March 28, 2012

Oh Canada! Paradigm stands proud in the Canadian Pavilion showcase at SSI Montreal Show


Last weekend's Salon Son & Image (SSI) Audio Show in Montreal was a success but this year the show included something a little bit different... a little bit patriotic! As all audio geeks know, Canada has a pretty spectacular reputation for housing some of the world's most respected audio companies (*cough* Paradigm & Anthem *cough*). To celebrate the success of Canadian audio brands, the Salon Son & Image organizers started the Canada Pavilion (Pavillon du Canada) to showcase these audio companies and their products. And included in the long list on display were some consumer favourites from Paradigm, which SoundStage! captured so beautifully below...

Paradigm's Studio 20, AMS-150R-30, MilleniaOne, Seismic 110, SHIFT A2 & MilleniaSub
















On display in the Paradigm area was Paradigm's Reference Studio 20 v.5 bookshelf speaker in Rosenut, AMS-150R-30 Designer Series thin-bezel in-ceiling speaker, multiple awarding-winning Reference MilleniaOne satellites in White Gloss, Reference Seismic 110 subwoofer (a.k.a. "the bull dog"), SHIFT Series A2 powered speaker in Vermillion Red Gloss and the interior decorator's dream, MilleniaSub in Satin White.

Also on display, was Paradigm's sister company Anthem showing off their high-end Statement D2v pre-amplifier/processor and new Statement M1 1000W monaural amplifier.

Click here! for more SoundStage! coverage 
of the Canadian Pavillion and SSI 2012 show.

March 26, 2012

MainStreet America to feature Paradigm & Anthem

Opening this Summer 2012, MainStreet America® is a year-round destination located in Houston, Texas, where today's consumer can Explore, Experience & Enjoy the latest in home building products and services.

Among the many partners involved, Paradigm & Anthem are excited to take part in such an expansive install. We look forward to having an array of speakers and electronics on display and demo in real home environments.

In an area the size of two football fields, visitors will be able to:
Enjoy ...

Click here for more information on MainStreet America 
& for updates on the grand opening.

March 23, 2012

4 Stars for Paradigm SHIFT E3m from Home Theater Review!

Brian Kahn of HomeTheaterReview.com gave the Paradigm SHIFT E3m earphones a long listen and after careful evaluation gave them 4 stars for Performance, Value and Overall! Here are some quotes from the review:

Build Quality
"Build quality for these Canadian-made in-ear monitors is quite good, with cloth-covered cables and an aluminum-bodied "Y" piece, microphone/control and connector. Not that you would want to abuse these, but they look like they should easily stand up to the rigors of constant use."

Listen Up
"Those who haven't upgraded from the stock earbuds that came with their music player or iProduct can reap big benefits by taking a listen to the new Paradigm Shift in-ear monitors."

"I found the e3ms to do an excellent job with the midrange. Not only were the music vocals full-bodied and natural, voices on the phone were rendered with great clarity"

E3m Out-of-box Experience

"Bass notes through the Paradigm Shift e3ms are indeed strong and full, with a bit of bloom that... provides a satisfyingly balanced reproduction of the lower octaves."

"Not only were the music vocals full-bodied and natural, voices on the phone were rendered with great clarity. When using the e3ms, I do not recall ever having to turn up the volume to hear a caller, as I have with other ear bud-style earpieces."

Overall
"Overall, the Paradigm Shift e3ms are easy to recommend. They are well-made, small, lightweight, comfortable and sound good...they provide phone integration and a very competitive price."

4 stars for the Paradigm SHIFT E3m!
"For those who are looking for an in-ear design that provides good sound for both music and telephone conversations in a small, reasonably-priced package, the Paradigm Shift series of in-ear monitors deserves a listen."



Click here! to read HomeTheaterReview.com's full review.
Click here! for more details or to buy the E3m's online.

March 16, 2012

Paradigm Cinema Speakers give a "Pretty Cool" First Impression according to Audioholics

Audioholics wrote a preview on Paradigm's new and improved Cinema Speakers and their first impression is... "Pretty Cool"


In the preview write-up, Audioholics discusses the many Cinema models in detail and even outlined some Cinema system ideas by mixing and matching the à la carte options...

Cinema 5.1
"If you are looking for a first system for a smaller room, the Cinema CT 100 with five Cinema 100 speakers an a Cinema Sub will only set you back $1000."

Cinema 5.2
"If you went absolutely crazy, you could put together a 5.2 system with nothing but Cinema 400 speakers and two Cinema Subs for $2344. But even we think this would be overkill."

Cinema 7.1
"In a larger room with a trio of Cinema 400s, and two each of the Cinema 100s and 200s, plus a sub, you'd have a kicking 7.1 system for a dollar less."

