What is going on with Paradigm?

[Bear123]

This is one of the many marketing blurbs from Paradigms website:

"Loudspeakers should be neutral, and have no identifiable sound of their own. The Holy Grail of audio is a loudspeaker that is so utterly transparent that the performance sounds "live," with nothing coming between the performer and your ears.

Paradigm loudspeakers come very close to this Holy Grail, indeed. Years of scientific research into the nature of sound reproduction and its effects on the human ear have given Paradigm engineers deep insight into the problems of audio coloration. The most advanced research & development, and most advanced program of testing and measurement, have led Paradigm engineers to innovations that fight, and often eliminate, coloration in Paradigm loudspeakers.

That's why Paradigm loudspeakers are known to be so timbrally accurate and virtually transparent, to more faithfully reproduce the distinctive character of any audio signal.

With Paradigm, it's just you and your audio."

Also:

"A flat frequency response means that all the performance-robbing resonances, deficiencies, and colorations have been ironed out of the speaker's performance. All that remains is the lifelike sound. Audiophiles universally agree: Flat response (in the important midrange especially) directly correlates to accurate audio reproduction.

This is the Holy Grail of loudspeaker performance. Paradigm achieves it."

Here is Stereophile's LW measurement of their top of the line Prestige series speaker, the 95F(Stereophile review of Paradigm Prestige 95F):

?????

Paradigm has the resources and capability to make great speakers....all in house, which is a rare occurrence.

 

[Laserjock]

The graph is The Monty Python version..

 

[Bear123]

IMO, Paradigm is a brand that one could be extremely proud to own due to their SOTA in house design, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities, including anechoic chamber. They are aware of the research, participated in it, and extoll its virtues all over and throughout their website. Had I purchased the above speakers with the belief that I was buying a neutral and accurate speaker, as advertised by the company, I would demand a refund due to false advertising. It seems almost fraudulent.

 

[John Atkinson]

. . .

Here is SoundStageNetowrk's LW measurement of their top of the line Prestige series speaker, the 95F:

?????

Paradigm has the resources and capability to make great speakers....all in house, which is a rare occurrence.

This graph is taken from Stereophile's review of the Paradigm Prestige 95F, not the Soundstage review. I request that when you quote from Stereophile's content, you include a link to the original.

See https://www.stereophile.com/content/paradigm-prestige-95f-loudspeaker-measurements

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

 

[Bear123]

This graph is taken from Stereophile's review of the Paradigm Prestige 95F, not the Soundstage review. I request that when you quote from Stereophile's content, you include a link to the original.

See https://www.stereophile.com/content/paradigm-prestige-95f-loudspeaker-measurements

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

Sincerest apologies sir. I think I was far too short on coffee when posted. Original post edited.

 

[whazzup]

?????

I chuckled. Nice plot twist.

 

[John Atkinson]

I chuckled. Nice plot twist.

From my measurements report in the Stereophile review: "When I visited Paradigm's facility in Toronto in summer 2014, I was very impressed by the depth of the company's engineering and manufacturing expertise. They have a large anechoic chamber for acoustical analysis and state-of-the-art measuring equipment, including the Klippel system for analyzing the behavior of drive-units. I'm puzzled, therefore, by the departure of both samples from what I regard as an optimal target response . . ."

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

 

[whazzup]

From my measurements report in the Stereophile review: "When I visited Paradigm's facility in Toronto in summer 2014, I was very impressed by the depth of the company's engineering and manufacturing expertise. They have a large anechoic chamber for acoustical analysis and state-of-the-art measuring equipment, including the Klippel system for analyzing the behavior of drive-units. I'm puzzled, therefore, by the departure of both samples from what I regard as an optimal target response . . ."

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

TBH I'm still not entirely sure after reading the article: Was there a clear explanation for the samples' performance? Or it's tuned intentionally....

 

[Purité Audio]

Perhaps they just haven’t turned then on?
Keith

 

[JSHamlet234]

I've had a pair of Canadian-made Mini Monitors of one version or another on my desk for the last 20 years, currently V.3. They've brought me so much listening enjoyment over the years relative to how inexpensive they were, that I just can't fathom what direction this company has gone in.

 

[theyellowspecial]

Tentative assumption is they've gone with something that "stands out" in the average auditioning room.

 

[JohnYang1997]

Everything would be clear if more speakers of theirs are measured.

 

[Jmudrick]

Tentative assumption is they've gone with something that "stands out" in the average auditioning room.

Which you can apply their Anthem room correction to in the form of their PW series electronics when you get home (?). Bizarre.

 

[andreasmaaan]

The two Paradigm speakers measured by Soundstage (relatively) recently also had a similar response curve (the "Batman", as it's been called).

Persona B listening window:

Atom SE listening window:

Although in both these cases the bat head is a little lower in frequency than per the 95F.

But then there's the Persona 5F, which according again to Stereophile measures more neutrally (especially if the design axis is assumed to be 20-30° horizontally off-axis, which you don't see here but which you can extrapolate from the horizontal polars):

 

[Martin]

What is going on with Paradigm, indeed. I once owned a pair of their Studio 100 v.4 and Studio 40 v.2 before that. I would wager they both measured considerably better than these Prestige speakers. I think they've lost their way.

Martin

 

[Kal Rubinson]

But then there's the Persona 5F, which according again to Stereophile measures more neutrally (especially if the design axis is assumed to be 20-30° horizontally off-axis, which you don't see here but which you can extrapolate from the horizontal polars):

I preferred them off-axis.

 

[theyellowspecial]

Which you can apply their Anthem room correction to in the form of their PW series electronics when you get home (?). Bizarre.

Even better profits!

 

[valerianf]

Let me guess: pure aluminum speakers and perforated grid in front of the tweeter are not providing a good sound.
It seems that the marketing people have taken the lead over the R&D engineers.
Sad story.

 

[ahofer]

Tentative assumption is they've gone with something that "stands out" in the average auditioning room.

That was my assumption when I test-listened the incredibly bright Persona 3F. Definitely sounded different. Then 5 minutes later - ugh, I couldn't listen to these for a long time.

 

[goldark]

I posted this in another thread, but old school Paradigms used to measure pretty well. Not surprising giving their history with the NRC. It's only the newer lines that started imparting its own signature. Hopefully with the ownership changes, they start following the science again.

The older versions of the Studio 20 measured pretty decently:
original: https://www.stereophile.com/content/paradigm-reference-studio20-loudspeaker-measurements
v3: https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/measurements/paradigm_studio20_v3/
v4: https://www.soundandvision.com/cont...-studio-20-v4-speaker-system-ht-labs-measures

older Signature series:
https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/measurements/speakers/paradigm_signature_s1_v2/
https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/measurements/paradigm_signature_s2/