The Paradigm Speaker Owners Thread

[Gabor25]

Thanks

Actually I'm keeping my Prestige 85s for dedicated 2 channel

 

[Eppie]

OK fellow Paradigm owners.
I'm a newbie to the forum but NOT to Paradigm.
My first set was a pair of Studio Reference 80s from 1996!
Since then I have owned two versions the Studio 100s(still the best IMO,but they were heavy and big!!)
Over the years-some early monitors,ADPs,Atoms, the cc-350, and even some cheap outdoor MIC speakers(lousy...)

Presently, have a pair of Premier 85s and the Defiance X12 for my two channel McIntosh based system.
I dunno...the early low end Anthem separates I bought back in 2000 might have sounded better than my present McIntosh (MA252).

Here is what I would like to ask the group:

I'm configuring a 5.1 HT for our new house.

What Paradigms would you recommend?.Disclaimer: I originally sought out Paradigm back in 1995 for their affordable cost/quality factor.So I'm not interested in the Persona series which IMO,is overpriced for the look/sound.

thanks !

I would agree with that recommendation. The Premier 800F still gets recommended by ShadyJ as great value for the money and there are others in this thread that have built HT systems around them. My top choice would be the Founders series, but that's not within the budget of many, and the Prestige line was discontinued, so unless you're willing to look at the used market the Premier line is a good option. The espresso finish is no longer being produced but there might be some stock out there still. They are only being made in black and white now.

 

[KING DRANZER]

@Eppie Did you get the chance to check out the Founder Series yet. If yes. How good is that in comparison to JTR Noesis for Music. Does it far out-class JTR or is the difference minimal.

 

[Eppie]

@Eppie Did you get the chance to check out the Founder Series yet. If yes. How good is that in comparison to JTR Noesis for Music. Does it far out-class JTR or is the difference minimal.

Sorry, I have not had the spare time yet. They don't have the 100F but I believe they have the 80F and bookshelf. The store is changing locations so this might be an opportunity for a deal. There are no JTRs in my area for comparison, though.

 

[KING DRANZER]

Sorry, I have not had the spare time yet. They don't have the 100F but I believe they have the 80F and bookshelf. The store is changing locations so this might be an opportunity for a deal. There are no JTRs in my area for comparison, though.

Cool. No prob. Just going through everything possible. Still have a good amount of time on hand.

 

[Cos]

OK fellow Paradigm owners.
I'm a newbie to the forum but NOT to Paradigm.
My first set was a pair of Studio Reference 80s from 1996!
Since then I have owned two versions the Studio 100s(still the best IMO,but they were heavy and big!!)
Over the years-some early monitors,ADPs,Atoms, the cc-350, and even some cheap outdoor MIC speakers(lousy...)

Presently, have a pair of Premier 85s and the Defiance X12 for my two channel McIntosh based system.
I dunno...the early low end Anthem separates I bought back in 2000 might have sounded better than my present McIntosh (MA252).

Here is what I would like to ask the group:

I'm configuring a 5.1 HT for our new house.

What Paradigms would you recommend?.Disclaimer: I originally sought out Paradigm back in 1995 for their affordable cost/quality factor.So I'm not interested in the Persona series which IMO,is overpriced for the look/sound.

thanks !

While I may disagree with you over the Persona comment...LOL (Granted I saved around 30% off list on mine before their markup)

• Like you my first set of Digms were the Studio 60v4 and then Studio 100v5.
• The founders line strikes a nicer price balance between the prestige and persona.
• What is the size of your room, do you want to do in walls

If you want to upgrade everything and want to stay with Paradigm, I would definitely demo the founders. If you are looking for a lower budget, you can also demo the Premier.