Final Words... "It is clear Paradigm is looking to give consumers on a budget a lot of options... the newly improved Cinema speakers are sure to be a hit."

...To that we say, thanks guys!

Click here! to read the full article by Audioholics
Click here! for more information on the Paradigm Cinema line.


March 15, 2012

"...consistently and surprisingly airy, spacious and transparent..." - S+V on the Paradigm SHIFT A2 speakers

Daniel Kumin of Sound + Vision recently posted a review called "Power to the Speakers: Three New Active Desktop Systems". In his review he tried out three powered speaker pairs from three different companies to see whether or not they "serve all your listening needs". One of three speakers chosen for the trio, was our Paradigm SHIFT A2 powered speakers and here's what Kumin had to say...

"The Paradigm Shifts’ sound is equally straightforward: dynamic, uncolored, and impressively extended. The A2’s reproduced pop and jazz bass with laudable impact and pitch-definition down to the lowest notes of the bass guitar...Music keying on smooth and extended treble, such as piano jazz trios or string quartets also sounded great"

"... the A2’s treble was consistently and surprisingly airy, spacious, and transparent...the Paradigms produced a volume of clean, still-dynamic, still-extended sound that listeners unfamiliar with powered speakers, and especially small powered speakers, struggled to reconcile with their visual input."

Daniel goes on to review the other two speakers in the mix and then reflects on his experience after having a chance to play around with all three. Here are his final thoughts...

"Which would I buy? All three...For a permanent in-room hi-fi setup the Paradigm Shift A2s impressed me as the most competitive with a high-end amp-and-mini-monitor combo... All three are tremendous values. And more are out there — with more still, doubtless, on the way. The revolution has begun. Power To the Speakers!"

 Click here! to read the full article on the Sound+Vision website.
Click here! for more information on the A2 and to buy online.

March 13, 2012

"I was surprised... Both by the sound the Paradigm Cinema 100 CT produced and just how much I enjoyed them in my room." - Jared Rachwalski

Jared Rachwalksi of Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity reviewed the 5.1 Paradigm Cinema 100 CT system and considering he's a high-end electrostatic speaker guy at heart, he was "pleasently surprised" by this 5.1 speaker in a box system, at only a fraction of the cost of one of his reference speakers. Below we have provided some of the highlights from the review...

First Impression
"Ok, I'll admit it. I was not expecting much from this diminutive 5.1 budget speaker system that arrived at my house in a single box....five speakers and a sub that take up less real-estate than even my Husky-Shepherd? Could these possibly produce full sound in my large listening space?"


"Overall the speakers feel solid despite the low weight and plastic components... the sub is solid yet light, compact and easy to move around."

Testing
"...This is a great track to check the surround sound blend of the five speakers. And there was decent cohesion between the five speakers, with seamless blending."

"The Paradigm Cinema (100) CT system did well at resolving the score and reproducing the chaotic sounds of a train coming to an abrupt halt... the speakers admirably placed the gunfire which emits from multiple locations, in front to the sides and behind the listener..."

"Pleasantly though the vocal track was clear and defined despite the abundance of effects and bass. Most effects were seamless and well presented..."

"This track is a torture-test of sorts starting out with a soft guitar rift and light percussive track. It builds into a frenzy of electric guitars, rock-solid bass lines and a thundering drum sequence all centered on Maynard's vocals. At low, to mid volume levels the system handled this disc surprisingly well."

"Vocal clarity is the key here and even though the center channel is only producing 120 Hz and above, there was no loss of weight to male voices. Even with effects and dramatic scores you could still clearly make out the dialogue..."


In a smaller room
"I found the small speakers sounded fuller and less strained in the bass region. There was no noticeable high frequency distortion in this room and I did not need to drive the speakers with as much power to achieve the same perceived loudness as in my big room. This contributed to increased midbass response and decreased distortion and compression."

Conclusion
"I was surprised - make that pleasantly surprised. Both by the sound the Paradigm Cinema 100CT produced and just how much I enjoyed them in my room. Sure they looked tiny and they were not up to my reference speakers quality of music reproduction. But for TV and movies they were plenty of fun."

"...they are at the top of my list for a secondary TV and light music system. If your room is not overly big (this) will make a nice discreet 5.1 system."

Click here! to read Rachwalksi's full review.
Click here! for more information on Paradigm Cinema Speakers.

March 12, 2012

Introducing New Paradigm SHIFT Accessories

We are excited to introduce two new accessories to the Paradigm SHIFT series: The BD 1 Bluetooth receiver and sport earhooks.


