Just auditioned some Paradigms, Questions and Thoughts. [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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Crackerballer
01-21-2006, 10:13 AM
So I went to a local audio store that has a pretty good reputation. They do car installation and sell Paradigm speakers and Denon recievers. I was hoping that would have a set of Studio 40's for me to audition and they did. I am still amazed at how wonderful those speakers sound. What killed me though was the price tag, $1200 for a set, no stands. Granted this may be cheap in the audio world, I am in college. However, he also has a Studio 20. He told me if I was planning on running a Sub/Sat system, just 2 bookshelves and a powered sub, I would be just as well off going with the Studio 20's. They are also $400 cheaper. The Sub he suggested was a Paradigm 12 inch, front firing, I believe the PW series. It hit very hard and very clear. It is $900. He said he would work me a deal on the Sub, Speakers, and speaker stands if I got them all from him.

Now for the questions. I told him I planned on buying a Yamaha Rx-V2500 Reciever, and he said that would be fine, but that he has known Yamahas to not deliver true wattage when put under load on like a 7.1 setup. Those of you who have Yamahas and especially the RX-v2500/1500, what are your experiences with it.

Next question, should I man up and get the Studio 40s? Or will the 20's do me fine? I am going to be using this as my HT and Audio setup. I listen to TONS of rap, but can also hear anything from country to rock to classical and Jazz. I also plan to gradually build around this system, adding a center channel and some Dipolars for the rear eventually (the ones I like are around $1300)

Just give me some feedback on both the Yamaha recievers and the Paradigms. I believe I will be very happy with this setup. Thanks for reading my long post.

kexodusc
01-21-2006, 11:23 AM
I use to own the Studio 20's and still have my 40's. I'm not sure I can tell you whether they are worth the price difference, but I preferred them. I guess with a decent sub, the advantages diminish.

As for the Yamaha, well, you're salesman is partially right. The Yammie won't deliver it's rated power with all-channels driven. But that's okay. What he didn't tell you was that the Denon won't either. Truth be told, they're probably very, very close in performance in "real terms".

More importantly, the "all channels driven" argument is pretty weak anyway. You won't find many movies or songs that will place such demands on these receivers for the 5 consecutive minute time period the technical rating requires. Most of these receivers can output a lot of power for short time bursts though, and that's more than enough. Also, you're sound would be so ear bleeding loud at 80 or 90 watts with 7 Studio's going that it's just not a realistic application in most cases.

Some like Denon more than Yamaha, some don't. The wattage shouldn't be a determining difference though.

Crackerballer
01-21-2006, 11:25 AM
Thanks Kexodusc, He said the yami would be good, the main thing was to find one with all the functions I want. I am going back there right now to see how much I need to save to get the sub/speaker package.

Woochifer
01-21-2006, 11:36 AM
Between the 20 and the 40, I would opt for the 20, especially if you plan to go with a subwoofer. The advantage of the 40 is with its lower bass extension, which would come in handy if you plan on listening to some two-channel sources at full range without using your receiver's bass management. But, the 20 has other advantages, and the extra bass with the 40 is less important with a subwoofer.

When Paradigm introduced the Studio v.3 series, the biggest improvement they made was with the imaging accuracy and overall tonal balance. The 20 in particular excels in the imaging, even more so than the 40 IMO. If you plan to eventually use your setup in a 5.1 configuration, then you can perfectly timbre match the mains and surrounds by using Studio 20s all the way around.

Also, the Studio series is not especially difficult to drive, so those Yamaha receivers will work fine. I use an older Yamaha with my Studio v.2 setup, and it gets well beyond tolerable levels before any signs of strain show up.

The salesperson's comments about the wattage are accurate, but that applies to just about every receiver out there. The wattage ratings that the manufacturers quote do not use the "all channels driven" test, so when they claim "100 watts x 7 channels" that does not mean that the continuous output for the receiver equals 700 watts. In recent years, I also believe that the UL standards have become more stringent, so more safeguards are now built into the power supply to obtain the UL listing.

Keep in mind though that a typical speaker will already play at fairly loud levels at your listening position with less than ONE watt feeding into it. The Studio 20 has a sensitivity of about 88 db, which means that from your listening position, you will probably hear about 80-85 db with only one watt of output, depending on your acoustical conditions and distance from the speaker. 85 db is at the high end of most normal listening, and anything above 90 db is really pushing things. Wattage is generally an overemphasized spec that's more about quantity than quality, and it's very easy to monkey around with the spec for marketing purposes.

westcott
01-22-2006, 11:14 AM
So I went to a local audio store that has a pretty good reputation. They do car installation and sell Paradigm speakers and Denon recievers. I was hoping that would have a set of Studio 40's for me to audition and they did. I am still amazed at how wonderful those speakers sound. What killed me though was the price tag, $1200 for a set, no stands. Granted this may be cheap in the audio world, I am in college. However, he also has a Studio 20. He told me if I was planning on running a Sub/Sat system, just 2 bookshelves and a powered sub, I would be just as well off going with the Studio 20's. They are also $400 cheaper. The Sub he suggested was a Paradigm 12 inch, front firing, I believe the PW series. It hit very hard and very clear. It is $900. He said he would work me a deal on the Sub, Speakers, and speaker stands if I got them all from him.

Now for the questions. I told him I planned on buying a Yamaha Rx-V2500 Reciever, and he said that would be fine, but that he has known Yamahas to not deliver true wattage when put under load on like a 7.1 setup. Those of you who have Yamahas and especially the RX-v2500/1500, what are your experiences with it.

Next question, should I man up and get the Studio 40s? Or will the 20's do me fine? I am going to be using this as my HT and Audio setup. I listen to TONS of rap, but can also hear anything from country to rock to classical and Jazz. I also plan to gradually build around this system, adding a center channel and some Dipolars for the rear eventually (the ones I like are around $1300)

Just give me some feedback on both the Yamaha recievers and the Paradigms. I believe I will be very happy with this setup. Thanks for reading my long post.

If you are really on a budget, you may want to shop around for some used or internet available equipment. I saw a used PW2200 for $500 plus shipping on Audiogon.
I think the 20's will suit you fine with the best subwoofer you can afford. SVS and HSU are always well regarded, as well.

Good Luck and post pictures after you have them all set up.

Here is a link that may help you get started.

http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/index.php

Crackerballer
01-22-2006, 01:35 PM
Ordered my Yamaha RX-V2500 today, for $590 shipped with a store receipt from and authorized dealer. I am definately going to get the Studio 20's, then the Paradigm PW2200 12 inch sub. From there, I have to get my flat screen and DVD Player/ Recorder.