Big, solid, tight and deep bottom end. Nice wife approval rate because of thin profile. Easy to look at. Sound great. Sounds good soft or loud...and they do play LOUD!

Tall and heavy. With spikes you can hardly move them without two people.

I've had these almost two years and am still madly in love with them. I purchased them as a package with the B&W center channel, and Paradigm surrounds in November 1999. I bought the Paradigm setup because I spend a great deal of time listening to music and most of the 5.1 systems I'd heard sounded downright awful when it came to listening to music.

I have to say one thing...these big boys rock! I have also found they are revealing with equipment and cables. If you have cheap, whizzy-sounding electronics or even the excellent B&K separates these guys will let you know. They really sound their best with MOSFET amplification or something 'tube like' (McIntosh, Acurus, Bel-Canto, Cary, Carver, Adcom, etc) and good-quality copper cables in bi-wire configuration. Rock, jazz and rap music listeners will love these speakers for the bottom end and smooth highs. Listeners that prefer more intimate and accoustical music will love them for their ability to deliver warm, detailed, and liquid vocals.

I have my Eclipse's hooked up to a Adcom A/V pre-amp using twin stereo pairs of MIT Terminator 4 cables in a bi-wire configuration (the first two days of the break in period for these cables with the Eclipse were beyond excruciating...yeesh!). Two pairs of Analysis Plus Oval 12 cables run for bi-wire, or Audioquest Slate were both outstanding combos with the Eclipse as well.

While it's already been said that the bottom end goes down the lowest of most speakers, with spikes that couple them to the floor, the right cables and good amplification, the bass performance is amazingly deep and distortion free, and tight all the way down to their bottom limit. They're extremely revealing of the textures and detail in music. Individual instruments are distinctly rendered within the soundstage and you can hear if your vocalist needs to blow their nose! Some of my favorite recordings, after listening to them through the Eclipse, now sound more revealing and I hear new detail.

The Eclipse really shine with high end gear. I had the outrageously good fortune to hear them hooked up to a Proceed Amp 5 and PAV for an evening using Analysis Plus Oval 12 cables. I was stunned at how well the Paradigm's performed with the Proceed /Analysis Plus combo. The highs sounded airy, smooth and limitless, and the midrange was downright orgasmic, sweet and lush beyond common decency. And man, the bass was truly amazing with all the Amp 5's horsepower on tap! Very tight, deep and distortion free. Although they sound just fine with 100 clean watts, the Eclipse really shine with megabuck amplification I couldn't possibly afford in a zillion years! Maybe I can afford some used Bryston gear one day...

I'm very, very pleased with my Paradigms. I fully intend on keeping them around a long time. Feed them right and they make the most beautiful music. I enjoy the music more now. Perhaps that's the best recommendation anyone can make.

Similar Products Used:

Linn Espek, Martin-Logan Odessey, Sonus Faber Grand Piano, Aerial 10T.

I don't know of any other speaker that will go this low. Flat response to below 20hz provides base that will amaze even the most jaded listener. In a large room the rear facing speakers creat a wide and beautiful soundstage.

These are large, tall, heavy speakers that need some room to breathe

I'll begin by saying that I had never bought into the speaker "Burn in" theory until I got these speakers home and began listening. In the begining the bass seemed absolutely unmanageable. Even when adjusted all the way down, with some music it was still dominating. Now, after maybe 200-300 hours of playing time I can adjust the bass back up to the point where I can find a satisfying balance with any music

When playing music I find these speakers to be clear, articulate, and in a word, satisfying. You can play them very loud without a hint of ear fatigue. When I was audtioning speakers I was able to compare the Paradigm Eclipse and the $20,000 Dynaudio's; Dynaudio's won that contest but at a $0,000 price diference the results were incredible close. The B&W 802's on the other hand were good when being driven by $20,000.00 worth of stereo equipment. The Martin Logans (Prodigy), which sounded great, also need more amplification than I was willing to pay for. That is one of the big reasons I bought the Paradigm. They sound great with my 105 w/per channel McIntosh 2105

I also use these speakers as part of my home theater and in my opinion that's where these things really earn their purchase price. They really help bring movies to life. Big live dynamic sound. And this is the format where all that bass power really shines. When things explode in the movie you can feel it. There is no question these speakers go 'all the way down' to 18hz.

I will echo a couple points made by some of the other reviewers. First, Paradigm bi polar speakers are not for every one. If you like a Linn/Sonus 'pipe and slippers' sound these probably aren't for you. These speakers seem to blend into the room with a more full or room filling sound. Secondly, these speakers need room. I have them in a 14'x 14' room and it may be to small. They also need to be out away from the walls. I have placed mine about 2.5' from the front wall and about 3' from the side walls and I'm sure it would help if they were out into the room even more.

To sum all this up, when you consider that they sound great when driven by a simple $1000.00 power amp, I don't believe you can beat these speakers for the money. Let your friend bring his $10,000 Revels or Sonus Faber's over and watch him cry when you put something on with deep and extended base and his speakers sound thin next to yours! If you already have $10,000.00 worth of audio equipment I'm sure it gives you many more options but these speakers will sound just that much better.

My Equipment:
McIntosh C-15 preamp
McIntosh MC 2105 Amp
Rega Planet 2000 (The best CD player for under $2000!)
Thorens TD 160 w/Blue Plate cartridge
Nordost Speaker cable, bi-wire
Audioquest Interconnects
Monster AC Power Filter

Similar Products Used:

Martin Logan Quest Z( laughable)Vandersteen 2CE (fair) Dynaudio Countour 3.0 (nice but not much bottom end, will not play loud) Maggie 3.6 (wonderful, but no base and no ability to crank up) Linn (did someone throw a blanket over the speaker?) Revel (ahhh...but I am about $8000 short this month)

I bought these speakers in preference to the Paradigm studio monitors, Definitive Technology BP2000s, and some samplings of the VR-4 von Schweikert speakers. They have a very deep soundstage with surprisingly good imaging for a bipolar speaker. The bass is very deep though the speaker requires a good solid state amplifier for ultimate bass tautness. I'm running them on a Bryston 3B-ST. They have excellent midrange clarity with very good timbral balance. The tweeter has a tendency to be a bit bright in the 2 - 3kHz (upper midrange and 'presence') region. Upgrading my DAC in the Marantz CD-67 CD player to the MSB Link D/A made a BIG difference. Cabling makes a big differnce too with these speakers. Positioning in my room was a nightmare. Make sure you have a big room! These speakers have to be placed as far away from walls as is possible.

Bass, Midrange, Build quality, Looks, Overall customer satisaction

Discontinued (come on Paradigm!!!)

The other reviewers said almost everything that needs to be said. I have to add that they are BY FAR the BEST speaker Paradigm has produced. It is a crying shame they have been discontinued. Maybe someday.....

Similar Products Used:

Def. Tech, Mirage, Polk Audio (sort of)

Large sound stage

difficult to set up

I am using paradigm's in a home theater powered with adcom amps using kimber 4tc wire. The speakers are bi-wired and sound amazing. I have had many compliments on the sound of my theater and I feel I owe it all to the Paradigm's and the help I got from my dealer at Classic Audio. Very smoothe and open sound and can attack most any passage thrown their way.

Similar Products Used:

polk, rogers, kef, celestion

They're big

They're big. Not the best looking speakers around.

Very smooth and natural. No listening fatigue. Great with movies and music.