Quick question;
I've got a 5.1 Paradigm Studio setup (Studio 20s, cc-590, ADP-590s and a sub 12 processed by an Onkyo TX-SR1008) but I think my living room is just a bit too big (or open) for my Sub-12. The problem is the only reason I was able to afford what I have now is because I saved for over 3 years and came into a little bit of money and the end there so buying another Sub-12 in any reasonable amount of time is, unfortunately, not an option. My question is, can I get another 12inch sub (I'm thinking HSU or Elemental Designs) without throwing off the rest of my system or would I be better off selling the Sub-12 and buying 2 subs of the same type. My budget for a single additional sub would be somewhere between $400-$600. The budget for 2 subs if I sell the Sub-12 would be whatever I sell the Sub-12 for (it's about 14 months old in pristine condition so I'm guessing around $1500 maybe)

I know whatever I get won't have the power of the Sub-12 but I'm hoping that an additional sub will take enough of the load from the 12 to really let it shine or two less powerful subs (but the same size) well even out and sound better than the single more powerful sub.

My usage is about 65% movies/games and 35% music.

Gryfter, before you sell that sub have you optimized it's placement? How did you?
Sub crawl or acoustic measurements (REW) or?
Possible you MLP is in a null.
Also, what eq is processing it? AudysseyXT or?

What is room size and volume?

Just trying to grasp your current setup .
Blending 2 subs is science and art, read some threads in the sub/DIY speaker forum.

Quick question;
I've got a 5.1 Paradigm Studio setup (Studio 20s, cc-590, ADP-590s and a sub 12 processed by an Onkyo TX-SR1008) but I think my living room is just a bit too big (or open) for my Sub-12. The problem is the only reason I was able to afford what I have now is because I saved for over 3 years and came into a little bit of money and the end there so buying another Sub-12 in any reasonable amount of time is, unfortunately, not an option. My question is, can I get another 12inch sub (I'm thinking HSU or Elemental Designs) without throwing off the rest of my system or would I be better off selling the Sub-12 and buying 2 subs of the same type. My budget for a single additional sub would be somewhere between $400-$600. The budget for 2 subs if I sell the Sub-12 would be whatever I sell the Sub-12 for (it's about 14 months old in pristine condition so I'm guessing around $1500 maybe)

I know whatever I get won't have the power of the Sub-12 but I'm hoping that an additional sub will take enough of the load from the 12 to really let it shine or two less powerful subs (but the same size) well even out and sound better than the single more powerful sub.

My usage is about 65% movies/games and 35% music.

If you can get $1500 for that sub, I'd sell it and pick up a pair of SVS subs instead. Or even one higher end SVS sub. You don't need to match brands when it comes to subs... timber-matching is important for the higher frequencies, but much less so for the lowest ones.

If you can get $1500 for that sub, I'd sell it and pick up a pair of SVS subs instead. Or even one higher end SVS sub. You don't need to match brands when it comes to subs... timber-matching is important for the higher frequencies, but much less so for the lowest ones.

Sell it, get one or two from another brand for that price. Have you tried moving the sub around to see if some room boost would solve your issue?

I love paradigm speakers, a lot of speaker for the money; however, you can get more sub for e money from other places, check the sub forum, some bass heads there will make sure you are pleased with the amount of bass you will have.

Thanks for the info. So the general consensus is the studio 100's are the bee's knees and I can end my search.

Are the signature series that much better or are we getting into the law of diminishing returns. Say you had 6-8 grand to drop in speakers and wanted to end up with a slamming system and was willing to do it a little at a time.

If this were my problem, I'd go signature. Sure they may not sound twice as good as 100s, but you'll have the flagship 2011/2012 speakers from an incredible company, will last you years and years. I've had my paradigms for 13 years, and am only now considering an upgrade.

If you plan on reselling in the short term, I'd stay away from signatures, they have a tough resell value (I just need to find one locally to get my new system underway).

Anyone own Paradigm Signature version2 speakers, and upgrade the drivers to version3? Look to be the same dimensions. Change any crossover components? Wondering if anyone has done it? Cheaper to replace drivers, than buy new version 3 speakers. Drivers easy to replace, in Signature series speakers? Never replaced one before.

Anyone own Paradigm Signature version2 speakers, and upgrade the drivers to version3? Look to be the same dimensions. Change any crossover components? Wondering if anyone has done it? Cheaper to replace drivers, than buy new version 3 speakers. Drivers easy to replace, in Signature series speakers? Never replaced one before.

Haven't replaced crossovers, but switching drivers is a breeze. Shouldn't take long at all.

HSUs are no slouch for subs. I have two VTF15's running single port mode. They deliver clean tight hard bass in this tuned mode. VTF15's are completely tunable from being completely sealed to wide open dual port mode.

If this were my problem, I'd go signature. Sure they may not sound twice as good as 100s, but you'll have the flagship 2011/2012 speakers from an incredible company, will last you years and years. I've had my paradigms for 13 years, and am only now considering an upgrade.

If you plan on reselling in the short term, I'd stay away from signatures, they have a tough resell value (I just need to find one locally to get my new system underway).

Thats the kind of advice I'm looking for. Thanks.

Paradigm Studio 100 owners please see my thread at:


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=21581318

Need Advice!

HSUs are no slouch for subs. I have two VTF15's running single port mode. They deliver clean tight hard bass in this tuned mode. VTF15's are completely tunable from being completely sealed to wide open dual port mode.

For music/movies my VTF-15H blends very well with my Studio's 100v3's.crossed over at 70Hz.

Quick question;
I've got a 5.1 Paradigm Studio setup (Studio 20s, cc-590, ADP-590s and a sub 12 processed by an Onkyo TX-SR1008) but I think my living room is just a bit too big (or open) for my Sub-12. The problem is the only reason I was able to afford what I have now is because I saved for over 3 years and came into a little bit of money and the end there so buying another Sub-12 in any reasonable amount of time is, unfortunately, not an option. My question is, can I get another 12inch sub (I'm thinking HSU or Elemental Designs) without throwing off the rest of my system or would I be better off selling the Sub-12 and buying 2 subs of the same type. My budget for a single additional sub would be somewhere between $400-$600. The budget for 2 subs if I sell the Sub-12 would be whatever I sell the Sub-12 for (it's about 14 months old in pristine condition so I'm guessing around $1500 maybe)

I know whatever I get won't have the power of the Sub-12 but I'm hoping that an additional sub will take enough of the load from the 12 to really let it shine or two less powerful subs (but the same size) well even out and sound better than the single more powerful sub.

My usage is about 65% movies/games and 35% music.

I love my SVS-PB13 and it will hold its own musically and will blow your mind for movies. Its $2000 new and I am really thinking about adding another one.

Has anyone here ever used the Cinema line center speakers as rear speakers (standing them vertically?) Would that be a better option or should I stick with my Cinema 90s?

I love my SVS-PB13 and it will hold its own musically and will blow your mind for movies. Its $2000 new and I am really thinking about adding another one.

It definitely looks like a kick ass sub but I think I'd still be in the same situation with it. The specs are very similar to the Sub-12, the SVS is a bit bigger but the 12 is 700w more powerful (continuous). I think I'm going to start messing around with the placement again to see if I can't improve it that way first, I think the sub is capable it's just getting it in the best position. I just wish I understood the science behind it better, I ran the PBK and it helped but I am completely clueless as to what all the data means or how to interpret it. Numbers turn my brain to jelly. ;)

Does any one know if paradigm of does B-stock style sales? I'm thinking I should just start putting money away then just look for sales and what not next year... or I could win the lottery. :D

I don't own any Paradigm speakers, so forgive me for intruding... but I would just like to say that I had a chance to demo the Signature floorstanders, and they were easily the best sounding speakers that I had the pleasure of hearing at CES. I'd I had $9,000 to spare they would probably be in my living room right now!

I don't own any Paradigm speakers, so forgive me for intruding... but I would just like to say that I had a chance to demo the Signature floorstanders, and they were easily the best sounding speakers that I had the pleasure of hearing at CES. I'd I had $9,000 to spare they would probably be in my living room right now!

I was in the same boat, but adding the cost of the center and surrounds to complete the signature system, I would of had nothing left for anything else.

Has anyone here ever used the Cinema line center speakers as rear speakers (standing them vertically?) Would that be a better option or should I stick with my Cinema 90s?

I haven't used both in my room, but I've compared them in a shop and I ended up getting a pair of 90's. I just didn't notice a huge difference between them and the larger Cinema speakers for surround duty.

Considering that the cost of the larger Cinema speakers is pretty close to the price of a pair of Atoms, I think the Atoms would be a much better upgrade...assuming you have the space for them. Space constraints may be why you're looking at Cinemas though.

Personally, I'd stick with the 90's rather than spending money on other Cinema speakers. YMMV

I have a pair of S8 v3 (cherry) in excellent condition for sale. No marks or anything on them. Just like brand new. I am downsizing. I am ready to sell for a great price. If interested PM me.

I don't own any Paradigm speakers, so forgive me for intruding... but I would just like to say that I had a chance to demo the Signature floorstanders, and they were easily the best sounding speakers that I had the pleasure of hearing at CES. I'd I had $9,000 to spare they would probably be in my living room right now!

The price range for this hobby is almost infinite. I have just learned to set a budget, expect to spend a little more, and enjoy what I have. My monitor series V6, Yamaha 2010, PS3 and 55" Sony is the envy of many and probably junk to some others. The thing is, it sounds and looks great to me. At the end of the day, that is all that matters. Just my 2 cents.

The price range for this hobby is almost infinite. I have just learned to set a budget, expect to spend a little more, and enjoy what I have. My monitor series V6, Yamaha 2010, PS3 and 55" Sony is the envy of many and probably junk to some others. The thing is, it sounds and looks great to me. At the end of the day, that is all that matters. Just my 2 cents.

Your comments are spot on and mirror my view on this hobby. :rolleyes:

The price range for this hobby is almost infinite. I have just learned to set a budget, expect to spend a little more, and enjoy what I have. My monitor series V6, Yamaha 2010, PS3 and 55" Sony is the envy of many and probably junk to some others. The thing is, it sounds and looks great to me. At the end of the day, that is all that matters. Just my 2 cents.

Truth right there. We all have different budgets and sometimes, a little reality check is needed. The only person I need to impress is myself. Besides, I have a family and can't be selfish with this hobby.

has anyone bought from 6ave.com electronics???

Hi guys, I'm about to list my 10 out of 10 studio 100's v5 in black ash that have been boxed up for some time on audiogon. My question is, does the buyer or the seller usually pay for the shipping of the speakers and what is a reasonable asking price (not sure if i'm allowed to ask that or not)? I was thinking 2400 or 2500. Thanks so much

has anyone bought from 6ave.com electronics???

I've bought from them in the past with good experience. I believe they are now out of business and whatever inventory is left is on liquidation.


Hi guys, I'm about to list my 10 out of 10 studio 100's v5 in black ash that have been boxed up for some time on audiogon. My question is, does the buyer or the seller usually pay for the shipping of the speakers and what is a reasonable asking price (not sure if i'm allowed to ask that or not)? I was thinking 2400 or 2500. Thanks so much

The buyer generally pays shipping. $2500 is a safe price for those speakers. If you ship them, be sure to offer that they are either shipped freight to protect them or double box them with another carrier. I can't stress enough that shipping via ups/FedEx is a safe bet on those speakers, so be sure to use extreme caution here. Things could get ugly quickly.

I have a chance to buy one of these old subs for my system. Problem is I cannot find any real specs on this perticular unit anywhere. No manuals can be downloaded to give me the information.

What I need to know is what the frequency range or the lowest Hz this unit was designed to output. The PS 1000 was rated down to 24hz, so Im trying to find out how much above that the PS 800 is. I would guess 30Hz, but a spec sheet would tell me that.

Does anyone know anything about this sub?

Venomous, thanks so much for the tip and info.

has anyone bought from 6ave.com electronics???

If you are looking to buy new paradigms you must go to an authorized dealer. They are not sold online. If you are buying used online it will very likely be "as is" with no warranty.

they have millenia 20's at $397 i have 2 pair of 200's so it would make a nice center

has anyone bought from 6ave.com electronics???

Yes. In Paramus NJ. Very good salesmen there when I bought about four years ago. They let me go in with my own CDs, listen at length to the signature S8s which were in a separate theater room and being powered by an Anthem amp then the Studio 100s which were also in their own theater room powered by an AVR (don't remember which but I think Denon). Neither of the two sales guys that helped me were the pushy type and just let me enjoy the speakers and figure out which ones suited me best. Also, I ended up going with the Studio 100 V.4s but they didn't have the cherry color in stock that I wanted so the salesman ordered the cherry for me but allowed me to take a pair of black ash 100s home until mine came in just to be sure I'm happy with them. I can't speak for other 6th Ave shops or their staff but this one in particular was very good in my personal experience.

Crap! I just realized you asked about their website, not an actual store. Oh well, maybe this info will be useful to someone else.

6th Ave used to be a decent shop. BUT they have now gone out of business, and have a lot of recent complaints posted about them for non-shipping products, etc. I would treat all sales as final, hope you get your product, and hope you don't have any issues with the products.

*I* would not buy anything from them, at this point. I have used, and liked, them in the past, but the situation has changed.

Considering how long ago their final "fire sale" was, I'm suspicious of sending any money there way, this long after:
http://springfield.patch.com/articles/sixth-avenue-electronics-closing-doors-after-fire-sale

just wondering what are the difference between the v.4 v.5 and the v.6 (for the paradigm center speaker 690)

Are their any owners here of the MilleniaOne 2.0 system? What about the MilleniaSub? Is it worth the price of admission?

Would a Marantz NR1402/NR1602 match well with such a system?

I am possibly looking for a compact, (non-Bose) system that works well with a 50" plasma HDTV in a living room of an apartment that is about 10'x10' with 9' ceilings.

I love my Paradigm ;)

http://s5.ifotos.pl/img/11jpg_rrwswrp.jpg

http://s3.ifotos.pl/img/111jpg_rrwswrr.jpg

Are their any owners here of the MilleniaOne 2.0 system? What about the MilleniaSub? Is it worth the price of admission?

Would a Marantz NR1402/NR1602 match well with such a system?

I am possibly looking for a compact, (non-Bose) system that works well with a 50" plasma HDTV in a living room of an apartment that is about 10'x10' with 9' ceilings.
In a room that small, yes you could get away with those receivers for the MilleniaOne. You'd harm your own hearing well before you approached any risk of harming the speakers for lack of power .

Are their any owners here of the MilleniaOne 2.0 system? What about the MilleniaSub? Is it worth the price of admission?

Would a Marantz NR1402/NR1602 match well with such a system?

I am possibly looking for a compact, (non-Bose) system that works well with a 50" plasma HDTV in a living room of an apartment that is about 10'x10' with 9' ceilings.

I have the Millenia One 5 speaker system. They replaced my Klipsch RF7 system for the bedroom. I am shocked these little speakers sound so good with my Sunfire True signature sub. I may get a new SVS sub soon to replace the Sunfire.

Can anyone comment on the MilleniaOne sub? Priced at nearly $1500? Is it worth it or should I look at other options?

Unless its WAF-friendly form-factor is essential, there are plenty of subs available for $1,500 or less - considerably less - that equal or better the MilleniaSub's specs (300W RMS, 21Hz @ -3dB) and, presumably, its performance as well.

I love my Paradigm ;)

http://s5.ifotos.pl/img/11jpg_rrwswrp.jpg

http://s3.ifotos.pl/img/111jpg_rrwswrr.jpg

Nice Setup !!!

Can anyone comment on the MilleniaOne sub? Priced at nearly $1500? Is it worth it or should I look at other options?

If WAF is a factor and you want to stay with Paradigm for your subwoofer purchase (for whatever reason), look at the new Monitor subwoofers. Sealed design, small (really small) form factor, sub 20Hz performance, and design specifications taken directly from the Reference line of subwoofers. For $1500 you can get two Monitor SUB 10's (17Hz DIN).

Of course you can also get some even deeper digging subwoofers from the usual ID companies for $1500 (or less).....but I was just letting you know there are better options among Paradigm's line if you wanted to stay with them for whatever reason. You won't believe how awesome these subwoofers perform, especially given their ridiculously small size. It's unbelievable even after hearing them over and over (I have dual Monitor SUB 10's in my room and am still impressed at how well they handle even the loudest bass movies like Tron or Transformers: DotM).

Can anyone comment on the MilleniaOne sub? Priced at nearly $1500? Is it worth it or should I look at other options?

It is part of the lifestyle system -- if you need the form factor and want to hide it away or tuck it behind something it cannot be beat. Or if you are OCD and want a visually matching system. If you don't care about easily seeing a sub in the room I would do what the others have suggested and pick up a new monitor line sub for less, or two for a similar price. The reference sub line doesn't start until about 2K.

Can anyone comment on the MilleniaOne sub? Priced at nearly $1500? Is it worth it or should I look at other options?

I would go with a SVS sub like the SB12 NSB.

Hey guys,

My dedicated HT room:
- Series 7 Monitor 9's
- Series 7 Center 3
- Monitor SUB 10 (x2)
- Axiom Audio QS8 Bi-pole surrounds
- Axiom Audio M2 on-wall height speakers
- Integra DTR-70.3
- My use is 100% movies.

I absolutely love the sound of the Series 7 Monitors. Very clean, very neutral. The Axiom surround/height speakers I have actually timbre match pretty well to the front three Paradigm's (especially since I don't listen to multichannel music, only movies).

That said, I have found myself very tempted to upgrade to the Studio line for my front three speakers. The main reason is I miss the size of my old CC-390 center speaker and the CC-690 is the cheapest option to have that big size again (without moving backwards). Don't get me wrong, the Center 3 is a very capable center but ever since I got a front projector setup (hence a wider screen) it feels like the dialogue doesn't quite matchup to the size of the picture, if that makes any sense.

- Are the Studio speakers worth looking at for movie use only? I've demoed them with music and was very impressed obviously. But for strict movie use would the price outweigh the gains?
- Do they still perform well without dedicated amps/being powered by just a robust AVR?
- Would it be very unwise to get just the CC-690 and keep the Monitor 9 towers?
- Will I still be able to keep my Axiom surrounds/heights and not worry about timbre matching those for movie use if I go the Studio route?

My main concern is getting the bigger center speaker, so whatever scenarios work off that starting point for the least amount of money I'm open to hearing.

Thanks guys!

I love my Paradigm ;)



I love your Paradigms too! That's a sweet system you got there.

Hey guys,

My dedicated HT room:
- Series 7 Monitor 9's
- Series 7 Center 3
- Monitor SUB 10 (x2)
- Axiom Audio QS8 Bi-pole surrounds
- Axiom Audio M2 on-wall height speakers
- Integra DTR-70.3
- My use is 100% movies.

I absolutely love the sound of the Series 7 Monitors. Very clean, very neutral. The Axiom surround/height speakers I have actually timbre match pretty well to the front three Paradigm's (especially since I don't listen to multichannel music, only movies).

That said, I have found myself very tempted to upgrade to the Studio line for my front three speakers. The main reason is I miss the size of my old CC-390 center speaker and the CC-690 is the cheapest option to have that big size again (without moving backwards). Don't get me wrong, the Center 3 is a very capable center but ever since I got a front projector setup (hence a wider screen) it feels like the dialogue doesn't quite matchup to the size of the picture, if that makes any sense.

- Are the Studio speakers worth looking at for movie use only? I've demoed them with music and was very impressed obviously. But for strict movie use would the price outweigh the gains?
- Do they still perform well without dedicated amps/being powered by just a robust AVR?
- Would it be very unwise to get just the CC-690 and keep the Monitor 9 towers?
- Will I still be able to keep my Axiom surrounds/heights and not worry about timbre matching those for movie use if I go the Studio route?

My main concern is getting the bigger center speaker, so whatever scenarios work off that starting point for the least amount of money I'm open to hearing.

Thanks guys!

You could always go with the SE towers and the cc690, they wouldn't quite match visually but would save you a few bucks.

The cc690 is a monster. You don't understand it's size until you get it home. The impact it makes for movies is incredible.

Studio 20s, 60s and 100s sound awesome with it because they all have the same drivers. It's not a cheap center by any means either. I don't know I would be mixing the center with a different type of L/R channel speaker though.

Venomous,

I see you have some of the speakers in your system that I'm considering. I'd appreciate your thoughts on LR Studio 20s, 590 for center and Studio 10s for the other two channels which would be at 115-120 degrees, wall mounted just above shoulder height so they don't get "bumped". All speakers are appx 7 feet from MLP. This is not a dedicated home theater system, just a living room space, and my goal is to have a "nicer" surround sound system. I think I want two subs for the benefits that two versus one provides, something in the SVS or comparable product line. I'm sold on XT32 and probably the Denon 4311.

Would love to hear anyone's thoughts on the above.

The cc690 is a monster. You don't understand it's size until you get it home. The impact it makes for movies is incredible.


That's why I want it!

Would it be a downgrade if I went with Studio 20's in place of my current Monitor 9 towers? My subwoofers are more than capable, but I didn't know if going with bookshelves would lose me some impact/punch from the left/right channels during movies.......

