know of a better amp than those of Emotiva's for under 1K? I havnt heard of anything putting out the same level of performance for under 2k yet alone 1k..... Im open to buying used but even then a used anthem/parasound/bryston cost way more than the emotiva. Im just wondering if there is a better 5 channel amp out there that I can buy used/new for under $1200 thatll power my Paradigm 100s/690 better than the Emotiva?

scoobygt68,

I'm of the school of thought that for maximum bang-for-the-buck, money should be spent along the following priorities:

1. Subwoofer
2. Speakers
3. Acoustic treatments
4. Pre-amp/processor or receiver
5. Amp(s)
6. Source components
7. Interconnects

...assuming you are bitstreaming your audio. If analog, then source components become more important. You could spend twice as much as the Emotiva amp on a used Anthem or something, and it might make a very slight audible improvement (probably not though), but I guarantee that $1k would make a much more noticeable improvement by spending it on any of the items above it on the above list. I'm not even convinced that separates provide much audible improvement over a solid receiver, assuming you have efficient speakers and you aren't driving your receiver to distortion or clipping.

Room correction software may be even more important than the pre-amp and amp selections. I'd love an Anthem pre/pro, not because I think it can do D/A any better than a decent pre-amp at a quarter the price, but because ARC is awesome.

I noticed the Paradigm Se Center is a 3 way speaker. Is this a bad idea if i already have a subwoofer ( Hsu Mk3 ) ...

Well finally got the wife's approval to buy the Emotiva XPA-5 for my system. But thing is now that I've actually gotten the ok from the Bank of Wife I'm having second thoughts about buying the XPA-5. Does anyone know of a better amp than those of Emotiva's for under 1K? I havnt heard of anything putting out the same level of performance for under 2k yet alone 1k..... Im open to buying used but even then a used anthem/parasound/bryston cost way more than the emotiva. Im just wondering if there is a better 5 channel amp out there that I can buy used/new for under $1200 thatll power my Paradigm 100s/690 better than the Emotiva?


NHT Power5 can sometimes be found used for ~8-900. Advantage is it's smaller, lighter and runs cooler than the Emotiva. It's a class D amp 200 wpc.

NHT Power5 can sometimes be found used for ~8-900. Advantage is it's smaller, lighter and runs cooler than the Emotiva. It's a class D amp 200 wpc.

Emotiva amps don't exactly run hot...

Room correction software may be even more important than the pre-amp and amp selections. I'd love an Anthem pre/pro, not because I think it can do D/A any better than a decent pre-amp at a quarter the price, but because ARC is awesome.

+1
Room speaker interaction is the most significant aspect of good sound. Getting the bass right is the most significant part of that aspect, whether it comes from the sub or mains, it lays the foundation for the rest of the spectrum to perform. Todays' room corrections, like ARC & Audyssey go a long way in that department and IMO are the most significant advancement in audio quality in quite a while.
Really, as you suggest, amps are a long way down the food chain in terms of what difference they can make provided they have the power to do the job.

I wish people would stop being so fixated on watts. Sure there might be a bit of merit based on room size and speaker efficiency, but not to the degree where a 100 watt amp is going to automatically be blown away by a 200watt amp. It just doesn't work that way.

scoobygt68,

I'm of the school of thought that for maximum bang-for-the-buck, money should be spent along the following priorities:

1. Subwoofer
2. Speakers
3. Acoustic treatments
4. Pre-amp/processor or receiver
5. Amp(s)
6. Source components
7. Interconnects

...assuming you are bitstreaming your audio. If analog, then source components become more important. You could spend twice as much as the Emotiva amp on a used Anthem or something, and it might make a very slight audible improvement (probably not though), but I guarantee that $1k would make a much more noticeable improvement by spending it on any of the items above it on the above list. I'm not even convinced that separates provide much audible improvement over a solid receiver, assuming you have efficient speakers and you aren't driving your receiver to distortion or clipping.

Room correction software may be even more important than the pre-amp and amp selections. I'd love an Anthem pre/pro, not because I think it can do D/A any better than a decent pre-amp at a quarter the price, but because ARC is awesome.

Well right now my system consists of 3 sets of Paradigm 100 v2 on the fronts/rears/surrounds, center is a Paradigm 690 v4, and my sub is a Def Tech Trinity, my receiver is currently a Yamaha 3800 which does have room correction software, and my sources are a PS3 for DVD/BD and Xbox 360 for gaming.