 

[latapx]

I'm currently using the 100F + 90C as the front stage of my 5.1. It is rounded out by 8" in ceiling rears and a PB-4000 sub. It is absolutely amazing compared to my prior setup...i could go on and on. If you don't have room for floorstanders, the 70LCR can be used vertically or horizontally allowing the same speaker to be used as a left, center and right. It'll be less expensive and your sub will fill in the bass. I'm currently still listening "uncorrected" as I've been dealing with hobbling around after achilles surgery, but I do need to make the time to see how/what I can improve with ARC.

 

[keepr88]

Thanks

Actually I'm keeping my Prestige 85s for dedicated 2 channel

The premier 800fs and 600c will do very well for HT at a great price point. The 600c is the key for HT. The founder 90c is amazing imo, I love mine and the 100fs, if it fits in the budget go with the founders.

Ideally if you can go audition both of them at a dealer. I was set on the premiers and was ready to buy them without hearing them. I got the chance to hear them and the prestige 85fs at the same time. I knew pretty quickly the premiers weren't for me. I liked the 85fs a lot but then the founders came out and CoS helped me find the right dealer, got a great deal and now I'm in awe of the performance I get evertime I watch movies.

 

[keepr88]

Just ordered 3 outlaw m2220s to power the founders......merry Xmas to me!

 

[Thomas Ward]

Just received a new pair of Premier 200B bookshelves for my bedroom system.
Arcam SA10
ML Dynamo400 Sub
Paradigm 200B

My setup is for 2 channel music only, don't do HT.

I'm in love

 

[Cos]

Still have yet to replace my rear surrounds, but pretty much 100% Paradigm. Former Studio 60v3 and Studio 100v5 owner. I am 100% content with my Personas. Just upgraded to the Anthem AVM70. Lot of configuration to do, they Arc Genesis Mic is very impressive, they give you and actual metal stand to setup vs the paper cut out of my AV8802A. Calibration time, reading up and watching videos now

 

[MellowDrama]

I'm researching what streamer / DAC / preamp / amp combo to go with Persona 5Fs for 2.0 TV and music in an open, high ceiling room. The dealer suggests Bryston BR20 DAC/preamp and 4B Cubed amp. I find Bryston streamer not very user friendly and doesn't support Amazon HD, but the setup seems pretty sound.

Would love input from folks here:

1) Can anyone suggest an adequate dedicated streamer that's not too expensive? Can I get any cheap streamer if I stick to sending TOSLINK to the DAC? It's a purely digital signal after all.

2) Should I consider sister company Anthem preamp and amp setup instead, or Anthem multichannel AVR for future expansion? Will I lose quality if I go with either of these over the Brystons?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Eppie]

I'm researching what streamer / DAC / preamp / amp combo to go with Persona 5Fs for 2.0 TV and music in an open, high ceiling room. The dealer suggests Bryston BR20 DAC/preamp and 4B Cubed amp. I find Bryston streamer not very user friendly and doesn't support Amazon HD, but the setup seems pretty sound.

Would love input from folks here:

1) Can anyone suggest an adequate dedicated streamer that's not too expensive? Can I get any cheap streamer if I stick to sending TOSLINK to the DAC? It's a purely digital signal after all.

2) Should I consider sister company Anthem preamp and amp setup instead, or Anthem multichannel AVR for future expansion? Will I lose quality if I go with either of these over the Brystons?

Thanks in advance!

Bluesound added Amazon HD support to BluOS a couple of years ago. The Bluesound Node also supports Tidal, Spotify, Airplay and is Roon ready. Nice streamer but you'll need a DAC or pre-amp or integrated amp / AVR.

Bryston has been around for a long time but their current offerings are very expensive. I'll leave it to Cos or one of the others to comment on Anthem.

 

[fakeplastic]

Hi fellow Paradigm lovers. I currently have a 5.1 system including Reference Studio/40 v2s and a Reference Studio CC and I’m looking to add Atmos add ons (in ceiling is not an option).

Does anyone have any advice as to what brand/model would be a good timbre match for my current setup? Or does it really matter for Atmos (I’ve read opinions on both sides of this dilemma)?

