First published Paradigm Studio v.3 reviews (sort of)

[Woochifer]

Two of Soundstage's columnists posted info/reviews on the Paradigm Studio 100 v.3. Neither of them are full blown reviews, but they have some decent insights into the speakers.

Jeff Fritz's monthly column deals with 5.1 surround music, and he used a set of five Studio 100 v.3s in the ITU multichannel speaker alignment to do this month's disc evaluations. I pretty much agree with his assertions about how much of a difference the ITU alignment makes with surround music sources (although if he's reviewing surround music discs, I wonder why it took him this long to get his speakers set up in the ITU alignment, since that's the monitoring standard that recording studios use). I've tweaked with several speaker arrangements, and the ITU arrangement (see below) has given me the best overall results out of all the ones I tried.



And I agree with his general comments about horizontal center speakers and dipolar surrounds as well. But, I will add that horizontal center speakers are a necessary compromise because a TV typically sits where the center speaker would ideally go and few people out there have dedicated 5.1 systems setup exclusively for music without the TV in the middle.

Also, I think he should have at least mentioned that for systems used with both multichannel music and movies, the best alignment for the surrounds is 2'-3' above ear level. This is what Dolby recommends because it gives a good amount of diffusion of ambient effects while preserving the directional cues with movie sound effects and the imaging that you get with surround music mixes.

On the Paradigms, he basically says that the v.3 Studio 100s are ideal speakers for a surround music setup because they are full range speakers with excellent tonal characteristics.

http://www.soundstage.com/surrounded/surrounded.htm

The second column looks at the Studio 100 v.3 in the context of sound dispersion. The column has interviews with Paradigm and PSB designers and espouses the need for good off-axis response. A lot of valid information, and the column has the frequency response measurements for the Studio 100s. Very interesting because the 100s have very good off-axis response, and the overall response looks more balanced than before. With the v.2 version, I remember more of a bump in the midbass and slightly more elevated highs than what the chart shows with the v.3 version. All in all, an interesting read.


The Studio 100 v.3 on-axis frequency response and the 15, 30 degree off-axis plots.


The off-axis response at 45,60, and 75 degrees.

link to the article:
http://www.soundstage.com/gettingtec...gtechnical.htm

[Pat D]

I just have to hear the new Paradigm Reference line!

The measurements look better than ever. I haven't seen NRC curves on them but Audio, Stereophile and AIG have reviewed earlier models, and I think the general features are clear enough. So, I have every expectation that the sound quality will be excellent, and perhaps somewhat more forgiving of poor recordings, too.

[ARAM]

Paradigm website does not work..any ideas why??

[Pat D]

Paradigm website does not work..any ideas why??

I don't know. I just got on it with no trouble.

http://www.paradigm.ca/

[Woochifer]

I just have to hear the new Paradigm Reference line!

The measurements look better than ever. I haven't seen NRC curves on them but Audio, Stereophile and AIG have reviewed earlier models, and I think the general features are clear enough. So, I have every expectation that the sound quality will be excellent, and perhaps somewhat more forgiving of poor recordings, too.

Those are actually NRC measurements that I posted. The frequency response curves that I remembered from earlier were the ones that Stereophile did.

Just from listening, my initial impression of the Studio 40 v.3 is that it is a definite improvement over the v.2 versions that I own, and it is a somewhat different sound presumably because they changed the crossover point and the circuit's basic design. Not sure if the v.3 is more forgiving of bad recordings. All I know is that the imaging and soundstage are improved and the overall sound is a little more subdued, but not to the point that it changes the fundamental character of the Studio series. The changes to the Studio 100 were more radical than the ones that went into the smaller 20 and 40 models, and my local dealer says that the bass articulation is where you really notice the difference. My initial listenings are posted below.

http://forums14.consumerreview.com/c...mJV.6@.ef9e447
http://forums14.consumerreview.com/c...V.5@.ef9e447/0

[ARAM]

V3 series are lighter..why??

[trauski]

listened to some new studio 20 v3 next to studio 20 v2. i wish i hadnt as i was looking to get a deal on the v2. there was a big difference in the tweeters that i noticed right off the bat. also they were more efficient as well. not sure about bass as we had a sub on so cant say how the new front port helps or not.

[Pat D]

Those are actually NRC measurements that I posted. The frequency response curves that I remembered from earlier were the ones that Stereophile did.

Just from listening, my initial impression of the Studio 40 v.3 is that it is a definite improvement over the v.2 versions that I own, and it is a somewhat different sound presumably because they changed the crossover point and the circuit's basic design. Not sure if the v.3 is more forgiving of bad recordings. All I know is that the imaging and soundstage are improved and the overall sound is a little more subdued, but not to the point that it changes the fundamental character of the Studio series. The changes to the Studio 100 were more radical than the ones that went into the smaller 20 and 40 models, and my local dealer says that the bass articulation is where you really notice the difference. My initial listenings are posted below.

http://forums14.consumerreview.com/c...mJV.6@.ef9e447
http://forums14.consumerreview.com/c...V.5@.ef9e447/0

Sorry, perhaps my sentence wasn't clear, but I meant that I had not seen NRC curves of the v. 2 models. The reference to "them" is to the v. 2's later in my sentence. I am aware that you posted NRC curves, and would recogize them even had you not given the source. But since I have not seen NRC curves for the earlier v. 2 models, but only curves derived from the different types of measurements used in AIG, Stereophile, and Audio, it is chancy to try to make detailed comparisons, although the general features are clear.

[Thus, to use an earlier example, the hefty peaks between 500 and 1000 Hz shown in the reviews of the Ref. 3A De Capo models reviewed by Soundstage (earlier version) and Stereophile (i version) look very similar.]

[ARAM]

I still can't log onto Paradigm's website..it has been like this for the last two months..anyone got any ideas??

[trauski]

I still can't log onto Paradigm's website..it has been like this for the last two months..anyone got any ideas??

try doing a search for paradigm speaker. when you get the link try clicking it. if that does not work you have a computer problem. try rebooting if you leave your computer up and running all the time. or try a different way to get there like if you use aol then try internet explorer if you have that available. good luck

[Woochifer]

I still can't log onto Paradigm's website..it has been like this for the last two months..anyone got any ideas??

just logged onto www.paradigm.ca last week. Try again.

[ARAM]

I am in the UK...is that the reason why I can't log on?

[Pat D]

I am in the UK...is that the reason why I can't log on?

What browser do you use? I can get it with either Netscape or Explorer.

[ARAM]

I use Explorer..I mean I have maybe 500 websites in my favourites..I log onto them anytime..no problem..the websites are all over the world..Paradigm website does not let me on for the last 2 months,,I don't understand it..

[Pat D]

This is the link to Soundstage's NRC measurements of speakers:

http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/me..._studio100_v3/

I don't know why surround sound review of the Paradigm Studio 100, v. 3, doesn't link to the technical measurements.

http://www.soundstage.com/surrounded/surrounded.htm

http://www.soundstage.com/equipment.shtml

Soundstage has established a page of links to all their NRC speaker measurements, and it contains a link to a page listing all the amplifier measurements by BHK labs:

http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/speakermeasurements/

I have not so far heard any of the latest iterations of the Reference line. I did have the opportunity to hear the Signature S2, the mini-monitor of their new line. It seemed very good, but I didn't have my CDs with me nor did I have a great deal of time. It certainly made Ayako Hosokawa's voice on The Famous Sound of Three Blind Mice, vol. 3, sound warm and nice.