Paradigm Owners Thread?

[wrg2]

I'm curious, What Paradigm speakers do you use in your setup? What do you use to power them? What components do you use with them ie CD player, DVD, DAC's etc. Is your room acoustically treated? Are you pleased with your speakers in your setup? Did your Paradigms meet your expectations?

I'd like to hear from other Paradigm owners, and their opinions!

I have the Signature S2's as my dealer recommended for my size room being 11' x 12'. I have the Birdseye Maple Series. I have the S2's on sand filled Premier J29 stands, I have the C3 Center in a oak cabinet directly above my Sony XBR, I use a Veloydyne HGS sub in the right corner. Currently I'm using my left-over B&W wall mounted speakers direct firing on side walls facing the listening position. (My SIgnature ADPs should be here this week to replace the B&Ws.

I'm using an Arcam AVR300 to power the 5 speakers, the sub of course is self powered. I purchased a Arcam DV29 for DVD's and DVD-a multi-channel music, for two channel music I purchased an Arcam CD33, WOW...what a CD player I use the DV29 for DVA-a discs, and even though i've yet to tweak the settings, when I'm in my listening position I'm stoked by the multichannel disc play...This is my first experience with DVD-A ...Didn't even know what it was a few weeks ago. After listening to it I've already bought several good DVD-As I'm blown away with the separatiion and music/vocal qualities, the Arcam DV29 does an better than admirable job at 6ch analogue....certain old DVD-A CDs blow me away...Steely Dan, Santana Supernatural, Weather Report, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeplin...just to name a few. Excellent sonic separations into the channels.

...Not to get off track, My Signatures are new and I'm playing them constantly with all different kinds of music, and I've noticed a slight characteristic change with them, the are getting (I'n my amatuer descriptions) much clearer, I guess the higher frequencies, the mid range is getting deeper and tighter, and they seem to open up the soundstage to place instruments and vocals in different locations, I guess where you would expect them to be on stage in a live performance. I close my eyes sometimes just to imagine where each sound is comin from....they do that, they place where the sound originates from. Womesn vocals are excellent BTW..

Aside from Multichannel, two channel direct is superb!

I guess what I'm trying to convey is that I'm extremely pleased in my gear choices with the help from my salesman...The best I've heard in my home to date. My salesman wants to come over and further tweat it when I get the ADP's.

I'm sure that there is the "step-above-audio-crowd" with better gear and higher quality speakers, and way more expensive equipment than I have that could shame my setup...but in defense, this setup is the best I can afford pressently and I'm ecstatic

I'dlike to hear from other Paradigm owners and their setup, and how they think the Paradigms integrate into their systems? Love to hear some feedback

Oh, and one final question??? What are the dimensions of your listening room? Thanks...

[Snarl]

Currently I'm using;

Denon AVR-3805
Outlaw 755 5x200 Watt Amp
2 x Paradigm Monitor 11's Mains
2 x Paradigm Monitor 7's Surrounds
1 x Paradigm CC-370 Center Channel
1 x Paradigm PW-2100 Sub
Yamaha CDC-765 CD Player
Yamaha DVD-S796 DVD Player

I upgraded from Cerwin Vega E-712's as Main and a Cerwin Vega L-12 Sub that were driven by a Yamaha AX-592. I added the Paradigm 11's to the AX-592 first and was amazed by the difference, very clear speakers the 11's, far superior to my Vega's. The Addition of the Denon 3805 and the PW-2100 just improved things even further, great upgrade all around. Currently debating adding Monitor 7's as surrounds or ADP-370's also will add the CC-370 Center Channel as soon as finances allow Edit: Debate Over, added the 7's and CC-370

Currently I'm about 60% Music and 40% HT

[LEVESQUE]

Great idea this Paradigm owners thread!

Paradigm speakers (all Signature):
Main: S8
Center: C5
Surrounds: 4XS2
Sub: Signature Servo (a second one coming soon!)

Amp and pre-amp:
Anthem Statement D1
Anthem Statement P2 and P5 (7X325W)

Room is acoustically treated. You can click on my links in my signature to see pictures of my set-up and my room.

I'm more then happy with my set-up. I'm in audio and video nirvana. Treating the room made a MAJOR difference in picture and audio quality.

[wrg2]

Wow, great setup levesque ..and a great view to boot I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the Sigs. They are beautiful speakers..


So far two Canadians with Paradigms! Snarl, do you play more HT or music?

[N.REED]

Love my Paradigms!

Sony DA4ES receiver as processor
ATI 1505 amplifier
Denon 2200 for SACD and DVD audio
Sony dvd changer
Studio 60v3s
Studio cc470 center
ADP 170 surrounds ( next upgrade after Studio 60's)
2 PW2200's

[CDCORN1]

I just purchased a set of Paradigms.