Venomous,

I see you have some of the speakers in your system that I'm considering. I'd appreciate your thoughts on LR Studio 20s, 590 for center and Studio 10s for the other two channels which would be at 115-120 degrees, wall mounted just above shoulder height so they don't get "bumped". All speakers are appx 7 feet from MLP. This is not a dedicated home theater system, just a living room space, and my goal is to have a "nicer" surround sound system. I think I want two subs for the benefits that two versus one provides, something in the SVS or comparable product line. I'm sold on XT32 and probably the Denon 4311.

Would love to hear anyone's thoughts on the above.

I think you would love them. You may not even need to go with a 590 as a center if you can fit a studio 20 vertically for the center and interested in saving some money. The 590 is good for strong dialog however. You should see if a dealer has any in their listening room and have them setup 3 studio 20s and then a pair of of 20s with a 590 in there.

Having studio 60s or 100s, you gotta spring for the 690 center to have it sound right.

Studio 10s are great surrounds. I have mine at 117 degrees because of how my sectional is setup.

With the 4311 though, you have good power for driving that 590.

BCJ, I think the 20s aren't as efficient as your speakers, nor do they have the same power handling capacity. So they may not work for you just from a physics standpoint, depending on how far your MLP is from them. From a sonic point of view, I have no idea. In my situation, my space is somewhat constained, and I think bookshelf style speakers might be a cleaner, less over-powering asthetic. I'm considering the studio line because they are NOT a box with three pairs of parallel sides.

That's why I want it!

Would it be a downgrade if I went with Studio 20's in place of my current Monitor 9 towers? My subwoofers are more than capable, but I didn't know if going with bookshelves would lose me some impact/punch from the left/right channels during movies.......

Yes you would lose some punch from the mains with the bookshelves. The SE's have all the same drivers as the 60's, just the cabinets are different. It'd be a close match tonally and I don't think they'd really be much more than the 20's after you got done buying stands.

The 590 versus another studio 20 for the CC is in part one of looks. Essentially the TV will be wall mounted. The AVR and other equipment will be remotely located. The only other things along the TV wall will be speakers. I have a blank canvas to work with. I think it might just look a little strange with the studio 20 mounted below the TV and "tipped up" to point at the MLP. Money really isn't an object, and I've read more than once that 3 identical speakers are best for LCR. 99% of the time it will be just be my wife and I, so the sweet spot for sound only has to be maybe 3 feet wide, so I don't think lobbing (sp?) will be an issue from a center channel speaker?

I've seen wall mounts for the studio 10s that sort of clamp on the bottom of the speaker. I think that isn't an elegant solution. Don't the 10s have a couple of threaded inserts on the bottom? If so, does anyone have a picture of them? I think I remember reading somewhere where someone was looking for what type of threads, ie 1/4-20. I'd like to know where they are located relative to the front or back and the sides. Then I'd like to know where the speakers center of gravity is, so I can engineer a custom wall mount bracket. Can anyone help?

I am in need of a center channel. I have Paradigm Studio 100's V.2 and had a Studio CC for a center but sold it when I switched my 100's to a 2 channel setup. Now they are back in my HT and what other Paradigm center would work well with my 100's V2? I am looking to buy used and have a budget. I have been having difficulty finding another CC used so I need additional options please.

Oh yea, my room is 11'x11' and I sit 9ft back from the screen.

So would Studio 60's and a CC-690 be absolute overkill for pure movie use?

Oh yea, my room is 11'x11' and I sit 9ft back from the screen.

So would Studio 60's and a CC-690 be absolute overkill for pure movie use?

Shouldn't be a problem. I've always found anything but Paradigms big centers to sound a little small, I understand exactly where your coming from.

Shouldn't be a problem. I've always found anything but Paradigms big centers to sound a little small, I understand exactly where your coming from.

I think you mean *biggest* centers as I'm sure many would consider some of their *smaller* centers to be quite large compared to most speakers. ;)

That's why I want it!

Would it be a downgrade if I went with Studio 20's in place of my current Monitor 9 towers? My subwoofers are more than capable, but I didn't know if going with bookshelves would lose me some impact/punch from the left/right channels during movies.......

I think you have a bad case of upgraditis. You just upgraded from the v6 to series 7 monitors and you are already looking at the studios? I went from monitors to studios and there was a difference for movies but music was where you really see the biggest improvements. Also I went from v4 monitors so the series 7 should not be as big of a jump. If its movies only I would say to stay with the monitors.

I think you have a bad case of upgraditis. You just upgraded from the v6 to series 7 monitors and you are already looking at the studios? I went from monitors to studios and there was a difference for movies but music was where you really see the biggest improvements. Also I went from v4 monitors so the series 7 should not be as big of a jump. If its movies only I would say to stay with the monitors.

I see I'm not the only one who noticed BCJ upgrading again. I wish my pockets were that deep!

Anyone have any experience with the Sa 15R-30 or Sig 1.5 R 30 in-ceiling speakers?

By far the easiest thing to do in my room is to keep with in-ceiling speakers. There are some that were in my house when I bought it, but they are almost in the rear corners, close to 10' behind the listening position and too far apart imo.
The guy I'm buying my Anthem from suggests extending the wiring from them and putting new, higher quality speakers closer together and closer to the primary position, but still several feet behind it.
I thought that surrounds were supposed to be barely behind the listening position, but he suggests having them further back than that. He recommended some Paradigm speakers, like the SA series. They are available in round and rectangular shapes, including the 15R-30 that has the drivers mounted at a 30 degree angle.
Anyone have experience with a set-up like this or would I be better off with non-angled ones?

I think you mean *biggest* centers as I'm sure many would consider some of their *smaller* centers to be quite large compared to most speakers. ;)

We're not comparing them to other speakers are we?;) That would be a valid point if we were comparing speakers outside the Paradigm line up, since we're not it really has no bearing on the conversation.

I see I'm not the only one who noticed BCJ upgrading again. I wish my pockets were that deep!

Unexpected tax refund.......I was planning on the usual amount as I have gotten the last few years, but when I saw the refund was considerably more this year (don't know why) I started having irresponsible thoughts of what to do with that extra money (coupled with a friend who expressed interest in my current speakers for some reason).

Don't worry though, after doing an A/B auditioning of the Studio 60's/CC-690 vs. the Monitor 9's/Center 3 at my usual place of purchasing today, I decided the differences for movie watching were subtle at best (though the difference for anything musical is astounding, especially when it's just the 60's vs. the Monitor 9's without a subwoofer.....very impressive). So said unexpected return is going into savings for summer vacation :)

We're not comparing them to other speakers are we?;) That would be a valid point if we were comparing speakers outside the Paradigm line up, since we're not it really has no bearing on the conversation.

Fair enough! I just would never consider the C3 small, which is what I have -- and it seems to fill 12'x20' very well. I didn't get a chance to audition the C5 since it was special order only.

The 590 versus another studio 20 for the CC is in part one of looks. Essentially the TV will be wall mounted. The AVR and other equipment will be remotely located. The only other things along the TV wall will be speakers. I have a blank canvas to work with. I think it might just look a little strange with the studio 20 mounted below the TV and "tipped up" to point at the MLP. Money really isn't an object, and I've read more than once that 3 identical speakers are best for LCR. 99% of the time it will be just be my wife and I, so the sweet spot for sound only has to be maybe 3 feet wide, so I don't think lobbing (sp?) will be an issue from a center channel speaker?

590 would look better and is already setup for proper dispersion. If money is no object, then the obvious move is the CC590.

Another option is to ditch the studio 20s and stands and splurge for the studio 60s instead.


I've seen wall mounts for the studio 10s that sort of clamp on the bottom of the speaker. I think that isn't an elegant solution. Don't the 10s have a couple of threaded inserts on the bottom? If so, does anyone have a picture of them? I think I remember reading somewhere where someone was looking for what type of threads, ie 1/4-20. I'd like to know where they are located relative to the front or back and the sides. Then I'd like to know where the speakers center of gravity is, so I can engineer a custom wall mount bracket. Can anyone help?

The 10s do have threaded inserts like the 20s. I have mine in stands for now and still deciding on wall mount options.


Oh yea, my room is 11'x11' and I sit 9ft back from the screen.

So would Studio 60's and a CC-690 be absolute overkill for pure movie use?

Not in my opinion lol

So where do i find a good deal on Paradigm CC690 speaker? Anyone? thanks Mac

Unexpected tax refund.......I was planning on the usual amount as I have gotten the last few years, but when I saw the refund was considerably more this year (don't know why) I started having irresponsible thoughts of what to do with that extra money (coupled with a friend who expressed interest in my current speakers for some reason).

Don't worry though, after doing an A/B auditioning of the Studio 60's/CC-690 vs. the Monitor 9's/Center 3 at my usual place of purchasing today, I decided the differences for movie watching were subtle at best (though the difference for anything musical is astounding, especially when it's just the 60's vs. the Monitor 9's without a subwoofer.....very impressive). So said unexpected return is going into savings for summer vacation :)

Guest I better hurry up and get my taxes done. Just kidding, I'm so happy with my setup. Besides I joined the high end club in 2010 by buying a new Yamaha AVR and a 7.1 paradigm setup monitor and adps. Now if Sharp would stop running that commercial with the 80" TV.

now if sharp would stop running that commercial with the 80" tv.

:)

Where is the best place to put surrounds? Ear level or up higher? Also, will ypao compensate for my placement which is currently 3-4ft above ear level.

Hi guys,

I am wondering to the Atoms have mounting holes? The traditional 60mm spacing?

Oh yea, my room is 11'x11' and I sit 9ft back from the screen.

So would Studio 60's and a CC-690 be absolute overkill for pure movie use?

Not a chance and the good news is when you find yourself in a larger room you will have the sound to easily fill it... :rolleyes:

Unexpected tax refund.......I was planning on the usual amount as I have gotten the last few years, but when I saw the refund was considerably more this year (don't know why) I started having irresponsible thoughts of what to do with that extra money (coupled with a friend who expressed interest in my current speakers for some reason).

Don't worry though, after doing an A/B auditioning of the Studio 60's/CC-690 vs. the Monitor 9's/Center 3 at my usual place of purchasing today, I decided the differences for movie watching were subtle at best (though the difference for anything musical is astounding, especially when it's just the 60's vs. the Monitor 9's without a subwoofer.....very impressive). So said unexpected return is going into savings for summer vacation :)

I think that's the right choice. I won't lye and say I haven't looked at the sig s2 but the 20s really are everything I need right now. I will probably treat my room before I do anything else with speakers.




Guest I better hurry up and get my taxes done. Just kidding, I'm so happy with my setup. Besides I joined the high end club in 2010 by buying a new Yamaha AVR and a 7.1 paradigm setup monitor and adps. Now if Sharp would stop running that commercial with the 80" TV.

I have been good with keeping my studios but TVs are quickly becoming my weakness. I got the Panasonic 55st30 a few months ago and I'm already looking at the 65ST30 and Samsung 64D7000. Then the voice in my head says I need to go big or go home and start looking at Epson projectors.

Where is the best place to put surrounds? Ear level or up higher? Also, will ypao compensate for my placement which is currently 3-4ft above ear level.

I prefer about 1 foot above ear level but in my current system I had no choice but to have them 4 foot above the LP. I think they blend pretty well with audyssey but I have never used YPAO.

Guest I better hurry up and get my taxes done. Just kidding, I'm so happy with my setup. Besides I joined the high end club in 2010 by buying a new Yamaha AVR and a 7.1 paradigm setup monitor and adps. Now if Sharp would stop running that commercial with the 80" TV.

I had a sharp 70" and it's quality was less than stellar, so after having 3 of them exchanged within a week,I got a plasma until these large panels have less issues.

I did see the 80" at Costco a few days ago and it had edge lighting issues in the corner and some banding,


Where is the best place to put surrounds? Ear level or up higher? Also, will ypao compensate for my placement which is currently 3-4ft above ear level.

I actually like mine higher. I have 9 ft ceilings and my surrounds are at about 5.5 ft

Thanks for responding to the surround placement question I posted. After hanging my 390's and 190's near my 7ft ceilings, I just started asking myself should they be lower. I think they sound good, especially after I ran YPAO. Just started second guessing my placement. This hobby will drive you insane if you let it, or to the poorhouse.

[QUOTE=Venomous;21603321]I had a sharp 70" and it's quality was less than stellar, so after having 3 of them exchanged within a week,I got a plasma until these large panels have less issues.

I did see the 80" at Costco a few days ago and it had edge lighting issues in the corner and some banding,


I was wondering about quality issues. I was planning to start doing some research on Sharp and I still may, but for now my 55" Sony is fine. I just know that someday I will be getting a bigger TV. Personally not a fan of projectors at the moment, that is why I am looking for a large display. I think 80" is about all my room can handle.

Personally not a fan of projectors at the moment, that is why I am looking for a large display. I think 80" is about all my room can handle.

Why not a projector? With the price drop lately I would think that would be a viable option for a large display. BTW, I have 60/690/20 set up ready for my projector when I finish its installation.

Why not a projector? With the price drop lately I would think that would be a viable option for a large display. BTW, I have 60/690/20 set up ready for my projector when I finish its installation.

How does that projector work in a lit room during the day?

Those 60s are gonna sound bitchen with that 690 ;)

Why not a projector? With the price drop lately I would think that would be a viable option for a large display. BTW, I have 60/690/20 set up ready for my projector when I finish its installation.

I worry about how well it look in a bright room. Then there would be an issue of where to put it. My ceiling in my man cave is only 7' high and I certainly don't want someone to hit it playing Move or Wii games.

Just scored a set of brand new Paradigm Monitor 9 V7's for $800!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BOOM.

Just scored a set of brand new Paradigm Monitor 9 V7's for $800!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BOOM.

Very nice!!!

Your going to love them!

I thought $799 for my v6 monitor 9s was a good deal. Maybe not.

But as I sit here browsing the forums with a Norah Jones (more of a rock guy, but it sounds amazing through these speakers) SACD playing through my 9s in 2 ch stereo with my STF-2, they would have been worth retail. I can't help but smile every time I listen to them.

I am in need of a center channel. I have Paradigm Studio 100's V.2 and had a Studio CC for a center but sold it when I switched my 100's to a 2 channel setup. Now they are back in my HT and what other Paradigm center would work well with my 100's V2? I am looking to buy used and have a budget. I have been having difficulty finding another CC used so I need additional options please.

There is one here http://myrtlebeach.craigslist.org/ele/2823779188.html

I thought $799 for my v6 monitor 9s was a good deal. Maybe not.

But as I sit here browsing the forums with a Norah Jones (more of a rock guy, but it sounds amazing through these speakers) SACD playing through my 9s in 2 ch stereo with my STF-2, they would have been worth retail. I can't help but smile every time I listen to them.

Your deal IS a good deal. I just got exceptionally lucky.

I thought $799 for my v6 monitor 9s was a good deal. Maybe not.

But as I sit here browsing the forums with a Norah Jones (more of a rock guy, but it sounds amazing through these speakers) SACD playing through my 9s in 2 ch stereo with my STF-2, they would have been worth retail. I can't help but smile every time I listen to them.

I have 9's V6 also and I feel the same as you. They are worth every penny I paid for them. They sound great in every sound mode I play them in. Lately have been partial to two channel stereo for music. Just my two cents.

Why not a projector? With the price drop lately I would think that would be a viable option for a large display. BTW, I have 60/690/20 set up ready for my projector when I finish its installation.

Hi I currently have studio 100's with cc-470 and 20's in the back. There are all V.3 maybe 5 - 6 years old. I was looking to get a bigger center like the cc-690, but concerned if they will sound completely different from my older 100 v.3.

Anyone have any comments recommendations?

Thanks

I have Studio 60v4s and my CC-690v5 sounds perfect with them. It truly is a magnificent center channel speaker! :cool: The v3 Studios are similar enough to the v4s that a newer CC-690 should blend very well with them.

I have Studio 60v4s and my CC-690v5 sounds perfect with them. It truly is a magnificent center channel speaker! :cool: The v3 Studios are similar enough to the v4s that a newer CC-690 should blend very well with them.

Amen brother, and completely agree. :D

Last set of questions for me for awhile I hope:

If you didn't see, I just scored a sick deal on some Monitor 9 V7's. I also recently bought some Atom Monitor 7's. Would I be better to exchange these for a Center 1 or Center 3, or use them as my surrounds, sans a center channel and using my existing Pinnacle Audio as the surrounds?

Option 1:
M9's as L,R with AM7's as surrounds, no Center Channel

Option 2:
M9's as L,R, exchange AM7's for Center 1/3, use Pinnacle as surrounds.

Thoughts?

Last set of questions for me for awhile I hope:

If you didn't see, I just scored a sick deal on some Monitor 9 V7's. I also recently bought some Atom Monitor 7's. Would I be better to exchange these for a Center 1 or Center 3, or use them as my surrounds, sans a center channel and using my existing Pinnacle Audio as the surrounds?

Option 1:
M9's as L,R with AM7's as surrounds, no Center Channel

Option 2:
M9's as L,R, exchange AM7's for Center 1/3, use Pinnacle as surrounds.

Thoughts?

If you use your setup for movie/gaming at least half the time, I would go with option 2.

It has been my experience that the surround speakers do not have to timbre match (I use axiom qs8's for surrounds)......the LCR speakers are the most important so giving up the atoms for a center 1/3 since you have another pair of speakers to pull surround duty is the better option, IMO.

Of course, if you listen to a lot of multi channel music, than having different surrounds may stand out. But for strict movie/gaming, you'll appreciate having the center speaker more :)

I listen to *some* multi-channel music, but not enough to base a setup on. Ill primarily go 2ch for music.

-Matt

I currently have a Denon 4306 and am bi-amping my Front L R.

Speakers:

Paradigm Studio 100 v.6 (Front L R - Biamped)
Paradigm Studio CC-590 v.6 (center)
Paradigm Mini-monitor v4 (surround L R)

Paradigm DSP-3200 (does not have PBK)

Do I have enough power? Thinking of getting mono blocks for the 4306 or grabbing a Denon 3312ci, since I don't have DTS-HD or Dolby True HD on my current Denon.

Thoughts?

I currently have a Denon 4306 and am bi-amping my Front L R.

Speakers:

Paradigm Studio 100 v.6 (Front L R - Biamped)
Paradigm Studio CC-590 v.6 (center)
Paradigm Mini-monitor v4 (surround L R)

Paradigm DSP-3200 (does not have PBK)

Do I have enough power? Thinking of getting mono blocks for the 4306 or grabbing a Denon 3312ci, since I don't have DTS-HD or Dolby True HD on my current Denon.

Thoughts?

I definitely recommend going to separates!!! With the speakers you have.
I have 100's v.3, cc-470 v.3, and 20's V.3 running initially on integra pre/pro and a rotel 5/125 watt. I used that set up for about two years then Upgraded to a two channel 200 watt rotel just for the 100's and man what a difference!!!!!!!
My problem now is that I'm considering upgrading the center channel to cc-690 which is going to need more than 125 watts to really open it up to potential. Not saying that 125 can't do the job but that big center would shine with 200 watts.
So think I'll try and sell/trade in my RMB-1075 & RB-1080 for a 5 or 7 ch 200 watt amp if I get that cc-690.
That's my .2 hope it helps...

My problem now is that I'm considering upgrading the center channel to cc-690 which is going to need more than 125 watts to really open it up to potential. Not saying that 125 can't do the job but that big center would shine with 200 watts.


The problem with this statement is it's a common misconception/over generalization. Room size, listening distance, sensitivity, speaker placement, number of channels being driven by an AVR, peak SPL levels being reached.....all of those factors need to be looked at in order to determine if a separate amp would really help or not. Maybe the CC-690 would clip during loud scenes in your room with only 125w of power or maybe it would never have a problem. You cannot simply state that more power will produce a better sound just because it can handle more power. A speaker will not do anything more with extra wattage: if all it needs is 100w to cleanly reproduce even the highest SPL scenes, any extra wattage available for use will never be utilized.

The simplest test is play a loud movie (Tron, Transformers, etc) at the maximum volume you would ever find yourself watching a movie. If, during high peak SPL scenes, you hear clipping (due to the speaker(s) running out of power) than yes, separate amps would probably help the problem. But if said scene sounds perfectly fine, then your power demands are being met and no need to fret :)

Simply summarizing that a speaker would benefit from more power because it can handle more power is a false assumption and has probably led some to spend money on amps that were not needed in the first place, especially with high sensitivity speakers like Paradigms.

My dealer won't exchange my AM7's straight for the C1. However, they will give me a $350 trade-in credit, so Ill only be paying like $40.00 out of pocket for the C1. Is that worth it?

-Matt

My dealer won't exchange my AM7's straight for the C1. However, they will give me a $350 trade-in credit, so Ill only be paying like $40.00 out of pocket for the C1. Is that worth it?

-Matt

That's really nice of them to at least offer trade-in credit. I have always hinged my speaker upgrades on the premise of "cash in hand". Meaning when I upgraded to my version 7's, I only did it because I had a friend lined up to buy my v6's. And if I were to ever upgrade to Studio's, it would only happen if I had an immediate buyer for my version 7's.

