Paradigm and Anthem both produce quality audio equipment at reasonable prices—Anthem on the component side and Paradigm on the speaker side. The two sister companies (to which MartinLogan is also a sister company) are based in Ontario, Canada, and their complementary product lines allow buyers to piece together a home-theater system with speakers and componentry that pair well together.

Paradigm’s Monitor speaker series are the company’s entry-level models, but they are far from “low end.” The 5.1-channel system in for review includes Monitor 9 floorstanding front speakers ($599 each), Monitor Surround 3 ($399 each) and Center 3 ($599), and a Monitor SUB 10 subwoofer ($849). The floorstanders feature a 1-inch fluid-cooled tweeter, a 5.5-inch midrange driver, and two 5.5-inch woofers. They measure a modest 40 inches tall, nearly 7 inches wide, and 10.5 inches deep, and they weigh 42 pounds apiece. They are available with black or cherry finishes.

The Monitor Surround 3 and Center 3 pair sonically and visually with the main speakers. On the Center 3, which weighs 28.5, a 6.5-inch woofer flanks either side of the stacked tweeter and 4.5-inch midrange. The surround speakers feature a bi-directional driver configuration, with the drivers facing about 90 degrees apart for maximum sound dispersion. With one speaker in each rear corner of the room, sound envelops the listener. Finally, we have Paradigm’s SUB 10 powered sub. Somehow, “point one” is not an adequate descriptor given the sonic heft of this unit, even though its physical dimensions are deceptively small: roughly 13 x 11 x 13 inches, with a reasonable weight of 30 pounds.

A Beautiful Friendship

Anthem’s MRX 510 receiver proves an ideal match for the Paradigms. While we don’t use its 7.1-channel capability, we certainly make full use of its 100 watts per channel of power for the 5.1-channel system. The MRX 510, which weighs 30 pounds and comes in a subdued black, can be configured for bi-amplification to give more juice to the front speakers if desired. With seven HDMI inputs (plus one on the front), the receiver will allow simultaneous connectivity of just about as many digital sources you can round up. The two HDMI video outputs render a wonderful picture. Other connection options include composite and component video inputs, two coaxial and three optical audio inputs, and five standard RCA audio outputs—but definitely use the HDMI inputs and outputs wherever possible for the best results. The sound and picture will benefit significantly.

The Anthem’s remote is straightforward for movie watching. Combined with the on-screen interface, it’s also quite helpful during the setup process. If you have a little experience, you’ll find the system easy enough to set up without the manual. If this is your first home-theater setup, the manual and step-by-step instructions will be your best friend for the afternoon.

Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.

One of my favorite features of the system is the wireless subwoofer. Older systems require a long wire connecting the digital processor to the sub that is an eyesore at best and a stumbling hazard at worst. It’s nice having the option of placing the sub behind the sofa where it’s out of sight, and where it also offers a tangible rumble to the listening seat.

The receiver also offers built-in room correcting for sound. It comes with a microphone kit so the system can make automatic corrections for the best sound in the listening room, and it comes with a software CD for Windows. But as my Windows 8.1 PC doesn’t have a disc drive, I have to borrow a computer and transfer the software and drivers to a thumb drive. (Or you can just download everything from the Anthem website.) Connecting the microphone to its stand and then to the PC (via the included USB cable) is easy, and a wired connection to the receiver is not necessary if you first connect the receiver to your local network. The setup wizard guides you through the process and, after several microphone placements, the system gets a good picture of room acoustics and optimizes the sound to our 18-foot-deep, 11-foot-wide listening space.

On with the Show

The opening scenes of James Bond films always dazzle the viewer with action sequences, and Quantum of Solace on Blu-ray does not disappoint. The sounds of car chases, machine guns, and explosions complement the visuals wonderfully. The shattering of a windshield during a particularly nasty car collision surprises me with the subtle tinkle of glass raining down on metal and concrete. It’s a level of detail and delicacy that I hadn’t been expecting.

The Talking Heads’ concert video of Stop Making Sense begins with punch despite the striped-down opening track featuring David Byrne’s acoustic-guitar rendition of “Psycho Killer.” While the guitar strums have a high degree of authenticity, it’s the drum machine that makes the biggest impression through this system. Especially with the subwoofer behind the sofa, the synthetic punches are tight, tuneful, and deep—even the sofa cushions resonate with the music. This setup’s bass will never be accused of shyness, but of course, users can adjust the bass response to their liking. During the band’s performance of “Slippery People,” the integration of guitars, percussion, electric bass, background vocals, and synthesized notes never leaves the listener wanting.

