Excellent price/performance value. Great speaker, even for one its size. Best speaker under $1000.00

I have owned the Paradigm Studio 20 (version 1) for a while now. These are great speakers, and are probably the
best speakers one can buy for under $1,000. I used this
speakers with the Paradigm CC-450 center channel, Paradigm
ADP-450 surrounds, and Paradigm Servo 15 subwoofer.
These speakers are wonderful. I have since replaced them
with the Paradigm Studio 100s (see my other review), although I still use these speakers in my stereo/music
only system. I am very happy with these speakers, and
it will be very hard to beat these speakers in its price range.

Similar Products Used:

Celestion speakers, PSB Alpha speakers

Great soundstage, detail. Detailed bass(for its size).

None, just give it a LONG break-in time.

Great speaker, I could not give a stronger endorsement.
I have owned these for about 2 months.
I ran over the border into Canada and did not have to work hard to get these for $425 US.
I have spent MANY evenings listening to these (classical, jazz, blues, rock, in that order), but do not consider myself an audiophile.
They have a LONG break-in period.
But, they are wonderful. Broad soundstage, very musical.
The classical - especially violin and piano, is mesmerizing.
Nathan Milstein's Bach Sonata's and Partita's are awe-inspiring. Andras Schiff's Well-Tempered Clavier (I and II)never sounded better. I now listen to blues on NPR with great satisfaction.
The B&W LM-1's sounded good (sweet mid-range), but these sound great and have some bass.
Badly record CD's sound like badly recoded CD's.
They MUST be placed on stands, otherwise, the bass is boomy.
After placing them on stands, and breaking them in for about 4 weeks, the bass was tight and not at all boomy.
I have them set up in the living room (the home theater set-up is in the basement) - hooked up to:
Yamaha RX-596 stereo receiver,
HK 8370 CD player,
Yamaha servo - 160 subwoofer
Audioquest cables,
Monster speaker wire.
The room is roughly 25ft wide, 35 long, carpeted.
I have hooked up the Yamaha sub, set cross-over at 40, sounded OK, but I prefer with no sub (or maybe in the future a Paradigm)remember - just 2 channel music in the living room.
I was told that the room just sounds good - even when I was using Boston bookshelf speakers before the B&W LM-1's.
I am returning the 20's to upgrade to Studio 40's, I didn't buy the 40's originally because I thought that I was placing these on a fireplace mantle, and the 40's are 21 inches high, while the 20's are 14 inches high.
Now that we settled on stands - I am getting the 40's.
Icould not have been happier with the 20's - I have heard instruments that I never heard from the LM-1's and the 20's can better handle the more complicated stuff.
Can't wait for the 40's(I'm paying $950.00 Canadian).
The 20's are a steal, particularly at Canadian prices.
Get them before the Banks screw up the exchange rate.

Similar Products Used:

B&W LM-1, Infinity RS-4, Boston bookshelf speakers

Imaging, clariy, soundstage, decent bass for a bookshelf.
Good for hometheater and music listening

I did a review when I first got these about 2 years ago. I did like them but after all this time I felt I they deserved another review. These speakers take a long time to burn-in. The more you use them the better they get. I had first thought that the Yamaha receiver I was using paired with the paradigm 20's was a slightly bright combination. Now I don't feel that way at all. The detail and clarity of this speaker is superb. I use these mostly for hometheater. They sound absolutely great. I'm sure if you were to have seperates or an external amp these speakers would be even better. They do very well with female vocals. Drums and cymbals and acoustic guitar and jazz music really come alive with these speakers. Male vocals are good but don't compare to how well female vocals sound. I feel these speakers are worth the extra money over the mini-monitors especially if you like listening to 2 ch. music. and the fact that the center channel is the best center channel speaker I've ever heard.
In the next few days I will be moving these speakers to the surrounds replacing the atoms. I'm sure that will be a big improvement over the atoms. I am upgrading to the studio 40's for the mains. I will be posting a review of those in that section so look for it. I will try to compare the 20's and the 40's and try to relay how the two are different and whether it was worth the upgrade.

You'll be hard pressed to find a better speaker in this price range. They sell for around $450-$500 on ebay all the time. Buy them used and you won't have to wait for the break-in period. Used speakers are great!

BTW, these were the v.1 version of the speaker. don't know how v.2 differs.

Clairty, great bass, response, value

Without decent equipment, the sound can get a bit screechy

I've always been really into music and am making a conscious effort to become an "audiophile." I used to have a run-of-the-mill $300.00 CX-NA50 3-Disc Aiwa minisystem which worked well enough. Since that time, I have become more and more interested in the actual collection and function of stereo components.
These speakers are incredible...my praise doesn't end. I opted against the wood trim, it added about $100 to the price if I remember correctly and really didn't see any benefit (other than cosmetic). I've had them for about eleven months already and they sound as good as the day I got them. Since then, I've purchased a set of speaker stands for $200.00 which have also greatly improved the sound quality.
When looking at these speakers, I also cross shopped the Cambridge Soundworks Tower II's, which in my mind didn't even come close to competing with these speakers. The bass is clean and packs a good punch (my friends look around the room for a subwoofer), the treble is incredible, fit and finish is first rate and the price is reasonable, to say the least. If I had one complaint, it'd be the realization I made when I hooked these speakers up to the inferior Aiwa driver...the treble was slightly screechy. Right now, my amplifier powering it is a Denon PMA-777 (ancient, nearly 13-years old but still performs and looks brand new).
My setup is as follows:

-Paradigm Studio/20 Bookshelf Speakers
-Marantz CC3000 5-Disc CD Changer
-Denon PMA-777

I'm looking into buying a new amplifier...primarily other Denon models and the Marantz SR8000.