$40 out of pocket for a Center 1 is a really good deal given that you will not be *losing* anything (i.e. you have another pair of surrounds to use). In this deal you will be gaining ;)

I currently have a Denon 4306 and am bi-amping my Front L R.

Speakers:

Paradigm Studio 100 v.6 (Front L R - Biamped)
Paradigm Studio CC-590 v.6 (center)
Paradigm Mini-monitor v4 (surround L R)

Paradigm DSP-3200 (does not have PBK)

Do I have enough power? Thinking of getting mono blocks for the 4306 or grabbing a Denon 3312ci, since I don't have DTS-HD or Dolby True HD on my current Denon.

Thoughts?

Did Paradigm put out a V.6 Studio line? I thought V.5 was the current gen line.

Anyway, your Denon has enough power to adequately drive your Studio set up under most normal movie/music conditions. However, if you're like me and like to listen louder than most, you're gonna need a bigger amp or amps.

I enjoy two channel music as much as I do movies in surround sound, maybe even more so. That being the case, I like to turn it up to the point, or nearly to the point that it sounds realistic. By realistic I mean as close as possible to what it would sound like if the band were actually playing in my living room.

For that you need much more dynamic headroom out of your amp than the typical AVR can provide. I have Studio 100 V.4 fronts, a CC690 center and Bose 201s for surrounds. They were all driven by a Yamaha RX-V3800 (140watts X 7 theoretically) for about three years with mostly great results but at higher volume music didn't have that snap, power or drive that I wanted and knew the 100s were capable of.

I picked up an Emotiva XPA-2 (300w X 2) to drive the fronts and now those elements are present in the music and even at loud volumes the music still sounds like music. It doesn't collapse or become harsh, strained or congealed because the amp can reliably and consistently supply the required power it takes to faithfully reproduce the frequencies and those volumes. As ever, they say you can never have too much power, not if you want your music and movies to sound as they were intended to sound.

I personally have been very happy with a separate amp powering the fronts and will be adding another 3 channel amp from the same company to drive the other three speakers with extra juice as well.

Hope this info was helpful. Good luck.

My problem now is that I'm considering upgrading the center channel to cc-690 which is going to need more than 125 watts to really open it up to potential. Not saying that 125 can't do the job but that big center would shine with 200 watts.
My Emotiva UPA-5 (125W/ch. x 5) runs my CC-690v5 and Studio 20v4 surrounds. Despite the "meager" power... ;) ...the 690 shines very nicely at volumes ranging from low to very loud. :cool:

That's really nice of them to at least offer trade-in credit. I have always hinged my speaker upgrades on the premise of "cash in hand". Meaning when I upgraded to my version 7's, I only did it because I had a friend lined up to buy my v6's. And if I were to ever upgrade to Studio's, it would only happen if I had an immediate buyer for my version 7's.

$40 out of pocket for a Center 1 is a really good deal given that you will not be *losing* anything (i.e. you have another pair of surrounds to use). In this deal you will be gaining ;) Is the Center 1 wall-mountable?

The problem with this statement is it's a common misconception/over generalization. Room size, listening distance, sensitivity, speaker placement, number of channels being driven by an AVR, peak SPL levels being reached.....all of those factors need to be looked at in order to determine if a separate amp would really help or not. Maybe the CC-690 would clip during loud scenes in your room with only 125w of power or maybe it would never have a problem. You cannot simply state that more power will produce a better sound just because it can handle more power. A speaker will not do anything more with extra wattage: if all it needs is 100w to cleanly reproduce even the highest SPL scenes, any extra wattage available for use will never be utilized.

The simplest test is play a loud movie (Tron, Transformers, etc) at the maximum volume you would ever find yourself watching a movie. If, during high peak SPL scenes, you hear clipping (due to the speaker(s) running out of power) than yes, separate amps would probably help the problem. But if said scene sounds perfectly fine, then your power demands are being met and no need to fret :)

Simply summarizing that a speaker would benefit from more power because it can handle more power is a false assumption and has probably led some to spend money on amps that were not needed in the first place, especially with high sensitivity speakers like Paradigms.

BCJ is giving you some good advice, more power isn't always needed. I haven't really noticed a difference running my C5 on the Emo XPA-5 or the Emo XPA-1, I suspect the XPA-5 was giving me everything that I needed. The noise floor has been lowered a bit but that's about the only difference I've been able to detect.

My Emotiva UPA-5 (125W/ch. x 5) runs my CC-690v5 and Studio 20v4 surrounds. Despite the "meager" power... ;) ...the 690 shines very nicely at volumes ranging from low to very loud. :cool:

That was one of my concerns, is the v.5 the latest version for the cc-690?

Interesting...

But with separates, what do I gain if the wattage output is the same? Am i missing something?

ie: a Rotel 200w / channel vs. the Denon 312 @ 125w / channel (250w bi-amped)

Seems the Denon would be a better choice.

Interesting...

But with separates, what do I gain if the wattage output is the same? Am i missing something?

ie: a Rotel 200w / channel vs. the Denon 312 @ 125w / channel (250w bi-amped)

Seems the Denon would be a better choice.

One thing your going to gain is current delivery, which will deal with low impedance or impedance dips far better than your Denon will.

There's also no way that Denon is putting about 250wpc, doesn't matter if your bi-amping. I've found bi-amping to be pretty much a waste of time with any AVR that I've tried it with.

Anyway, your Denon has enough power to adequately drive your Studio set up under most normal movie/music conditions. However, if you're like me and like to listen louder than most, you're gonna need a bigger amp or amps.

I enjoy two channel music as much as I do movies in surround sound, maybe even more so. That being the case, I like to turn it up to the point, or nearly to the point that it sounds realistic. By realistic I mean as close as possible to what it would sound like if the band were actually playing in my living room.

For that you need much more dynamic headroom out of your amp than the typical AVR can provide. I have Studio 100 V.4 fronts, a CC690 center and Bose 201s for surrounds. They were all driven by a Yamaha RX-V3800 (140watts X 7 theoretically) for about three years with mostly great results but at higher volume music didn't have that snap, power or drive that I wanted and knew the 100s were capable of.

I picked up an Emotiva XPA-2 (300w X 2) to drive the fronts and now those elements are present in the music and even at loud volumes the music still sounds like music. It doesn't collapse or become harsh, strained or congealed because the amp can reliably and consistently supply the required power it takes to faithfully reproduce the frequencies and those volumes. As ever, they say you can never have too much power, not if you want your music and movies to sound as they were intended to sound.

I personally have been very happy with a separate amp powering the fronts and will be adding another 3 channel amp from the same company to drive the other three speakers with extra juice as well.


This is exactly how I feel, I could have never expressed it as good as you did!!!
That's why if I do get that cc-690 I will have to get a more powerfully amp then the RMB-1075.

Wow, Paradigm thread is blowing up today! LOL

There's also no way that Denon is putting about 250wpc, doesn't matter if your bi-amping. I've found bi-amping to be pretty much a waste of time with any AVR that I've tried it with.

Gotcha. So, I guess the decision is to upgrade to a decent receiver (Denon 3312ci or other) and slowly add in the extra amps, like an Emotiva XPA-2.

Other than the Denon 4306 not having DTS-HD, Dobly TrueHD, and HDMI 1.4, is there any reason to upgrade that receiver?

Gotcha. So, I guess the decision is to upgrade to a decent receiver (Denon 3312ci or other) and slowly add in the extra amps, like an Emotiva XPA-2.

Other than the Denon 4306 not having DTS-HD, Dobly TrueHD, and HDMI 1.4, is there any reason to upgrade that receiver?

If your current Denon has hdmi you could set your bdp to decode the lossless codecs and send it to your avr as PCM, not sure if that would work in your case but would negate the need for decoding in your avr.

If that won't work I would go for the new avr first and add amps as the funds are available.

If your current Denon has hdmi you could set your bdp to decode the lossless codecs and send it to your avr as PCM, not sure if that would work in your case but would negate the need for decoding in your avr.

If that won't work I would go for the new avr first and add amps as the funds are available.

My Denon has HDMI and for BR, I use an HTPC and libacodecs to decode TrueHD and DTS-HD for my source material.

Just debate upgrading and selling my 4306.

Is the Center 1 wall-mountable?

Not that I am aware of......

Not that I am aware of......

Hmm...Ill have to get creative. My TV is mounted above a small brick fireplace (that we don't use). The M9's are only going to be ~4-5' apart from each other. Now Im not sure how I should place the C1. Hmm...

-Matt

I've been eyeballing a pair of paradigm studio espirits. Anyone own a pair of these and could give insight on their performance? I see they are wall mountable and would probably do a great job for heights.

Just debate upgrading and selling my 4306.

Just bought a 3312CI. I still go back and forth if I should have waited till June or so for the xx13...

Hopefully I can tell a difference

Ive opted to just exchange my AM7's for the black ones. Later this year Ill buy a new Center 1 and have a complete Paradigm setup.

-Matt

ahh just pulled the pin and ordered all my gear for my first home theater, now just need the house to finish so I can get it installed.

I ordered mitsu hc-7800
a 120" motorised screen + hide away box
sony ex720 55" to wall mount as secondary video.
panasonic dmr-bwt800 blu ray recoder and set top box
denon avr 4311 can upgrade to 4313 free if it comes out before instalation
paradigm monitor 11 s7
paradigm centre 3
paradigm atom s7 for front high channels
paradigm mini monitor s7 for wide channel
paradigm adp390 side surround
paradigm dsp 3400
pbk
I am gona wire up to expand in future for surround 3 for rears

I am also debating whether I should order another dsp 3400 before they run out of stock hmmm.

I am so excited I can not wait!!!!

ahh just pulled the pin and ordered all my gear for my first home theater, now just need the house to finish so I can get it installed.

I ordered mitsu hc-7800
a 120" motorised screen + hide away box
sony ex720 55" to wall mount as secondary video.
panasonic dmr-bwt800 blu ray recoder and set top box
denon avr 4311 can upgrade to 4313 free if it comes out before instalation
paradigm monitor 11 s7
paradigm centre 3
paradigm atom s7 for front high channels
paradigm mini monitor s7 for wide channel
paradigm adp390 side surround
paradigm dsp 3400
pbk
I am gona wire up to expand in future for surround 3 for rears

I am also debating whether I should order another dsp 3400 before they run out of stock hmmm.

I am so excited I can not wait!!!!

You should look into the monitor subs and also Anthem MRX 700

You should look into the monitor subs and also Anthem MRX 700

I was considering them, but 1: the store doesn’t have them in yet, and 2: it is for 100% movies/games so tight bass really isn't that big a deal to me, unless you can convince me otherwise?

2 monitor Sub 12s vs 2 DSP-3400s?


The Anthem only supplies 7 channels whilst the Denon has 9. I have 9 speakers so it is a no go. Whilst you could recommend the 900, the denon has two inputs for 2 separate subs. I plan on using the preout of the denon to power the 2 fronts when I decide to add rears to the mix

I was considering them, but 1: the store doesn’t have them in yet, and 2: it is for 100% movies/games so tight bass really isn't that big a deal to me, unless you can convince me otherwise?

2 monitor Sub 12s vs 2 DSP-3400s?

The Anthem only supplies 7 channels whilst the Denon has 9. I have 9 speakers so it is a no go. Whilst you could recommend the 900, the denon has two inputs for 2 separate subs. I plan on using the preout of the denon to power the 2 fronts when I decide to add rears to the mix

The Monitor SUB 12's dig deeper.

Why would you not want tighter/more controlled bass from a sealed design? Nothing against ported subs, but once I switched from my DSP's to the Monitor subs I was thoroughly blown away and have loved the sound from them everyday. And my use is 100% movie/gaming as well.

I was considering them, but 1: the store doesn’t have them in yet, and 2: it is for 100% movies/games so tight bass really isn't that big a deal to me, unless you can convince me otherwise?

2 monitor Sub 12s vs 2 DSP-3400s?

The Anthem only supplies 7 channels whilst the Denon has 9. I have 9 speakers so it is a no go. Whilst you could recommend the 900, the denon has two inputs for 2 separate subs. I plan on using the preout of the denon to power the 2 fronts when I decide to add rears to the mix

The monitor sub are my top movers can't get them in fast enough far better then the DSP's

The Monitor SUB 12's dig deeper.

Why would you not want tighter/more controlled bass from a sealed design? Nothing against ported subs, but once I switched from my DSP's to the Monitor subs I was thoroughly blown away and have loved the sound from them everyday. And my use is 100% movie/gaming as well.

I see, I wish my store had them in so I can hear them, I am seeing him Sunday, I will cancel the dsp and add the sub 12.

Is one sub 12 cheaper then the dsp 3400?

I see, I wish my store had them in so I can hear them, I am seeing him Sunday, I will cancel the dsp and add the sub 12.

Is one sub 12 cheaper then the dsp 3400?

The MSRP on the 3400 is $1000
The MSRP on the Monitor Sub 12 is $1000

:)

The MSRP on the 3400 is $1000
The MSRP on the Monitor Sub 12 is $1000

:)

Here in Australia, it is either $1699 or $1799 in shops. It is dahm ridiculous, especially with our current exchange rate. I wouldn’t mind getting a SUB 15 IF the price was reasonable compared to 2 Monitor sub 12s, but it is nearly 5 grand here

I can find an ex demo dsp-3400 for $990 or a Studio Sub 12 for $2450, but that’s as low as we can find them here.

I am getting a pretty good deal since I am ordering a **** load of products, but I still think I am paying around $1200 for the Sub. I have to haggle and see what he can do 2 monitor sub 12s for.

ahh just pulled the pin and ordered all my gear for my first home theater, now just need the house to finish so I can get it installed.

I ordered mitsu hc-7800
a 120" motorised screen + hide away box
sony ex720 55" to wall mount as secondary video.
panasonic dmr-bwt800 blu ray recoder and set top box
denon avr 4311 can upgrade to 4313 free if it comes out before instalation
paradigm monitor 11 s7
paradigm centre 3
paradigm atom s7 for front high channels
paradigm mini monitor s7 for wide channel
paradigm adp390 side surround
paradigm dsp 3400
pbk
I am gona wire up to expand in future for surround 3 for rears

I am also debating whether I should order another dsp 3400 before they run out of stock hmmm.

I am so excited I can not wait!!!!

Wow, you have some serious gear on the way. Welcome to the HT hobby. Sounds like you are ALL IN!!!

Just wondered if some current Paradigm owners can recommend a fairly inexpensive but good quality pair of speaker cables? My setup is a pair of studio 60's & cc490 through an integra 9.8. Will be using it mainly for home theater (Pioneer Elite Pro111 plasma tv), but occasional audio too.

I appreciate the helpful advice. Thanks.

Just wondered if some current Paradigm owners can recommend a fairly inexpensive but good quality pair of speaker cables? My setup is a pair of studio 60's & cc490 through an integra 9.8. Will be using it mainly for home theater (Pioneer Elite Pro111 plasma tv), but occasional audio too.

I appreciate the helpful advice. Thanks.

Are you in Canada or US

Wow, you have some serious gear on the way. Welcome to the HT hobby. Sounds like you are ALL IN!!!

HAHA! Thanks, I thought what the hell, may aswell get everything first time round, lucky my fiance let me spend 14k haha. I know what people say though about upgrade bug etc, was considering upgrading to the studio line but I have to draw the line sumwhere right? Plus it is for movies so the sound in the Monitors should be enough for me.

Just wondered if some current Paradigm owners can recommend a fairly inexpensive but good quality pair of speaker cables? My setup is a pair of studio 60's & cc490 through an integra 9.8. Will be using it mainly for home theater (Pioneer Elite Pro111 plasma tv), but occasional audio too.

I appreciate the helpful advice. Thanks.

Monoprice 12gauge speaker wire is all you need. I believe it's like $20-30 for 100ft

The monitor sub are my top movers can't get them in fast enough far better then the DSP's

The monitor subs are actually better than the DSP subs? What all exactly makes them better since I am curious and willing to sell one of my DSP subs to replace! I have the DSP 3400 and a DSP 3200! So would selling the 3200 and getting a Monitor Sub 12 be better??????? Or would you sell both DSP subs and get 2 Monitor Sub 12's???

Just wondered if some current Paradigm owners can recommend a fairly inexpensive but good quality pair of speaker cables? My setup is a pair of studio 60's & cc490 through an integra 9.8. Will be using it mainly for home theater (Pioneer Elite Pro111 plasma tv), but occasional audio too.

I appreciate the helpful advice. Thanks.

Monoprice 14ga should be all you need (12ga for longer runs), but if you're determined to spend more, Blue Jean Cables won't rip you off, at least.

Hello friends!

I'm currently running the following system for my modest home theater;

Fronts: Polk RTi A7
Center: Polk CSi A6
Surrounds: Axiom QS8
Sub: Polk PSW505
Receiver: Onkyo TXNR809


I'm ready to start doing some upgrades, and I have pretty much settled on the Paradigm Studio 100s in Rosenut and the Studio CC-690 for center. I am upgrading the sub to 2 rythmik fv12's.

My question is, will my Onkyo be enough to run these Paradigms well, or should I be looking into some amplification as well?

Thanks so much for your time.

Justin

Hello friends!

I'm currently running the following system for my modest home theater;

Fronts: Polk RTi A7
Center: Polk CSi A6
Surrounds: Axiom QS8
Sub: Polk PSW505
Receiver: Onkyo TXNR809


I'm ready to start doing some upgrades, and I have pretty much settled on the Paradigm Studio 100s in Rosenut and the Studio CC-690 for center. I am upgrading the sub to 2 rythmik fv12's.

My question is, will my Onkyo be enough to run these Paradigms well, or should I be looking into some amplification as well?

Thanks so much for your time.

Justin

Just list there Justin. The Onkyo will run them and it just comes down to room size and how loud and hard you like you r speakers to hit. I used my Denon 4308 for about a year before I decided to make the upgrade to external amps. It is a personal choice.

Hello friends!

I'm currently running the following system for my modest home theater;

Fronts: Polk RTi A7
Center: Polk CSi A6
Surrounds: Axiom QS8
Sub: Polk PSW505
Receiver: Onkyo TXNR809


I'm ready to start doing some upgrades, and I have pretty much settled on the Paradigm Studio 100s in Rosenut and the Studio CC-690 for center. I am upgrading the sub to 2 rythmik fv12's.

My question is, will my Onkyo be enough to run these Paradigms well, or should I be looking into some amplification as well?

Thanks so much for your time.

Justin

Wow, that is quite an upgrade. The 100's and the 690 like power. The Onkyo is capable of running them to loud volumes in a medium sized room without clipping for sure. But you are spending some serious coin there. If you are like me, if you don't try the external amplification, you will be wondering if you are missing out on something.

I run my 100s (V1) and CC-570 off an Emo XPA-5. Would I say it made a HUGE difference...no. But I did not want to take any chances with my Paradigms... Compared to what you have already spent of your front stage, a decent amp can be had very cheap...

Congratulations on your purchase. You are going to have a very impressive setup to be sure...

That was one of my concerns, is the v.5 the latest version for the cc-690?
As far as I know, v5 is the latest/current version of Paradigm's Studio series.

are you in canada or us

us

The monitor subs are actually better than the DSP subs? What all exactly makes them better since I am curious and willing to sell one of my DSP subs to replace! I have the DSP 3400 and a DSP 3200! So would selling the 3200 and getting a Monitor Sub 12 be better??????? Or would you sell both DSP subs and get 2 Monitor Sub 12's???

The biggest difference is the Monitor Subs all dig under 20Hz (even the 8" one). The Sub 12's will get down to 16Hz cleanly (especially with two). You may not think a few Hz matters, and for most movies that's true, but once I went from my dual DSP-3100's to dual Monitor Sub 10's I was noticing a lot of jaw dropping content in movies like Tron and Transformers that wasn't there before.

The other big difference is Sealed vs. Ported sound quality. I've come to love the tight, clean bass that a sealed subwoofer like that Monitor Sub can deliver. I've been able to notice clear distinctions between bass notes in music and movie soundtracks, notes that used to be "strung" together as one long, boomy note with my DSP's.

Lastly, the Monitor Sub's are TINY! Serious WAF. You'll look at the Sub 12 and think all of this hoopla is nonsense because there is no way such a tiny thing can produce deep sound (that was my thought when I first saw it at my store). But the moment you hear it your jaw will drop because for how small it is, it cleanly digs deep with authority. It's ridiculous.

Thanks for your help folks! My space is large and oddly shaped, about 5000cuft. Sounds like I will try them first without amplification but knowing me, I'll get an amp anyway. :)

Thanks again!

Justin

I used to think I was able to tell the difference between a sealed and ported sub. The reality is, I could not with a properly designed ported sub. It's no accident why the hsu research vtf-15 is so popular and why I have two instead of two paradigms.

Your 809 will have plenty of power to drive the 100s and 690. Even a 5.1 won't be an issue. Eventually you may veer off to external amps like the emotivas. Great amps for the money and they do give you more headroom for the studios :)

Very nice upgrade you have an I hope you enjoy the 100s as much as I do.