As far as I know my Paradigm speakers are considered to be very efficient but perhaps I am wrong? I have not yet done any acoustic treatments, that will be the next upgrade to my system. I have read and been told by my local HT shop "Gurus" that the Paradigm 100 v2s perform better with the more clean power you supply them... hence Im looking into getting an amp at this time.

The Studio 100's are about average for efficiency but the main thing is they dip down to about 2.5 ohms at one point in the frequency spectrum. So, a good amp design is preferred. Although you could get by with 100wpc I'd prefer more like 200wpc and even more would be nice. In fact, if money were no object I'd be inclined to go with 500wpc or even more for the 100's.

The nice thing about the Emotiva XPA-5 (and other XPA) amps is that they have an excellent power supply that goes a long way towards the nearly 66 pounds it weighs.

I am looking to get the XPA-5 myself but I'll have to wait a while longer... :mad:


Brian

Well finally got the wife's approval to buy the Emotiva XPA-5 for my system. ... Does anyone know of a better amp than those of Emotiva's for under 1K?
In case you missed it, the Emotiva UPA-5 (http://emotiva.com/upa5.shtm) is 125Wx5 for 30% less. I've also been advised by a knowledgeable contact at a speaker company that getting a 3-channel amp like the Emotiva XPA-3 is also a good way to go (surrounds powered by the receiver).

Could someone please post a picture of the back of an SE1? Thanks in advance.

The Studio 100's are about average for efficiency but the main thing is they dip down to about 2.5 ohms at one point in the frequency spectrum. So, a good amp design is preferred. Although you could get by with 100wpc I'd prefer more like 200wpc and even more would be nice. In fact, if money were no object I'd be inclined to go with 500wpc or even more for the 100's.

The nice thing about the Emotiva XPA-5 (and other XPA) amps is that they have an excellent power supply that goes a long way towards the nearly 66 pounds it weighs.

I am looking to get the XPA-5 myself but I'll have to wait a while longer... :mad:


Brian

I've been told that the idea wattage for the 100 v2 is around 220-250 watts.... I am confused as to the specs of the 100 v2s though "Recommended amplifier power: 15-350W. Maximum input power: 210W (typical program source, clipping no more than 10% of the time).
" Does that mean dont input more than 210 watts or does it mean no more than 350 Watts? Never understood that.

As for powering the fronts/center with a XPA-3 and the rest with my Yamaha 3800, is there any benefit besides the extra $$$ savings in doing so as opposed to running the fronts/center/rears with the Xpa-5 and then the 6/7 channel with the receiver?

Well right now my system consists of 3 sets of Paradigm 100 v2 on the fronts/rears/surrounds, center is a Paradigm 690 v4, and my sub is a Def Tech Trinity, my receiver is currently a Yamaha 3800 which does have room correction software, and my sources are a PS3 for DVD/BD and Xbox 360 for gaming.

As far as I know my Paradigm speakers are considered to be very efficient but perhaps I am wrong? I have not yet done any acoustic treatments, that will be the next upgrade to my system. I have read and been told by my local HT shop "Gurus" that the Paradigm 100 v2s perform better with the more clean power you supply them... hence Im looking into getting an amp at this time.


Wow SIX 100 v.2's ! :eek:

That could be a bit of a load on a receiver. I'm not familiar with the 3800, I think it's around 140w/ch, but doubt it would get there with all channels driven which you might actually have a real world demand for.

I used to run my 100 v2's with an Anthem PVA5 (105w/ch I think) they got loud enough to have the neighbor call the cops on me and that was only a pair.

The NHT Power 5 would be a great amp for your application, it should easily handle the 2 ohm dips, as would most ICEpower ASP & A modules if you can find one in your price range.

I've been told that the idea wattage for the 100 v2 is around 220-250 watts.... I am confused as to the specs of the 100 v2s though "Recommended amplifier power: 15-350W. Maximum input power: 210W (typical program source, clipping no more than 10% of the time).
" Does that mean dont input more than 210 watts or does it mean no more than 350 Watts? Never understood that.

As for powering the fronts/center with a XPA-3 and the rest with my Yamaha 3800, is there any benefit besides the extra $$$ savings in doing so as opposed to running the fronts/center/rears with the Xpa-5 and then the 6/7 channel with the receiver?