F: 100's
C: CC470
S: 20's
Sub: Seismic-12

Just delivered two days ago. They sound fantastic!!

[tokerblue]

Front: Paradigm Studio 60
Surround: Paradigm Studio 40
Center: Paradigm CC-470
Sub: SVS 20-39 PCi

Receiver: Marantz SR-7400
Universal: Marantz DV-6400

No room treatments, but I love the way everything sounds!

[gps]

My Paradigm Home Theater consists of:

Studio 100's v3
CC 570
ADP 470's 2 pair sides and rear
Servo 15

!00's are powered by Anthem MCA-20 2ch's @200 watts
the rest are powered by an Yamaha RX-V2400 120 watts

I plan on getting a Anthem MCA-5 five channel amp and use the Yammy as a prepro. So far I love this setup and the sound is awesome. A real pleasure to listen to.

[zachwhite0]

I see the Studio 100 V3 retails for $2200 a pair. What were you guys able to get yours for?

[SR Immortal]

Well I have:

Studio 60s
CC470
ADP470s
PS1000(I still live in an apartment, so I cant blow the neighbors away yet...lol)
Aura Bass shakers

They are powered by a Rotel1056 receiver (for now).
I have a Panasonic S77 DVD player
I play mostly Live Enabled games on Xbox.
Dont listen to music.

I will have a Rotel 200wpc Amp in about 6 months, as well as the S2s and the C3.
Then 6 months later, I will sell my 1056, and get a better Rotel Processor, the S4s and the Sig ADPs.

Then I will hold off for awhile to get the C5 and S8s. But when I do, Im getting a Lexicon pre/pro and amp...the MK12 I think. And a Runco projector, with a perferated screen. So I might actually get 3 S8s instead of the C5, I dont know yet. And somewhere along the way, I will get a really nice sub, Velodyne probably.

Oh yeah, the room isnt accoustically treated yet, but thats what I am looking into. But so far so good, everything sounds great. Its funny, less than 3 months ago, I had 2 sets of Paradigm Titans and the CC270, with a cheap yamaha sub and a Denon 1905....and the difference between that and what I have now is truly amazing!

[tokerblue]

Originally Posted by zachwhite0

I see the Studio 100 V3 retails for $2200 a pair. What were you guys able to get yours for?

> We're not supposed to print non-MSRP $ on this forum. That being said, most people are able to negotiate 10%-15% off MSRP when buying systems.

[nuzzy]

F: Studio 60's
C: CC-470
s: Studio 20's
sw: Sunfire True Sub EQ

Pioneer Elite VSX-56TXi
Pioneer Elite 59-AVi
Hitachi 51S700

Lovin' the sound!

[rjsquirrel]

100 v3 mains
cc-570 center
20 back
adp sides
Sub servo 15

B&K ref50 via balanced inputs to Sherbourne 7/2100A
red dragon speaker wire for front end. front end Biwired Does make a difference.
panny for DVDA
Sony es player for CDs
80 inch screen with infocus 4805 via DVI input

Got to love the 100 best bag for buck

CDCORN1 how do you like the new paradigm Seismic-12
sub?

15 percent off of a system was the deal I received.

room size 12X22X8

RJ

[rnrgagne]

OK, I'm in.

SPEAKERS:
F: Signature S4's
C: Signature C3
Sur: Studio ADP470 v.3's
Sur Back: Studio 20 v.3's
Presence: PSB Image 1B's
Sub: Seismic 12 ( And I'm building new "treated" HT that will also have 4 X A.E. IB 15" drivers in a line array - at the painting stage right now.)

GEAR;
Pre/pro Receiver; Yamaha RX-Z9
Amps: 3 X PS Audio HCA-2's
Universal player: Pioneer Elite DV-59Ai

DISPLAY:
PJ: Epson Cinema 500
Screen: 102" Stewart Firehawk

[taxman48]

Have the Monitor 7's for mains, great bang for the buck. Have CC370 for center, ADP 170's for side surrounds and Polk 35i's for rear surrounds. Mains are bi wired and powered by my new Parasound Classic 2125 2ch amp. Onkyo SR800 7.1 powers the rest. I would highly recommend anything this company makes..visit my gallery..

Matt

[wrg2]

Lot's of Paradigm owners...Cool

rnrgagne, may I ask why you chose the ADP470 v3 other than the higher costs of the sig ADP? I actually wondered if the Sig ADP's were actually going to be overkill for my smaller room however my dealer assured me that this will not be the case. I will be mounting them on the side walls as the Paradigm speaker manual instructs. I gave up the 6.1/7.1 setups in favor of a good 5.1 which I can use the additional channels for bi-amping the front S2's. I looked at different design bipole/dipole speakers and though some had promise/potention but, I decided to keep it matched with the Sigs. Cost was another factor, but I had originally budgeted for them. I guess I get them and give them a listen to see if they live up to their descriptions given...I've never used anything other than direct firing speakers speakers so it will be a new experience for me

[rnrgagne]

Oh yeah, I forgot to add I absolutely LOVE my set up.
I just added the HCA's and they match up very well with the Sig's.
Paradigms are IMHO no matter what price range, are consistently at the top of the preformance/price heap.