I never considerd Paradigm speaker until I heard them at my dealer. (he just started carrying them) I was able to audition the Studio 100's and I must say im impressed. Im going to compare them with the B&W 804d next week. I am looking for a 5ch system. In the past I have owned Klispch kG, Mirage M1si, B&W cmd7 and 802D (had to sell) and currently Mirage OMD (ya, there ok for the price but not want im looking for). I almost feel B&W has priced their speakers so HIGH they may have lost a buyer.
I can buy the studio 100's ($3800) with a center ($1900) and rears ($800 ea) for about $7300. The B&W 804D sells for $7500 not including the center and rears. Not sure I can justify the cost difference for a small change in sound. I'll be using my B&W ASW 855 sub. (no worries with bass)
I was wondering if the Signature series are much better than the studio series? Not sure I can find them near me. Are they worth driving miles to audition or is the price diff. not really worth the extra effort?
Also I was thinking of buying the Parasound Halo 5 ch amp, Classe 5ch amp, or McIntosh 5 ch amp.. any opinions?

Well you should not be paying that high for any of those speakers. Msrp on the cc690'center is 1699 and can he had for roughly 3-400 less than that, ESP if you are buying it all in one shot. There's also nothing wrong with buying used. Consider the 100s used right now in damn good shape go for 2500. So that gives you more buying power as to what you really should be paying for them new. I don't know anyone who pays msrp for speakers and thinks they got a good deal out of it.

Signatures are in an entirely different league and personally, I couldn't justify them even though I had the money to buy them. You reach the line of diminishing returns and with signatures, I couldnt justify the double in price for them just sound a little bit better than the 100s.

I agree venomous. I certainly wouldnt pay msrp either. I was just emphasizing I could buy a complete 5 channel paradigm system and still have money left over rather than buy the b&w 804d (just 2 speakers). I dont mind buying used either. My McInthosh amps were all used and looked brand new. In fact I sold my MC501's and MC205 for more than I paid. '
I think B&W screwed up when they raised their prices, yes they sound good but NOT that good. :) if the 804d were around $4,000 I may consider them but not for $7500.
I'll let you know my thought when I audition them side by side with a Parasound Halo amp. I believe he's using the monoblocks.
There is just no way Ill be spending $30,000 on another system. Previous system was B&W 802D, HTM2D, DS7, ASW855, McIntosh MC501 (2) MC205, MX136... Keep in mind I was clearing $5,000 a month but the job left like so many others, I became Ill and currently waiting for a heart transplant which places me on disability with a set income. I can justify spending $10,000 on a full system including speakers and amps but thats as much as Im willing to spend. I'll check Agon for used equipment as well. I believe most owners that spend this much for equipment are older, more responsible,and take care of their investments.

Hello to all my fellow Paradigm owners/ lovers,

I just got home from the east coast debut of the new $30,000 KEF Blade. The place where the debut was held had many KEF products demoing in separate rooms. The Blades of course taking center stage in the farthest room. Along with good food, wine, and meeting some cool people, I won a $100 gift certificate to that shop and scored some free KEF swag including a couple of demo CDs which is always a good thing.

I'm not writing this to brag about any of that however, I'm writing to report that to my ears, the far more expensive Blades DID NOT much, if at all, outdo my Studio 100s V.4s in a stereo set up.

My set up (stereo) consists of a YAMAHA RX-V3800 AVR feeding signal to an Emotiva XPA-2 (300w rms X 2) which powers my 100s. PS3 used as a CD source or iPod with high rez files using the Yamaha dock.

My Studios are about 4.2 feet from the wall behind them, nearest sidewall is about 5 feet away, they're about 7 feet apart from each other and I sit about 8 feet away from them. I do have these measurements laid out precisely but can't remember the numbers off the top of my dome as I write this. They're in a large room and proved very difficult to place properly for the kind of sound I'm getting from them right now. That sound is audibly very linear, even and clean. To my ear no frequencies appear to be standing out (or disappearing) anywhere in the frequency spectrum. Measurement equipment may somewhat prove otherwise perhaps but I don't detect any irregularities, I feel like I'm hearing ALL OF the information thats on any given disc I listen to and most importantly, my system makes music!

By a TON (seriously, more hours than I'll ever admit to any sane person) of trial and error (and sometimes minor annoyance to my very patient girlfriend), I was finally able to get the speakers to "lock" with my room. What I mean by that is that the sounds coming out of my 100s at this time is MUSICAL, emotional, moving, coherent, enjoyable and fun. I spend hours enjoying many different types of music through this system and although I clearly know, recognize and understand that there are better speakers out there (including Paradigm's own Signature line), better components and systems, when I listen to music through my system, I can't imagine many systems sounding demonstrably better or thousands of $$$ better than my comparably meager system anyway.

The bass in my set up is tight, tuneful, clean, deep and defined, the vocals (midrange) is clear, nuanced and very close if not perfectly "human". The highs are present, airy, delicate without any hint of harshness, grittiness or strain and I like my music loud. Realistically loud, like the band is in the room, not just loud for the sake of being loud or like a rock concert loud in an attempt to kill my hearing.

I'll also add that I've heard quite a few high end set ups like the KEF Blade one I heard tonight and they all sounded good to great give or take but I don't think most of them were painstakingly positioned to present their absolute best attributes and therefore didn't floor me when I heard them. A couple that did impress me were a pair of Totems driven by a tube amp, a pair of Longherins playing Neil Young live and to a lesser degree Magico's Q5s. Again, I think the Q5s coulda been dialed in better but they sounded so big and effortless nonetheless (although slightly lifeless) that I walked away from them reluctantly with a positive experience. Everyone likes different sounding gear, different brands, models etc. so I'm not in any way speaking negatively about any brand or speaker. These days speakers are built so well and perform so well for their price points that with extreme care in placement and room treatment even inexpensive speakers can impress highly and be musically enjoyable.

Anyway, crap, got carried away. Sorry about that. Their set up (the KEF Blade one) consisted of an unknown CD source player, two $25,000 Mark Levinson monoblock amps and of course, the Blade speakers.

They (the blades) looked fantastic and sounded good but to me, not great. I will say that because the demo was set up for multiple people and not just one or two listeners, the Blades were most likely NOT set up optimally for their best performance AND the room itself was probably having a detrimental effect. The bass was detailed but a little uneven and lumpy in places. Also, some male voices exhibited that bass bloat or unevenness and that took away from the believability of listening to a "live" event, live singers or having music actually being played in the room. Although the sound was big, expansive and clear as a bell, it lacked a little focus to me also. The singer's voice was a bit diffused instead of seemingly appearing between the speakers realistically. I was hearing these shortcomings but many others in the room were saying they liked the sound and commenting on how good the speakers sounded. That is until one brave man brought up and asked the rep about the very same things I was hearing (and not hearing). The rep said the room and somewhat less than perfect positioning were to blame since the demo was for many instead of one or two listeners at once (just as I thought). Very plausible.

Either way, we're talking $50,000 in amps and another $30,000 in speakers here. I was expecting to hear impossibly good music from the Blades but heard only good sound reproduction from them on that room with those amps. They gave out copies of the same demo disc they were using on all the KEF speakers so of course, as soon as I got home, I fired the f-er up and my Studio system sounded BETTER (again, to me) than the big KEF system. The Blades maybe sounded bigger but they didn't sound any better especially if you factor in the ridiculous price gap between the two systems and different approaches to sound reproduction. My set up has a better soundstage, a more defined soundstage and the singer appears directly before me like an apparition. They didn't necessarily sound bad but the KEFS were not as focused. The Studios are a lot more speaker than I realized when I first bought em.

Certainly Paradigm makes a slew of great and superbly well performing speakers but in my set up and in my current room, my Studio 100s are something special and make me smile every time I hear music through them.

I hope all of you are getting as much fun and enjoyment out of your Paradigms as I'm getting out of mine.

First of all, I wish you the best in your recovery and god bless you.

I'm like you, I spent wayyyy to much money and found a sweet spot for myself. There were a few v5 100s with cc690 for sale on agon. Unfortunately they screwed that site up, so good luck with trying to use it to its maximum potential. The paradigms are damn fine speakers. I was able to score my entire setup consisting of:

Yamaha 3010
Studio 100s
Studio cc690
Studio 20s
Two pairs of studio 10s
All that for under $10k

I later added an oppo93, emotiva xpa5, two hsu research vtf15 subs and a pair of mirage omd5s to complete the setup. That was an additional $4000

I'm happy with it and it sounds awesome. I shutdown the mirage for multi channel music playback but they really work well for ht playback as surrounds.

Good luck with your purchase :D


I agree venomous. I certainly wouldnt pay msrp either. I was just emphasizing I could buy a complete 5 channel paradigm system and still have money left over rather than buy the b&w 804d (just 2 speakers). I dont mind buying used either. My McInthosh amps were all used and looked brand new. In fact I sold my MC501's and MC205 for more than I paid. '
I think B&W screwed up when they raised their prices, yes they sound good but NOT that good. :) if the 804d were around $4,000 I may consider them but not for $7500.
I'll let you know my thought when I audition them side by side with a Parasound Halo amp. I believe he's using the monoblocks.
There is just no way Ill be spending $30,000 on another system. Previous system was B&W 802D, HTM2D, DS7, ASW855, McIntosh MC501 (2) MC205, MX136... Keep in mind I was clearing $5,000 a month but the job left like so many others, I became Ill and currently waiting for a heart transplant which places me on disability with a set income. I can justify spending $10,000 on a full system including speakers and amps but thats as much as Im willing to spend. I'll check Agon for used equipment as well. I believe most owners that spend this much for equipment are older, more responsible,and take care of their investments.

Great post, wish I was able to attend that event! Did you take any pictures by chance ?

Hello to all my fellow Paradigm owners/ lovers,

I just got home from the east coast debut of the new $30,000 KEF Blade. The place where the debut was held had many KEF products demoing in separate rooms. The Blades of course taking center stage in the farthest room. Along with good food, wine, and meeting some cool people, I won a $100 gift certificate to that shop and scored some free KEF swag including a couple of demo CDs which is always a good thing.

I'm not writing this to brag about any of that however, I'm writing to report that to my ears, the far more expensive Blades DID NOT much, if at all, outdo my Studio 100s V.4s in a stereo set up.

My set up (stereo) consists of a YAMAHA RX-V3800 AVR feeding signal to an Emotiva XPA-2 (300w rms X 2) which powers my 100s. PS3 used as a CD source or iPod with high rez files using the Yamaha dock.

My Studios are about 4.2 feet from the wall behind them, nearest sidewall is about 5 feet away, they're about 7 feet apart from each other and I sit about 8 feet away from them. I do have these measurements laid out precisely but can't remember the numbers off the top of my dome as I write this. They're in a large room and proved very difficult to place properly for the kind of sound I'm getting from them right now. That sound is audibly very linear, even and clean. To my ear no frequencies appear to be standing out (or disappearing) anywhere in the frequency spectrum. Measurement equipment may somewhat prove otherwise perhaps but I don't detect any irregularities, I feel like I'm hearing ALL OF the information thats on any given disc I listen to and most importantly, my system makes music!

By a TON (seriously, more hours than I'll ever admit to any sane person) of trial and error (and sometimes minor annoyance to my very patient girlfriend), I was finally able to get the speakers to "lock" with my room. What I mean by that is that the sounds coming out of my 100s at this time is MUSICAL, emotional, moving, coherent, enjoyable and fun. I spend hours enjoying many different types of music through this system and although I clearly know, recognize and understand that there are better speakers out there (including Paradigm's own Signature line), better components and systems, when I listen to music through my system, I can't imagine many systems sounding demonstrably better or thousands of $$$ better than my comparably meager system anyway.

The bass in my set up is tight, tuneful, clean, deep and defined, the vocals (midrange) is clear, nuanced and very close if not perfectly "human". The highs are present, airy, delicate without any hint of harshness, grittiness or strain and I like my music loud. Realistically loud, like the band is in the room, not just loud for the sake of being loud or like a rock concert loud in an attempt to kill my hearing.

I'll also add that I've heard quite a few high end set ups like the KEF Blade one I heard tonight and they all sounded good to great give or take but I don't think most of them were painstakingly positioned to present their absolute best attributes and therefore didn't floor me when I heard them. A couple that did impress me were a pair of Totems driven by a tube amp, a pair of Longherins playing Neil Young live and to a lesser degree Magico's Q5s. Again, I think the Q5s coulda been dialed in better but they sounded so big and effortless nonetheless (although slightly lifeless) that I walked away from them reluctantly with a positive experience. Everyone likes different sounding gear, different brands, models etc. so I'm not in any way speaking negatively about any brand or speaker. These days speakers are built so well and perform so well for their price points that with extreme care in placement and room treatment even inexpensive speakers can impress highly and be musically enjoyable.

Anyway, crap, got carried away. Sorry about that. Their set up (the KEF Blade one) consisted of an unknown CD source player, two $25,000 Mark Levinson monoblock amps and of course, the Blade speakers.

They (the blades) looked fantastic and sounded good but to me, not great. I will say that because the demo was set up for multiple people and not just one or two listeners, the Blades were most likely NOT set up optimally for their best performance AND the room itself was probably having a detrimental effect. The bass was detailed but a little uneven and lumpy in places. Also, some male voices exhibited that bass bloat or unevenness and that took away from the believability of listening to a "live" event, live singers or having music actually being played in the room. Although the sound was big, expansive and clear as a bell, it lacked a little focus to me also. The singer's voice was a bit diffused instead of seemingly appearing between the speakers realistically. I was hearing these shortcomings but many others in the room were saying they liked the sound and commenting on how good the speakers sounded. That is until one brave man brought up and asked the rep about the very same things I was hearing (and not hearing). The rep said the room and somewhat less than perfect positioning were to blame since the demo was for many instead of one or two listeners at once (just as I thought). Very plausible.

Either way, we're talking $50,000 in amps and another $30,000 in speakers here. I was expecting to hear impossibly good music from the Blades but heard only good sound reproduction from them on that room with those amps. They gave out copies of the same demo disc they were using on all the KEF speakers so of course, as soon as I got home, I fired the f-er up and my Studio system sounded BETTER (again, to me) than the big KEF system. The Blades maybe sounded bigger but they didn't sound any better especially if you factor in the ridiculous price gap between the two systems and different approaches to sound reproduction. My set up has a better soundstage, a more defined soundstage and the singer appears directly before me like an apparition. They didn't necessarily sound bad but the KEFS were not as focused. The Studios are a lot more speaker than I realized when I first bought em.

Certainly Paradigm makes a slew of great and superbly well performing speakers but in my set up and in my current room, my Studio 100s are something special and make me smile every time I hear music through them.

I hope all of you are getting as much fun and enjoyment out of your Paradigms as I'm getting out of mine.

Great post, wish I was able to attend that event! Did you take any pictures by chance ?



Thanks.

Yes, my girlfriend took a pic of me next to one of the Blades to show its height compared to mine. I'll try to post it later today if I can figure out how to make it work. I've tried posting pics in the past and for whatever reason couldn't get them posted.

Have any of the Signature owners ever heard the Seaton catalysts? How do they compare to the Sigs?

Hey guys,

I'm in the market in grabbing a center channel but Paradigm did this whole upgrade thing, I need some advice as to which one to pick. Here's my setup right now:

Denon 2112ci
Pair of Paradigm v5 Titan Monitors
Elemental Design A2-300 Sub
Small to mid-size room

Awhile ago, before they upgraded to Series 7, I was looking into getting the CC-290 since it was recommended to have much more power than the 190. However, looking at the new models now, I don't know which one is a better buy in comparing the Monitor Center 1 ($300) to the Center 3 ($600). Considering how they both have the same 4-driver, 3 channel layout, is power output the only major difference? If so, enough to justify $300 more clams?

Thanks in advance for any help/advice

Just wanted to let you guys know that I finally posted my 10/10 studio 100's v5 on audiogon. Thanks

Hey guys,

I'm in the market in grabbing a center channel but Paradigm did this whole upgrade thing, I need some advice as to which one to pick. Here's my setup right now:

Denon 2112ci
Pair of Paradigm v5 Titan Monitors
Elemental Design A2-300 Sub
Small to mid-size room

Awhile ago, before they upgraded to Series 7, I was looking into getting the CC-290 since it was recommended to have much more power than the 190. However, looking at the new models now, I don't know which one is a better buy in comparing the Monitor Center 1 ($300) to the Center 3 ($600). Considering how they both have the same 4-driver, 3 channel layout, is power output the only major difference? If so, enough to justify $300 more clams?

Thanks in advance for any help/advice

The Center 1 has a 3.5" Midrange driver and 5.5" Bass drivers.
The Center 3 has a 4.5" Midrange driver and 6.5" Bass drivers.

I will always advocate getting the biggest center speaker possible (within a particular speaker line) unless you absolutely do not want to spend the extra money. Will you notice a difference between the 1 and 3? Yes. Will the difference justify you spending an extra $300? Only you can answer that based on many factors that vary from person to person (money, usage, what you hope to achieve with your setup, etc).

Just wanted to let you guys know that I finally posted my 10/10 studio 100's v5 on audiogon. Thanks

I noticed ;)

The Center 1 has a 3.5" Midrange driver and 5.5" Bass drivers.
The Center 3 has a 4.5" Midrange driver and 6.5" Bass drivers.

I will always advocate getting the biggest center speaker possible (within a particular speaker line) unless you absolutely do not want to spend the extra money. Will you notice a difference between the 1 and 3? Yes. Will the difference justify you spending an extra $300? Only you can answer that based on many factors that vary from person to person (money, usage, what you hope to achieve with your setup, etc).

Thanks for the quick reply. I plan to use it 50/50 between music and movies. I'm gonna head to the dealers tomorrow and see if they have some in stock for a test. Hard to find reviews for these suckers though online...

What are the best settings for my new monitor 9 v7's through audyssey? Right now they're set to "small", with a crossover at 60hz. Audyssey had defaulted them to the "large" speaker setting, but I've read you never want to select that.

I have a chance to purchase a mint pair Studio 20 V.5's in "Rose Nut".
They include are a pair of Guerilla Audio solid silver pair of jumper cables and have also been upgraded with Marigo tuning dots on their cabinets and drivers. I can get them for $400. Is this a no-brainer? I don't really need them but it seems like a great deal.

Also.....what are Marigo tuning dots??

What are the best settings for my new monitor 9 v7's through audyssey? Right now they're set to "small", with a crossover at 60hz. Audyssey had defaulted them to the "large" speaker setting, but I've read you never want to select that.

If you are running a subwoofer bump them up to 80. If not leave them set to large.

What are the best settings for my new monitor 9 v7's through audyssey? Right now they're set to "small", with a crossover at 60hz. Audyssey had defaulted them to the "large" speaker setting, but I've read you never want to select that.

I have mine set at 80hz, my Audyssey set mine, like yours, at 60hz. I experiment from time to time but choose 80hz. Like others said on this forum, let the sub do the work.

Jeff

I never considerd Paradigm speaker until I heard them at my dealer. (he just started carrying them) I was able to audition the Studio 100's and I must say im impressed. Im going to compare them with the B&W 804d next week. I am looking for a 5ch system. In the past I have owned Klispch kG, Mirage M1si, B&W cmd7 and 802D (had to sell) and currently Mirage OMD (ya, there ok for the price but not want im looking for). I almost feel B&W has priced their speakers so HIGH they may have lost a buyer.
I can buy the studio 100's ($3800) with a center ($1900) and rears ($800 ea) for about $7300. The B&W 804D sells for $7500 not including the center and rears. Not sure I can justify the cost difference for a small change in sound. I'll be using my B&W ASW 855 sub. (no worries with bass)
I was wondering if the Signature series are much better than the studio series? Not sure I can find them near me. Are they worth driving miles to audition or is the price diff. not really worth the extra effort?
Also I was thinking of buying the Parasound Halo 5 ch amp, Classe 5ch amp, or McIntosh 5 ch amp.. any opinions?

I think the Paradigm Signature line is a pretty close match to B&W's 800 diamonds at a bit less money. I have not listened to them side by side to say which is actually better, but they are definetly in the same league. I wouldn't expect the studio line to match up to the B&W diamonds or the Paradigm Sigs if you are into music and looking for absolute sound quality. Whether or not the difference in sound quality is worth the money is up to you.

As far as amps, I've owned the older Parasound HCA's, Halo's, and McIntosh MC205. I ended up selling the McIntosh 5 channel and switching back to the Parasound for my center and surrounds. While the two amps definetly sound different, I can't say one is better than the other, they both have strengths and weaknesses and the price difference was not worth it to me. I did end up buying a McIntosh MC402 for the front channels and I can say that it is a step up in all categories from the Parasound Halo A21 it replaced.

Question for the ultra knowledgeable Paradigm members in here:

Is there a "typical" upgrade schedule for the Studio line of speakers, like every 3, 4, 5 years? When does Paradigm typically announce a new version to one of their lines? When were the v5 Studios released?