The Paradigm SHIFT BD 1 is the perfect accessory to pair with the Paradigm SHIFT A2 powered speaker. The BD 1 is a universal Bluetooth receiver that allows you to stream music from any Bluetooth-enabled device supporting an Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) or Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP). This includes the iPhone, Android and Blackberry phones and other Bluetooth-enabled devices such as laptops, PCs and tablets.

The Paradigm SHIFT ear hooks (sold as a pair) hold your earbuds in place during periods of intense activity. The lightweight, soft silicone rubber design allows for a comfortable fit and has a convenient cord canal to prevent interference with your activity of choice. Our earhooks can be used with most earbuds on the market but were designed, engineered and manufactured in-house for use with all Paradigm SHIFT earbuds.

Both accessories are available for purchase in North America direct from the Paradigm SHIFT online store: www.paradigm.com/shift or coming soon to your closest Paradigm SHIFT dealer.

March 7, 2012

Paradigm makes Stereophile's 2012 "Recommended Components" List

Stereophile's April 2012 issue has hit the shelves and this edition features the 2012 Recommended Components list as chosen by Stereophile editors. They have rated the top 700 audio products, including everything from classic loudspeakers to the newest digital players and Paradigm's Reference Studio line cleaned up!

Loudspeaker Systems 

Paradigm Reference Studio 60 v.5

Paradigm Reference Studio 20 v.5

Paradigm Reference SUB 15

To see the full list of "Recommended Components" 
pick up the April 2012 issue of Stereophile from newstands.

Click here! for info. on the Paradigm Reference Studio 60 v.5
Click here! for info. on the Paradigm Reference Studio 20 v.5
Click here! for info. on the Paradigm Reference SUB 15

March 2, 2012

"The (Monitor) Series 7, like so many Paradigms before them, are speakers which have the potential to become heirlooms!" - Brian Florian



Brian Florian of Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity recently completed a review of a bookshelf system from the new Monitor Series 7 line. This 5 speaker system consisted of a pair of  Mini Monitor bookshelf speakers for fronts, Monitor Surround 1 speakers for rears and the Monitor Center 1. Brian's review is very thorough and a good read but we have offered some highlights below.

Starting with a blast from past, Brian talks about Paradigm's history of manufacturing, (he speaks from experience as he has come up to visit us for a tour once upon a time). He also took the time to share an old school photo of some original Monitor speakers!...

Paradigm Monitor 7se speakers purchased in the mid 1980's still have a place in the Florian family and "not only are they in great shape, but are still an enviable, excellent sounding pair", says Brian

 "Just think, the speakers you buy today could be with you several decades from now... Paradigm is not content with the status quo. You see, they are not just experts in the field of loudspeaker design and technology, but they have also become masters of manufacturing. Its not enough to come up with a good speaker if you can't also reproduce it to within a half dB on the assembly line at a price real people can afford."

"Thanks to this, Paradigm continues what they call trickle-down technology. They spend R&D at the top end of the performance spectrum yes, but they also spend it reapplying said technology to their mid and entry level lines, which bring us to the subject of today's review: the recently launched 7th generation Monitor series..."

Here's a few more clips from Brian... 

Mini Monitor
"... I dropped them into my system as a stereo pair and was floored. This is Paradigm's entry level 6-incher?!?"

"I elected for the bulk of the review period to do without my subwoofer. The Mini's have what can only be described as remarkable bass for their enclosure and price. I've heard other speakers this size with comparable bass, but they were at least twice the price."

"Then the rest of the set arrived and things really started cooking..."


Monitor Center 1
"The Center 1, like so many other Paradigm center channel speakers, is a superb product: compact yet still a true 3-way."


"The critical midrange was well served by the Mini Monitors as a stereo pair, testament to their mid-bass driver's upper end and the speaker's crossover implementation. The Center 1 bested them though, as well it should with its dedicated midrange, delivering dialogue of even some challenging dated movie mixes with surprising intelligibility."

Monitor Surround 1
"...the Surround 1s have a shallowed angle to the poles. Not only does this enable the attractive curved appearance, but in giving them a little more direct sound to their mix it may yield a more even presentation to multiple rows of seating"

"What I heard was crisp, articulate sound, still with a semblance of positioning but extremely broad. This is exactly what we want! Placed where they belong, Paradigm's dipole surrounds emulate the sort of sound emitted by an array of surround speakers and do so with excellent fidelity."

Conclusion
"The Mini Monitors are an instant classic, the Center 1 is so very hifi that I wonder what three would be like as an L/C/R set, and the Surround 1 continues the legacy of delivering the best surround sound field you can put into a home theatre. The Series 7, like so many Paradigms before them, are speakers which have the potential to become heirlooms!"

We couldn't have said it better ourselves!

Please click here! and take the time to read Brian's full review.
For more information on Paradigm's Monitor Series 7 speakers click here!