[rnrgagne]

Originally Posted by wrg2

Lot's of Paradigm owners...Cool

rnrgagne, may I ask why you chose the ADP470 v3 other than the higher costs of the sig ADP? I actually wondered if the Sig ADP's were actually going to be overkill for my smaller room however my dealer assured me that this will not be the case. I will be mounting them on the side walls as the Paradigm speaker manual instructs. I gave up the 6.1/7.1 setups in favor of a good 5.1 which I can use the additional channels for bi-amping the front S2's. I looked at different design bipole/dipole speakers and though some had promise/potention but, I decided to keep it matched with the Sigs. Cost was another factor, but I had originally budgeted for them. I guess I get them and give them a listen to see if they live up to their descriptions given...I've never used anything other than direct firing speakers speakers so it will be a new experience for me

Quite simple really, I had them before I upgraded to the Sig's. And cost was a factor. I don't really know what the Sig ADP's would add to the equation over the Studio ADP's. Certainly the mains have what I consider to be higher resolution and detail so theoretically the Sig ADP's should folllow that as well.
To be honest though, I can't detect any sort of acoustical mismatch, and I listen to a lot of multi channel music. It could be because I'm not trying too hard either.

Generally I tend to agree with your dealer that ADP might be advantageuos in a small room, to create the effect of a larger room with more dispersion.
But there are many that prefer the sound of direct especially for music.
I'd plunk down your Visa take both home for a test drive and return the ones you least favor.

[IVB]

In the "low-end" group, I have 2 paradigm Cinema-110's for my Zone 2. I'll probably get 2-4 more, or perhaps the in-wall as 1 set of C110s is not enough to fill the room (13x27). I didn't want to get bigger speakers for the room, though, as then it would be dang loud near the speakers, and quiet at the other end of the room.

My take is that they're "good enough" for a Zone 2. They don't go down nearly far enough [i think 110Hz], so you really need a sub. I wouldn't use these specific speakers in a real HT, but I'm sure the higher end Paradigms would do just fine there.

[Redhouse]

I love my Paradigm Reference setup!

I running: 3 CC570's as LCR, ADP470's for surrounds and 2 Servo 15's, a v.1 and a v.2 . I'm powering them with Rotel, a RMB1075 and RSP1068, wired with all Audio Quest/Cinema Quest cables. For CD's and DVD's it's a Rotel RDV1050. My room is Acoustically treated.

Redhouse

[shack169]

does anybody know the difference between paradigm reference 100s version 2 or version 3 (besides the additional 7" woofer)?

[Snarl]

Originally Posted by wrg2

Snarl, do you play more HT or music?

I updated my post and added 60% Music and 40% Movies at least that's my best guess. I'll buy my Center Channel next and then later decide on the Monitor 7's vs the ADP-370's. So far I'm inclined to think the 7's will work better for 4 Channel Music and they're almost the same price as the 370's.

[rnrgagne]

Originally Posted by shack169

does anybody know the difference between paradigm reference 100s version 2 or version 3 (besides the additional 7" woofer)?

There's that, and the change in cabinet size and weight, and the most noticeable change to me is the improved tweeter, for the whole line. I could really tell the difference when I had the v3 ADP's and v2 100's at the same time. The v2's are a little more "forward" in their presentation. Which is "better" probably depends on your tastes & room. They definately are "different"
The gap between the v2's tweeters and the Signatures was even greater, much higher resolution. Fortunately, (for my wallet) the v3 ADP's don't have a timber matching problem, that I can detect anyways, with my Sigs.

[Rook_1]

I have two questions about my setup!

To all you paradigm Studio 60 v.3 owners out there, which center channel do you feel matches the 60s more appropriately? The 470 or the 570? I don't posess a great center now and I'm curious which I should be aiming more towards.

My Setup:
Arcam AVR-300
Paradigm Studio 60 V.3 Fronts
JBL POS Center
Sony SSMB-215 as surrounds
Some Acoustic Research 8" subwoofer (in a condo atm.)

Question 2: for a 5.1 setup, do you guys recommend ADP 470s or Studio 20s in the rear? I don't have much room behind my couch right now, I could probably get away with 12" from the couch to the wall, but not more than that. Should I stick with 20s aimed AT the sides of the couch?

[RazorX]

Here is my setup.

