I've always liked Paradigm speakers.
I started out with the Titans then went to the Phantoms.
Then back to Titans with Paradigm sub (forgot which one) then to Phantoms with sub.
Next were the Studio Reference 20's which is one of the very best kept secrets in this hobby!!I will never forget the purity of the midrange.The bass was also very good for such a small speaker. As I need a bigger speaker for my rock-n-roll ways, I jumped up to the 60's for a few months before I got my current 80's. I skipped the 100's as I felt they may be too big for my room.
The 1 year 100% trade up the dealer offered allowed me to own so many Paradigm models.
The speaker cables that I had the longest were Tara Labs Phase 2 Space and Time.They are long out of production but are a true steal at used prices.They matched well with the Paradigms.I had the 15 foot run cut and I bi-wired with them with very good results.
Next up was a single 8 foot run of Kimber 8 TC which destroyed the Tara's! So much for thinking the Tara's sounded great! Next in line were a single 8 foot run of Harmonic Technology Pro-11's.These sounded better than the 8 TC especially in the bass department.
My current cables are MIT Terminator II's 8 foot bi-wire which beat out the HT by a slim margin,mostly in the bass.The MIT's tamed the slightly forward metal dome tweeters in the 80's also.
It is my feeling many speaker cables will work well with Paradigm Speakers.And yes,bi-wire yours for sure!! |
I've had good results with both Audioquest Crystal II and Aplha Core Goertz MI2. I'd biwire them if you can- it seems to improve the sound noticably. I am using a pair of Esprit bipolars as the mains in my HT with the reference CC and love the sound.
Good luck and enjoy! |
My Studio 100's are bi-wired with 2 seperate runs of Kimber 8tc and I am satisfied. Started with a couple of others in same price range and also made some CAT5 diy's. The Kimbers sound the best. Admit I haven't tried more costly cables. |
Miked: What makes you think your speaker is more important than your amp/power source in making this decision? It's called speaker wire, but it connects two components.
Sincerely, I remain |
I have a good many friends who have paradigm systems and all run kimber, get the best you can afford if it is 8pr go with that if you can swing 8tc go with that, I think it would be foolish to have speaker cables that cost more then the speakers-thus ruling out most insanely priced cables. |
Clueless,
What gave you the impression I thought speaker wire was more important than the amp??? Re-read the question, I just wanted to know what do owners of paradigm speakers use for speaker wire and whether or not they bi-wire. |
Miked- If I were you I would get the MIT T-2 biwire
Mine listed for a bit over $500 but I got some used but mint ones for $200 from a dealer.I think they really do the trick for that slightly agressive tweeter in the Reference series.BTW,what Paradigms do you have? If you dont have the Reference series forget all I wrote! :~) |
I use Monster M2.4s biwire. Another brand audiophiles love to hate. Swopped it back and forth several times with Kimber Bifocal XL and could definitely hear a difference but for watching movies the difference wasn't worth the cost. |
David,
I have the reference series Studio 100s. |
Ok,thanks! Again,I highly recommend the MIT T-2 biwire
These cables are very smooth and detailed.As I mentioned,they have the best bass of the above cables I've had in my system.They seem to add more power to the system too! |
David 99. Thanks for the info. I have a pair of ref 80s v2.
Currently I have an Anthem AVM 2 for power.
I hooked a pair of left over Monster Cable powerline 3
at first while waiting for my new cables to be made. When I switched to these Supra Quattro 4.0 from Sweden I was in heaven. As the name implies a biwire design. My dealer set up what I have at home and we swapped different cables and these were by far the best of several we tried. About 500.00 a pair new.Cheaper for you in US dollars. The high end Cardas are smoother but the cost puts the system out of balance.
The bi wire is a must. I hear it in depth and image. Not as big a difference as some other speakers but for a good ear it's a must .
cheers Steve |
I have heard the Studio 40v2 with entry level Nordost Flatline MKll speaker cable and they sounded very musical with gorgeous midrange.
johnny7 |
Hi All,
I own a pair of Reference Studio 60V2 and use 12awg "speaker" cable from my local home center. It sounds good, but I'm concerned if I should use an "audiophile" cable. I have ~25-30 feet beteen my power amp and speakers. What should I do?
Thanks
George |
George: A good guide to sizing speaker cable is:
http://www.pcavtech.com/techtalk/wire_size/index.htm
Based on that, I'd say 12 AWG is probably good enough for you, though it wouldn't hurt to go slightly larger if you wanted to play it safe.
By the way, in case somebody tries to sell you on it, biwiring will not reduce resistance. If you want lower resistance, thicker cables is the way to go. |
So Bomarc, what would you do if you were dealing with 25-30 feet between amp speaker? |
I'd do exactly what you're doing, George. I'd run 12-gauge and not worry about it --assuming my speakers didn't present too difficult a load. (I don't know the minimum impedance of your speakers, but someone else may.)
Of course, I'm one of those people who believes that the pursuit of better sound through exotic cables is folly. If you're into that, you'll get lots of suggestions on your new thread. |
Bomarc,
I've always thought as you; as long as the gauge was correct for the current what's the reason for all the rest. But the issues of Xc and Xl, capacitive and inductive reactance, as well as EMI must be considered at the level of resolution my equipment can provide. My previous system hafler, marantz and Boston Acoustics, in my opinion, did not warrant even concidering upgrading the "wires". I think I owe it to myself to check out the "high end" stuff and see if it makes a difference. If not, no biggie. The education will be worth the minimal cost. But, if so, "!@#$% A" More good tunes for me, my family and friends.
Thanks for the response. |
