Looks, Build, Price

If you are coming from higher end speakers save some time..stick with higher end. Ifyou are coming from bose or yamahe, these will be a dramatic improvement.

Well...tried to save some $$ on my HT to upgradeto revel studios for 2 channel. I got ridof a $6500 set of speakers to buy the $2500 set of 40''s and CC - It seems that anyone who buys the 40 must be upgrading from BOSE or a best buy speaker becuase when I hooked them up it was such a dramatic drop in quality from my Monitor Audio GR setup - Mids were colored and muffled, highs were sharp butnot too bad, lows were decent but the overall sound of boxed in and muffled. I am using a krell HTS2 and Sunfire Cinema Grand II amp. The center channel popped during Jurassic Park II many times at near ref level and the 40''s sounded SHRILL at high volumes with music and movies. They are an attractiv little speaker an di also purchased the stands. Bought four 40''s, four stands and center. I could not live with these speakers. For a little more you coudl get the Monitor GR10''s and they are sooooo much sweeter, clearer and so much of an improvement over the 40''s. Its a great deal for these, but if you are used to better speakers, pass on these. I owned the 100''s 2 1/2 years ago and I did like them, but the 40''s are not the speaker for me. I also noticed these enhanced speaker hiss...5 stars for value since you cant get a $400 speaker better than this, but 3 stars for overall becuase these are just not what everyone cracks them up to be.

Similar Products Used:

Stuio 100''s, Def Tech, Monitor Audio, Revel, Infinity

After about 10 hours of playing music the speaker softened up and began to blend both music and movies perfectly. I did not bi-wire since the speakers include a jumper. Maybe one day I will bi-amp. Perfect harmonic balance. They fill my living room 28''x 24'' perfectly. I run the CD music through the Denon on Direct. There is no need to adjust treble or bass. I just cant say enough about these speakers. I found them to beat out the 60''s, 80''s and 100''s.

Ahhhhh, maybe sometimes I regret breaking up with my girlfriend...These speakers dont do everything perfect.

Ok, here''s the deal. After buying these speakers and setting them up I broke up with my girlfriend of two years, because I found what I had been missing in life: The Studio 40''s! You can not sit back and be calm about these speakers, they are that perfect. I used to have a pair of Paradigm 7''s and these blow them away. I have spent the last month listening to all my CD''s over again. I had cheated myself all these years. Dont walk but run to your dealer and buy the 40''s; you will not regret it. In addition to the music sounding so much better they are perfect for a home theater too. I matched them to the following system: Stands for Studio 40''s: Sanus Center: CC 370 Surrounds: ADP 370 Surround back (for 7.1): Mini Monitors Sub: PS 1000 Receiver: Denon 3801 (I think the best match in the world is a Paradigm speaker system and a Denon receiver) Run I say, run to the store...

Similar Products Used:

Why would I buy anything else except for Paragim speakers. Is there anything else better??? LOL...

Price!, highs, mids, clarity, imaging, look, etc....

deep lows

I got these from a hifi store I worked at this summer, so I got them for an insane discount (I've also heard you can get a substantial % off by buying them in Canada). I replaced my Bose 501's >-P with these, and the difference was more than night and day. Highs are sweet, crisp, and clear, midrange is full and warm, and paired with the PW-2200 sub from paradigm the bass rocks the house. I think standing alone though, they'd definitely wouldn't be super for the bass range. When I first got them they were pretty harsh, but theyve definitely sweetened up over the last 3 months. I think they're still breaking in. At rare times, I find them a bit bright, but this is also toning down I think, as they age. These are also definitely best suited for a smaller room (apt, etc), as the 60's would be a tad bit large both in sound and size. For twice the price, these would still be a hell of a deal. Check them out.

Soundstage, Frequency Response (for a bookshelf)

Lacks punch with rock

The Paradigm Reference Studio 40s had a solid soundstage
not found in many bookshelf speakers. I found the bass response to be suprising for a speaker of its size. The midrange was crisp and clear (horns sound amazing!).

To appreciate this speaker fully, you will need to use a tube amplifier, and pre-amp combination. I know many of you don't like tube amps, but the simple fact is they sound better. Solid state sounds dead compared to a good tube amp. Bi-wiring is also recommended.

Since the 40's lacked the punch needed to enjoy rock, I can only give them a 4 star rating.