Obviously add ons aren’t the ideal solution, but it’s my only option at this time and so far Paradigm hasn’t jumped on the bandwagon (for better or worse).

TIA!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Because ADTG hasn't owned any yet!

I totally missed this post.

Paradigm speakers? I’ve auditioned Paradigm speakers a few times both in-home and in-stores.

 

[Eppie]

Hi fellow Paradigm lovers. I currently have a 5.1 system including Reference Studio/40 v2s and a Reference Studio CC and I’m looking to add Atmos add ons (in ceiling is not an option).

Does anyone have any advice as to what brand/model would be a good timbre match for my current setup? Or does it really matter for Atmos (I’ve read opinions on both sides of this dilemma)?

Obviously add ons aren’t the ideal solution, but it’s my only option at this time and so far Paradigm hasn’t jumped on the bandwagon (for better or worse).

TIA!

I had a v2 Studio CC before I upgraded to a CC-590 v5 (to match my Studio 20 v5) and found the v2 to be less bright than the v5s. I think the v2 is fairly neutral while some of the newer models can be a little hotter in the high end, but that's mostly subjective. If the Atmos speakers are mostly for movie effects, I would not worry too much about timbre matching, unless you plan to use them more for multi-channel music. Even then, if you are looking at speaker top Atmos units, it may not be as critical since it is mostly reflected sound, unlike a ceiling speaker which could have the tweeter aimed at you.

Klipsch are quite common, but might be a bit bright compared to the Paradigms. You might want to look at KEF, Monitor Audio (Silver) or PSB if you're in Canada. There are some less expensive options from Polk, Sony and Elac as well.

 

[}Fear_Inoculum{]

Came across a set of Prestige speakers on FB Marketplace that I'm sorely tempted to buy.

75F ×2
55C
15B ×2

They're asking 2700$ for the set, might be able to talk them down to 2500$. My wife would absolutely murder me, but man............MSRP (with tax) is about 7700$ on that set.

 

[Eppie]

Came across a set of Prestige speakers on FB Marketplace that I'm sorely tempted to buy.

75F ×2
55C
15B ×2

They're asking 2700$ for the set, might be able to talk them down to 2500$. My wife would absolutely murder me, but man............MSRP (with tax) is about 7700$ on that set.

That is a good deal. Someone on CAM had brand new Founder 80Fs still in the box and changed his mind, Brampton area I think. I was really tempted by those but sold now. Might be going to Portugal this spring so I'll likely have to hold off on major purchases. Best Buy had the 65" Sony A80J for $2500 last month marked down from $3300 and I came close to grabbing one. Now it says $2500 marked down from $2600. WTF? Everyone has them at that price now. I really need to avoid impulse buying.

 

[}Fear_Inoculum{]

That is a good deal. Someone on CAM had brand new Founder 80Fs still in the box and changed his mind, Brampton area I think. I was really tempted by those but sold now. Might be going to Portugal this spring so I'll likely have to hold off on major purchases. Best Buy had the 65" Sony A80J for $2500 last month marked down from $3300 and I came close to grabbing one. Now it says $2500 marked down from $2600. WTF? Everyone has them at that price now. I really need to avoid impulse buying.

If I thought the 75F were going to be a significant step up from my 800F, I'd snatch them right up. Seems more like an at best lateral movement, if not a step down from what I already have. The 55C seems like a step up, and I'd love to get the 15Bs. Decisions, decisions.........

 

[Eppie]

If I thought the 75F were going to be a significant step up from my 800F, I'd snatch them right up. Seems more like an at best lateral movement, if not a step down from what I already have. The 55C seems like a step up, and I'd love to get the 15Bs. Decisions, decisions.........

You could always sell what you don't need. I think you already know from here and AVS Forum that people seem to be split down the middle on Premier vs Prestige. As I get older I find myself leaning more towards more neutral or warm speakers but there are plenty that push the Prestige as being better. I agree that it would likely be more of lateral move but it's still fun to compare.