Thanks

Question for the ultra knowledgeable Paradigm members in here:

Is there a "typical" upgrade schedule for the Studio line of speakers, like every 3, 4, 5 years? When does Paradigm typically announce a new version to one of their lines? When were the v5 Studios released?

Thanksv1 -1997, v2 - 2000, v3 -2004, v4 -2007, v5 - January 2009

v1 -1997, v2 - 2000, v3 -2004, v4 -2007, v5 - January 2009

Awesome. Thanks.

Basically there is no pattern to revisions I take it. Must just be based on when R&D comes up with new improvements that are worth deploying, as evident by the short 2 year gap between the version 4's and 5's.

I have a chance to purchase a mint pair Studio 20 V.5's in "Rose Nut".
They include are a pair of Guerilla Audio solid silver pair of jumper cables and have also been upgraded with Marigo tuning dots on their cabinets and drivers. I can get them for $400. Is this a no-brainer? I don't really need them but it seems like a great deal.

Also.....what are Marigo tuning dots??

Well marigo audio is no longer in business, so that should tell you something lol. They appear to be some sort of dot you affix to the actual speaker that allows you to dial in other frequencies for fine tuning. People believe these actually work and improve the speakers sound.

$400 is a smoking deal on those speakers regardless. You could flip those and easily triple your money. I'm not sure I would be using them with the tuning dots.

http://www.google.com/search?q=marigo+audio+tuning+dots&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari

What are the best settings for my new monitor 9 v7's through audyssey? Right now they're set to "small", with a crossover at 60hz. Audyssey had defaulted them to the "large" speaker setting, but I've read you never want to select that.

You are correct to set them to small.

The exact cross-over that's best for your system, given your room's acoustics, and the capabilities of your sub, can only be determined by you. 80hz is a good starting point, as that's the best option in the majority of situations, but room acoustics are a MASSIVE wild card that can change things dramatically. The sub you're using can make a difference, too, although if you're running Monitor 9's I suspect you're not using a crap sub.

I'd give a listen and 80, 70, and 60, and see which actually sounds best to you. Be sure to listen to both loud action movies and a variety of music types to be sure.

The most common appropriate setting is indeed 80, and if you don't want to mess with it, just put it there and forget it. But if you really want to dial in your system and be SURE you're getting the most out of it, those with more capable speakers (bookshelves generally needn't bother, but you have full-range-capable towers), might benefit, in some cases, from a slightly lower crossover. Your Monitor 9's can certainly dig lower than 80, the question is, do they do a better job than the sub? And how much power are they pulling to do this, to justify it?

Likely 80 will end up still being the correct choice. But it's possible that you'll like 70 better, and shouldn't ignore that in favor of the "general guideline" that applies in "most" (but not "every") situation. 60 is less much likely, but still a possibility, so at least give it a listen, IMO.

Im running the sub that comes with the Pinnacle MB8000 5.1 system. It's an 8" 300W sub. At this point, it's the weak point of my system. Well, the center channel too, but that'll be resolved in a few months.

I wouldn't call the Pinnacle a "crap" sub, but it's certainly not on par with my M9's and AM7's.

-Matt

btw, thanks for the lengthy reply. I appreciate the info.

-Matt

Awesome. Thanks.

Basically there is no pattern to revisions I take it. Must just be based on when R&D comes up with new improvements that are worth deploying, as evident by the short 2 year gap between the version 4's and 5's. Change in cabinet design between revisions is apparent, along with internal charges. You can see the changes made to each reversion v.3 (http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/105paradigm/) vs v.4 (http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/paradigm_studio100v4_cc690v4_adp590v4_seismic12.htm) vs v.5 (http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/speaker-reviews/49710-paradigm-studio-v-5-series-studio-100-cc-690-adp-590-sub-15-review.html). The three linked reviews discuss some of the changes on the last three revisions of the Studio 100 model for example.

Wow, Im glad I went back and re-checked my settings. My front (Monitor 9's) were set to crossover at 40hz!!! Switched that back to 80hz and it sounds a lot nicer. I can't believe Audyssey thought 40hz was ok.

My center channel is set to crossover at 150hz. That seems REALLY high. Thoughts? It's also from the Pinnacle MB8000 5.1 set. Hmm...

-Matt

Hello everyone,

I'm the happy owner of a 7.1 paradigm set up. I have the following speakers:

Centre channel: CC-390 V.6
Fronts: M 9's V.5
Sides: ADP-390's v.6
Rears: ADP-190's v.5

I am a Paradigm convert from Bose speakers (series 1) which I had for many years till I gave them to my brother for free after upgrading to the Paradigm speakers.

My speaker usage is 96-98% (movies, documentaries, news), 2-4% music.

My question is why do paradigm owners chose the monitor series speakers or why do they chose Studio or Signature series speakers. Since I listen to very little music (not a big music fan) why would I want to upgrade to Studio or Signature speakers? Are these higher level/grade speakers geared towards music lovers and if I upgraded would I have a better movie experience? Also, the price for Studio or Signature speakers is not something I could obsorb with my budget. I would really hurt myself financially if I purchased these higher level speakers on credit.

So back to my simple question:

For my needs, am I missing out on something by not purchasing the Studios or Signature Series speakers?

Thanks everyone and I'm really enjoying this thread seeing all the Paradigm owners enjoying their chosen speakers and different set ups.

My question is why do paradigm owners chose the monitor series speakers or why do they chose Studio or Signature series speakers. Since I listen to very little music (not a big music fan) why would I want to upgrade to Studio or Signature speakers? Are these higher level/grade speakers geared towards music lovers and if I upgraded would I have a better movie experience? Also, the price for Studio or Signature speakers is not something I could obsorb with my budget. I would really hurt myself financially if I purchased these higher level speakers on credit.

So back to my simple question:

For my needs, am I missing out on something by not purchasing the Studios or Signature Series speakers?

Thanks everyone and I'm really enjoying this thread seeing all the Paradigm owners enjoying their chosen speakers and different set ups.

Why can people afford to buy new cars but can’t afford speakers? A Paradigm Reference Signature 5.1 setup costs less than a new car, and they will last you twenty years or more. You can use them every day, and they cost nothing to maintain. How is this expensive for the amount of enjoyment they give you?

If luxury speakers were a status symbol the opposite sex found attractive, more people would buy them. Too bad I waited until I was middle aged, gaining weight, and losing hair before I bought mine. Life is too short for cheap speakers:o

Hello everyone,

I'm the happy owner of a 7.1 paradigm set up. I have the following speakers:

Centre channel: CC-390 V.6
Fronts: M 9's V.5
Sides: ADP-390's v.6
Rears: ADP-190's v.5

I am a Paradigm convert from Bose speakers (series 1) which I had for many years till I gave them to my brother for free after upgrading to the Paradigm speakers.

My speaker usage is 96-98% (movies, documentaries, news), 2-4% music.

My question is why do paradigm owners chose the monitor series speakers or why do they chose Studio or Signature series speakers. Since I listen to very little music (not a big music fan) why would I want to upgrade to Studio or Signature speakers? Are these higher level/grade speakers geared towards music lovers and if I upgraded would I have a better movie experience? Also, the price for Studio or Signature speakers is not something I could obsorb with my budget. I would really hurt myself financially if I purchased these higher level speakers on credit.

So back to my simple question:

For my needs, am I missing out on something by not purchasing the Studios or Signature Series speakers?

Thanks everyone and I'm really enjoying this thread seeing all the Paradigm owners enjoying their chosen speakers and different set ups.

No speaker is worth hurting yourself financially by running up a credit bill, no matter how good they sound. For me the Monitor v6 and Studio v5's tweeter were too bright and sometimes harsh sounding which too much sibilance. The Sig's fit the bill in that regard with the Be tweeter sounding much more pleasing to my ears and non fatiguing.

The only way for you and others who have asked the same question to find out is to go listen to them and decide for yourself.

Why can people afford to buy new cars but can’t afford speakers?

Because a car is a necessity of life for most people whereas speakers, no matter how appealing, good sounding, expensive, inexpensive, etc are just commodities that belong to the entertainment area of life.

*Note: does not apply to people who rely on speakers for a business.

My advice is, that for your needs and listening purpose, you do not need to upgrade to the Studios. I have owned the Monitor series, great speakers. I moved to the Studio line because I listen to a lot of music. Since you do not listen to a lot of music, I see no need for you to upgrade. The monitor series is perfect for your situation. If you walked into a retail store and asked the same question, this is the answer you should get if they are really looking out for your best interests.
The difference between the Studio and Monitor series is more noticeable with music.
Generally when watching a movie, you are so involved in the movie you are not listening to the speakers as opposed to when you are listening to music you are hearing every detail.
So enjoy your Monitors, they are very capable speakers and exactly what you need.

Save yourself some money and I hope this advice helps.

Because a car is a necessity of life for most people whereas speakers, no matter how appealing, good sounding, expensive, inexpensive, etc are just commodities that belong to the entertainment area of life.

That's not totally true speakers are a necessity in my life if I don't have any speakers in our custom theater showrooms my Clint's cant see how good our work is for sound in the room and how well we keep the sound in.

What John1400 said! He beat me to it. I started with the Monitor series-ended up moving to the Sigs. Music performance is very important to me.
The Monitor series is great if you just use them for Movies and TV.
I still use Monitor series in my bedroom for tv-they're great speakers.
I think that as you move up to Studios and Sigs you get a better
balanced and smoother sound for music.
I have All 3 series in my home. Have some Studio 4O's for music in a different room. Full Signature series in Main Room.

That's not totally true speakers are a necessity in my life if I don't have any speakers in our custom theater showrooms my Clint's cant see how good our work is for sound in the room and how well we keep the sound in.

My statement was meant for consumer use/purchase. I corrected the post to reflect so. Obviously a business that relies on speakers, whether directly or indirectly, is a different story.

I also have the monitor series 7 bookeshevles as the front 3 in another room and they are great. Everyone has a budget and if all I could afford was the monitor series, then I would still be happy even listening to music. Monitor, studios, or sig's, all great products. A budget for everyone.

ps...grasshopper....monitor, studio and sig's....I must say I am a little jealous...lol

Cheersl

I wish Paradigm or the dealers had a very easy upgrade program where I could upgrade to the S8 and just pay the difference? Yes, I know I can invite people into my home (I would only sell local) and do a cash and carry once they hear them and see how well we have taken care of them? In the end making this process easy given the amount of hours I work would get me to upgrade in a heartbeat.

My advice is, that for your needs and listening purpose, you do not need to upgrade to the Studios. I have owned the Monitor series, great speakers. I moved to the Studio line because I listen to a lot of music. Since you do not listen to a lot of music, I see no need for you to upgrade. The monitor series is perfect for your situation. If you walked into a retail store and asked the same question, this is the answer you should get if they are really looking out for your best interests.
The difference between the Studio and Monitor series is more noticeable with music.
Generally when watching a movie, you are so involved in the movie you are not listening to the speakers as opposed to when you are listening to music you are hearing every detail.
So enjoy your Monitors, they are very capable speakers and exactly what you need.

Save yourself some money and I hope this advice helps.

I want to thank all who responded to my post. It is much appreciated because I'm thinking where do I draw the line when persuing this hobby. Things can quickly add up when there is no personal cost control in place and I could find myself in trouble. Thank you John1400, your response summed it perfectly for me and made me feel better about my past buying decisions and to restrain myself from making unnecessary future buying decisions.

Hello everyone,

I'm the happy owner of a 7.1 paradigm set up. I have the following speakers:

Centre channel: CC-390 V.6
Fronts: M 9's V.5
Sides: ADP-390's v.6
Rears: ADP-190's v.5

I am a Paradigm convert from Bose speakers (series 1) which I had for many years till I gave them to my brother for free after upgrading to the Paradigm speakers.

My speaker usage is 96-98% (movies, documentaries, news), 2-4% music.

My question is why do paradigm owners chose the monitor series speakers or why do they chose Studio or Signature series speakers. Since I listen to very little music (not a big music fan) why would I want to upgrade to Studio or Signature speakers? Are these higher level/grade speakers geared towards music lovers and if I upgraded would I have a better movie experience? Also, the price for Studio or Signature speakers is not something I could obsorb with my budget. I would really hurt myself financially if I purchased these higher level speakers on credit.

So back to my simple question:

For my needs, am I missing out on something by not purchasing the Studios or Signature Series speakers?

Thanks everyone and I'm really enjoying this thread seeing all the Paradigm owners enjoying their chosen speakers and different set ups.

I posted this a while back and thought you might need to read it.
The price range for this hobby is almost infinite. I have just learned to set a budget, expect to spend a little more, and enjoy what I have. My monitor series V6, Yamaha 2010, PS3 and 55" Sony is the envy of many and probably junk to some others. The thing is, it sounds and looks great to me. At the end of the day, that is all that matters. Just my 2 cents.

I want to thank all who responded to my post. It is much appreciated because I'm thinking where do I draw the line when persuing this hobby. Things can quickly add up when there is no personal cost control in place and I could find myself in trouble. Thank you John1400, your response summed it perfectly for me and made me feel better about my past buying decisions and to restrain myself from making unnecessary future buying decisions.

You are very welcome, enjoy!

I'm the happy owner of a 7.1 paradigm set up. I have the following speakers:

Centre channel: CC-390 V.6
Fronts: M 9's V.5
Sides: ADP-390's v.6
Rears: ADP-190's v.5

That's a very nice set-up. Don't stop being happy with it. :)

My question is why do paradigm owners chose the monitor series speakers or why do they chose Studio or Signature series speakers.
I suspect some choose the Monitor series because they represent good value for the money and/or a stepping stone into the "world of Paradigm speakers". (It's a nice world. :)). Others might jump immediately to the Studios or Sigs because they've heard them and they know they want them, because they have the cash to buy them, because the feel they *should* own such nice speakers, etc.

Since I listen to very little music (not a big music fan) why would I want to upgrade to Studio or Signature speakers? ... For my needs, am I missing out on something by not purchasing the Studios or Signature Series speakers?
If you don't think you're missing out on anything, you're not. When you start to notice or feel that you are, then you might be.

I loved my 20-year-old Paradigm 7se's. Wonderful speakers. Then I heard my buddy's Monitor 7 v4s that he was selling. I A/B'd them with my 7se's...and it was clear that the M7v4s were better for the HT I was setting up.

I eventually heard Studio 60v4s...and I really liked them. When I came across a really good deal on a gently-used pair, I figured it was time to move up. Shortly thereafter, I bought a CC-590. Within a few days, after one listen to a CC-690, I sold the 590 because the 690 was just THAT MUCH better.

YMMV. But as long as you enjoy what you have, don't feel that you're missing out on something. Life's too short not to enjoy where you are / what you have. But when you do get to the point where you feel you might be missing out on something, well, happy shopping! :)

And that's my speech for today. :D

Hi,

I'm selecting speakers for a 5.1 system. Probably about 50/50 music/movies. For a Paradigm system, I am looking at the Studios, but I'm curious about mixing in Monitors for the surrounds.

Here's what I'm looking at:
LR: Studio 60 (maybe 20s, 100s probably too big)
C: 590 or 690

Surrounds: Monitor Surrounds
Sub: Monitor Sub (size: 12?) or Seismic 110.

Room: about 18x12, with openings to a larger area. 1600ft^3 listening/mixed use connected to another 3000 ft^3 by two hallways.

Any opinions on the surrounds: Monitor vs. the ADP590s? All my music is two channel audio, so I'm thinking the surrounds will primarily be used for movies.

For the subs: I will be looking at some ID subs, but the small Paradigms might be a better fit psychologically: convincing my wife that invisible (ie cute/tiny/etc) speakers is not the most important thing is still a work in progress. I'm keeping my fingers crossed when we visit some showrooms.

Comments?

thanks

Just thought I would comment on my follow up to my dealer on the weekend from my post last week.

Just a reminder, I was convinced to change my ordered dsp-3400 to 2 monitor sub 12s. HOWEVER, my dealer offered me my dream sub for an absolute killer price because they have to many black ones left over from Christmas and need to get rid of them. He offered me a SUB15 for $2400 brand new.

It may seem like a fairly good deal, but here is Australia the sub retails for over 5k after the price rise. Even on a dodgy Aus website offeres it for 4k. So I am over the moon. If I had the cash I would have snapped 2 up in a heartbeat, but I am already over budget to what wifey let me so I should be greatful I guess :) All in due time

Awesome!!!! Good kill!

In other news, I'm in love with my new Monitor 9's. Ella and Louis have never sounded so good.

Matt

For a Paradigm system, I am looking at the Studios, but I'm curious about mixing in Monitors for the surrounds. ... Any opinions on the surrounds: Monitor vs. the ADP590s?
For a while after I upgraded from my Monitor 7v4s to the Studio 60v4s I currently have, I continued to use my ADP-370v3s. They seemed to work well together. Then I upgraded the ADP-370s to ADP-590s, and I noticed that the 590s blended much better with the S60s and - as was the case with the S60s vs. the M7s - they could be driven louder than the 370s without becoming "shrill". If they're within your budget, I suggest you go with the ADP-590s.

Hi,

I'm selecting speakers for a 5.1 system. Probably about 50/50 music/movies. For a Paradigm system, I am looking at the Studios, but I'm curious about mixing in Monitors for the surrounds.

Here's what I'm looking at:
LR: Studio 60 (maybe 20s, 100s probably too big)
C: 590 or 690

Surrounds: Monitor Surrounds
Sub: Monitor Sub (size: 12?) or Seismic 110.

Room: about 18x12, with openings to a larger area. 1600ft^3 listening/mixed use connected to another 3000 ft^3 by two hallways.

Any opinions on the surrounds: Monitor vs. the ADP590s? All my music is two channel audio, so I'm thinking the surrounds will primarily be used for movies.

For the subs: I will be looking at some ID subs, but the small Paradigms might be a better fit psychologically: convincing my wife that invisible (ie cute/tiny/etc) speakers is not the most important thing is still a work in progress. I'm keeping my fingers crossed when we visit some showrooms.

Comments?

thanks

That room is perfect for 100s and a 690. Since you are doing 50% music,I would replace the monitors with studio 10s.

Hi,

I'm selecting speakers for a 5.1 system. Probably about 50/50 music/movies. For a Paradigm system, I am looking at the Studios, but I'm curious about mixing in Monitors for the surrounds.

Here's what I'm looking at:
LR: Studio 60 (maybe 20s, 100s probably too big)
C: 590 or 690

Surrounds: Monitor Surrounds
Sub: Monitor Sub (size: 12?) or Seismic 110.

Room: about 18x12, with openings to a larger area. 1600ft^3 listening/mixed use connected to another 3000 ft^3 by two hallways.

Any opinions on the surrounds: Monitor vs. the ADP590s? All my music is two channel audio, so I'm thinking the surrounds will primarily be used for movies.

For the subs: I will be looking at some ID subs, but the small Paradigms might be a better fit psychologically: convincing my wife that invisible (ie cute/tiny/etc) speakers is not the most important thing is still a work in progress. I'm keeping my fingers crossed when we visit some showrooms.

Comments?

thanks I went with ADP-590's for surround against my room. Heard the surround 3's, but just thought they weren't up to matching the studios for home theater usage. Surround 3 are half the price BTW. Have fun in the showrooms spending time listening before deciding.

I went BTW with the s100's with the cc-590, as the cc-690 is too big for my HDTV stand and the cc-590 seemed to be perfectly balanced with the s100's when listening to a couple of BD's used for testing. Used Braveheart Blu-ray for particular battle scenes music/sound effects and Hit Man Returns: David Foster & Friends Blu-ray to check quality of concert audio playback.

Choosing a sub I put off (still undecided), as the dealer was pushing the new monitor sub line. I heard the monitor sub 10. At a another dealer I heard a UltraCube 10 that blended a lot better, not as noticeable as monitor sub in the room. Might still opt for sub 12 eventually.

At a another dealer I heard a UltraCube 10 that blended a lot better, not as noticeable as monitor sub in the room.

What do you mean "not as noticeable" and "blended a lot better"? Are you referring to its physical size?

The great thing about subwoofers is they do not require any type of timbre matching, hence why many people mix in ID subwoofers with their chosen speaker lines. Placement of the subwoofer(s) within the room will dictate how well they "blend" with the mains (i.e. whether the sound being heard is tight, boomy, weak, etc).

What do you mean "not as noticeable" and "blended a lot better"? Are you referring to its physical size?

The great thing about subwoofers is they do not require any type of timbre matching, hence why many people mix in ID subwoofers with their chosen speaker lines. Placement of the subwoofer(s) within the room will dictate how well they "blend" with the mains (i.e. whether the sound being heard is tight, boomy, weak, etc).

+1

I have 2 12" Hsu subs and they "blend" in very with my various Paradigms. I imagine Audyssey in my pre/pro helps a lot with that. My living room is far from ideal as a listening environment.

What do you mean "not as noticeable" and "blended a lot better"? Are you referring to its physical size?

The great thing about subwoofers is they do not require any type of timbre matching, hence why many people mix in ID subwoofers with their chosen speaker lines. Placement of the subwoofer(s) within the room will dictate how well they "blend" with the mains (i.e. whether the sound being heard is tight, boomy, weak, etc). At louder volumes, bass didn't seem as clean in the dealer demo. Maybe sub wasn't broken in? I liked the corrugated surround on the woofer look.

