Bi-amping with Paradigms?
Hi there. I'm just about brand new to the world of stereo systems (having owned a only a boom box until a few months ago) and need some help. I recently got Paradigm Studio Reference 60 v3 speakers for a music-only stereo system. They sound pretty terrific to me, hooked up to a Jolida tube hybrid amp/preamp. At higher volume, the sound is really nice and clean. And lower volumes, the bass sounds a bit soft and muddy to me. Based on my online research, it seems that some people would say this is just the way that systems operate and it's hard to find really clean bass at low volumes. Others seem to say this might be more function of using a tube amp over an ss amp. So, I'm trying to figure out if it makes sense to buy a second amp (either ss or a tube/ss hybrid) and just plug it in to the lower speaker ins. Or whether it's a more complicated process. Or whether you pros out there think that this is a waste and won't really achieve what I'm after anyway. Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated....
Thanks.
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theres really two issues here....
one is bi-amping......one is the tube vs. SS
first let me say i run Paradigm 100 v2 with two Adcom triple nickles (bi-amped) and to be honest i didn't hear a bloody difference when I was running one or two amps....I'm not at all sorry I went w/two Adcoms because it allowed me to use a set of "home-grown" speaker wires that cost well over 400 bucks (not that I paid 400 clams!) but I could only use them bi-amping (because of the length). and even at that I'm not sure the mega wire did anything save make my system look more high-end....which is really neat for the "geee-wiz" factor but did do much for the sound...but I buy used stuff so even when i don't get amazing results I never out more than a few hundred bucks and it teaches me along the way....but thats just my take on it...
now for the second issue...tubes vs SS. I have a smallish tube set up in a bedroom...and i love the warmth...but i don"t hear the "slam" of my SS system...i think for the most part they just sound different...to me anyway...(and as you can see from the above, i dont mind at all saying when i do or dont hear a difference and in this case...i DO hear a difference in tubes) so as stated by someone above I'd try to get a cheapie SS and give her a whirl...just for a test so to speak.
one other point/option.....i did buy a sub to run w/my 100's for one simple fact...bass management...I love the 100's "slam" factor...but i needed to crank my system up to get me innards moving...and heck I'd really like to keep my ears for another 40 years or so....so i decided to pick up a sub (Monitor Audio 210) and it did all I needed and more...but the main advantage was it allowed me to have that killer slam at lower volumes.......and thats just an awesome tool for me! one last warning...it seems that because of the different recording levels (mainly in the lower octave ranges) it may take a bit of tweeking for different CD's/LP's....,..this is most obvious when playing something recorded in the 70's then switching to something recorded after...1990 or so...but tweeking is the name of the game...isn't it?....
I'm attaching a pic so everyone can see just how much "fire-junk" you can stuff into one room....but soon my kids will be moved away and I'll be knocking down walls and hopfully I'll have a dedicated fire-room and a listening room...not two in the same ;) you can see the big fat cables that look great but sound like home depot hiding behind the 100's...i dont think i could move the amp more than another inch or so and run outta wire....
Good Luck!! Peace, Pogue