Speakers (all Paradigm):

• Mains: Monitor 7
• Center: CC-370
• Surrounds:4x ADP-370
• Subs: 2x PW-2100 (One in left front corner and one in right rear corner)

Receiver:

• Yamaha RX-V2500

Sources:

• Oppo OPDV971H (Up-converting to 720p via DVI  HDMI – Used for watching DVD’s)
• Yamaha DVD-S1500 (Connected via discreet 6 channel analog and coax – Used for listening to music [DVD-A, SACD, and Redbook CD])
• TW SA Explorer 8300 HD (HD Cable + PVR)
• XBOX (for the occasional game of football, baseball, or Halo 2)

I bought the receiver and speakers together and received 15% off of MSRP. I bought the DVD-S1500 from another store and received 25% off. The Oppo and XBOX were purchased at the “going rate”.

The room is acoustically treated with Auralex acoustic panels and bass traps.

• DST-112 panels on the front wall (the one behind all of the equipment, main speakers, and center channel speaker.
• DST-114 Studiofoam panels on the side walls for early/first reflection points.
• DST LENRD Bass Traps in the corners of the front/side walls (4 per coner)

I haven’t put the bass traps in the rear corners yet and I’m not sure I will. I also haven’t treated the rear wall or the ceiling and may leave those untreated as well. The acoustic treatment made a very noticeable difference and tamed the harshness I was originally experiencing with this system in my HT room (there isn’t much in the room except for hard surfaces and leather furniture).

The room is 16’ x 11’.

I’m currently using the system for a mixture of about 65% music, 20% HDTV, 10% DVD movies, and 5% gaming.

I am very happy with the sound of this system. It is smooth and very natural. The imaging is also excellent. This is by far the best sounding system I have ever owned and sounds better (to me at least) than some of the more expensive setups I have heard before. I think Paradigm speakers are a great value and I would recommend them to anyone.

I have had the system for about three months now and it is definitely sounding better now that it is breaking in. I would have to agree with WRG2’s description regarding the sound characteristics of the speakers as they are breaking in.

-Rich

[Yosh70]

I just sold some of my equipment to a friend of mine.....my Studio ADP's, PW2200 and Marantz SR8200.

Still have my Studio 60's and CC570.....Right now I'm demoing a Seismic 12....man that thing hits hard! Watching the gunfight on Open Range was pretty intense. Going to try different areas to see if I can do better. Might take me a week or two to see if I like it
I'd like to try the Servo15 V2 but a reality check is in order for my kinda budget.

Also purchased a Marantz SR5500 and would like to add an Anthem MCA30 for the front three....thats the plan for now.

[dhanson]

Front: Studio 60 v.3
Center: CC-470
Surr: Studio ADP
Sub: D-Box David 300 (temporary until I can afford a Servo 15 or Seismic 12)

I bought the CC-470 instead of the 570 because it looked like a good match for the Studio 60's, and because the speaker had to fit behind my screenwall, and the 570 would have required moving the wall forward a few inches, which I didn't want to do.

I love the Studio speakers, but I think my sub is severely limiting the capability of the system.

[rjsquirrel]

Rook
how do you like the sound of Paradigms with the arcam 300. Did you compare to seperates? or another receiver like a Denon?

I prefered the 570 because they were designed to be used with the 100 I use for main. I did try both and the 570 blends better.

We had company over the other day and I demonstated the servo 15 with a scene from finding nemo(the sub falling off cliff) By the way this was a female friend. She was blow away by the bass. A friendly argument ensued about how much of the Theater experience is the audio. My feeling is 50 percent and she agreed with me, however the misses does not. you guys know the WAF factor. Smallest speaker possible or in walls are better.


RJ

[Rook_1]

I feel sorry for you guys who have to contend with the WAF. :-) My wife loves the Paradigms and the Arcam, and wouldn't have let me spend any less than I did on the equipment, heck if we had more available cash we would have probably gotten the 100s or looked at the signature series. For us though, the Studio 60s are great for our ears and in our space.

As far as the Arcam goes, I love it, combined with the 60s I hear so much detail and so much soundstage that I can just sit back and get lost in the music, beauty.

I did not compare them against separates, I compared it against the Rotel 1067, which I definately liked, but didn't fit my feature set requriements or my space requirements, both of which the Arcam did, for cheaper. From what I understand I'm pretty much spoiled from ever going to separates from here, at least with the level of speakers that I'll be running from the arcam, if I had 100s I might need the extra power that separates can offer, but on the 60s I think the arcam doesnt break too much of a sweat :-)

[wrg2]

ditto on the Arcam/Paradigm Rook, did I see somewhere that you have your 60's Bi-amp'd? I have my fronts Bi-wired so far. Using these very large Monster Mseries MI.4s Biwire cables on the center and fronts. Can't image a larger cable with these speakers...however if I go to Bi-amp, these cables will be of no use then These cables were left over from my B&W setup and sounded pretty good with them. I've heard from the few that are Bi-amping their AVR300 that there is a significant improvement in SQ though.