Paradigm MilleniaOne 5.0 setup mini review... (1 Viewer)

[Number1AVdork]

I prefer to use the term mini review because I have not done in depth test measurements. I do feel that acoustically these small speaker packages will vary so much room to room. I will first state that these speakers are very much treble and upper midrange oriented. There will need to be a subwoofer with good projection and umph. I am pairing them with an HSU ULS-15 inch subwoofer. The speakers have a very nice response to music. Those seeking a musical system with a compromise in theater performance should seek this package out. The center channel speaker is simply the same speaker with a different base which allows the speaker to tilt sideways. As a center it is very good but won't give you the wide bandwith and depth of stage as a longer center channel speaker. This is certainly intended to be a lifestyle, ala bose type speaker setup. I am most impressed with the speakers vocals and piano. The piano sound is lively and not honky as if in a box. Small jazz ensembles sound awesome. Guitar work sounds very articulate and airy. For cinema this speaker package does deliver very effective performance. Placement in my room is not at perfect ear levels. I have the speakers on top of the mantel. The idea was to have a compact speaker. The wall brackets supplied do work effective. The adjustment of tilt is nice however the threading is finicky. You must be carefully. I have observed some metal shavings while tightening and untightening for adjustment. With that being said the adjustable wall mounts are effective. With rear ports on the speaker you will probably either want to rest them away from the wall. But the mounts install easily. It's probably best to use this 5.1 speaker package if your room is going to be a problem for 7.1... In my situation 7.1 would require complicated cable runs through the wall and roof...My personal opinion is that this speaker package is probably a worthy competitor for those in the market for a 50/50 music theater system. I can't stress enough that this speaker is a good midrange tranducer but you will need a good sub. The HSU works good. If I had a perfect room I'm sure I would be more enthusiastic saying that they are the best small speaker ever. Let me put it this way. If you love listening to smooth vocals and pop music with a very in the room presence these speakers deliver. For theater use they also perform very well. If must compromise cinematic experience for musicality this is the speaker for you. My main complaint is that the center channel is not quite large sounding. However my speakers are not placed perfectly at ear level. If the speakers are going to placed at perfect ear level you will certainly get more depth and smoothness from the voice tracks on movies. I had to compromise. For shear musicality this is an excellent speaker. It was particularly awesome listening to the Rolling Stones at Madison square garden in surround sound. The guitars really sounded electric. Movies are great too don't get me wrong. But you have to appreciate this system for what it is. More musical than cinematic. The best of both worlds will cost you significantly more money. I think the Paradigm system is a compromise but well worth it if you are more audiophile than cinema nerd. Once again don't get me wrong. The speakers are very good. In fact I highly recommend them if you want to rock out to live concert DVD's... The lack of lower midrange will require a good sub. I chose the HSU because I felt the 15 inch woofer would do the job. it did. Good luck. Happy trails. I hope this review will encourage those seeking a compromise between big large theater sound and audiophile music to choose the paradigm millenia. Paradigm MilleniaOne webpage... http://www.paradigm.com/products/products-by-category/bookshelf/paradigm-reference/milleniaone-5-0-system/milleniaone-5-0-system

 

[Gary Seven]

Intersting review. I have never heard of the concept of sacrificing theatrical experience for musical. In my experience, every speaker I heard that delivered well musically always delivered well theatrically. The reverse, I have found many times, is not necessarily true. I am not falimiar with this model of speakers though.

 

[Number1AVdork]

They are a relatively new product from paradigm. I chose them because I needed a small lifestyle setup. But I did not want to have typical satellite speaker sound. Part of the problem with movies is my speaker placement. I have them sitting on top of a custom built mantel shelf. They aren't ear level. However the dispersion is quite impressive from the little boxes. The little speakers play plenty loud and would be suitable for anybody looking to get good sound in a compact situation. I'm not trying to say they don't perform theatrically but the small two way speaker for a center channel is compromised. A longer speaker with multiple drivers would be better wider impact. With space as a consideration this is a very good speaker. For small rooms they would be even better. In my case it is a medium to large room. The ceilings are high. I don't have trouble filling the room with sound. I think I gave the wrong impression that the speakers don't do movies well. They do them very well but they have a real win when doing music.

 

[Sam Posten]

I'm confused, it's a 5.1 system without a sub?

 

[Number1AVdork]

Yeah the Paradigm is a 5 speaker package but it does not include a subwoofer. The matching subwoofer is very expensive and would work best for somebody needing the most compact subwoofer. I chose the HSU because of the known price performance ratio. I think the matching millenia sub has a purpose. But it's not the best performer. Basically the 5 speakers cost 1,100$. The total cost of the Paradigm package with the Paradigm subwoofer is 2,500$. At that price range there is a lot of competition. But I do think the Paradigm is the best system out there for somebody needing a lifestyle reference system. It also does well in medium to large rooms. They certainly play loud without strain. At higher volumes the sound suffers not because of the speaker but because of my room acoustics.

 

[schan1269]

So, in other words... It is a 5.0 speaker set with an optional subwoofer. With what you feel is a subwoofer that costs what it does for people that "need matching speakers"...and Paradigm priced accordingly. Edit: By the way, the ttle of this thread needs edited. Paradigm calls it the MilleniaOne 5.0. There is also a tower speaker, 3.0, 2.0 and a dedicated center...different than the center contained in the 3.0 and 5.0. So I assume he means he bought the MilleniaOne 5.0.

 

[Number1AVdork]

I'm sorry I'm a terrible linguist. No I didn't buy the matching millenia subwoofer. What I'm trying to say is the Millenia subwoofer is the most compact solution for people needing the most bass without taking up volumes of space. Paradigm solves the problem by using an oval shaped woofer. The sub does work well but I wanted more...Isn't more bass always better? So I chose to use the Millenia 5.0 speakers with an HSU ULS-15 subwoofer. Total coast was 2,500$. The same price as if I got the matching Millenia subwoofer. There are many home theater in a box type speaker packages for 1,000$ that include a subwoofer. The Paradigm speaker package costs about 1,000-1500$ more with the subwoofer but it gives you a truly compact solution that the competition does not.

 

[Sam Posten]

Right, but your thread title says 5.1 I've got a HSU VTF-15 with my Paradigm's. They work well together for me!