I am looking at doing a major upgrade to my system. This would be my first Paradigm purchase.

My current 7.1 system looks like this:

Integra DTR-8.8 Receiver (advertised as 140 WPC)
2 x Infinity Alpha 50 Fronts
1 x Infinity Alpha 37c Center
4 x Infinity Aplha 20 Bookshelves as Surrounds
1 x Infinity A-1200s Subwoofer


In my new 7.2 system, I will likely make the move to separates. I am looking at this:

Integra DHC-80.3 Preamplifier
2 x Emotiva XPA-5 5x200WPC Amplifier
2 x Paradigm Studio 100 v.5 Fronts
1 x Paradigm Studio CC-690 v.5 Center
4 x Paradigm Studio 20 v.5 Bookshelves as Surrounds
2 x Paradigm Studio SUB 15 Subwoofers


I auditioned the Studios at my local dealer on Saturday. They carry both the Preamp and the Speakers. They did feel they had to bad mouth the Emotivas when I mentioned that I would probably be using them.

My question, after all that, is what is the current list price for the Studios? The Paradigm website no longer seems to post any prices. From reading this thread a 15% discount off list seems reasonable. Is that still the case?

Thanks...

I'm just curious if any AVS members picked up that estate-sale Sig set from audiogon a few months back?

There was a listing in the bay area from the estate of a guy that had passed away and a friend was helping liquidate his equipment.
She was listing S8 v2 and C5 v2 and a pair of ADPs for like $6000 or so.

I let that deal slip through my fingers, will probably regret it for a long time :D

Was it any of you guys that snagged that set?

I am looking at doing a major upgrade to my system. This would be my first Paradigm purchase.


My question, after all that, is what is the current list price for the Studios? The Paradigm website no longer seems to post any prices. From reading this thread a 15% discount off list seems reasonable. Is that still the case?

Thanks...

www.bradfordshifi.com/prices.html

I think this is the latest.

That link to pricing didn't work for me.

I am looking at doing a major upgrade to my system. This would be my first Paradigm purchase.

My current 7.1 system looks like this:

Integra DTR-8.8 Receiver (advertised as 140 WPC)
2 x Infinity Alpha 50 Fronts
1 x Infinity Alpha 37c Center
4 x Infinity Aplha 20 Bookshelves as Surrounds
1 x Infinity A-1200s Subwoofer


In my new 7.2 system, I will likely make the move to separates. I am looking at this:

Integra DHC-80.3 Preamplifier
2 x Emotiva XPA-5 5x200WPC Amplifier
2 x Paradigm Studio 100 v.5 Fronts
1 x Paradigm Studio CC-690 v.5 Center
4 x Paradigm Studio 20 v.5 Bookshelves as Surrounds
2 x Paradigm Studio SUB 15 Subwoofers


I auditioned the Studios at my local dealer on Saturday. They carry both the Preamp and the Speakers. They did feel they had to bad mouth the Emotivas when I mentioned that I would probably be using them.

My question, after all that, is what is the current list price for the Studios? The Paradigm website no longer seems to post any prices. From reading this thread a 15% discount off list seems reasonable. Is that still the case?

Thanks...

Theres No reason to spend that much on two subs. You really need to be looking at alternatives like the hsu vtf15, and offerings from ryhmik, SVS, etc. I have two hsu vtf15s and i would be hard pressed to say the sub15 would even touch it. If you can save a good chunk of change, choosing different subs would be my advice and logical to consider.

I dont see any reason you can't get an easy 20% off the speakers, moreso if
buying all In one shot, 25% seems even obtainable.

The 20s are beefy bookshelfs and don't easily fit on the wall, so you should take that into consideration. The 10s are easier to deal with for the rear channels. I use the 20s as front heights and they work well. They also have the studios that can be mounted to the wall, which can help further your options for rear channels.

There's nothing wrong with the emotiva amps and i would venture these guys wouldn't know the difference in a blind test if it was done.

That link to pricing didn't work for me.

Weird, was able to see it fine on my iPad. Looks current to me also

I get this on my iPhone:

AccessDeniedAccess Denied68A6656707FD0298jEU40ZbObu765NtCuINUzkyf0/eKH6zZYe1FBT7GpYBZRQRTmmKNvjdsWvC+z1IQ

There's nothing wrong with the emotiva amps and i would venture these guys wouldn't know the difference in a blind test if it was done.

That's exactly what was going through my head when the salesman said it.

Got it to work. Wouldn't open directly from iPhone app. I then clicked the post to open it up and the blue underlined hyperlink shows and that worked. Thanks

www.bradfordshifi.com/prices.html

I think this is the latest.

That was perfect. Thanks...

I am looking at doing a major upgrade to my system. This would be my first Paradigm purchase.

My current 7.1 system looks like this:

Integra DTR-8.8 Receiver (advertised as 140 WPC)
2 x Infinity Alpha 50 Fronts
1 x Infinity Alpha 37c Center
4 x Infinity Aplha 20 Bookshelves as Surrounds
1 x Infinity A-1200s Subwoofer


In my new 7.2 system, I will likely make the move to separates. I am looking at this:

Integra DHC-80.3 Preamplifier
2 x Emotiva XPA-5 5x200WPC Amplifier
2 x Paradigm Studio 100 v.5 Fronts
1 x Paradigm Studio CC-690 v.5 Center
4 x Paradigm Studio 20 v.5 Bookshelves as Surrounds
2 x Paradigm Studio SUB 15 Subwoofers


I auditioned the Studios at my local dealer on Saturday. They carry both the Preamp and the Speakers. They did feel they had to bad mouth the Emotivas when I mentioned that I would probably be using them.

My question, after all that, is what is the current list price for the Studios? The Paradigm website no longer seems to post any prices. From reading this thread a 15% discount off list seems reasonable. Is that still the case?

Thanks...


Studio 100's are $3500/pr
CC690 is $1700
Studio 20's are $1400/pr
Sub 15 is $3200

Pricing increases if you want piano black. As for a discount, good luck with your dealer. Most Paradigm dealers will not discount, especially if you haven't bought with them before.

Studio 100's are $3500/pr
CC690 is $1700
Studio 20's are $1400/pr
Sub 15 is $3200

Pricing increases if you want piano black. As for a discount, good luck with your dealer. Most Paradigm dealers will not discount, especially if you haven't bought with them before.

Mine did, without hesitation. If a dealer expects me to pay him msrp, he won't get my business. This hobby is so overpriced, it's not funny. I also would consider looking at picking up these speakers used. You will save a bundle doing so... 2500 paradigms for v100s and 1100 paradigms for a used cc690.

As a reference, I got studio 20s with j29 stands for 1500 paradigms... Cc690 for 1474 paradigms with tax. I got my 100s for 2900 paradigms and a killer deal on two pairs of 10s. Some of my items were 15% off and some were 20% off. Where I made out good was a bulk order was made by my dealer so as long as I waited an additional 2 weeks, he passed the savings onto me from the shipping rates.

Mine did, without hesitation. If a dealer expects me to pay him msrp, he won't get my business. This hobby is so overpriced, it's not funny.
I must find out the name of your dealer. :) Could be worth a little drive down to HB!

Studio 100's are $3500/pr
CC690 is $1700
Studio 20's are $1400/pr
Sub 15 is $3200

Pricing increases if you want piano black. As for a discount, good luck with your dealer. Most Paradigm dealers will not discount, especially if you haven't bought with them before.Mine did, without hesitation. If a dealer expects me to pay him msrp, he won't get my business. This hobby is so overpriced, it's not funny. I also would consider looking at picking up these speakers used. You will save a bundle doing so... 2500 paradigms for v100s and 1100 paradigms for a used cc690.

As a reference, I got studio 20s with j29 stands for 1500 paradigms... Cc690 for 1474 paradigms with tax. I got my 100s for 2900 paradigms and a killer deal on two pairs of 10s. Some of my items were 15% off and some were 20% off. Where I made out good was a bulk order was made by my dealer so as long as I waited an additional 2 weeks, he passed the savings onto me from the shipping rates. Looks like its dependent on what being sold, and as you say shipping effects deal also. I got similar pricing, being part of a group order.

But as Need4spdnb said not all dealers work that way. I have three dealers in my area, and only one immediately offered me discount before sale after we agreed on what was to be sold, but he was a direct dealer and I could hitch on to a group order he was placing that night. Another shop where they work on home theater installs, where staff got commissions was all list price only. The third I think if I had dealt with him would have worked something out also.

BTW has there been any recent price increases for 2012 yet?

I must find out the name of your dealer. :) Could be worth a little drive down to HB!

Two kickass dealers here in San Diego county that you need to consider....

Looks like its dependent on what being sold, and as you say shipping effects deal also. I got similar pricing, being part of a group order.

But as Need4spdnb said not all dealers work that way. I have three dealers in my area, and only one immediately offered me discount before sale after we agreed on what was to be sold, but he was a direct dealer and I could hitch on to a group order he was placing that night. Another shop where they work on home theater installs, where staff got commissions was all list price only. The third I think if I had dealt with him would have worked something out also.

BTW has there been any recent price increases for 2012 yet?

True, it's about finding the right dealer, which is a direct dealer. They do a lot of custom theater installs as well. I was there 3 weeks ago and there hasnt been any price increases yet. I'm not sure paradigm would fare well after jacking up the prices last year. That would force a lot of people to consider bw and focal, though I find focals speakers to be rather ugly looking.

Two kickass dealers here in San Diego county that you need to consider....



True, it's about finding the right dealer, which is a direct dealer. They do a lot of custom theater installs as well. I was there 3 weeks ago and there hasnt been any price increases yet. I'm not sure paradigm would fare well after jacking up the prices last year. That would force a lot of people to consider bw and focal, though I find focals speakers to be rather ugly looking.

I paid $6000 for the studio 100 v.5 (all piano black), the cc-690 v.5. the ADP590s, and about $900 worth of custom cable bi-wired to my specifications for the fronts plus CA tax at 9.25%. He knew I was looking to possibility buy out of state so he sweetened the deal. Was it the best deal ever? No but I will always go back to him when I feel the need to upgrade.

I am looking at doing a major upgrade to my system. This would be my first Paradigm purchase.

My current 7.1 system looks like this:

Integra DTR-8.8 Receiver (advertised as 140 WPC)
2 x Infinity Alpha 50 Fronts
1 x Infinity Alpha 37c Center
4 x Infinity Aplha 20 Bookshelves as Surrounds
1 x Infinity A-1200s Subwoofer


In my new 7.2 system, I will likely make the move to separates. I am looking at this:

Integra DHC-80.3 Preamplifier
2 x Emotiva XPA-5 5x200WPC Amplifier
2 x Paradigm Studio 100 v.5 Fronts
1 x Paradigm Studio CC-690 v.5 Center
4 x Paradigm Studio 20 v.5 Bookshelves as Surrounds
2 x Paradigm Studio SUB 15 Subwoofers


I auditioned the Studios at my local dealer on Saturday. They carry both the Preamp and the Speakers. They did feel they had to bad mouth the Emotivas when I mentioned that I would probably be using them.

My question, after all that, is what is the current list price for the Studios? The Paradigm website no longer seems to post any prices. From reading this thread a 15% discount off list seems reasonable. Is that still the case?

Thanks...

If I was buying all that from dealer I'd see if he give you a package deal inlcuding amplifiers from Anthem instead of going with Emotiva (that is if they carry Anthem). I'm not saying Emotiva is bad, but if you can get a deal.....Anthem will hold their value better. I'd love to have one Sub 15.......not to mention two.

Acknowledged Paradigm Fan

Just chiming in here as a now, new to me paradigm owner :)

Always wanted a great setup.. but honestly at this stage in life it seemed out of reach (divorced single dad, two teenagers, crappy job market in this area etc etc etc). Luckily I am a relentless bargain hunter :D Home theater, and relaxing to some music has always been a huge part of my life.

Anyway a long time ago I seen a set of speakers at a local pawnshop that sparked my interest, but they had $1299 on them and I knew at the time they were out of my price range. Well I went back 8 months later and they were still sitting there gathering dust... so I asked about them. The clerk told me that it was a set including two speakers, a center channel, a sub, a 5 disc CD changer, and a receiver.... but the surrounds were no where to be found. She said that someone else just asked about them and they went down to $500 and the person still wasn't interested. So I took some notes went home, researched.... and went back the next day to haggle them back down since the surrounds were missing.

I got it all for $400

Integra DTR-5.3
2x Paradigm Studio 60 v2 black ash
Paradigm CC-370 center channel
Polk PSW50
Sony 5 disc changer

First thing I did was order a new sub! I just missed the damned Outlaw Audio LFM-1 EX for $549 shipped by a day! I searched for a week and a half and finally bought a Outlaw Audio LFM-1 Plus bstock for $489 shipped. This would already be better than any other sub I have ever owned, plus they seem to hold thier value well on ebay lol, so if I want to get something better later on I can resell for almost what I paid and upgrade.

Right now I have been searching night and day for matching surrounds for this setup but in the mean time I am using some JBL control 5s I had. I have even expanded craigslist searches to 400 miles hoping to find a deal and someone willing to ship. I may just wait though as I have seen several sets of Studio 100's for under $800 I could buy those for fronts and use the 60s for surrounds :D (sellers might not be willing to ship though)

Anyway the previous setup I had was a Denon 588 receiver with Boston acoustics MCS130 speakers I picked up form biglots for $249..eventually I took that setup to my fiance's house since we watched movies there all the time...but I missed surround at my house so I started scouring and dumpster diving and etc and was using:

Yamaha HTR-5940 ($5 yard sale)
2x Technics SB-A27 (trash pickup, nothing wrong with them at all!)
Infinity Sterling Video center channel ($5 yard sale)
2x Pioneer s-h153b-k for surrounds ($6 good will)

I also picked up a set of JBL 4410s and 4408s that needed re-foamed (for free!) the re-foaming would have been cheap and I may still do this but with winter here and no insulation in the garage it makes it hard to do so, but then the paradigms fell in to my lap instant gradification :D ! All I was missing was a sub... anyway I am now selling my old setup to a friend for $250 with the polk sub and the sony disc changer... (he was looking at crappy little HTIB sets with tinny little speakers for more than that) so technically I paid $166 for the upgrade and $489 for the sub bringing my total to $655

I was going to upgrade the receiver but I think I will wait for either a really good deal on a 125w+ 20Hz-20kHz @ 8Ohm RMS receiver or Amp, or wait till next tax season, my main goal right now are surrounds to match up. DTS-HD and Dolby true HD arent a priority since I am using a HTPC and Arcsoft TMT to decode these formats through a SoundBlaster X-fi to the integra receiver. But the temptation for more headroom with less distortion is there!

I'm slowly getting there but as stated in this and many threads here it quickly becomes an addiction!

I paid $6000 for the studio 100 v.5 (all piano black), the cc-690 v.5. the ADP590s, and about $900 worth of custom cable bi-wired to my specifications for the fronts plus CA tax at 9.25%. He knew I was looking to possibility buy out of state so he sweetened the deal. Was it the best deal ever? No but I will always go back to him when I feel the need to upgrade.

Well you did get piano black, so I don't think you did all that bad for $6k my friend. My mirages were piano gloss and they became print magnets from the toddlers. I went black ash since there was a 8 week wait on the rosewood at the time.

I still think the mirage rosewood finish is the nicest out there. I'm still happy with the black ash :D

Just chiming in here as a now, new to me paradigm owner :)

Always wanted a great setup.. but honestly at this stage in life it seemed out of reach (divorced single dad, two teenagers, crappy job market in this area etc etc etc). Luckily I am a relentless bargain hunter :D Home theater, and relaxing to some music has always been a huge part of my life.

Anyway a long time ago I seen a set of speakers at a local pawnshop that sparked my interest, but they had $1299 on them and I knew at the time they were out of my price range. Well I went back 8 months later and they were still sitting there gathering dust... so I asked about them. The clerk told me that it was a set including two speakers, a center channel, a sub, a 5 disc CD changer, and a receiver.... but the surrounds were no where to be found. She said that someone else just asked about them and they went down to $500 and the person still wasn't interested. So I took some notes went home, researched.... and went back the next day to haggle them back down since the surrounds were missing.

I got it all for $400

Integra DTR-5.3
2x Paradigm Studio 60 v2 black ash
Paradigm CC-370 center channel
Polk PSW50
Sony 5 disc changer

First thing I did was order a new sub! I just missed the damned Outlaw Audio LFM-1 EX for $549 shipped by a day! I searched for a week and a half and finally bought a Outlaw Audio LFM-1 Plus bstock for $489 shipped. This would already be better than any other sub I have ever owned, plus they seem to hold thier value well on ebay lol, so if I want to get something better later on I can resell for almost what I paid and upgrade.

Right now I have been searching night and day for matching surrounds for this setup but in the mean time I am using some JBL control 5s I had. I have even expanded craigslist searches to 400 miles hoping to find a deal and someone willing to ship. I may just wait though as I have seen several sets of Studio 100's for under $800 I could buy those for fronts and use the 60s for surrounds :D (sellers might not be willing to ship though)

Anyway the previous setup I had was a Denon 588 receiver with Boston acoustics MCS130 speakers I picked up form biglots for $249..eventually I took that setup to my fiance's house since we watched movies there all the time...but I missed surround at my house so I started scouring and dumpster diving and etc and was using:

Yamaha HTR-5940 ($5 yard sale)
2x Technics SB-A27 (trash pickup, nothing wrong with them at all!)
Infinity Sterling Video center channel ($5 yard sale)
2x Pioneer s-h153b-k for surrounds ($6 good will)

I also picked up a set of JBL 4410s and 4408s that needed re-foamed (for free!) the re-foaming would have been cheap and I may still do this but with winter here and no insulation in the garage it makes it hard to do so, but then the paradigms fell in to my lap instant gradification :D ! All I was missing was a sub... anyway I am now selling my old setup to a friend for $250 with the polk sub and the sony disc changer... (he was looking at crappy little HTIB sets with tinny little speakers for more than that) so technically I paid $166 for the upgrade and $489 for the sub bringing my total to $655

I was going to upgrade the receiver but I think I will wait for either a really good deal on a 125w+ 20Hz-20kHz @ 8Ohm RMS receiver or Amp, or wait till next tax season, my main goal right now are surrounds to match up. DTS-HD and Dolby true HD arent a priority since I am using a HTPC and Arcsoft TMT to decode these formats through a SoundBlaster X-fi to the integra receiver. But the temptation for more headroom with less distortion is there!

I'm slowly getting there but as stated in this and many threads here it quickly becomes an addiction!

Sounds like you got the system you wanted for a price that will not break the bank. Good for you and share some photos of your new toys if you get a second! :D

Well you did get piano black, so I don't think you did all that bad for $6k my friend. My mirages were piano gloss and they became print magnets from the toddlers. I went black ash since there was a 8 week wait on the rosewood at the time.

I still think the mirage rosewood finish is the nicest out there. I'm still happy with the black ash :D

Thanks Venomous! I like the Rosewood the best too but I wanted the speakers to disappear when the lights went low.

Thanks Venomous! I like the Rosewood the best too but I wanted the speakers to disappear when the lights went low.

Do you get any reflections? I haven't seen the studios in piano gloss so I'm not sure what part of the speaker is glossy.

Waiting on the sub to arrive, can post pictures later on when it arrives.

I also have been teetering on getting an Optoma HD20 or 180. Since I also took my Philips 52" 7403 over to her house to mount on the wall I didn't have a set at my house. But again sticking with the whole relentless bargain hunter I picked up a 65" Mitsubishi DLP set that wasn't working right for free :D It had two problems, one the light was going dim and flickering and the second was display corruption.

I didn't get to see the display corruption right away, but the dim / flickering light was immediately apparent. Turns out the bulb assembly wasn't screwed in all the way, and somehow the bulb was out of alignment in the assembly. Fixed that, and then after time the corruption started showing up.

Turned out the main video processor in it didn't have a heat sink on it and was overheating causing some massive display corruption. I only found this out after researching part replacements and seen a picture of them mainboard...and on this picture was a heat sink that wasn't on mine. After tinkering with it for a while I finally took a CPU heat sink and fan (tapped in to an internal power connection to run the fan, found this in the service manuals) and thermal epoxied it to the main chip. No problems since!

Only problem I do have however is the CC-370 was waaay bigger than my previous center channel and no longer fits in the shelf on the entertainment stand. Right now I have it in front of the HDTV set and it hangs off a bit. I am just concerned doing this as I know for one I am really restricting the airflow for the center channels output so it isn't going to sound as good as it could. Second I notice at higher volumes the TV is almost flickering so I don't know if it is picking up interference form the center channel or the vibrations from it are causing problems, and lastly it looks like crap hanging off partially.



And if your wondering why I took so much to my fiances house, it's because I am there most of the time. I typically am only at home at night every other day and every other weekend when I have my kids. I got tired of not having a half way decent setup to watch movies and TV on at her house lol

Do you get any reflections? I haven't seen the studios in piano gloss so I'm not sure what part of the speaker is glossy.

