Paradigm's Reference Signature SUB 25 subwoofer ships, dives deep

If Paradigm's Signature SUB 25 subwoofer that was shown off at CEDIA caught your eye and that dedicated electrical service you installed to take advantage of its amplifier's specified 3,000-Watt continuous output has been mocking you, it's time to close the deal. The $4,000 Signature SUB 25 is now shipping, complete with its power factor corrected supply that will take your input voltage of anywhere from 108V - 265V and give you back 3-inches of excursion on the 15-inch cone. Even though Paradigm could have gone for an eco-friendly angle with the more efficient amplifier design, this is obviously about indulgence. The companion Perfect Bass Kit which you'll eventually want to help you tune the bass to your room is still unreleased, but we figure you'll have plenty of fun just playing with this new toy in the meantime. Full details (and a few more pics) after the break. December 9, 2008 - Paradigm Electronics Inc., an international leader in speaker design and manufacturing, announces shipping of its most powerful and intelligent subwoofer ever: the Signature SUB 25. Recognizing that on-demand power is the essence of subwoofer performance, Paradigm has designed the SUB 25 to effectively harness and optimize AC line current for optimal performance.

All AC line voltages are not created equal, and some A/V equipment has more robust power demands than others. Paradigm has equipped the SUB 25 with universal input power, which allows the subwoofer to operate intuitively on a 120 V or 230 V circuit. This is possible because the SUB 25 can handle the load from any line voltage between 108 V and 265 V.

This flexibility to accept a range of line voltages is welcome, but how this power is managed is even more critical. The SUB 25's Power Factor Correction technology shapes the AC line input current to be sinusoidal and continuous in time. A unit without Power Factor Correction can only draw about 60 to 70 percent of the maximum available power because the current only flows at the peaks of the line voltage, essentially "choking" the line. The use of Power Factor Correction allows the SUB 25 to accept the maximum possible amount of input power, while its high-efficiency Ultra-Class D™ amplifier, rated at 7,500 watts Dynamic Peak and 3,000 watts sustained RMS, allows the maximum amount of output power. By combining both, the SUB 25 delivers the most power that can be obtained from the AC line.

The SUB 25's new high-power 15-inch driver with three-inch peak-to-peak cone travel, improved high-efficiency motor assembly, massive shorting ring and all new FEA-optimized elliptical surround offer high linearity, greater excursion, lower distortion and greater effective cone area.

An optional yet valuable add-on for the SUB 25 is Paradigm's Perfect Bass Kit (PBK-1™) interface, a state-of-the-art room correction system derived from sister company Anthem Electronics' acclaimed ARC-1™ system. PBK-1 uses proprietary processing to compute in-room frequency response of up to four different SUB 25s before computing a target frequency response for each, yielding optimized in-room reproduction of low frequencies.

Additional Features of the Paradigm Reference Signature SUB 25:

• L/R RCA Audio inputs
• Subwoofer Input
• Balanced XLR input
• Independently adjustable output level, bandwidth and phase
• Power modes: Off, Trigger and Auto
• External Trigger input
• Reconfigurable via USB port

The Reference Signature SUB 25 has a U.S. FMV of $3,999. The optional PBK-1 interface has a U.S. FMV of $299.

Paradigm Siganture SUB 25 shipping

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 10th 2008 8:55AM]

I don't know why people would spend this much on a sub when you can get Mark Seaton designed subs direct from him for half the price. Heck, you could buy an Elemental Designs or AV123 sub that has 99.9% of the performance this one will have for a 1/3rd of the price.

[daaper Posted Dec 10th 2008 10:17AM]

Somehow I'm guessing you get less output from a sub that has 1/10th the power rating -as the AV123 sub does. Some people are just in the market for the best and aren't willing to/don't need to sacrifice at all. Certainly not me, because I would take that AV123 for the price any day over spending $4k on a sub. Then again, I'm not their target demographic.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 20th 2008 12:55AM]

Definitly use the XLR inputs with out any pre-amp added gain, 'cause that thing is too damn insane!


(I an owner of PW2200 and speak from experience)