SVS or Paradigm - New Home Theatre speakers based on Music listening!!!

[NicholasM]

Hi everyone,

I am planning a roadmap for a dedicated home theatre room 5 years from now. I would like to benefit of a staged purchase so I can enjoy better
music and movies from now until then.

I have a really old 5.1 paradigm mini monitor speaker setup with a newish SVS sb 1000 sub.

What I would like to do is purchase new fronts to work with the mini monitors as surrounds and also keeping my monitor cc350 center until I move house etc...

Currently I have two options:

1) SVS setup

a) Initial -

Get SVS ultra book shelves for my fronts and use the mini's for surrounds and center and use my adp170's for heights making a 5.1.2 setup

b) Final stage
- Have a 7.2.4 setup made up of SVS bookshelves
- Center with the sb 2000 proSB3000 as the second sub .
- 4 prime elevations

2) Paradigm setup

a) Initial

Get Paradigm founder 40b book shelves for my fronts and use the mini's for surrounds and center and use my adp170's for heights making a 5.1.2 setup

b) Final stage

- Have a 7.2.4 setup made up of 3 X Paradigm Founder 70 LCRs
- 40b's book shelves as side surrounds.
- SVS sb 2000 pro as the second sub
- 4 prime elevations

Other gear

I will have to buy a interim receiver.

Most likely either the Yamaha rx-A4A or the Denon 3700H.

This will be removed for something like the Denon 6700H or NAD 778... or the equivalent 5 years from now.

Other facts

a) As I live in Australia there really in no try in home before buy.
b) Due to current restrictions I can not listen to anything in any store, we are in lockdown.
c) Budget for speakers $15,000 AUD, but I would be happy to spend less.
d) music listening 60%, movies 40%.

Quick questions

1) Would there be a big difference going with the paradigms? as they are much more expensive.
2) If I used my old mini monitor as surround backs would that ruin the sound of the other speakers.
3) Is the founder series worth the price as I really only care about quality of sound and not wood finishes. Is nice but not necessary.
4) Are those receivers good enough for the paradigms, in the sense of will you hear the difference.
5) ARE THE founder 70's worth the difference between the 40's if using 2 subs?

Thanks for your help,

Nick

 

[stalag2005]

Nick, given your situation the Founders Edition speakers are amazing. I have a pair of 40B Founders myself and some of the lesser speakers in the premier and prestige lines in my living room. Given my experience the Founders is the direction I would go. A pair of the 70LCR is equivalent ( I have auditioned) to the 80F Founders floor edition. and I think would pair nicely even with the 100F. IMHO a set of 2 pairs of Founders 40B for the left and right surrounds and rear surrounds would sound awesome in a 7.1 setup I have (I have lesser) and a set of 3 speakers for the LCR of the 70LCR would be in order if you wanted. If you want floor speakers the 80F is equivalent to the 70LCR and it would not disappoint. The 100F is an upgrade. If cost is an issue, use the Mini Monitors in a surround/height speaker as they have more range than the old ADP 170's. You are setting aside the proper budget to go in that direction. The SVS sub you have will work, but the Paradigm Defiance x12 will give an SVS SB3000 a run for its money, and I own both.

 

[ryanosaur]

I haven't heard the Founders Series, but initial impressions are pretty outstanding. Paradigm's other Speakers are also well known for having a pretty neutral and accurate SQ which is great for music.
I know people like their Ultras, but they are not "forever" Speakers.
My gut says you would be best served with the Paradigms, especially if your listening habits are more active/critical rather than just passive/background music.

 

[stalag2005]

Starting of thinking of replacing my Martin Logan LX-16's

I got back this afternoon from the dealer I use. I listened to the Paradigm Founders edition 70LCR's (used to model the Founder 40B), the Founders 80F (reference floor speaker), KEF R3, Revel M16, and the KEF LS50Meta, The MRX-740 in stereo mode was the AVR used to drive all speakers. I used...

forums.audioholics.com

I give my impressions when I auditioned the speakers for the Paradigm against some interesting competition in the thread above. Maybe this might help you.