They are shiny and reflective, and they are beautiful.

But they absolutely do reflect light depending on their position. A friend of mine puts acoustically transparent "cover bags" over them when watching a movie.

found a deal on a Onkyo HTRC270 for less than $350 shipped used or $430 refurbed.... teetering on ordering this.

I know it would provide a little more power thus giving me the headroom I was wanting. But how would it fit with these speakers (the cc-370 and Studio 60s mentioned earlier) compared to my current integra dtr-5.3 (brightness, warmth etc), how much benefit would I get with the audyssey features, and using the HTPCs HDMI audio over the Soundblaster X-Fi 6 channel out..etc etc

This quesiton might be more for the Recievers forum but figured I would ask here first since I am mainly trying to get the most out of these monitors.

Im stuck and need some help from fellow members. Ive heard the Paradigm Monitor series and enjoyed the sound they produced. Im stuck between a rock and a hard place.

How would the EMP Tek compare to the Paradigm Monitor series?

I have on order a Outlaw LFM-1 EX.


I have the ability to pick up Paradigm Monitor 11 V.6 for $1050 shipped with the paradigm cc-290 for $350 shipped.

How would the paradigm V.6 be matched up with the EMP's?

$875 for the EMP 3.0
vs
$1400 for the Paradigm V.6 3.0

Im stuck and need some help from fellow members. Ive heard the Paradigm Monitor series and enjoyed the sound they produced. Im stuck between a rock and a hard place.

How would the EMP Tek compare to the Paradigm Monitor series?

I have on order a Outlaw LFM-1 EX.

I have the ability to pick up Paradigm Monitor 11 V.6 for $1050 shipped with the paradigm cc-290 for $350 shipped.

How would the paradigm V.6 be matched up with the EMP's?

$875 for the EMP 3.0
vs
$1400 for the Paradigm V.6 3.0
Are these B-stock of EMP Tek E55Ti towers ($795), with E5ci center ($220)?
Check out this review of EMP Tek 7.1 system (http://www.trustedreviews.com/EMP-Tek-Impression-IMP-7-1-2_Surround-Sound-System_review).
Now compare that to a review of Monitor 11 v6 system (http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/paradigm_monitor11v6_cc390v6_adp390v6_ultracube12.htm). See also Mini, CC-290 & ADP-190 Review - Paradigm (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=paradigm%20cc-290&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CFYQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paradigm.com%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom _joomdoc%26task%3Ddoc_download%26gid%3D755%26Itemid%3D8&ei=GNs6T5PgE6qB0QH_5eDJCw&usg=AFQjCNFxNRQhjwCC4uV_TB_FsfNd7IHEZQ&cad=rja)

The monitor v6 series was pretty well supported via dealer network and via Company. EMP you would need to deal with the company (Utah). Your call.

Hey guys,

I decided to stop and talk to my salesman that has sold me all of my purchases for the last few years to talk to him about a possible upgrade to Studios later down the line (don't worry, it wouldn't be until at least early summer and I would only do it if I had cash saved up, no credit.....being responsible with this hobby for now on).

After some discussion he was willing to do the Studio 60's for $1999 and the CC-690 for $1399. He is also going to give me trade-in credit for my current Version 7 Monitor 9's and Center 3 (amount to be determined once he speaks with the owner but he said it would be a minimum of $1000). He did say that had I kept the original boxes he would have been able to give me full credit so I'm kicking myself for not holding onto them :(

I also asked him about any rumors of a possible revision to the Studio line (since I don't want to find myself in the position of upgrading and then a new line coming out within a few months like what happened with my Monitor purchases). He said their Paradigm rep is stopping in next week and he would gladly ask him about the Studio line and any possible things they were looking at reviving in the near future.

Again, I must stress this is all just interested research at possible prices and overall cost just so I know what I would be up against should I find myself with the means to conveniently upgrade. Not going to run before I walk with this one :)


So, my questions:
1.) How many CC-690 owners have the Paradigm J-18c speaker stand? Does it allow for speaker tilt so it can be aimed at head position? Is there a cheaper stand anyone is using that is just as sturdy that holds the speaker without any modifications?

2.) For pure movie use, should I be worried about timbre matching my surround and height speakers? Right now I use Axiom QS8's for surrounds and Axiom On-Wall speakers for heights....they match well with my Monitor speakers but didn't know if they would pose a possible problem should I go the Studio route.

3.) Are those quoted prices fair, in your opinions?

Thanks guys!

Hey guys,

I decided to stop and talk to my salesman that has sold me all of my purchases for the last few years to talk to him about a possible upgrade to Studios later down the line (don't worry, it wouldn't be until at least early summer and I would only do it if I had cash saved up, no credit.....being responsible with this hobby for now on).

After some discussion he was willing to do the Studio 60's for $1999 and the CC-690 for $1399. He is also going to give me trade-in credit for my current Version 7 Monitor 9's and Center 3 (amount to be determined once he speaks with the owner but he said it would be a minimum of $1000). He did say that had I kept the original boxes he would have been able to give me full credit so I'm kicking myself for not holding onto them :(

I also asked him about any rumors of a possible revision to the Studio line (since I don't want to find myself in the position of upgrading and then a new line coming out within a few months like what happened with my Monitor purchases). He said their Paradigm rep is stopping in next week and he would gladly ask him about the Studio line and any possible things they were looking at reviving in the near future.

Again, I must stress this is all just interested research at possible prices and overall cost just so I know what I would be up against should I find myself with the means to conveniently upgrade. Not going to run before I walk with this one :)


So, my questions:
1.) How many CC-690 owners have the Paradigm J-18c speaker stand? Does it allow for speaker tilt so it can be aimed at head position? Is there a cheaper stand anyone is using that is just as sturdy that holds the speaker without any modifications?

2.) For pure movie use, should I be worried about timbre matching my surround and height speakers? Right now I use Axiom QS8's for surrounds and Axiom On-Wall speakers for heights....they match well with my Monitor speakers but didn't know if they would pose a possible problem should I go the Studio route.

3.) Are those quoted prices fair, in your opinions?

Thanks guys!

Those are great prices, so jump on it when you get the cash!

I have a custom ordered cc690. Mine has both the bottom feet to use with a stand or sit atop of a tabletop. I also have the outrigger feet as well, which really makes the center stand out. I'm using the bottom feet right now. I'm pretty sure the paradigm stand is angled about 15 degrees upward for use with the bottom feet.

You're surround will work fine since you really won't have dialog going to them. If you plan to listen to any multichannel music then you may notice a difference.

Hey guys,

I decided to stop and talk to my salesman that has sold me all of my purchases for the last few years to talk to him about a possible upgrade to Studios later down the line (don't worry, it wouldn't be until at least early summer and I would only do it if I had cash saved up, no credit.....being responsible with this hobby for now on).

After some discussion he was willing to do the Studio 60's for $1999 and the CC-690 for $1399. He is also going to give me trade-in credit for my current Version 7 Monitor 9's and Center 3 (amount to be determined once he speaks with the owner but he said it would be a minimum of $1000). He did say that had I kept the original boxes he would have been able to give me full credit so I'm kicking myself for not holding onto them :(

I also asked him about any rumors of a possible revision to the Studio line (since I don't want to find myself in the position of upgrading and then a new line coming out within a few months like what happened with my Monitor purchases). He said their Paradigm rep is stopping in next week and he would gladly ask him about the Studio line and any possible things they were looking at reviving in the near future.

Again, I must stress this is all just interested research at possible prices and overall cost just so I know what I would be up against should I find myself with the means to conveniently upgrade. Not going to run before I walk with this one :)


So, my questions:
1.) How many CC-690 owners have the Paradigm J-18c speaker stand? Does it allow for speaker tilt so it can be aimed at head position? Is there a cheaper stand anyone is using that is just as sturdy that holds the speaker without any modifications?

2.) For pure movie use, should I be worried about timbre matching my surround and height speakers? Right now I use Axiom QS8's for surrounds and Axiom On-Wall speakers for heights....they match well with my Monitor speakers but didn't know if they would pose a possible problem should I go the Studio route.

3.) Are those quoted prices fair, in your opinions?

Thanks guys!

Your getting a descent discount on the Studio's and think that's a fair deal if you've been a long time customer.

I wouldn't worry about the Axiom surrounds, having the front three match is much more important.

The J-18 stand is angled up a bit, I forget what the angle is on it though. If it's not enough you could also just raise the front carpet spikes a bit as well, they don't need to be screwed in all the way as long as you make sure the nut is on tight.

Do you get any reflections? I haven't seen the studios in piano gloss so I'm not sure what part of the speaker is glossy.

They will reflect with light but they are in a room where they are pointed directly at me and I have not had any issues when watching movies. I would buy them all over again! One of the things I really liked when I bought them was that it was the first time they had offered them in the Studio line and they had the option on the Signatures so sometimes when I close my eyes I imagine I bought the Signatures. I know it stupid...

They will reflect with light but they are in a room where they are pointed directly at me and I have not had any issues when watching movies. I would buy them all over again! One of the things I really liked when I bought them was that it was the first time they had offered them in the Studio line and they had the option on the Signatures so sometimes when I close my eyes I imagine I bought the Signatures. I know it stupid...

Lol, that's great. Well one day I may own signatures :)

Hi Crew-

Have been following the forum for a few years, and now it's my turn.

I currently have:
2 x Monitor 11 v3's
1 x cc370
2 x titans (can't remember model)
1 x Seismic 12
Arcam AVR350

My goal is to get the best bang for my budget ($5k) on the fronts.

I haven't auditioned any Paradigms yet, but will this weekend.

I have listened to PSB Synchrony 1 and Monitor Audio Gold GX200 so far.

My front-runner is the MA GX200 and need to know what Paradigms I should consider.

I'm guessing I'm looking at Signature 6 or Maybe Studio 60's/100's?

Curious what everyone's experiences with these comparisons might be.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Crew-

Have been following the forum for a few years, and now it's my turn.

I currently have:
2 x Monitor 11 v3's
1 x cc370
2 x titans (can't remember model)
1 x Seismic 12
Arcam AVR350

My goal is to get the best bang for my budget ($5k) on the fronts.

I haven't auditioned any Paradigms yet, but will this weekend.

I have listened to PSB Synchrony 1 and Monitor Audio Gold GX200 so far.

My front-runner is the MA GX200 and need to know what Paradigms I should consider.

I'm guessing I'm looking at Signature 6 or Maybe Studio 60's/100's?

Curious what everyone's experiences with these comparisons might be.

Thanks in advance!

Are you listening to mostly music, movies or a combination and what percentage? What size is your room, and what are the goals of your system? Do you do mostly 2-channel, do you want a full HT system? :D

Are you listening to mostly music, movies or a combination and what percentage? What size is your room, and what are the goals of your system? Do you do mostly 2-channel, do you want a full HT system? :D

Good questions!

Room: short term it's like 20' x 20' in open concept main floor.

Usage is 50% music, 25% movies, 25% TV

Goals:
Build out 2-channel system, but be able to expand into HT once I build basement HT (a good 2 years out as baby is on the way).

Hi Crew-

Have been following the forum for a few years, and now it's my turn.

I currently have:
2 x Monitor 11 v3's
1 x cc370
2 x titans (can't remember model)
1 x Seismic 12
Arcam AVR350

My goal is to get the best bang for my budget ($5k) on the fronts.

I haven't auditioned any Paradigms yet, but will this weekend.

I have listened to PSB Synchrony 1 and Monitor Audio Gold GX200 so far.

My front-runner is the MA GX200 and need to know what Paradigms I should consider.

I'm guessing I'm looking at Signature 6 or Maybe Studio 60's/100's?

Curious what everyone's experiences with these comparisons might be.

Thanks in advance!I heard both the PSB Synchrony 1's and the new Monitor Audio GX200's before. A bit different sounding each. The GX200 offers a cleaner high end openess then the PSB because they now utilize ribbon tweeters (use to be in Platinum line only), but the GX200 can't generate those low notes like the PSB Synchrony 1 can for orchestral playback.
You right listening to the Signature 6's and Studio 100's would be good candidates for your consideration.

Hi Crew-

Have been following the forum for a few years, and now it's my turn.

I currently have:
2 x Monitor 11 v3's
1 x cc370
2 x titans (can't remember model)
1 x Seismic 12
Arcam AVR350

My goal is to get the best bang for my budget ($5k) on the fronts.

I haven't auditioned any Paradigms yet, but will this weekend.

I have listened to PSB Synchrony 1 and Monitor Audio Gold GX200 so far.

My front-runner is the MA GX200 and need to know what Paradigms I should consider.

I'm guessing I'm looking at Signature 6 or Maybe Studio 60's/100's?

Curious what everyone's experiences with these comparisons might be.

Thanks in advance!

You will be able to do a pair of studio 100s with a cc690 center on that budget. Signature line will cost you $6k minimum just for two speakers. Your ears will tell you which sound better but your budget may force you to the studios.

I couldn't swallow the price of the signatures versus the studios for the difference in the sound quality, though noticeable , i had to draw the line in the sand.If I was a 2 channel audio guy, I would have a pair of S8s :D this hobby can send you home broke with serious buyers remorse if you make an irrational decision.

Prepare an audio cd with tracks you know very well and give them a spin on both speakers. Be sure the dealer doesn't trick you by playing the high end signatures on high end pre/pros and amps. You want both series speakers to be driven by the exact same system and EQ settings. I've ran into this in the past, so be vigilant. Good luck!

Who has experience with paradigm outdoor speakers (any model)? I'm curious about sound quality and durability. Looking forward to the summer and having my 3rd zone in the backyard. the yard is fenced in and about 2500sq.ft.

Just reporting back in that Im in love with my Paradigm Monitor 9 V7's. Soooooooo nice.

-Matt

You will be able to do a pair of studio 100s with a cc690 center on that budget. Signature line will cost you $6k minimum just for two speakers. Your ears will tell you which sound better but your budget may force you to the studios.

I couldn't swallow the price of the signatures versus the studios for the difference in the sound quality, though noticeable , i had to draw the line in the sand.If I was a 2 channel audio guy, I would have a pair of S8s :D this hobby can send you home broke with serious buyers remorse if you make an irrational decision. The s6/pr you could probably get discounted down to 5k. It interesting trying to make a decision on the center if needed. (music vs home theater).

There is a review (http://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=87:paradigm-reference-signature-s6-v3-c3-v3-apd3-v3-sub-1-home-theater-speaker-system&catid=38&Itemid=2) posted concerning Signature S6/C3/ADP3/Sub 1 system that looks like a super system. The sig6 v3 on their own do well enough for music reproduction, and adding the C3, adp3 do very well for multichannel audio, even without a sub, although you want a sub for lowest octave sound.

So this got me wondering on how the studio 100's fare to the sig6's. Sorta similar except the studio 100 has additional 7" woofer. The speakers are about the same size, and weight, does the s100 have a bit more bass or not compared to the s6? Paradigm is a bit odd with their anechoic specs as the much smaller studio 60 are rated the same low end (45hz, 2 db point)

Another question that I have is the matching of the C3 to the sig6, which is similar to studio 100 to cc-590 versus using a C5 or CC-690. Yes we know the later is designed for much larger rooms (higher output), and more towards home theater usage, but does that huge 6 speaker center tend to dominate versus the 4 speaker center when used in smaller rooms (15 x15 or 15 x20)? Yes I am aware of how this giant center adds a bit more bass to the mix. :)

The s6/pr you could probably get discounted down to 5k. It interesting trying to make a decision on the center if needed. (music vs home theater).

There is a review (http://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=87:paradigm-reference-signature-s6-v3-c3-v3-apd3-v3-sub-1-home-theater-speaker-system&catid=38&Itemid=2) posted concerning Signature S6/C3/ADP3/Sub 1 system that looks like a super system. The sig6 v3 on their own do well enough for music reproduction, and adding the C3, adp3 do very well for multichannel audio, even without a sub, although you want a sub for lowest octave sound.

So this got me wondering on how the studio 100's fare to the sig6's. Sorta similar except the studio 100 has additional 7" woofer. The speakers are about the same size, and weight, does the s100 have a bit more bass or not compared to the s6? Paradigm is a bit odd with their anechoic specs as the much smaller studio 60 are rated the same low end (45hz, 2 db point)

Another question that I have is the matching of the C3 to the sig6, which is similar to studio 100 to cc-590 versus using a C5 or CC-690. Yes we know the later is designed for much larger rooms (higher output), and more towards home theater usage, but does that huge 6 speaker center tend to dominate versus the 4 speaker center when used in smaller rooms (15 x15 or 15 x20)? Yes I am aware of how this giant center adds a bit more bass to the mix. :)

Well it's hard to make a decision unless you hear it because ultimately, you're the one who has to be happy in the end.

I spent a lot of time with both the cc590 and 690. IMHO because of the size of the 100s and number of woofers/midbass, the 690 is a better match with the studio 60s/100s. With the 590 volume and punch was missing and the LCR wasn't equal, meaning the center had a sort of drop off. This was very noticeable to me with movie playback but not noticeable during music playback. With a studio 20s as your main l/r channel, the 590 works very well. Now, this is to my ears personally.

My best advice is to play both the c3 and c5 with the S6 and see how it sounds. You may not find a difference like I did because the signatures are a bit different then the studios. You could be fine with the performance of that setup. in music you probably won't recognize the c3 shortcomings, but with movies, I'm sure it will become quite noticeable like it did to me with the studio line.

When I heard the S8s in 2 channel mode, they had great bass, but would still benefit from a subwoofer for anything below 40hz. I'd imagine the same holds true with the S6s... But this also changes depending on the type of music you listen to as well.

Comparing the S6 to 100s is interesting, but I've never heard them compared. I did hear the S8 vs 100 and the differences were noticeable, but not enough for me to have to have them and spend that money. 100s sound pretty good without a sub in 2.0 mode, but you kind of need to crank it up to get the bass volume out if it.

In regards to multi channel music, which is something I really like, the adp's tossed off the sound because of the construction of the adp's box which is made of plastic. To me, it sounded like some cheap Bose speaker, which forced me to buy two airs of studio 10s for a little cheaper then a pair of adp590s. During movie play back, the adp590s sounded great.

I figure I would post my thoughts on the subject because reviews seem to be a bit soft in respects to performance. It was my money and I wanted the best system I could afford to meet my expectations in both movie and music performance. It's tough to expect speakers to perform equally well in both music and movies, but I believe the paradigm line of speakers do this quite well. The adp's just don't work that well with multichannel music playback like a pair of bookshelves in the same lineup.

Hi - I may have a chance to pick up some Atom V4s. Wondering if anyone knows how these might stack up against Energy speakers, like the CB 10/20 (not sure of the size comparison) or RC-10s, or Polk speakers like the RTIA1 or A3?

Thanks

Well it's hard to make a decision unless you hear it because ultimately, you're the one who has to be happy in the end.

I spent a lot of time with both the cc590 and 690. IMHO because of the size of the 100s and number of woofers/midbass, the 690 is a better match with the studio 60s/100s. With the 590 volume and punch was missing and the LCR wasn't equal, meaning the center had a sort of drop off. This was very noticeable to me with movie playback but not noticeable during music playback. With a studio 20s as your main l/r channel, the 590 works very well. Now, this is to my ears personally.

My best advice is to play both the c3 and c5 with the S6 and see how it sounds. You may not find a difference like I did because the signatures are a bit different then the studios. You could be fine with the performance of that setup. in music you probably won't recognize the c3 shortcomings, but with movies, I'm sure it will become quite noticeable like it did to me with the studio line.

When I heard the S8s in 2 channel mode, they had great bass, but would still benefit from a subwoofer for anything below 40hz. I'd imagine the same holds true with the S6s... But this also changes depending on the type of music you listen to as well.

Comparing the S6 to 100s is interesting, but I've never heard them compared. I did hear the S8 vs 100 and the differences were noticeable, but not enough for me to have to have them and spend that money. 100s sound pretty good without a sub in 2.0 mode, but you kind of need to crank it up to get the bass volume out if it.

In regards to multi channel music, which is something I really like, the adp's tossed off the sound because of the construction of the adp's box which is made of plastic. To me, it sounded like some cheap Bose speaker, which forced me to buy two airs of studio 10s for a little cheaper then a pair of adp590s. During movie play back, the adp590s sounded great.

I figure I would post my thoughts on the subject because reviews seem to be a bit soft in respects to performance. It was my money and I wanted the best system I could afford to meet my expectations in both movie and music performance. It's tough to expect speakers to perform equally well in both music and movies, but I believe the paradigm line of speakers do this quite well. The adp's just don't work that well with multichannel music playback like a pair of bookshelves in the same lineup.

I found the same thing when I had the 100's, you really have to lean on them to get good bass output. I've found that the S6's that I have now don't require as much volume for the bass to start to pick up.

Well it's hard to make a decision unless you hear it because ultimately, you're the one who has to be happy in the end.