When listening to music through the system, you can choose a simpler stereo portrayal or let the Anthem process the two-channel sound into a 5.1 configuration. While non-5.1-mastered source material doesn’t gain a surround effect, a few settings allow the simulation of a concert venue. The full-room feel of music is great for a party. The event host can reduce the volume of music to facilitate conversation among guests, yet make the music audible in all corners of the room. In stereo mode, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble’s Blues at Sunrise retain solid sonic imaging across the width of the perceived stage, with layering in the distance.

While more expensive stereo or home-theater equipment may offer greater realism and detail, the price-to-performance ratio of this whole system is exceptional. The Anthem proves a great complement to the Paradigms, providing plenty of punch and sonic synergy so that no particular frequency range stands out in the mix. The speakers present music well, with good high-frequency extension and without any strident sting, making it easy to settle in for a long listening session.

“Go ahead, make my day.”

While $5,000 is certainly not chump change, in the world of hi-fi that investment often only gets you one stereo component. Alternately, that same money can provide a complete home-theater setup that offers great quality, performance, and value. For those seeking the ultimate in resolution and transparency, a different solution may fit the bill, but it will cost significantly more. For those seeking a single home audio/video solution, this Anthem/Paradigm combo gets you the best of both worlds: a solid two-channel setup and a 5.1 surround-sound system—just add audio and video sources. Plus, with unobtrusive looks and the ability to hide the subwoofer, you’ll forget the system is even in the room so you can get lost in the depths of a movie.

Additional Listening

By Jeff Dorgay

Though I’m not a home-theater aficionado by any stretch of the imagination, the winters here in the Pacific Northwest make for a lot of movie time, so I’ve been wanting to investigate a more turnkey situation for our readers, some of whom keep asking the same question: “I’ve got about five grand to spend for everything. Can I get a killer home-theater system for that much?”

Yes you can. At the numerous tradeshows I’ve attended around the world, Paradigm and Anthem always have the most impressive displays with systems offering performance on a level I’d expect from gear with much, much bigger price tags. The system you see here is no exception. I’d pay $1,600 just for the room-correction portion of the MRX 510, and you get seven channels of amplification and a video processor thrown in! My living room has dreadful sonic properties: hardwood floors, wood-plank ceiling, and a leather couch and chair, along with a big glass coffee table. But 20 minutes of measurements with the ARC (Anthem Room Correction) technology has the whole system rocking with movies and music. Fantastic!

The Paradigm speakers are easy to place, and thanks to the ARC, you don’t have to be quite as fussy as you would without it. And did I mention that this setup moves some major air? Explosions and car chases are awesome, with plenty of heft. But even when watching my favorite episodes of Ren and Stimpy, the little bits of classical music playing in the background still float delicately around the listening space.

As a home-theater neophyte, I appreciate Anthem’s great manual and ease of setup. You probably won’t have to hire the geek squad to hook this baby up, and all of the on-screen menus are very logical, as well. In short, this is the perfect setup for someone wanting great sound on a modest budget. Best of all, because Anthem and Paradigm are sister companies, so you know everything will work well together.

Anthem MRX 510 A/V receiver

$1,599

Paradigm Monitor 9 floorstanding speakers

$599 each

Monitor Surround 3 S.7 speakers

$399 each

Monitor Center 3 S.7 speakers

$599

Monitor SUB 10 subwoofer

$849

www.paradigm.com

www.anthemav.com

Spoiler alert:  The Paradigm Reference Signature S8s are amazing speakers that don’t cost a small fortune.  They offer performance way beyond what you’d expect for $8,998 a pair.  Many of us know the Canadian company for its smaller speakers and great home-theater systems, but the Signature S8s have major audiophile cred.

Eddie Jobson’s Theme of Secrets paints an enormous sonic landscape in all directions, with low-level detail and spatial cues galore.  It’s a fantastic yet obscure audiophile freak-out record that, in a great system, feels like a surround-sound mix from two channels, which is a test that the Ref Sig.S8s pass handily.  The beryllium tweeter and line-array-type configuration give the speakers a high degree of coherence, which is a major contributor to their ability to reproduce vocals—male or female—with such lifelike ease.