Those specs confuse me too. The power a speaker draws is dynamic - never the same. It'll never draw a consistent or steady load.
A simple rule of thumb is too much power is better since an overworked amp is more likely to do speaker damage than you can cranking up an overpowered amp to blow your drivers. Your ear-drums are going to blow first!

Your logic about using a three channel amp for your mains is a sound one. Doing that and crossing over your surrounds around 80hz will definitely reduce the load on the 3800 and it should handle the material on those channels with ease.

Hello,

Has anyone in here tested between Studio 60 v.5 and Studio 100 v.5?

What's your opinion and thoughts between the two speakers? Would you pay the extra for the Studio 100? Or stick with the Studio 60 and spend the difference in something else?

Thanks,

Hello,

Has anyone in here tested between Studio 60 v.5 and Studio 100 v.5?

What's your opinion and thoughts between the two speakers? Would you pay the extra for the Studio 100? Or stick with the Studio 60 and spend the difference in something else?

Thanks,ok now your going about this all wrong. there is always a slightly better speaker. it just does not end until your pockets do:D but the studio 100 is worth the extra$$$

I guess it's like walking into a BMW dealership, hoping to pick up a BMW 3 series. After exploring other options and model, you'll end up driving home with a M3 model :) hehehe. And I must admit, the M3 is so worth it over the regular 3 series. I would never buy a non M series BMW car.

I had my budget set for speakers...until I hear about other models and options :) I have to toss that budget out the window now :)

So it's worth to get the Studio 100 instead of the Studio 60 + $1000 other goodies huh?

I think this forum is putting a dent on my wallet :)

ok now your going about this all wrong. there is always a slightly better speaker. it just does not end until your pockets do:D but the studio 100 is worth the extra$$$

Could someone please post a picture of the back of an SE1? Thanks in advance.

Ok.

Thanks.

Does anyone know what the difference is between a 2nd-order electro-acoustic and a 3rd-order electro-acoustic. Paradigm lists these in their specs for crossovers for different speakers and i dont know what they mean.

Thanks

Does anyone know what the difference is between a 2nd-order electro-acoustic and a 3rd-order electro-acoustic. Paradigm lists these in their specs for crossovers for different speakers and i dont know what they mean.

Thanks

If I'm not mistaken, 2nd-order is a 12db/octave slope, while 3rd-order is 18db/octave. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

If I'm not mistaken, 2nd-order is a 12db/octave slope, while 3rd-order is 18db/octave. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Exactly right. A second-order filter rolls off at (attenuates the signal) 40dB/decade (12dB/octave) and a third-order filter rolls off at 60dB/decade (18dB/octave).

Well I was just sold on a 7.1 Paradigm set, which i think i got a great deal on,
2x MONITOR9 V6
4x PARADIGM - ADP190 V6 instead of 2 more MONITOR9 V6
1x PARADIGM - CC290 V6
4x stands

all for 3k taxs in

I was at the store for about 2 hours listening to there studio line then the Monitor9 line and i was like wow but there price just killed me on the studio set, but the sounds was wow it sounded better than the Klipsh to me, Rf-82 i could not believe how great these speakers sounded,

I hope i got a good deal

Enjoy...extreme22

I have no idea how this happened, but I have a dent in the silver driver "Base/Midrange Driver" on one of my speakers that I got last month. This distorts the rubber surround.

http://www.schalliol.com/forums/av/photo.jpg

The covers are always on (took it off just now for the first time since I installed them) and if it somehow is not a defect that showed up quickly, a family member would have to really press hard on the covers to get through with enough force to do this. They know not to touch them and I haven't ever seen them doing so. That said, there's no stretching of the cover and when I poke on the cover (while it's off the speaker), the cover resists enough to make me doubt a poke did this.

At any rate, is there a chance this could be a defect that is now showing up after the driver flexes a bunch? If Paradigm will not cover it, is there a way to safely bump this out? I have seen posts about sucking out dust caps, but I'm not sure if that would work here.

I have to say, I owned the Paradigm CC300 and a pair of Mini MK3's, also the dipole surrounds that matched ). It was a great little setup. This reviewer was falling all over them and I purchased them sight unseen, his name was Corey Greenberg. He had alot of energy.