I spent a lot of time with both the cc590 and 690. IMHO because of the size of the 100s and number of woofers/midbass, the 690 is a better match with the studio 60s/100s. With the 590 volume and punch was missing and the LCR wasn't equal, meaning the center had a sort of drop off. This was very noticeable to me with movie playback but not noticeable during music playback. With a studio 20s as your main l/r channel, the 590 works very well. Now, this is to my ears personally. Your HT room isn't cavernous by chance? :)

We all know that this works different for room sizes, setup, amps/avr's used (warm vs bright), and personal preferences. There really should be that much gain difference (LCR) unless you are driving the speakers fairly loud, even with no equalization. On the couple of demo's, admittedly in not that large of room in either case, I didn't hear that much difference, except the cc-690 was a little less compressed. Now the 590 should be a equivalent match for the studio 60 based on efficiency, and not so worse with the studio 100, so comment about perfect with studio 20's usage is interesting. But then I coming from a much older infinity 5.0 system with good bass from large L+R monitors, where center was never the size of Paradigm studio speakers! LOL ;)


In regards to multi channel music, which is something I really like, the adp's tossed off the sound because of the construction of the adp's box which is made of plastic. To me, it sounded like some cheap Bose speaker, which forced me to buy two airs of studio 10s for a little cheaper then a pair of adp590s. During movie play back, the adp590s sounded great.

The adp's just don't work that well with multichannel music playback like a pair of bookshelves in the same lineup. That I'll have test out, I had large rears earlier and enjoyed the power of Tron Legacy trying to test their limits. I was switching to a ADP's because of room layout rather then rear speakers pointed at seating area too close. Have several BD's (Return of David Foster, Sting, Adele) that would be good tests.

Your HT room isn't cavernous by chance? :)

Lol no, but it is large with a section that connects to the kitchen.

We all know that this works different for room sizes, setup, amps/avr's used (warm vs bright), and personal preferences. There really should be that much gain difference (LCR) unless you are driving the speakers fairly loud, even with no equalization. On the couple of demo's, admittedly in not that large of room in either case, I didn't hear that much difference, except the cc-690 was a little less compressed. Now the 590 should be a equivalent match for the studio 60 based on efficiency, and not so worse with the studio 100, so comment about perfect with studio 20's usage is interesting. But then I coming from a much older infinity 5.0 system with good bass from large L+R monitors, where center was never the size of Paradigm studio speakers! LOL ;)

I run large volumes and frequently have the volume between +35 - +25. It sounds really really good :) like I mentioned, you need to listen for yourself because we all hear differently between the 590 and 690. The 590 is a dwarf in comparison and ran into a few theater buffs who simply couldn't fit the 690 into their room.


That I'll have test out, I had large rears earlier and enjoyed the power of Tron Legacy trying to test their limits. I was switching to a ADP's because of room layout rather then rear speakers pointed at seating area too close. Have several BD's (Return of David Foster, Sting, Adele) that would be good tests.

they work great for movies and I understand room constraints. We're lucky that paradigm makes different types of speakers to accommodate our rooms. Let me know how everything pans out for you.

Just scored a set of brand new Paradigm Monitor 9 V7's for $800!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BOOM.

Please share where you found this. :eek:

Brian, lately I have been using searchtempest.com to scour craigslist, while not new I have found some great deals on there! I found (trying to find it again) a set of studio 100s in top shape from the pictures for $550, there is another set in seattle with not much of a description and a fuzzy camera phone pic for $500

wish I had saved the link for the first set that looked awesome :( I meant to try to e-mail them and see if I could convince them to ship lol

I completed agree with Venomous on pretty much everything he said in his post. I also found the Studio 60 and 100 both worked better with the CC-690, and it I was using the Studio 20 I would pair it with the CC-590. I really tried liking the 590 but to me there was no comparison to the 690, none.

I really like hearing you compare the S6 to the 100s and it is an interesting thing to discuss. I have always heard the main difference is the quality of the tweeter and was a better choice if you listened to mostly music. In a HT environment I think it would be hard to match the 100 but for music I would go with the S6 hands down. I too came very close to picking up the S6 but when I looked at the cost of the C5 I wanted as the center and saw the $4000 price I knew that the Studios would be the speakers for me. I had to draw a line in a sand somewhere.

Hi Crew-

Have been following the forum for a few years, and now it's my turn.

I currently have:
2 x Monitor 11 v3's
1 x cc370
2 x titans (can't remember model)
1 x Seismic 12
Arcam AVR350

My goal is to get the best bang for my budget ($5k) on the fronts.

I haven't auditioned any Paradigms yet, but will this weekend.

I have listened to PSB Synchrony 1 and Monitor Audio Gold GX200 so far.

My front-runner is the MA GX200 and need to know what Paradigms I should consider.

I'm guessing I'm looking at Signature 6 or Maybe Studio 60's/100's?

Curious what everyone's experiences with these comparisons might be.

Thanks in advance!

I know this is a Paradigm thread, but have you considered Ascend Seirra Tower speakers along with their new matching center channel speaker? I was VERY close to pulling the trigger on some Studio 100's and a CC-690 center channel, but after doing alot of research I'm going to go with the Seirra towers.

The Seirra towers from what I've read would compare to the Signature S6 towers, so they are a step up on the Studio 100's and are still cheaper then the 100's. The cabinets of the speakers are made from a beautiful bamboo wood and aren't an mdf cabinet with a wood veneer finish. Plus you have 30 days to try out the speakers and if you don't like them you can return for a full refund.

The studio 100's are very nice speakers and my local dealer personally lives around the corner from me and allowed me to use his personal studio 100's with the center channel in my theater for a week so I was able to try they out. But I still think for the money I'm going to go with the Seirra's, now I just have to order them.

Like I said I know this is a Paradigm thread, but I just thought it might be worth mentioning to you after I did about two weeks worth of reading and research a bunch of different brands of speakers, which included PSB, Paradigm, Focal, Monitor Audio and Axiom.

What's your point? Because I only have 44 posts I'm not allowed an opinion?
And you read the speaker forums and you've NEVER heard of Ascend Seirra towers? It's the thread that's usually always on the first page of the "speakers" thread on AVS.

Brand no one has heard of? Really? I hope that is sarcasm I am not picking up on. Who hasn't heard of ascend acoustics on this forum?

Either way I would give my left nut for the studio 100s or the Sierra towers.

I found the same thing when I had the 100's, you really have to lean on them to get good bass output. I've found that the S6's that I have now don't require as much volume for the bass to start to pick up. Thanks for that feedback, that's what i kinda expected, better speakers elements similar design, slightly lower bass crossover, resulting in a speaker that sounds better at lower volumes. Was that a studio 100 v5 or earlier version? Did placing the studio 100 closer to the wall when you said lean on them help any?

I really like hearing you compare the S6 to the 100s and it is an interesting thing to discuss. I have always heard the main difference is the quality of the tweeter and was a better choice if you listened to mostly music. In a HT environment I think it would be hard to match the 100 but for music I would go with the S6 hands down. I too came very close to picking up the S6 but when I looked at the cost of the C5 I wanted as the center and saw the $4000 price I knew that the Studios would be the speakers for me. I had to draw a line in a sand somewhere.I posed the question earlier about how the sig6 compared to the studio 100's, as the local dealers don't seem to stock the sig6 for demo's, only the sig8's for L+R, usually with a sub 25 or sub2 even.

I been comparing speakers for quite awhile, many brands, I also recognized the pricing differential between the studio and signature lines. Actually came down to whats a better deal for a given price point and Paradigm studio line seems to be best bang for the buck against music playback and home theater usage compared to other brands, although I think the revised monitor series 7 is very competitive also at its price point IMHO. :)

With only 544 posts I don't think so. :D

John my comment was in response to something that DenonLover had said to me, he has since sent me a pm to appologize and taken down his post.

Thanks for that feedback, that's what i kinda expected, better speakers elements similar design, slightly lower bass crossover, resulting in a speaker that sounds better at lower volumes. Was that a studio 100 v5 or earlier version? Did placing the studio 100 closer to the wall when you said lean on them help any?

I posed the question earlier about how the sig6 compared to the studio 100's, as the local dealers don't seem to stock the sig6 for demo's, only the sig8's for L+R, usually with a sub 25 or sub2 even.

I been comparing speakers for quite awhile, many brands, I also recognized the pricing differential between the studio and signature lines. Actually came down to whats a better deal for a given price point and Paradigm studio line seems to be best bang for the buck against music playback and home theater usage compared to other brands, although I think the revised monitor series 7 is very competitive also at its price point IMHO. :)

They were the v5 100's and the S6's I have now are v3's.

The speakers weren't really that far out from the wall to begin with, roughly 18' to the back of the speaker. Pushing them back further then put them out of line with the center channel and things just didn't blend together as well with them in that position. The imaging also suffered a bit as the tv seemed to cause unwanted reflections when the speakers were starting to be more in line with it. The s6's are in the same position as the 100's resided.

I know this is a Paradigm thread, but have you considered Ascend Seirra Tower speakers along with their new matching center channel speaker? I was VERY close to pulling the trigger on some Studio 100's and a CC-690 center channel, but after doing alot of research I'm going to go with the Seirra towers.

The Seirra towers from what I've read would compare to the Signature S6 towers, so they are a step up on the Studio 100's and are still cheaper then the 100's. The cabinets of the speakers are made from a beautiful bamboo wood and aren't an mdf cabinet with a vinyl wrap finish.
Note MDF is a preferred material over regular wood for speaker construction that is a lot stronger and more durable then particle board. Its density is consistent so that speakers built of this material will all sound the same, and will not resonate, or warp/shift with age. The studio series uses wood veneers on the outside, not vinyl.

Bamboo laminate used in the Sierra speakers is also not solid wood, the outside layer is bamboo, but inside it consists of different layers of ply or mdf that are glued together in such a way that they lie across each other.

Brian, lately I have been using searchtempest.com to scour craigslist, while not new I have found some great deals on there! I found (trying to find it again) a set of studio 100s in top shape from the pictures for $550, there is another set in seattle with not much of a description and a fuzzy camera phone pic for $500

wish I had saved the link for the first set that looked awesome :( I meant to try to e-mail them and see if I could convince them to ship lol

Thanks but I'm really leaning toward new. I missed out on some great closeout deals on Ebay/Amazon.:( Can dealers ship or does Paradigm not allow this? Anyone have suggestions for any dealers discounting at a decent percentage?

I was reading the post that the ascend's are better than the studio's and compare with the sig's. Wow, who knew? The poster said he did read that , so it must be true. If it is on the internet, then is has to be true. I guess I will put my studio's on ebay. Although this would not be the first time someone who owns speakers from an ID company has made claims like this. I have debated the subject of psychics, but my friend pointed out that there are articles on the internet that states they are real, So I have to re-think that also.I love it when people say I think, I heard, people tell me, or i've read. It would also mean that my dealer marks the sig's up about 250%. That b******!!! Maybe I should sell my studio's and just buy bose, room filling sound and you will also hear details that you never heard before...so I've heard...lol

Can dealers ship or does Paradigm not allow this? Anyone have suggestions for any dealers discounting at a decent percentage?Only sold locally through dealers. Although a another local to store friend could buy them for you. Search out and find a direct dealer locally.

Well;
I posted to facebook and got response from Paradigm.
(Jan 26, 2012 thru Feb 2, 2012 on Paradigm fb wall, http://www.facebook.com/paradigmloudspeakers/posts/308281709224438 )

Mike: is the ADP-390 a dipole, bipole, or .....
Paradigm: Di-pole, that what the "DP" in ADP stands for.
Paradigm: the ADP-390 can be used in any of the 4 surround positions. There is no left/right setting and no issues placing any of the speakers beside or behind the listening position.

Mike: Final Q for this fb thread: So this statement "There is no left/right setting and no issues placing any of the speakers beside or behind the listening position." means for your ADP-390 design you dispute the BobGolds diagram, is that a correct statement? I don't want to put words in your mouth.

Paradigm: The speakers they’re using are less sophisticated speakers that need to be switch activated to become dipolar. The ADP’s are a more sophisticated design and are bi-polar in some frequencies and dipolar in other frequencies.
The Bob Gold Diagram does not apply to our ADP speakers. If you want more direct surround you should not use di-pole or bi-pole speakers.

Original Q's from July-2011 in this thread:

Can anyone provide some feedback on the Dipole surround theory in a 7.1 setup, where it is said that the surround backs should be switched to correct they're polarity?
I was under the impression that the ADPs are not polarised therefore it shouldn't make a difference.

Well;
I see a lot of posts in this Paradigm owners thread about many things, I tried to engage people with this thread Jun-11-2011:
Q:
7.1 set-up of dipole surrounds (ADP-390) phase question

When I run audyssey it comes back saying my LH surrounds are out of phase....I have the + and - correctly connected on back Amp<>Speaker each of the 4, so I ignore it.

Now, as I have gained more insight into acoustics I questioned the side surrounds in/out of phase vs the back wall rear surrounds in/out of phase.

My HT layout and speakers are shown below.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-OYlhJXu-NJM/TZDf9NO7CvI/AAAAAAAAMng/lifsMgwOeFU/s400/HT%252520Plan%2525202x4%252520Seats-Riser.JPG


Then, I come across this diagram from
http://www.bobgolds.com/DipoleSurrounds/home.htm
which makes sense, the nulls are in the middle for the side walls, yet on the back wall with both on same wall they don't cancel each other between the speakers.
http://www.bobgolds.com/DipoleSurrounds/NewRoom.JPG


Guys, I'm not sure mine are wired like this...and when I look at the Paradigm website and the owners manual for the ADP-390's no where does it mention this....

How have others here with ADP-390's in their 7.1 set-up handled this?

and then this thread:
Maybe the Paradigm owners thread is the wrong place to discuss this?
Or, it's been discussed before and the "same" conclusions are reached...

Doing a search here on "dipole phase" there are some threads, mostly older, that have discussed this, here are some I found, all are 1 page thread except the one noted:
Do dipole surrounds come with Left and Right option? (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=792578)
Dipole vs Bipole (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1320501)
Bi-pole vs di-pole vs standard for surrounds (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1317605)
10 page thread: DIPOLE and BIPOLE SURROUND SPEAKER THREAD (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=874378)
Per this article, are my Paradigm dipoles (ADP 590s) lame? (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1055505)
Dipole phase question (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1079304)


I also modified just the the woofer driver polarity inside, so when I switched the main wire polarity going into the surround the woofer polarity was in correct phase with all the others, "+" as it points at each other / next to.
picts of re-wiring, actually easy to do.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qhIIf4rST0A/TfXtPUzrdoI/AAAAAAAAM1E/z0lWPc9DHRw/s288/IMG_0819.jpg https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NMxftKQscTw/TfXtP1H5Z8I/AAAAAAAAM1I/pol7NPIx6OU/s288/IMG_0820.jpg

Before clearly woofer is "+' in phase, I swapped the wires here, Red now goes to "-" and Black to "+".
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0isH5R2sE3g/TfXtQNZmm7I/AAAAAAAAM1M/oWV8scKnwJ0/s400/IMG_0822.jpg

Crossover board layout, I did NOT do anything here
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0f-sydjUcao/TfXtQZM760I/AAAAAAAAM1Q/tEtqwZfCrq4/s400/IMG_0825.jpg

Labeled the Back RH surround and LS Side surround as "modified":
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iY88ejrvAdM/TfXtQ9Sm9bI/AAAAAAAAM1U/LOoB4X4tCjY/s400/IMG_0833.jpg

By doing this I simply matched what a LH/RH hard wired from factory or a switch does.
Circled on RED are now modified as shown, woofer's are all "+" phase.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_dQmsTIQ8u0/TfY841-ltGI/AAAAAAAAM1s/Gu_heMf1GeQ/s640/HT%252520ADP-390%252520modified.jpg

Can I hear diff?
I got this done last night 10pm-ish and went to bed, I'll have to go thru my demo material.
Best would be if I had 2 more ADP-390's and could do a/b comparision....the dealer I bought these from, AVIO in Brighton, closed their store 8 months ago and only their Troy store is open, I had good repore with them and could have borrowed a set for weekend.
Anybody in SE Michigan with ADP-390's want to do some A/B comaprision of dipole surrounds?

Not 1 response.......I guess people in this Paradigm forum have no opinion on "Dipole surround theory in a 7.1 setup", or my 3 posts got lost in the multitude of posts.

I'll post this Q in the Audio theory, Setup and Chat where it might get more expert discussion.
The Setting Up Your Home Theater Audio 101 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=824554) has it under the "Speaker Layout" portion, so if the thinking has changed that link should be modified or removed if its no longer the best practice.

[edit]
I posted in that thread, here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=20720828#post20720828

I still want to know the witchcraft/black magic Paradigm employs to have bipole sound at low frequencies and dipole sound at higher frequencies :D

I still want to know the witchcraft/black magic Paradigm employs to have bipole sound at low frequencies and dipole sound at higher frequencies :D

From their specs, http://www.paradigm.com/joomdoc/products/monitor-speakers/adp-390/literature/monitor-series-data-sheet/details, below 250hz woofer that points out is the bipole sound and mid/tweet above 250hz each side is the dipole sound (I guess).

I have a question.

I am getting Monitor 11s and I am going to take advantage of front high and wides that my reciever supports.

The highs are going to be Atoms, but for wides, should the driver match the Monitor 11s mid driver or bass driver?

The Atoms driver matches the 11s mid driver and the Mini Monitors match the 11s bass driver.

Thoughts?

I was reading the post that the ascend's are better than the studio's and compare with the sig's. Wow, who knew? The poster said he did read that , so it must be true. If it is on the internet, then is has to be true. I guess I will put my studio's on ebay. Although this would not be the first time someone who owns speakers from an ID company has made claims like this. I have debated the subject of psychics, but my friend pointed out that there are articles on the internet that states they are real, So I have to re-think that also.I love it when people say I think, I heard, people tell me, or i've read. It would also mean that my dealer marks the sig's up about 250%. That b******!!! Maybe I should sell my studio's and just buy bose, room filling sound and you will also hear details that you never heard before...so I've heard...lol

I don't quit get what point you are trying to get across with this post? Are you directing this towards me in regards to my comments about the Seirra tower speakers?

I don't quit get what point you are trying to get across with this post? Are you directing this towards me in regards to my comments about the Seirra tower speakers?

I think the point he was trying to get across, albeit in a sarcastic way, is that it is one thing to READ how good any speaker is and another thing to HEAR how good said speakers are. That's why a lot of ID speaker companies offer 30day in-home trials because no true audiophile should commit to a speaker purchase based solely on other peoples reviews since one persons ears/taste will be widely different from another persons. You never know what your ears may like until you HEAR it compared to other speakers.

Case in point: my friend thought for years that his Klipsch speakers were the best sound ever until he heard my Paradigm setup last month to which he said "my [my friends] setup sounds like garbage compared to this". The reason why is because he never auditioned any other speakers.....he just bought a setup that was well reviewed and called it a day. Heck, for all he knows maybe B&W would be the be all end all sound he wants but he sure won't know if he never auditions them.

Long story short: let your ears compare some brands before pulling the trigger based on reviews alone. Especially when buying right from an ID company (make sure they have a trial period).

That's kind of what I figured. There's better ways to go about saying it though. Although if he read my original post he would see that I did have the current Studio 100's and CC-690 set up in my theater for a week to test them out. And while a great sounding set-up I feel you can get just as good if not better sounding speakers for less money then this set-up. It's not that I can't afford them, just that I want to make sure I explore every option out there. I could still very well end up with this set-up if I don't end up liking the Seirra towers with matching center.

Also I don't believe I said the Seirra's are better then Studio's, and after doing over two weeks of research and reading had come across posts from respected people in the speaker industry that had compared the new Seirra towers to Paradigm Signature S6 towers and were just as bit as good sound quality wise. These weren't people that owned the Seirra towers, just people that had gone to blind listening tests.

I'm certainly not trying to tell someone that the Seirra's are the best thing out there, I was just posted to someone that was looking at upgrading his fronts just as I am now too. And was suggesting that it "might" be worth taking a look at because from everything I have been able to gather are an excellent speaker for the money. And if they aren't your cup of tea, can be returned no questions asked within 30 days.

Hi everyone,

To anyone who may be interested, I have a video on youtube of my Studio 100 V.4 set up playing in stereo. I tried to attach a link here to make it easy but I can’t figure out how to make the link work correctly but it can be found by typing ’Studio 100 V.4 A/V set up’ in the search window. mvision7mhifhi channel.

COMPONENTS:
Paradigm Studio 100s V.4 Mains
Paradigm Studio CC690 Center
Yamaha RX-V3800 AVR
Emotiva XPA-2 amp powering the 100s
Panasonic TC-P55VT30 Plasma TV

The song is 'My Funny Valentine' playing in 'Pure Direct' mode through the AVR which means pure stereo, no subwoofer and no EQ. I don't know the names of the musicians playing the two bass' on this track as it was on a demo disc given to me with no track/artist listing unfortunately. The breathing you hear in the video is the musician on the left in the recording, when you sit in the sweet spot between the two main speakers you can distinctly hear each musician separately playing L/R of center. I will try to follow this up with others, hope you enjoyed the video.

Thanks for watching.