The ’80s club classic “Sex (I’m a…)” from Berlin encourages twisting the volume control.  The Ref Sig.S8s keep the driving disco beat firmly anchored without losing track of the seductive lead vocals, while also keeping all of the backup vocals sorted, as they pop in from all over the soundscape, mildly suggesting what our lead vocalist might be.  The cranky, out-of-phase lead vocals in Sheep on Drugs’ version of “Waiting for the Man” takes a similar turn, with a great mix of vocal layers and spacey electronic effects zooming all over the listening room—further showcasing the fact that these speakers possess extraordinary imaging abilities.

Those with more traditional tastes, take notice:  The Paradigms perform equally well rendering the delicate shadings of Anne Bisson’s “Dragonfly” or Annie Lenox’s strong lead vocals in “No More I Love You’s.”  Tracks like these reveal that the integration of the tweeter and midrange driver directly below it is fantastic.

Thanks to their 92-dB sensitivity, the speakers barely budge the power meters of the 200-watt-per-channel D’Agostino Momentum stereo amplifier that I’m currently enjoying.  The Momentum really grips the Ref Sig.S8s’ four 7-inch woofers, proving that you won’t likely need to pair these speakers with one of Paradigm’s massive subwoofers.  Justin Timberlake’s “Let the Groove Get In” is the only track with which I can actually push the multiple woofers to their boundaries, with the Momentum’s needles moving in earnest to the song’s opening bass riff.

Taking further advantage of the powerful low-frequency abilities of the Ref Sig.S8s, I demo some Aphex Twin—and there’s loads of low-end rumble, but everything else is smooth sailing.  If you really need to rattle the foundation of your house, or love your movies loud, ­by all means peruse the Paradigm catalog.  However, most of us will be thrilled with the bass response that these speakers deliver.

Best of all, the high sensitivity of these speakers allows a wide range of compatible amplification, making them a fantastic anchor for your system.  We can continue the tired chicken/egg argument of whether one should prioritize the speakers or source components—but I suggest building around a pair of speakers that you love, because they ultimately require more effort to interface with your environment, visually and audibly.  And what’s not to love here?

Quality is Key

The Ref Sig.S8s may have a relatively small footprint—about 4 feet tall, with a base measuring 8.5 inches by 20.5 inches—but they are massive on quality.  Paradigm creates such high-value speakers by designing and building all of its drivers in house at its factory near Toronto in Canada.  Unlike many lesser speaker companies, which are often forced to work with off-the-shelf drive units—and sometimes make up for a driver’s inadequacies by tweaking the crossover network, and thus produce a substandard result—Paradigm builds it all from the ground up.

Visiting Paradigm last year revealed what a large proportion of its factory is devoted to research and design.  Paradigm is one of a very small group of speaker companies that not only builds their own drivers, but also only builds drivers specifically to meet the needs of a speaker, once that speaker’s objectives are finalized.  And because the company has such a large operation—the factory is almost 260,000 square feet—there are tremendous economies of scale in terms of the raw materials they can purchase.

Even Paradigm’s tiniest Atom mini-monitors ($398 per pair) feature these same levels of design and engineering excellence and attention to construction detail.  I’m sure that a company outsourcing all of these components would have to charge twice as much for a similar speaker—and many do.

The Cradle Will Rock

Near the end of this review, HDtracks announced the release of the first six Van Halen albums on 24-bit/192-kHz download.  What better way to evaluate the performance limits of the Ref Sig.S8s than to crank Van Halen for an afternoon?

I start slow, with David Lee Roth on “Ice Cream Man,” and the speakers illuminate the delicate vocal stylings of this track, which is full of echo and reverb, with S8s reproducing Eddie Van Halen’s acoustic guitar flawlessly.  Midway through the track, as the rest of the band chimes in, the Ref Sig.S8s have no problem accommodating the driving bass line and the drums.  The amount of clean, undistorted sound these speakers produce is as impressive as the finesse with which they deliver it.