KG

Schalliol, is the voice coil locked up?

schalliol, your Paradigm dealer should be able to get you a new driver, free of charge as you are still under warranty. Paradigm drivers are a snap to replace, just a few screws and two wires.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the sig s1 and c1 vs studio 20 and cc-490? I can get both at about the same price (maybe the sig's for $100 cheaper)

Thanks

Schalliol, is the voice coil locked up?I don't know much about speakers, but no, I don't think so. It still seems to make sound that appears to be fairly reasonable.

schalliol, your Paradigm dealer should be able to get you a new driver, free of charge as you are still under warranty. Paradigm drivers are a snap to replace, just a few screws and two wires.
Thanks, I really hope so!

Does anyone have any thoughts on the sig s1 and c1 vs studio 20 and cc-490? I can get both at about the same price (maybe the sig's for $100 cheaper)

Thanks

The 20's might be a bit more suited to a bigger room than the S1's with better low frequency extension, but with a sub it won't matter much.
For music, the tweeters in the Sigs are worth the price of admission IMO and the way I'd go.

Hello AVS, its my 1st post! I just ordered my Paradigm 5.1 and would like to get some advice on purchasing the PBK for my setup. First, this is my first decent home theater system setup, I just left Bose behind! I am stationed in Germany so auditioning these speakers was not an option for me. After searching and reading alot I was sold on the Paradigm monitor series and the price. Ill let you know in 2 weeks! Heres my setup:

2 - Monitor atoms
1 - CC-190 center
2 - ADP-190 sorrounds
1 - DSP-3100

I also purchased a Denon 2310ci to power them and control the A/V. Will this be enough or should I get the PBK? Im not too sure what it even is and is it worth it? Also, what connectors do I need to hook these bad boys up with? I haven't found a picture of the backs.

Can't wait to get this baby hooked up!

Mizfitz1481, your Denon has Audyssey MultiEQ, which will EQ your subwoofer response, albeit not as well as the PBK-1. It also won't show you what it has done to the room response spectrum, unlike PBK-1, which shows you before and after plots. You could also find someone local with a PBK-1 to run it for you and download the settings to your sub (free EQ!). PBK-1 is nice, but it would be a large fraction of your total system cost.

Does the DSP-3100 even support the PBK-1? Paradigm's website doesn't list it as being PBK-1 capable, but they are generally slow in updating their site.

For cable, I'd just get some cheap Monoprice 14 or 12-gauge speaker wire and some wire strippers. You can clamp the binding posts on your speakers and receiver directly to the bare wire, or buy banana plugs, spades, or whatever other connector you prefer (also cheap from Monoprice).

Mizfitz1481, your Denon has Audyssey MultiEQ, which will EQ your subwoofer response, albeit not as well as the PBK-1. It also won't show you what it has done to the room response spectrum, unlike PBK-1, which shows you before and after plots. You could also find someone local with a PBK-1 to run it for you and download the settings to your sub (free EQ!). PBK-1 is nice, but it would be a large fraction of your total system cost.

Does the DSP-3100 even support the PBK-1? Paradigm's website doesn't list it as being PBK-1 capable, but they are generally slow in updating their site.

For cable, I'd just get some cheap Monoprice 14 or 12-gauge speaker wire and some wire strippers. You can clamp the binding posts on your speakers and receiver directly to the bare wire, or buy banana plugs, spades, or whatever other connector you prefer (also cheap from Monoprice).

Thanks, according to Paradigm's Cedia review the DSP series is compatible with the PBK through the USB port. I allready purchased the 14AWG from Mono, I was just looking for the specific plug adapter for the monitors, or if they were just splice and push connections.

EDIT: PBK looks a little overkill for my setup, should of done some more research! I'm just a little amped to get the best sound quality possible for the money.

I also purchased a Denon 2310ci to power them and control the A/V. Will this be enough or should I get the PBK?
Can't wait to get this baby hooked up!

The MultEQ of your 2310 will do a decent job of EQ'ing your sub so the PBK's value to you will be room and taste dependent.

I would give the Audyssey a try first and see if you're happy with the results. Go to the Audyssey thread and read the set up guide before you run it.

If you choose to get the PBK, (it should be a bit better than the Audyssey) what you'll want to do is run it first, then run the Audyssey with the PBK engaged so that you get the proper delays and level matching to the rest of your system.

I can see why Paradigm chose to have this kit as an option because it would often be redundant since so many front ends already have decent room correction.