 

[NicholasM]

Nick, given your situation the Founders Edition speakers are amazing. I have a pair of 40B Founders myself and some of the lesser speakers in the premier and prestige lines in my living room. Given my experience the Founders is the direction I would go. A pair of the 70LCR is equivalent ( I have auditioned) to the 80F Founders floor edition. and I think would pair nicely even with the 100F. IMHO a set of 2 pairs of Founders 40B for the left and right surrounds and rear surrounds would sound awesome in a 7.1 setup I have (I have lesser) and a set of 3 speakers for the LCR of the 70LCR would be in order if you wanted. If you want floor speakers the 80F is equivalent to the 70LCR and it would not disappoint. The 100F is an upgrade. If cost is an issue, use the Mini Monitors in a surround/height speaker as they have more range than the old ADP 170's. You are setting aside the proper budget to go in that direction. The SVS sub you have will work, but the Paradigm Defiance x12 will give an SVS SB3000 a run for its money, and I own both.

Thanks so much for your opinion and insight. I am trying to avoid floor standers mainly to reduce costs. So as you mentioned the the ADP will only be interim heights until I get something else like the svs heights to fill the gap.

I seem to be that you prefer the Paradigm over the SVS ultras. Yes we are taking about 2 - 3 X more expensive speakers so you would hope so. Just worried its over kill for surround sound. I will be listen to 2.1 for some tracks as well, but I am hearing good thing about Atmos tracks and upmixing in Auro.

Thanks again for your input

 

[NicholasM]

I haven't heard the Founders Series, but initial impressions are pretty outstanding. Paradigm's other Speakers are also well known for having a pretty neutral and accurate SQ which is great for music.
I know people like their Ultras, but they are not "forever" Speakers.
My gut says you would be best served with the Paradigms, especially if your listening habits are more active/critical rather than just passive/background music.

Great feedback, the paradigms are definitely the more expensive option. I love my current cheap ones I have now. I do plan of keeping this new setup for a good 10 to 15 years.

Thanks for your input

 

[NicholasM]

Starting of thinking of replacing my Martin Logan LX-16's

I got back this afternoon from the dealer I use. I listened to the Paradigm Founders edition 70LCR's (used to model the Founder 40B), the Founders 80F (reference floor speaker), KEF R3, Revel M16, and the KEF LS50Meta, The MRX-740 in stereo mode was the AVR used to drive all speakers. I used...

forums.audioholics.com

I give my impressions when I auditioned the speakers for the Paradigm against some interesting competition in the thread above. Maybe this might help you.

Love the link and your listening impressions.

3 LCR's and 40B's ear level surrounds would be my dream system, but a little too expensive at about $20,000 AUD with the sub. Shipping over to Australia is the killer. Add a big chunk to the price / weight.

That is why I have the suggested combinations above. SVS is my budget approach.

I know people mention Timbre in mixing speaker but is it really that big a deal for surrounds. Maybe get the 3 LCR's and have 2 sets of SVS Ultra's. A compromise. 3.1 would be amazing and surround would be slightly lower.

Thanks for your input

 

[stalag2005]

On my home system driven by a MRX-740 Anthem AVR, I have the following speakers attached.
Paradigm 800F Premier (left and right front)
Paradigm 45C Prestige (center)
Paradigm Mini Monitor v5 (left and right surround)
Paradigm 25S Prestige (left and right rear surround)
Paradigm X12 Defiance subwoofer.

This is set up as a 7.1 surround system and works well for me. In my office on my computer I have the following attached to a Sprout 100 DAC/AMP
Paradigm Founders Edition 40B
SVS SB-3000 subwoofer.

I use both systems but a large amount of time is on the computer. As I said Paradigm is the way I would go, but your Mini Monitor Paradigms will work amazingly well as a surround speaker and I would not rush to replace them just because of age if otherwise they are in good shape. Note that I am still using my Mini Monitors mixed with newer speakers and love the audio.