Paradigm surrounds, dipole or direct? (1 Viewer)

[Jamie Colquhoun]

I have been agonizing over this for a while now.Should i get the studio 20s for surrounds or the studio adp.
75%movies 25% music. The problem with the ADPs, the back wall will be close to one of the speakers.(5.1 speaker set up)
Any suggestions will be apreciated..
I have studio 40s for mains and the studio cc.

 

[Wayne_T]

Jamie, you will get lots of opinions on both sides of this one. Many people believe that the ADP's are best for movies and the directs best for music, especially the new DVD-A and SACD releases. Personally I got the ADP's but that was because I hadn't researched it much beyond the Paradigm website which promotes the ADP's with all their configs. I am happy with the ADP's but I never tried the directs.
If the 20's are rear ported like the 40's are, then being too close to the rear wall presents a problem with both choices. You probably should have at least two feet with the ADP's and at least a foot with a rear ported speaker, IMO. I have the same problem but decided to put up with it until I (eventually) get a real HT room completed in the basement.

 

[Kevin. W]

Jamie chekout the following link.
http://www.geocities.com/p_iturra/index2.html

 

[JereCa]

im going to agree with wayne

 

[John Garcia]

I agree that you will get answers on both sides. I prefer monopoles, but I also listen to more music than movies, so my system is tailored as such. For 75% movies and with a room that will allow the use of bi/dipoles, I'd say the ADPs would work well. Too close to the back wall doesn't matter because you will need to calibrate their levels relative to the listening position anyway.

 

[DevinJC]

I just dropped some ADP470s in as the sides in a 6.1 setup. So far, for movies, well, I'm still getting used to it, but I think I like it. The envelopement is seamless.

I think a lot depends on your room. In my 9.5'X15 room, the Studio 20s I was running as sides (atoms in the rear) could be a little aggressive. Now with the 20s as rears, the ADPs at the sides the speakers have simply disappeared. There is just sound. (Yes part of this was getting the Atoms out of the back)

By 6.1 I mean I have no center. Room narrow enough and rarely more than 2 people in the room.

Oh and the V.3 20s are not rear ported.

Whatever you do, don't buy the "rears aren't as important, you can go cheaper" mindset. I've ran everything from old 5ses to Atoms to the current set up as surrounds with the 20s as mains, and trust me, even with movies there is a massive audible difference.

 

[PaulT]

Jamie,
I have Studio 40v3 and 570 up front and ADP's in the rear. My HT is about 60/40 movies/music with most of my music being SACD and DVD-Audio.
My room is fairly 'normal' with the ADP's placed above and just slightly behind the listening position.
For Movies this is fantastic, for High Res Surround Music it seems lacking, and I prefer to move my listening position forward to be more directly in line with the forward facing speakers of the ADP's (removes more of the diffuse sound and it becomes more 'direct', which is my preference for 5.1 music mixes).
I would try and score a pair of Studio 20's for the rears to try out (A/B with the ADP's). If you can swing it with your dealer, maybe he can lend you a pair of each to try - that would be my suggestion.
If my room would allow it, I would currently buy another set of 40's for rears (music) and keep the ADP's for movies - switching between the 2 depending on the source, but that is being a bit anal perhaps

 

[Kevin. W]

Jamie,

I have Studio 40v3 and 570 up front and ADP's in the rear. My HT is about 60/40 movies/music with most of my music being SACD and DVD-Audio.

I would try and score a pair of Studio 20's for the rears to try out (A/B with the ADP's). If you can swing it with your dealer, maybe he can lend you a pair of each to try - that would be my suggestion.

Paul, I have the exact same setup as you and actually had the 20's as rears at one point, before I traded them for the ADP's. Wouldn't think about going back to the 20's ever. Makes for a much better surround experience in my situation. How far back from the listening position will you be able to put the 20's?

 

[PaulT]

How far back from the listening position will you be able to put the 20's?

In my case they could go 6 feet behind the listener. My L/C/R are 10 feet ahead.