My praise does not end. Incredible.

Similar Products Used:

Aiwa CX-NA50, which I had the speakers hooked up to until about a month ago.

high frequency definition,midrange neutrality,bass output for it's size

the high frequency definition will let you hear how good or how poor your upstream components are

These speakers will surprise most people with their capabilities when driven with the right equipment.I would definitely be careful about matching them with solid state equipment.They really want the kind of amplification that most would reserve for more expensive speakers.I'm finding that they work well with tube amps.The basic sound qualities compliment each other very nicely.20 watts in smaller rooms and probably 50 watts in medium sized rooms would be minimum power.Use decent cables.There is a bit of a break in period,so be patient.Room placement is important with these as the ports are in back and poor placement will give boomy bass. It's been almost 2 months now,and they seem to be opening up.I've noticed they have made the whole system sound better,even the tuner.At the moment,I'm running Sony SCD-777ES,Sansui TU-717 tuner,Van Alstine 4i SL preamp(modified),and a pair of Dyna MkIV amps (modified).The whole package works together very well in a smaller room. Stevey Ray Vaughn/Couldn't Stand The Weather on SACD makes me reach for the volume control and crank to the right.For someone looking in this price range,you'll be hard pressed to find better speakers,if you've got the right stuff ahead of them.

Similar Products Used:

Magnepan 1.5QR,PSB Stratus Silver i

Stereo Imaging, Realistic Vocals on well recorded material, Reveals details you may have not heard on your favorite recordings

No bass in the really deep spots (this is a nit pick, however)

While shopping for bookshelf speakers, I listened to these versus Definitive Technology and B&W CDM1 NT's and they smoked them both, for 1/3 to 1/2 of the price. I felt the Definitives were boomy and the B&W's were too bright for my favorite discs. They were so revealing that I actually swapped them into my living room system over a pair of NHT 2.3 Floorstanders- sacrificing some bass for a midrange and treble reality that I didn't know I was missing after living with the other speakers for 6 years. On The Gentle Side of John Coltrane, Coltrane solos unaccompanied on the last song- I hear his sax's pads sticking and clicking as he releases the lower notes- never heard that until they were connected to my upstairs setup. Vocals and well recorded rock/blues sound tremendous as well.

I have been listening to them with a Rotel 971 CD, Audio Research LS1 Line stage tube Preamp, and Counterpoint Solid 1 100 WPC Amplifier, all connected by Transparent Interlink cable.

I plan to upgrade my CD and Amp, but I will grudgingly buy new speakers. I prefer to see just how much more detail they'll give me with better upstream signals. I have heard their sound and realism equals, but only beginning in the $2000 dollar range and up, which is why I think they're a giant killer.

Similar Products Used:

Design Acoustics, NHT, Mirage

Neutrality, soundstage, imaging, detail

None

I was looking for a speaker under $1000 that would
sound great and be good for my home recording studio.
(flat frequency response). I listened for months to
everything I could find up to $10,000. When I heard
these and saw the price, I knew I had to have them.
I bought the demos off the store floor.
I don't believe that there is any competition under
$1000. I listen to music and master recordings for a
living and I am fairly picky. I have lived with these
for several years and am still very happy with them.
The placement and the room is critical for ultimate
sound. Because of the rear ports, the distance to the
wall is very important. A Subwoofer will cover the
20 - 40 Hz range and for about $1000.00 you have a system
that will sound as good as about anything under $4,000,
if the room is set up right. The better the electronics,
the better the sound. Every recording sounds different
and that is the ultimate test of a speaker.

Similar Products Used:

Totem, JBL, PMC, M&K, Tannoy,

Clarity, detail, looks

deep bass, imaging

I didn't purchase these, but I did audition them twice. The first time, I just wanted to hear them, as I'd never heard any Paradigm speakers (no dealers around here). I was impressed by the clarity and detail. I was using JBL S-38's at home with an inferior receiver (cheap JVC), so I wanted to test them on a better amp and against the Paradigms.

I played my JBLs first, to see how they sounded on the Onkyo Integra receiver. Played for over a hour. Then tested with some movie scenes. Then listened to the Paradigms on the same receiver (could not A/B).

The verdict? These speakers are very close! Even the woodgrain enclosures matched (cherry JBL and light cherry Paradigm)! The Paradigm was a little more detailed and airy in the highs (just a little). Voice reproduction is close, possible edge to Paradigm. Detail very close, hard to call without direct A/B; midrange very close. JBL is winner in bass (down to mid-30's clean and tight). JBL wins in dynamics and loudness capbilities (mostly according to Stereophile magazine, I didn't test this much). Looks very close, possible edge to JBL.

