PARADIGM Reference Setup Queries (1 Viewer)

[Nauman]

Im planning on my first Home Theatre setup to be Paradigm Reference series.

CC-370 or 470
ADP-370
Studio 20 or 40
PW-2200 sub

i need opinions on this setup and the choices among them
i have a budget of $3000 ( it can be increased )but for a signifanct sound difference

1-now the scenario is this I HAVENT HEARD ANY of them,rather never heard a hifi HT setup before. but i really want to own one and ive made these choices on the basis of many review sites and these forums too.

2-for the choices in Reciever im thinking Harman kardon & Denon.

i was initially goin for Denon 1804, but i think it wont be enuff to do justice with the speakers.
then a Local dealer told me about HK (high current) recievers.
but still i donno which one to choose between them.
wut are the benefits of high current amps.

3- i wud appreciate if u guys guide me towards a better sounding setup. if u quote the current US-MSRP's on the items wud be greatly appreciate though im living in Pakistan and there are not many dealers in Audio equipment here.
ppl here just buy SONY HT's and dont go for HIFI.

i know my post has become quite lengthy :p

 

[BrianWoerndle]

First off, get the 470 (or 570 if budget allows). The 370 is from the Monitor line, and will not match the Studio's well. I have a 370 and moved to a Studio center and there was a noticable improvment.

1.) You should always try to listen to speakers first. Everybody likes different speakers for different reasons. But I don't think anybody will say you went wrong with Paradigm, but there may be something in your price range you like better.

2.) H/K and Denon are very similar in performance. Bot are high current. The 1804 will drive the Studio's sufficiently, but the entire Studio line always sounds better with more power. I would try to up your budget a little on the receiver.

 

[Nauman]

i agree for 470 , since center does most of the work, i shud spend much on it

and dont worry , i will give the salesman a hard time ,
usually salesmen try to convince on their choice of speakers,

i can go for other brands.but in pakistan we dont have much variety . only big names sell.the dealers here have mostly got bose, JBL, infinity, polk.

they dont know abt SVS, velodyne etc.

i hope he gives me some discount. ill already be paying 20% duty and 15% sales tax

 

[John Garcia]

With Studio mains, you definitley want the 470 not the 370 (not the same series as noted). Between the 20s and 40s, I always recommend the 40s up front. For surround, you can save a bit by going with 20s instead of ADPs, unlesss you really need wall mounted speakers.

I agree with Brian, you will probably need more juice with the Studios. It's not that a lesser receiver will not drive them, but rather that with too little power you will run the risk of clipping and damaging the speakers.

 

[AlanZ]

Wow, that's a pretty nice FIRST home theater, man! Congrats! I think you'll love the studios.....the v.3s that are out now are quite nice. And I'll definitely echo the others' opinions about the 470 center and the power rating of your receiver......the studios really shine if you give them enough juice. Good luck!

 

[greggor]

As a Paradigm Reference owner I will also echo all the above recommndations. Here's what I would do:

Studio 40's (mains)
Studio 20's (Surrounds)
Studio CC (A must, do not go for the 370!)
PW 2200 (A very nice sub for the price)

You will definately want good clean power if you want to fully enjoy these speakers. If you go with Denon I would recommend the 3805 or above. HK matches well with paradigm but I would also stick with their higher end models. Other brands to consider would be Marantz and B&K. I have the B&K AVR 507 powering 2 studio 60's, studio CC, 2 Studio 40's and the PW-2200. B&K uses non current limiting amps and is therefore very simiiar to separates. Frankly its the best match for the Paradigms that I have ever listened to. Good luck and let us know what you opt for and more importantly how you like it.

Greg

 

[Jeff-0]

weird..........i auditioned the 370 and the 470 and picked the 370 because it sounded more natural. i think most get the bigger (more expensive) is better attitude.

 

[Aaron_Mum]

Its not a matter of bigger is better its that the drivers are different. Same drivers = same sound = happy HT.

 

[greggor]

Yes absolutely. The 370 sounds great with the monitor line as that's what it was intended to be used for. It's not a sound quality issue, it's a timbre matching issue.

 

[John Garcia]

I used to have the v3 370 and it is a good center; it sounds great with the rest of the Monitors, but it will not blend with the Studio series. I even tried it out with a pair of 40s for over a week and the difference was noticable. The 470 is clearer, will handle more power and play louder than the 370.

 

[Jeff-0]

what i was saying is i actually like the monitor sound a bit better. weird?

