help us out with a little more info. What speaker linup did you have in mind? While you'll be sure to find many fans of the brand here, Paradigm has multiple lines at multiple price points.
I think the Signatures are great. I just helped a friend set up a system with a full compliment of v3 Studios, and it sounds very nice, but as mentioned, without telling us a budget or what speakers you are interested in, nobody can give you any specific help.
I like my Titans, but auditioned the monitors and they sounded alot better **too me** (bought the titans before auditioning the monitors, and it was a budget thing anyway)
speakers are are pretty subjective thing to get opinions on. What sounds good to me, sounds like **** to someone else.
The monitor line is a great budget HT set up for sure.
I personally would go for Mini-monitors all the way around with theCC-370 for either 5.1 or 7.1. Pair that up with a great sub (SVS) and you will have one rocking HT system that will sound amazing.
With the Monitor line, I recommend the Monitor 5s up front because they blend seemlessly with the 370 (closer sensitivity), and have better lower midrange than the Minis. I had the Minis for about a year when I upgraded to Monitor 5s, and the difference was worth it. Minis as surrounds with this setup, 5.1 or 7.1, works great.
Yeah John.....but once your get up into the 5's pricing you could just save a bit more and get into the Studio 20's. There has to be a cut off. I for one wouldn't go much more than the Mini-monitors due to the price increase relative to the Studio 20's. But hey, that's just me!
The 5's are nice and I agree they sound better than the Mini's..but for HT use I don't think they sound all that better. Especially if your using a good sub and crossing over at 80.
My Paradigm suggestions per line are the following:
1. Atoms all the way around with the CC-170 2. Mini's all the way around with the CC-370 3. Studio 20's all the way around with the studio center
Either an SVS sub or an HSU...depending on budget and room size. I feel that these are the best "budget" minded choices in each line...but again....just one guys opinion!
My 5s were demos and cost me less than my Minis Yep, at their MSRP, the 20s are definitely better speakers, but they are still more $$ (~$800 vs $570). That's why in my friend's setup, I recommended 20s also, but the problem is the CC470 is quite a bit more than the CC370 (and the 570 even more), so stepping up to Studios is not a small jump in price for the front stage.
I have an HSU sub, and highly recommend them. Have heard SVS also and there is no question that they are also excellent subs.
It was my first foray into speakers and I thought the sound was excellent.
Now my setup consists of:
Studio(v3) 40/20 Studio CC-570 PW-2100
All I can say is wow
If you can save a little longer to get the Studio line. In the long run it'll save you $$. The jump from Monitors to Studio is easier than Studio to Sigs.
Well AHEM, here is a story.... I have been living with (4) NHT SuperOnes and a SuperCenter and a most excellent Atlantic Tech Sub for almost 5 years. Quite frankly I thought they were awesome and they did serve me quite well. BUT some things were missing. For movies they were almost always fine. For music they absolutley sucked...and here is why. No true dynamic. No imaging at all. No love...no bottom. And then my life changed about 6/15/04, 48 years after I was born. Then PARADIGM came into my life...
(2)Monitor 11's CC-370 (2)ADP-370 Kept the old sub for now....
These speakers are now broken in, I drive them with a new Yamaha RX-V1400 (this is my first Yammy, I have always have been a Onkyo/Denon fan but ya gotta try new things right?) and they love the soup it can give what I mean is that they love to be cranked with no bother.
The image these speakers give in simple direct flat stereo without the sub is emotional. All the sauce is there, the music envelops you. Keep this in mind as most of us don't use or systems JUST for HT right? I do mostly enjoy DVDs concerts of my favorite artists.
HT has been so incredible...there are so many little details that have NEVER been there before. The ADPs add soo much more from everywhere and the CC finaly make voices sound correct.
Yeah I suppose if you have the bones to spend in the Siganture realm of things go for it because I would have. But I know I'm picky and I know how much money I have to spend I'm still putting kids through school. Please just just go audition these units and pick the ones you can afford, most of you will not be disappointed.
Depth Presence Dynamic Bottom Image
They give what I want...I paid $1765.00...I'm VERY happy.
i have a pair of titans (yay budget) and i've been very satisfied. i auditioned at least a dozen different brands of speakers and countless different models and i thought the paradigm was the absolute best i could get for my money (with phase tech running a close second for me).
I am a Monitor man, I felt that they were the best value for home theater. For music I would pick the Studios, but the Monitors or Performance lines are both great for HT.