Letters - May 2009
Size matters
May 19, 2009
Editor,
In the review
you posted on May 1, your reviewer stated that the Paradigm Sub 25 has a 3" voice
coil. I sort of know what that is, but Im trying to figure out why it is important
that it is 3" in diameter. Do you know?
Thomas Ray
I'm sure a quick e-mail to Paradigm would give you an
answer to your question about the Sub 25. But here's my shot at it: The driver in the Sub
25 has to sustain massive power: 7500W dynamic peaks, 3000W RMS, per Paradigm's rating. To
utilize this power, the driver has massive excursion capability. A large voice coil allows
for more surface area within the coil with which to dissipate heat, which makes the driver
more rugged in high-power situations. You can think of a voice coil much like the heatsink
on an amplifier: larger heatsinks allow the amplifier to dissipate greater amounts of
heat, thereby allowing its internal components to stay cooler, which protects them and
results in a longer life span for the amp. I would imagine if the Sub 25's driver had a
1.5" voice coil, and all other things were equal, it would burn out fairly
quickly....Jeff Fritz
Best-looking video image
May 15, 2009
To Doug Schneider,
I just bought a new Blu-ray player and a 1080p projector. I
want to know what you think the best-looking DVDs and Blu-rays are. I have to prove to my
wife I bought something good!
Timothy Ebbons
By far, the very best Blu-ray image I've seen is on Baraka.
Frankly, it's so good that every previous 5-star image I'd seen instantly became a 4. The
first time I saw it, I couldn't believe how detailed the picture was, and how vibrant and
real. Trust me, your wife will be impressed....Doug Schneider
Paradigm Signature Sub 25
May 12, 2009
To Randall Smith,
I just wanted to let you know that I was looking forward to
reading your Paradigm Signature Sub 25 review from when you wrote about it on
the AVS Forum and you certainly did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the review. I have
been a fan of Paradigm speakers for some years now, and I've owned a PW-2200 and a
Servo-15 v.2. After moving up to the Signature line for my main speakers I was
contemplating which sub should go with them. I wanted something musical and tight but also
something with a lot of power in the lower frequencies. I did some research and found the
“Craigsub” list, which was very helpful. I was even contemplating getting a JL
Audio f113 based on its score on the list. When I heard that Paradigm was coming out with
a new model, I thought I'd wait and see.
I can relate about the steady addiction of action films. I
started out with music, which didn't require much from the right sub. But when you also
ask a sub to do double duty for HT, then that's when it gets hard. I thought it was a good
move comparing the Sub 25 to the JL f113, both being similar in price, sealed designs and
sold through brick-and-mortar stores. I do have some questions regarding the review. The
Sub 25 is capable of being powered by a 220-240V outlet as well as a 110-120V outlet.
Which did you use, and if you tried both how did they compare? In comparing the Slumdog
Millionaire CD soundtrack to the Blu-ray, did you replay the CD with your system with
the Sub 25 in stereo? Also, do you think that it was the lossless DTS-MA formats, being in
surround format or just better mastering that made the Blu-Ray better than the CD?
Frank La Rocca
I am glad that you enjoyed the review. I have also been
a big fan of Paradigm ever since I visited their facility in Toronto just over two years
ago. In the review, I should have mentioned that the Sub 25 was plugged into a standard
house outlet and not the 220-240V outlet that Paradigm recommends. I imagine that the sub
would be capable of even more dynamic headroom with the additional volts. Having said
that, I never really sensed a need for more power. As far as the Slumdog
soundtrack, I believe that the overwhelming presentation in the movie theater greatly
affected my listening experience of the soundtrack when I first bought the CD. I only
listened to that track with a single set of stereo loudspeakers that I currently have in
for review and not with the Sub 25 in the mix. In the theater, the mix was obviously quite
hot in the bass, plus there was more than twice the number of speakers as I have in my 5.1
home-theater system. Listening to the CD on one pair of speakers was obviously less of an
experience. That’s not to say that the speakers or the mastering of the CD were at
fault; it was just a case of more speakers being more. My first experience listening to
the song was in a multichannel environment, so the Blu-ray version was a better fit to
what I remembered....Randall Smith
Best home-theater companies
May 4, 2009
I'm looking for speakers for a home-theater system. Not
something super expensive. I need affordable. What are the best companies for home-theater
speakers right now?
Troy Millard
That's not an easy question to answer because there are
many companies producing good home-theater speakers and I can't possibly know them all.
However, since your e-mail came to me and you're asking, here are the ones I know about
that produce everything from the speakers to the subs and can easily recommend: Axiom,
Paradigm, PSB, Angstrom, Energy, Mirage and Aperion. I probably left some out, but that's
a good number to start with....Doug Schneider |
