Bass extension. Amazing value in a used speaker.

Large size, if that matters to you.

I recently picked up a local pair of these off Ebay. They're being driven by a bi-amp capable JVC RX-20VBK pushing 240 RMS watts per channel. I haven't had them too long yet, but these are my preliminary thoughts:

I've heard that these are 'reference' series speakers. I presume that's the original reference series; not the .v2. I listened to them back to back with my eight-year newer Paradigm Monitor 11 v.2's, and the Eclipse's are an obvious improvement in terms of absolute fidelity and accuracy. In terms of bass extension they're incredible. For music you truly do not need a subwoofer with these. The midrange is beautiful, faithful, satisfying and neutral in a way that the lesser series of Paradigm speakers simply are not. I was afraid that the bipolar design would be detrimental to the sound, never having heard bipolars before, but I was relieved to find that the soudstage was in fact expansive, adding to the listening experience, and the fidelity was absolutely there and not diminished. I was really wanting the newer Studio 100 v.4's, but for what I paid for these the Eclipse PB's will hold me over for a good, long time.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm seMk.III series, Monitor 11 v.2

Bass is very powerful

Huge soundstage

Will handle lots of power but sound great with smaller amps

These baby's need room to breathe.

These speakers look awesome and sound even better. The real solid oak tops and bottoms are a nice touch and the black socks are a deep and dark black.

Amazing speakers.I purchased these speakers last year and all I can say is that I will not replace them with any other speaker regardless how well or better they may "claim" to be or sound. I have auditioned so many well known main speakers from Legacy Audio(Focus 2020),Martin Logan,Revel,Thiel,Definitive tech,Coincident,Canton,Aerial Acoustics and B&W, some of them costing twice or triple what the Paradigm eclipse cost in so called "high end " systems and truthfully none of them has sound with the transparency,realism,detail as the Eclipse. These speakers are opened giving you such a soundstage with the highs being clear and the bass tight not boomy as some other speakers.
These speakers can and do play very deep and low. They have a soundstage that you have to hear to believe.

For the money I don't think you can find a more realistic sound. I feel that they sound very natural.

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Definitive

Everything !!!!!

Pretty big and heavy,need some room.

I got these speakers at ebay after selling the smaller brother the Esprit and all I can say is awsome!!!!!! These speakers have it all especially a very deep and wide dispersion of sonic extasy,the bass is simply first rate ,the midrange is smooth and very realistic and the highs are very transparent but not bright.You name it you got it. The Esprit were great but the Eclipse does everything the Esprit does but better especially in the bass and less strain. It's a shame Paradigm doesen't make these anymore but for me and others these are and will be the finest speakers Paradigm has ever made.I'm real glad I got a hold of these.If you ever get the chance don't think twice and grab em.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Esprit, BW's ,Linn Ninka ,Polk audio,Kef,Klipsh,Maggies etc.

Good sound stage,GREAT presentation and clean deep bass.

Just a small thing.Binding posts could be Gold Plated Metal instead of Plastic.

Actually for Esprit. For the record the Eclipse & Esprit according to Paradigm website are part of the Referance Series. Got these in a trade. The Esprit is the smaller brother to the Eclipse & is smaller & less heavy than the Eclipse.They fit well in my listening room.I vertical Biamped them using Tubes(Audionics BA150)for Highs& Solidstate(Crown Mono)for Mids&Bass.This is a perfect combo.On 2 of my fav CDs,Norah Jones"Come Away With Me"&Holly Cole"Temptation" their voices sound so real,you can almost touch them.If you ever get a chance to own a pair of these,take it, you won't be disappointed.

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Eminent Tech. LFT VI Magnepan MGIIB Dahlquist DQ10 Seas Custome Build.

Wide and deep sound dispersion, holographic, clear, uncolored - what you feed it is what you get. It can boogie and can accomodate high power amps and also excellent for tube amps. I have used 5 watt per side Zen Decware mono blocks with the Eclipses with great results.It is an all-type music speakers, not just for few music styles like some other designs. Best used bi-wired.

Big and heavy. The speaker binding posts could use some heavy duty metal lugs instead of the plastic ones.

The greatest challenge in making an audio system sound good has to do with room acoustics. Many of us cannot afford or cannot physically alter an existing floor plan in a home or an apartment we live. The Eclipse can sound as good as B&Ws, planar speakers,and other speaker designs avaiable today. The stock internal wiring are your basic thin copper wires. Then it occured to me that it does not make sense to place a $1,000 speaker cable in between the amp and the speaker while the internal load to the speakers is carried by a tiny low grade cable. It is like pumping water into a 5 inch pipe then downgrading it to a 1 inch copper tube. I used DH Labs, Tara Klara, and Analysis Plus Oval 12s. The Analysis Plus was the best of the 3 I tried. The change in the internal wiring opened up the soundfield with huge images, clarity,3-dimensionality, bottom end, heft, you name it you got it. It was a very inexpensive upgrade.