 

[John Garcia]

I don't think it's weird, because I know exactly what you are talking about. The Monitors have a softer presentation than the Studios. I found the Studios to be much more detailed, but too harsh for my taste on the top end; that's why I didn't end up purchasing them when I decided to upgrade from the Monitors. I went with something with soft domes that has a much smoother overall presentation.

 

[Evan H]

Nauman, I'm a paradigm studio user, so my judgement is a little biased. That being said, you really can't do wrong with their products, however depending on your taste other options might give you better results. I know you said that there aren't many choices in brands to audition, so perhaps you could tell us what style of music you listen to or what types of movies you'll be watching. If you know of any listening preference that would also help out.

 

[Nauman]

thanks all for enlightening me with ur opinions and comments

i feel much confident now since its my first proper HT purchase & also puttin a lot of my savings in it

there is one thing that confuses me is tat why choose 20's for surround rather than the ADP's as they r di-polar and are meant for surrounds. though there isnt a much price difference between them.



regarding the reciever i read some good reviews about the HK-430 and 630 . they r sleek looking (the blue light looks awsome) besides their performance
i saw the new line of HK's at a store

but ill test the Denons aswell & definetely ill be goin for the higher end recievers

Evan: thanks for ur reply, i listen to ROCK, dance,techno.
as far as movies are concerned ,i watch action,suspense,horror. but i do give importance to clarity,dialogue and natural sound.
frequent Gamer, will hook up my XBOX

 

[Evan H]

Nauman, Klipsch would be another brand that people on this board recommend that I think would fit in with your tastes. They have a very accurate tweeter which helps w/dialog and the treble sections of rock and techno. I'm sure people will also say to check out B&W for similar reasons.

Personally, I found the B&W's in the same price range as the Paradigm Reference setup too bright when demoed side by side, and never demoed a klipsch setup. My musical taste is very similar to yours.. classic rock, metal, techno, classical and jazz. Your ears will hear things differently from mine however and this is why demos are always preferred.

I have never regretted my purchase of the Studio 20's (version 2) in the fall of 2000, and they are still my main speakers to this day. Sometime this year I am planning on an upgrade and most likely will stay in the paradigm family just trading up to the signature line, although I'm also demoing B&W Nautilus... my ears have changed in the past 5 years and what I once thought was shillness, I now hear as clarity. Hopefully this testimonial helps you in your overall situation, i'm sure there are many more that people on this board can offer you as well. Again, you really can't go wrong with the selection that has been discussed, it's really in the subtle nuances of the music that you'll hear a difference... and at that it's usally in A/B demos that you'll notice it. Post-purchase you'll just hear great speakers!

 

[Nauman]

i had considered the klipch reference setup before, but the horn technology has some issues , so i was skepticle about it.

i had in mind the following config for klipsch
RB-35
RC-35
Rs-35
n RW-10 or 12 (sub)for klipsch setup.

ppl say HOrns dont give a lot of detailed sound in low Volumes, though they give accurate sounds even if u crank them up to high levels
they're bit too bright accordin to some reviews.

lets see wut my ears like better
ill demo them aswell. but then again i wont get the real sound untill the speakers have broken IN completely.

thnx again for this input

 

[MuneebM]

Nauman, you said JBLs are also available in Pakistan. If so, I would highly recommend the JBL Studio Series line of speakers. They are hard to get a hold of but they are excellent speakers. Compared to the Paradigm Studios, the JBL Studios have a bit more low-end and are less brighter than the Paradigms. The Paradigms are also awesome speakers, but if you can audition some JBL Studio Series speakers then I would definitely add those to your list.

As for receivers to match with the Paradigms, also look into the Yamaha RX line of receivers (Yamaha RX-V2400, RX-V2500). Yamaha mates very well with Paradigms and most shops that sell Paradigms here (in Canada) demo them with Yamaha receivers.

Good luck, and remember to audition what you plan to buy before you buy it!

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[Nauman]

thx muneeb for ur opinion.

.. ill add Jbl's to the list too.
im just thinking abt the time ill actually audition them.
it will drive the salesman nuts.
btw the salesman was convincing me on Jbls since he basically deals in Jbls.

 

[John Garcia]

JBL Studios are not in the same category as the Paradigm Studios. Give them a listen though, as they may be all you need.

 

[MuneebM]

John, are you referring to sound or price when you say "not in the same category"? If you meant sound, I'd have to disagree with you. The JBL Studios are a cut above the Paradigm Monitors and to some ears sound a little worse, just as good, or better than the Paradigm Studios. Its all a matter of tastes and what sounds better (or "not in the same category") to your ears doesn't necessarily sound better to the guy next door.

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