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.

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:

Explore ...

• Attend home product shows
• Speak to building experts
• Attend home buying seminars
• View cooking demonstrations
• Consult with interior designers

Experience ...

• Spring gardening classes
• Patriotic fireworks displays
• Summer BBQ cookoffs
• Fall football block parties
• Christmas on MainStreet

Enjoy ...

• Purchase products on display
• Create virtual shopping carts
• Shop on-site retail stores
• Consult with a contractor
• Plan your home project

Click here for more information on MainStreet America 

& for updates on the grand opening.

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.

"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.

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

"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!