If you have REAL Paragon speakers then they would be the very high quality, exotic beauties master crafted by Paragon Acoustics of Minnesota (gone out of business several years ago). The reason none of you have heard of them is because they were a small, true high-end company from the mid-late 90's that didn't survive very long -- because their product was so substantial and underpriced that is was unsustainable in the y2k market.
My opinion is their demise was partly due to their overly heavy construction, hand-built cabinetry, expensive parts compliment (yes Dynaudio and Cardas!), honest but limited marketing, and the influx of imported products and cut-throat pricing in the industry. If you ever lifted a pair you would begin to believe Paragon lost their shirts on shipping fees alone! However I did exchange emails with Shane Tenace, one of the company's ex-owners, who informed me there was a falling-out among his partners and he aquired the remaining stock. I think he still has some parts and pairs of speakers available for sale to this day.
I bought my first pair of Paragon Jubilees in 1998 which retailed for around US$2500. They were a bargain then (even at CAD$3200) and an unbeatable value on today's used market. I don't think there's much under $5k with this build quality and still made in North America! But because they don't have a big name like JM Labs or Wilson it takes me years to sell my extra pair for US$1000... what a shame people never clued in, but it doesn't help with these stupid "white van" stories. I absolutely refuse to pawn off these gems for less than they are worth.
So if you really own Paragons you can rest assured. There should be a plate on the back with the name, model and serial number. If you ever need parts (unlikely as all 4 pairs I have owned were indestructible!) you can always look up Shane Tenace, Dynaudio, or even Cardas - they will remember Paragon since they actually have a pair of Regents in house and still make the parts (like their awesome binding posts and internal wiring).
Aside from a few owner anecdotes, here is the only legitimate source of Paragon info I have ever found on the Net:
http://www.audiomn.org/Newsletters/1995/asmFeb95.pdf
It details their products, internal construction, facility locations, and key players (at the time) by name. There is a pic of the Regent and I have many pics of the Jubilee & JEM including original glossy brochure with technical specs and owners manual.
Stefan
