Paradigm Subwoofers (1 Viewer)

[BrendanG]

Does anyone have any experience with paradigms line of subwoofers. Particulary the pdr series. How do they perform musically? For movies? any opinions please. thanks.

 

[Ron_L]

They aren't bad for the money. I've changed my opinion and liking of ported vs sealed after buying the Servo 15, it simply kicks ass.

 

[Jamey F]

Ditto on the servo 15. It does go low, and it is nicely musical. I upgrade from a PS-1000. That is the minimum I would recommend in the Paradigm sub line, and I wouldnt' recommend it if you listen to alot of music.

 

[BrendanG]

Just out of curiosity why would say the rest of the line isnt musical? too boomy? I own a pair of titans so their not the highest quality speakers anyway. I was looking at the pdr-8 and pdr-10, but maybe i shouldnt be. thanks.

 

[joe rizzuto]

they enjoy an excellent reputation by most.
don't forget to take into account the size of your room. a smaller room can manage with a smaller sub.

 

[BrendanG]

I do have a rather small room (11 x 11). Although i thought i might overpower the pdr-8 resulting in boomy bass. I listen to much more music than movies so articulate bass is a must. Anyone have any opinions on the pdr-8 or pdr-10 sound?

 

[BrianWoerndle]

The PDR series are solid subs for the price. But they do not go very low (nor does any other sub at this price point), and they do not have a ton of power. The PS series subs hit much lower and much harder. But to get all that for a cheap price Paradigm went to a bandpass design. So it can be boomy, which is not good for music. The PW-2200 raises the price, but eliminates some of the boomyness. Then you get all the way up to the Servo 15 which is a reference quality sub that handles everything well, espically music.

I own a PS-1000. It is a great sub for under $500. But it took a lot of tweaking to get rid of some of teh boomyness. And there is still some music that I wish it handled better. But at the price it is a great performer, that will do well even in big rooms.

So Brendan, if you have a fairly small room, the PDR series is probably your best bet. If you have a bigger room, or just want it to hit harder, then you might look at a PS-1000, just beware that it might take a little work to get it sounding its best.

 

[BrendanG]

thank you very much, you obviously know what your talking about. another question, do u think the 8 inch is too little for an 11 x 11 room? Or would that suit it just fine. If not, i would probably go with the 10 inch. Any opinion?

 

[Peter Hill]

I own a PDR-10 and I think it is a good value for the money. The only complaint I have against it is that it seems to stay on for quite a while after the receiver is turned off.

 

[BrendanG]

anyone think the 8inch would be too small for the 11 x 11 room?

 

[Ariel]

I think that you can go for larger sub in your room depending on your preferences. i had the pdr12 and it is a
musical sub in its price range. Eventually i moved up to the servo15. my room is just a bit bigger than your's.

 

[Eric_AP]

"I own a PDR-10 and I think it is a good value for the money. The only complaint I have against it is that it seems to stay on for quite a while after the receiver is turned off."

Agree with this sentiment about the value. But I think the fact that it stays on for a while after the receiver is turned off is a good thing. In my experience, my PDR-10 stays on for about 15 minutes after power-off of the receiver (which means that the front light stays lit on the sub -- nothing else happens). This is good, in that I have read of subs shutting off when they should not -- due to quiet passages or a brief period of no bass in a DVD or music.

 

[Ron_L]

i'm running the servo 15 in a 11 x 10 room at about halfway on the sub amp and xc-30. It shakes the living shit out of everything.

 

[Dustin B]

You don't say if you are in Canada or the US and what price you think you can get on the PDR-10.

Two other subs that are close to PDR10 price range in the US that I would seriously consider instead are the Adire Rava ($400) or the Hsu VTF2 ($450).

Another option would be DIY. If you have some basic wood working skills SVS 20-39PCi performance can be had for ~$300.

 

[BrianWoerndle]

"anyone think the 8inch would be too small for the 11 x 11 room? "

A sub can never be too big. You can always turn the volume down. But you still retain the deeper extension. So I wouldn't sell yourself short just because of room size. I would get as big of a sub as your budget will allow. Also remember, you may not always be in that room. The PDR-10 goes quite a bit lower than the 8, so I would definatly reccommend that. If you can swing a 12, all the better for future proffing.

 

[Mikey B]

I have have had a PDR-12, a PS-1000, and a PW-2200 in my system (with Ref. 60's), and I much preferred the PDR-12 to the PS-1000. Everything people say about the PS-1000's boominess is true. For me, it was too boomy even for home theater (and after MUCH tweaking). I would not even consider the PS series in a relatively small room (mine was about 12x13 with one side open to a similar sized room). The PDR-12 actually worked pretty well in my system and hung in there with some other more expensive subs I demo'd (RBH and PSB). I ended up with the PW-2200. The PDR series is of similar quality and bang for the buck as your titans, so I would consider them a front runner for you. My gut would tell me to go with the 10" if I were faced with your decision. I don't believe the PDR's are flawed in any way considering their price.

 

[BrendanG]

another option would be DIY. If you have some basic wood working skills SVS 20-39PCi performance can be had for ~$300.[/

Are you referring to a specific kit? if so, what kind?

 

[Dustin B]

I payed $350CDN (~$240US) several years ago when I bought one. I've since replaced it with a DIY Tempest (think SVS Ultra performance but with a massive enclosure).

Subs don't require complicated crossovers. So pick a good driver, a good amp, choose a proven allignment and build. That's all there is to it.

http://members.tripod.com/~terrycthe...um/page12.html

http://dustin.bunnyhug.net/twinstart.php

Living in the US you should be able to build a sub with a 250W plate amp, Dayton DVC12" or Adire Shiva for $300US without much trouble. Especially if you can get some left over sonotube from a construction site or have the skills to build a box from MDF.