http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/ Engadget HD Comments for Hertz so good -- Paradigm Signature SUB 25 subwoofer review http://hd.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://hd.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 9th 2009 12:02PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 9th 2009 12:10PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 9th 2009 2:52PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 9th 2009 12:11PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 9th 2009 12:14PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Anyway;
Wouldn't it be better to get two - three smaller and less power hungry subs to sorta even out the bass in a room?
Even though this is a very potent sub, you still have to worry about speaker placement to find the sweat spot. with Multiple subs you will have of an issue finding a sweat spot.
http://www.axiomaudio.com/ep400.html]]>Jun 9th 2009 12:19PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 9th 2009 5:50PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 9th 2009 7:03PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/I have JL Fathom F112 and it's awesome!

I would love to see this thing and F113 compared since they are about the same price range.
The title for the best subwoofer under $5000 goes to....

May the better sub win! Perhaps it's a tie!]]>Jun 9th 2009 12:24PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 9th 2009 12:35PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 9th 2009 12:36PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/
Paradigm seems like a real down to earth company with a lot of value to their products. In the speaker creation process, they do almost everything in house, including making their own speakers and a lot of the other electronic parts. This helps drive down costs, but also allows for them to control quality a little more. The only way they could drive down their speaker costs would for them to go to direct internet sales. They also have a wide range of products, from what I would call affordable in the entry level to some pretty high end stuff in their signature line.

Speakers are the most important part of your audio system and should consume most of the cost of your budget. They are what will most affect your sound quality. While there are some over priced speaker companies out there, like Bose, they are not a value you for what you get, I think most speaker companies are and the old adage of you get what you pay for, really apply.]]>Jun 9th 2009 1:32PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/
It'd be interesting to see what an internet-direct Paradigm would be like. I imagine it might be something like Axiom or Aperion. Also remember that Paradigm came up during the heyday of hi-fi. While "heritage" and "legacy" might not be significant to current-day performance, the research/engineering facilities that Paradigm built up during the hi-fi days serve it well today. I think a modern internet-direct startup would be hard pressed to access those kind of facilities.

Perhaps even more than displays, speakers are a component where you've got to trust your own senses. But to my ears, Paradigm is worth the money.
]]>Jun 9th 2009 1:56PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 9th 2009 2:25PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/For example:

Wilson Audio XS Sub $17,000
Krell Master Reference Sub $28,000

JL Labs do make one high end model called Gotham at $12,000 though.

I bought my JL Labs Fathom F112 for $1750 slightly used. Oh man, is it worth it! :)


]]>Jun 9th 2009 4:48PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 9th 2009 3:29PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/
7500 watts Dynamic Peak / 3000 watts RMS Sustained]]>Jun 9th 2009 3:49PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 10th 2009 9:17PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Sub 25 against these:
http://www.epiksubwoofers.com/portedconquest.html
http://www.svsound.com/products-sub-box-pb13ultra.cfm
http://www.svsound.com/products-sub-cyl-pcultra_new.cfm]]>Jun 9th 2009 6:51PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 25th 2009 10:09AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://www.edesignaudio.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_41&products_id=606
and this monster
http://www.edesignaudio.com/index.php?cPath=2_119
Lets see if this $4000 boutique sub can compare.
]]>Jun 9th 2009 6:53PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 9th 2009 6:57PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 9th 2009 7:30PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/
Back in the days when Paradigm was a start-up, they had access to the labs at the National Resource Council in Canada. I got the impression that any company would be hard-pressed to find such access in any other country besides Canada. That was where the did most of their research in the early days until they were finally able to afford to build a lab of their own. IMHO, this gave Paradigm an advantage.

IMHO, Paradigm's engineers know what they are doing, too. I am biased, of course, since my first HT setup consisted of Paradigm Monitor series speakers with a Server-15 MK I when it first came out.

Speaking from experience with the Servo-15, it, too, was a sub that is easily controlled so that it sounds musical, yet makes movies like Godzilla 2000 a completely different experience.

As to price, when I bought the Servo-15, it was $1,500, and IMHO, it was well worth it. Since I am fortunate enough to have a good job these days, $4,000 for the Sub-25 is something that I would consider, however, when I upgrade in the next year or two, I'll probably go with the Sub-15.

I am troubled by the high prices of some of the other brands. As I see it, I am willing to bet that the Sub-25 would easily compete in a blind test with any of the stratospherically priced subs out there because, as I see it, it all comes down to engineering. Though Paradigm makes their own parts, parts are parts. So, assuming every manufacturer has access to the best quality in terms of parts, the cost of those parts is relatively equal. Thus, IMHO, brand x's 6-digit priced sub is unlikely to have significantly better parts than brand y's 5-digit priced sub. Many manufacturers out there price thing at the points that they do because they can even though they build in a lot of bling. I don't think Paradigm has much bling in their products; however, I do think that they have high-quality R&D and engineering and that is, to me, where Paradigm has an edge.

As well, there is a scientifically proven psychological effect of price on perceived quality. I recently read a study on wine. If people were told ahead of time that a $10 bottle of wine really costs $100, and they were also told that a $100 bottle of wine cost $10, they rated the real $10 wine as tasting better than the real $100 wine.

IMHO, the image of companies like B&O and Krell go a long way in why people pay high prices to own their equipment. I'm willing to bet that if someone did a test similar to the wine test and asked people to rate equipment in a blind comparison, even audiophiles would be hard pressed to find differences between flagship lines from most manufacturers.

Paradigm, on the other hand, seems to be interested in delivering a high-quality product without taking people to the cleaners.

Then again, I think it is time to don my flame suit. LOL!!]]>Jun 10th 2009 11:55AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 10th 2009 12:28PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Great review. I'm no audiophile but I like reading about stuff I can't afford. I'm surprised that Paradigm wouldn't put a remote control on this sub. Seems crazy to offer a $300 perfect base kit and no easy way to adjust the sub controls.

Thanks for mentioning that Room EQ software, never heard of it before. Sounds interesting.]]>Jun 10th 2009 2:12PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/06/09/hertz-so-good-paradigm-signature-sub-25-subwoofer-review/Jun 27th 2009 11:16PM