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B&W, Thiel, Maggies, DCM, JBLs.

Deep bass, great soundstage, clear midrange and detailed highs.

Speaker placement is difficult.

I picked up a pair of Eclipses as a demo pair, $1400 Canadian. This is the best investment I have ever made. Absolutely no listening fatigue, I could listen to them for hours, the bass these speakers produce is amazing. I don't know if it is the bipolar design or the large cabinet, but they shake the room and remain crystal clear. After enjoying these speakers for over one year, I am still pleasantly surprised when I listen to new material. It is unfortunate that Paradigm chose to discontinue their bipolar models in their new Reference line of speakers. I am happy that I was lucky enough to get a pair, if anyone can get a line on a used pair, I cannot recommend them enough. They are the main component in my home theater and do exceptionally well on both movie and music material.

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None

I have just recently replaced Klipsch CF-1 with the Paradigms. They were a pair of demo I picked up for $950.00 with a list price of $1800.00 The Paradigms have open up a sense of realism that I do not believe possible. All the terms apply, transparent, open, clean highs, grat mid-range and a in your face bass. These speakers have it all and hit all of my hot buttons. My wife remarked that these speakers were a vast improvement over the Klipsch. To my surprise she absolutely loves theses speakers, she has never in the past made such a comment. I started pulling out CD's and listening to music all over again as if for the first time. Highly recommended!!!!!

A bottom end that most $10,000 speakers can't touch! Bass that is awesome!

Boy are these guys large!

What can you say about a $2000 speaker tha will go down to 18HZ! WOW. I've owned a number of planar speakers overt the twenty years I've been an audio buff: Maggies, Audiostatic, ET LFT 8's, perhaps more I can't recall at present. These are the ones I like the best, but I listen loud, love deep bass and delicate detail, and can't live within the parameters planers demand: 1. subwoofer is mandatory; 2. they only play at 95db (which is doggone loud!) in a moderartely large room; 3. they need plenty of power, at least 150wpc. So, I bought the Paridigm Eclipse...and I love 'em. The manufacturer is topnotch in customer service. Contrary to what a lot of audio guys say, they are easy to place in a room, althought I don't think they'd do well in a small room. However a room with a low ceiling (above 6-8 though) will sound OK. In my dedicated listening room, which is 20 by 14 they sing! I listen to a variety of music from rock to jazz to alternative and classical. I have not seen anything yet these speakers can not reproduce! They play loud, the sound good soft, and they have a deep and tight bottom end that extends for days! The bi-polar design brings a soundstage that fill the entire wall. I have heard better speakers: Aerial 10Bs, B&W Natulus, Vandersteen Model 5....but these are all $4000 to $8000!!!! At under two grand I doubt there is a better speaker on the planet! AWESOME and highly recommend!

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Ess AMT1 Tower, Mirage, vandersteen 3, Aerial 8B, B&W Matrix 801, Linn Toucan,

Nice clear sound. Powerfull and really low bass.
A discreet design with a powerful content.
In my ears the best!

Awesome bass, great detail, huge and expansive soundstage

They are big and rather plain looking. Need room.

Wow. The first thing you have to consider, in my opinion, is value and how they sound given the money. It's not as simple as 'it is what it is'. A BMW 540 is a wonderful automobile at $50,000. At $40,000 it's amazing. At $30,000 it is the best thing ever made. At $100,000 you should look elsewhere. Same car, but the price makes the value judgement make sense...or not.

Having said that, these are amazing speakers! The bass response in out of this world. Deep, sustained, lightning quick, tight, and powerful. On Hotel CAlifornia from the Eagles 'Hell freezes over' CD, the opening bass and kick drum sound better than anything I have heard under $10,000. It hits you right in the chest, yet is detailed and not boomy. The midrange sounds sweet and has fantastic detail. Diana Krall sounds like she is in the room....and you can hear the sound as her fingers slide on the keys. Lifelike, real, musical. The high end of this speaker blows me away. Violins sound sweet and clear. A cymbal crash or triangle has that unmistakable 'real' sound. Just beautiful! The bi-polar (or is it bi-directional?) design creates the most dynamic and detailed soundstage of any speaker in this class. The soundstage is huge...the speakers truly disappear and you are left with large but perfectly focused music. Breathtaking!

They are smooth, detailed, transparent, and capable of wonderful deep base and very sweet highs. All this for $1500? Amazing.

For reference my father has Vandersteen Model 5's with Rel subwoofer driven with Conrad Johnson preamp into Class' Cam 350 monoblocks. Yes, there are audible differences. But listening to his reference system only makes me further appreciate how incredibly good these Paradigm speakers are.

Similar Products Used:

Aerial 8, 10T, Magnaplaner, Martin Logan's, Vandersteen 2C, Linn Toucan w/Rel sub