I didn't notice a difference in the brightness on this amp. My JBLs were bright on my JVC, but soothing and warm on the Integra, as was the Paradigm.

In fact, the JBLs matched pretty good with the Paradigm Reference center in the movie scenes I tested! I suspect that these two could be used in the same surround system effectively!

The Paradigm's high frequency presentation was a bit more airy, at least with the KennyG CD I used. But this was a slight disadvantage in the movie scenes, as it was too airy. The JBL sounded more natural in that HT system, IMO.

Very good performance from both pairs of speakers. There was also a pair of mini-monitors that were not yet broken-in. I don't know how much better they would sound once broken-in, but either the P 20's or the JBL S-38's would blow them away in that state.
I noted a weakness in imaging. I think the salesman had the Paradigms too far apart, even though they were right beside my JBLs. The imaging was not good. But it sounded to me like they needed to be closer together, despite the built-in big-screen/widescreen. In their locations at that time, my JBLs imaged nearly perfectly, and the Paradigms didn't image well at all. As I said, I suspect they could do better. :)

The Paradigm Reference line has my respect. I love my JBLs, and it is a close race with the Paradigm Reference Studio 20. Each has it's advantages and less-strong advantages.
Paradigm wins in: treble with at least some music, possibly upper-midrange naturalness.
JBL wins in: treble with at least 2 movies, bass, dynamics and loudness capabilities.
They are very close in about everything else.
Very good, Paradigm. I may go back and buy some someday (I recently got married).

Similar Products Used:

JBL Studio Series, Paradigm mini-monitor, KLH, Advent, Panasonic

Retrievial of inner detail, bass extension accuracy and impact, timbre, clear extended highs, female voices

Can be bright with wrong gear.

This is probably against the rules as this is my third post about these speakers but I said goodbye to them today and thought they deserved to be "reviewed" again as my gear has changed significantly.

First off I am convinced that you cannot by a two way monitor speaker that is significantly superior to the 20's without getting into the 2k - 2.5k region. My desire to upgrade was based on hearing some of the really expensive speakers (for me) listed above like the Dynaudio Contour's and Sonus Faber Signum's. When you get to these speakers there is a certain "magic" to the music that the 20's just don't have but for the money they have everything you could ask for and more.

I also want to specifically point out that after a lot of listening and consideration I consider the 20's to be superior to the B&W N805's and CDM 1NT's. The Nautilus tweeter while incredibly detailed and airy is also screechy and spitty. These are speakers that are designed to impress those after pizzazz over nuance, delicacy and the all out feeling of the music. For me the 20's deliver all of this to a greater extent than the B&W's. But they don't deliver it to the extent of the Contour's or the Signum's (or the speakers I purchased...Silverline SR-17's).

Since my last review my all Rotel system has been replaced with some true high end gear;

Coda 10.5 class A/AB amp
Kora Equinoxe tubed preamp
Cal Delta transport
Cal Alpha 24/96 tubed DAC

The 20's really showed how amazing they are when hooked to this gear (over 8k of electronics at list price). The bass especially was spectacular. Deeeep, tight and so clearly defined. Acoustic bass (Charlie Haden) has been a sublime pleasure while electric bass (Tony Levin) has me up off my chair and dancing around the room. Listening to the bass line became my favorite part of playing certain cd's. The mid's are also spectacular whether it's Cat Stevens' growl or Natalie Merchants floating highs the sense of the performer being in the room with me was almost spooky. The highs....on Radiohead's OK Computer there's a song (#10 "No Surprises") that has a bells ringing. And ring they do. The tones just linger as they decay. They simply float in the room. Of course the electronics have A LOT to do with this but the speakers can handle most of what they have to offer.

I can't recommend these highly enough for those with a budget under 1k. They are capable of providing many hours of pleasure as the nuances of the music are brought to life.

Similar Products Used:

Mini Monitor's, B&W 805's, B&W CDM 1NT's, Dynaudio Audience 50 & 70, Dynaudio Contour 1.3MKII and 1.8MKII, Vandersteen 2CE Sigs and 5's, Sonus Faber Concerto's and Signum's.

Bass extension and accuracy

Over the last month I've upgraded from NAD C340 Integrated amp and Marantz CD5000 cd player to Rotel seperates and the difference is phenomenal.

These speakers performed beautifully with the NAD/Marantz combo but they've moved to a whole new level with the Rotel gear; especially in bass performance.

The bass was excellent before, it is now extraordinary. Deep, tight, defined and incredibly detailed. In fact the depth and nuance of bass that is coming from these speakers has brought me into an even deeper level of enjoyment and emotional involvement when listening to my music. it's really wonderful.

Highly recommended especially with "better" gear.

System:
Rotel 995 preamp
Rotel 1070 power amp
Rotel 971 cd player
Paradigm Studio 20's v2
Music Metre Signature II shoygun biwire
Music Metre Silver and Signature IC's

I gave the speakers 4 stars before and now I have to give them 5's

Similar Products Used:

This is an update of an earlier review.