I'm not sure of the model numbers, but the names speak for themselves:
McIntosh Tube Amp (130watts x 4 - two channels to each spkr)
McIntosh Pre-amp
Marantz CD player
MIT cable

Very natural sounding,detail is accurate and imaging is open,the midrange response is rich and smooth!

The laminate finish (keeps the price down) Could not see paying $200 for black ash veneer

My local stero shop let me take these home for the weekend and boy was I floored, (these were broken in) the sound was so full, and the soundstage was three dimensional! I relistened to all of my favorite CD'S and when evening hit I watched DVD'S, the dialog was intelligible, and I could here so much more of the soundtrack! (midrange) Monday morning I had to return them, needless to say I gladly purchased them (brand new) When I got them home they sounded different but after I broke them in (about 75 hrs.) I was a happy man! This is truly a high end speaker that you won't have to go into debt for. I have these paired with a Sunfire Architectural True Subwoofer (new product)and 450lcr center channel, Yamaha RXV995, Sony DVP-S7700 DVD player. Rears are Niles In wall. I would recomend the Studio/40's for critical listening and home theater.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Monitor series, and performance series,Auditioned BW 805 and the new Meadowlark Bookshelf speaker.

Definition, spaciousness, sound stage

Lack of bass

Just so you know where I'm coming from -- I love Def Tech products and think the BP-2002s are amazing. That said, I needed speakers for a room where bi-polars just wouldn't work. I auditioned B&W, Paradigm, Polk, and Klipsche, and briefly looked at higher-end brands like Thiele. The Studio 40s, paired with a sub (a MUST in my opinion), will give you sound better than 2004s, and equivilent to BP10s with a sub. The sound stage is large, but not as large as Def Techs. On the other hand the clarity and precision is better. These blow away B&Ws and the lesser Paradigms. The Minis and 20s lack midrange, resulting in a gap between them and the sub. The 40s have enough midrange and bass to seamlessly blend into the Def Tech ProSub 200 I've paired them with. All kinds of music are very natural and musical. I also think the light cherry finish is quite attractive. As I mentioned above, bass is lacking so plan on buying a sub. I found the Def Tech sub to sound better than Paradigm 12 sub, which I found "punchy". The Studio 40s with the ProSub 200 is a very effective combination.

Similar Products Used:

Def Tech BP10, BP8, BP6, Paradigm Mini Monitor, Studio 20

Superb clarity and definition. Transient attack and dynamics. Huge soundstage and depth.

none so far

Breathtaking....
Being a Brit recently moved to OK, I was having difficulty finding and listening to good bookshelf sized speakers. Hi-Fi snobbery in the UK dictates the speakers from across the pond are a no-no. I was getting no where really fast after weeks of auditioning and I must admit I had not heard too much about Paradigm except in cheap home theatre set-ups (in the UK). However that changed significantly and how!
I was persuded to listen to the Paradigm Studio reference range at Audio Midwest and all I can say is "thank the lord"!
I have been into serious Hi-fi for more than 20 years and have gone through the upgrade path on many occasions, never quite getting there. Well thats not strictly true, I have an all Naim system:, CDI, NAC 82, Hi-Cap PS, NAP 250 with NAC 5 speaker cable and Naim inter-connects. Back in UK I had this hooked-up to Infinity Kappa 80 speakers and up until then I had not heard anything better, well at least below $15000!. I had dealt with the same high end dealer fro years who specialised in Linn and Naim gear. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the cost of shipping these big Infinity's over here was cost prohibitive. I had decided that I would purchase smaller speakers and add a sub to get the gut-wrenching bass that sometimes I enjoy.
Well, enough rambling...these Paradigm Sudio 40. v2 are awesome!!!!!. Naim amps are remowned for rythmic timing and accuracy, the CDI for extracting every ounce of bass from the silver dics and this is where the Paradigms deliver. These speakers absolutely shine in my system and I keep asking my self the question, "how did I not find them sooner"!.
Build quality is very good, looks good too ( the wife likes em!) and coupled with good electronics, staggering breath taking sound quality. To all you guys out there (and I thank you all for your contributions which helped me in a big way) who write negative things about these wonderful speakers, I say..."Get some good amplification, an excellent front end and you will eat your words!".....this product rewards!, remember garbage in = garbage out.
Don't beieve me, then get down to a Paradigm dealer and give your ears a treat....