These are far from just being rock-and-roll, brain-damage speakers.  They do finesse as well as they do loud, making them a fit for whatever music you enjoy.  Bill Bruford’s The Sound of Surprise, for example, is an album that bridges classic jazz patterns with some great prog rock riffs.  On the track “Half Life,” piano floats amidst Bruford’s slower interludes, but the Ref Sig.S8s can instantly accelerate when the program material dictates.  Playing acoustic fare also underlines the speakers’ worthiness of great amplification.  The beryllium tweeter strikes a perfect balance of resolution, clarity and timbre that benefits from being fed thusly.  These speakers easily reveal the subtle differences between the megabucks power amplifiers we had in for issue 53.

Having used these speakers with a wide range of amplification, I’d suggest going the tube route if you have to compromise your amplifier budget.  The slight softness of a modestly powered tube amplifier will provide a more musical result overall than an inexpensive solid-state amplifier.  For those of you closed to the idea of a metal-domed speaker, I submit that it was probably the amplification used that ruined the experience for you, not the speaker.

The Rega Brio-R integrated amplifier proves an excellent low-price, high-performance partner for the Ref Sig.S8s, as does the PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium integrated tube amp.  And it just gets better as you go up the food chain.  The new 200-watts-per-channel Plinius Hautonga integrated amplifier that we are currently auditioning is a brilliant combination with these speakers, offering wonderfully lifelike sound and limitless dynamics.  With these speakers, those with amplification in the $5,000-to-$10,000 range might even be scratching their heads, wondering why their more well-heeled audio buddies bothered spending more.

Under the Hood

Beneath the veneered cabinets, which are available in beautifully finished cherry or gloss black, lurks the best technology that Paradigm has to offer (though the company has just released a 30th anniversary model that looks very intriguing…).  The 1-inch pure-beryllium dome tweeter of the Ref Sig.S8 is coupled to a 7-inch cobalt-infused aluminum midrange, which utilizes a dual-layer voice coil and an enormous die-cast basket that acts as a heat sink—critical for a driver that takes the bulk of the bandwidth in this three-way speaker system.

Four 7-inch woofers round out the package, with an on-axis spec of −2 dB at 39 Hz, and a typical −3 dB at 24 Hz in an average room.  Our trusty Stereophile Test CD confirms that the speakers can deliver on a strong 30-Hz track, with a dip at 25 Hz and then quickly fading off after this point, even with the massive Pass Xs 300s driving them.  This is very impressive performance for a pair of $8,998 speakers.

Don’t let the compact footprint fool you:  These slim speakers weigh 100 pounds each, so unless you turn green when someone makes you mad, get some help to unpack and move them into place.  The Ref Sig.S8s come with small rubber feet, and a full set of spikes.

Paradigm suggests that you use the speakers with grilles on, as this is the way they were voiced.  Always one to follow directions, I go this route and concur that this is a slightly smoother sound, though it makes the high-frequency response slightly more pronounced if you remove them, especially when using a tube amp.  Plus, there’s so much craftsmanship here that it just seems a pity to hide it all beneath those grilles!

Setup is straightforward, beginning with the speakers about 9 feet apart on the 15-foot short wall of my main listening room, with a slight toe-in to make the listening position about 10 feet back.  As with any speaker, I like to key in on the bass response first—going for the best combination of power and locking them into the room, and then making slight adjustments for imaging later.  The Ref Sig.S8s are not terribly fussy speakers to work with, thanks to their great power response and wide dispersion, so even those with modest skills will be happy with the results.  But, if you’re so inclined, 30 minutes of serious geeking out will reward you with a more three-dimensional soundstage.

If you’re looking for a pair of speakers that offers serious five-figure performance without a five-figure pricetag, consider the Paradigm Reference Signature S8s.  In the scheme of today’s wacky audio world, where $100k speakers are no longer rare, these are refreshingly great—and we are happy to give them one of our Exceptional Value Awards for 2013.

The Paradigm Reference S8 Signature Speakers

MSRP: $8,998 per pair (available in cherry or piano black)

www.paradigm.com

Peripherals

Analog Source	AVID Volvere SP turntable    SME V tonearm    Koetsu Urushi Vermillion cartridge
Digital Source	Light Harmonic DAC    Sooloos Control 15 server
Preamplifier	ARC REF 5 SE
Amplifier	ARC REF 150    D’Agostino Momentum stereo    Rega Brio-R integrated   PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium integrated    Plinius Hautonga integrated
Cable	Cardas Clear