Similar Products Used:

Lots and lots of similar priced speakers, such as B&W, MA,AE, Dynaudio, etc

Clarity, Power Handling, Flat Response, Efficiency, Balance, Overall Experience

Need a sub to reproduce very low bass but that is expected for bookshelves.

Before buying my home theater system I spent
about 4.5 months doing research. This ranged
from reading magazines, to internet reviews
(both from users and professionals), reading
specs, auditioning for many hours, speaking
with owners and manufacturers etc, etc. So,
I did my homework. With a budget of $5000,
which I exceeded by $1000 to make my final
cost about $6000; I bought the following:

Receiver : Denon AVR3801
Fronts : Paradigm Reference Studio 40
Center : Paradigm Reference Studio CC
Rears : Paradigm Reference Studio 40
Subwoofer : Paradigm Reference Servo 15
Cables : Everything bi-wired with Monster
Interconnects : 100% Copper Goldplated spades
at the speakers and bananas at the
receiver.
Other wires : Tributaries s-video and digital
cables for audio

People tend to ask why I chose to go with the 40s
for the rears as well as the fronts. Answers include
the lack of a rear wall, better for 5 channel stereo
and surround recorded CDs, better matched, distant
placement from listener allowed for enough dispersion
and I may add ADPs for side surrounds some day
also.

I am giving these speakers a top of the line review.
This review pits speakers which are simarly priced
against eachother. I spent very VERY much time
listening to everything I could. I wanted a system
that could play music and movies very well. I had
originally planned to buy Definitive Technology
speakers but could not come to like their music
performance. Movies were pretty good. But the
bi-polar effect was not desirable for music. Also,
their subs seemed less effective than what I was
looking for. Other speakers had a myriad of
problems such as a lack of midrange in the
Boston Accoustics.

Let me tell you, Paradigm delivers where all the
other brands left off. The only speaker system
I listened to that I liked was the Viennas
but they were considerably more expensive. I
have had many friends come over who are awed by
the sound of the system. People have said that it
is better than any movie theater they've been to.

Music is outstanding. I have never heard so much
detail or such a true to life recreation of singer's
voices. They sound like they are standing right there
in front of you.

Movies are incredible as well. Everything from
roaring crowds in Gladiator to rumbling engines
in Gone in 60 Seconds come across perfectly and
believably. The Haunting's window blowout scene
was awesome, and I've had people jumping out
of their seats with gunshot sound effects.

These speakers play loud. I have never been able to
force them to distort even having them set to LARGE
on my receiver and cranking the volume up.

I am thoroughly pleased with the clarity and performance
of my system. If you are looking for a speaker setup
that will perform for music and movies, I stand behind
Paradigm's Reference Series all the way.

If you are trying to decide which Paradigm's to get,
I auditioned these against the 60s and 80s and found
that I liked the 40s best. Everyone in the room liked
the 40s best actually.

Go buy them, and get a good sub too. The Servo 15
makes your system shine!

Similar Products Used:

I auditioned Definitive Technology, M&K, B&W, Polk, Infinity, Boston Accoustics, Vienna Accoustics, Klipsch etc

Sound Stage

won't fit in my race car.
won't fit in my race car.
won't fit in my race car.

Great sound stage. Hi,mids and bass that complament each other. I wish Paradigm would sponser my race car next year. I love these speakers to no end.

Similar Products Used:

Only the speakers when i flew the space shuttle for NASA.

Sonic clarity and detailing, expansiveness for size, looks (light cherry).

none so far.

First off, I'd like to thank everyone on this site! Not being an audiophile, I thought a Bose-15 system was good until I decided to research it on the net and stumbled on to AudioReview. THANK YOU, THANK YOU! After months of research and testing, I finally settled on a Paradigm Reference Studio 40, (Terry at www. stereoland.com in MPLS., was very helpful and gave me competitve prices.) The result is "jaw dropping". My wife and I find ourselves just walking around the house with smiles on our faces. It's like we've had cotton stuffed in our ears until now. Ranee Lee's breathing patterns become apparent, drums and snares come alive, I can now actually hear the unique "color" of different trumpets! I highly recommend the 40's to anyone building a HT system.

Similar Products Used:

old Altec's, Infinity, Bose