Best Receiver w/ Paradigm Reference

 

New member
Username: Savagescott

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jul-05
I'm in the processs of setting up my HT system and need some advice on receiver choice. My speaker set-up will be: Studio 40's, CC-570, ADP-470s and Servo 15 v.2. I've narrowed my receiver choices (I think) to NAD 773, Rotel 1067 and Arcam AVR 300. I've seen the discussions about the importance of correctly matching your receiver w/ your speakers, i.e., balance "bright" speakers w/ a "warm" receiver.

My listening habits will probably be 50/50 music/movies.

My questions are:
How valid/important is "matching"?
How, in general, would my speaker set-up be characterized - warm, bright, etc.?
What aspects of the three receivers I mentioned make them a desirable or not-so-desirable choice for my speakers?

Any other thoughts/experiences with any of these receivers would also be helpful and much appreciated.

Thanks
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 1397
Registered: Feb-05
Regardless of what speakers you are using the Arcam is the best of the bunch. I have Paradigm Reference speakers and would characterize them as pretty neutral. I have an NAD T763, great receiver, but none of them match the Arcam in any way.
 

anonymousII
Unregistered guest
Your very nice Studio's are considered to be on the warm side and you have chosen two great receivers that match perfectly with them, the Rotel and the Arcam. Either one would be a fine choice and my only concern is that these units are very limited in features and especially inputs compared to more common brands. If in your case that is not a concern then choose whichever of the two you like best. The Arcam is a very good sounding receiver but I think it's a bit of an overstatement to say as above that it can't be matched in any way. Buy what your ears tell you.
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 1400
Registered: Feb-05
It can't be matched at it's price and considerably more.....period. The Arcam is the state-of-the-art at that price point by a wide margin. I've owned the best sounding Rotel AVR ever produced and currently own the NAD T763 which I bought from the NAD and Arcam dealer. Had I been able to afford it I would have bought the Arcam.

The Paradigm Reference series speakers are not considered by many to be warm especially with the metal dome tweeter. The v3 has a satin anodized tweeter which has tamed it and made more neutral than before.
 

anonymousII
Unregistered guest
Art,
I have heard every version of the Studio 40 that Paradigm has ever made and like the other speakers Paradigm makes it to is warmer than many other brands available in my area like Klipsch, Phase Tech, Monitor Audio etc. Maybe "warm" is a relative term but for my ears and my area Paradigms, even the Studio series are considered on the warm side. The last time I upgraded my speakers my last two choices were the Studio 40 and the MA Silver 2 and the 40's were much warmer, at least until my MA's got properly broken in. That's one of the reasons I did not buy the Paradigm's, they are too warm for my receiver.
Believe it or not I have heard the Arcam when it did not sound very good at all and that's when I heard it paired with a couple different Phase Tech models. Probably not the fault of the Arcam mainly but the combination was not a good one.
My local Paradigm dealer also sells Rotel and I have heard that pair many times and have always been totally impressed. Scott needs to audition these receivers for himself and he can make up his own mind. No losers here.
 

New member
Username: Savagescott

Post Number: 3
Registered: Jul-05
Thank you, all, for taking the time to help.
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 1402
Registered: Feb-05
Anonymous, my local Paradigm dealer used to sell Rotel that's where I bought them both. I was impressed or I wouldn't have bought them. That doesn't change the fact that the Arcam is better.

I have OWNED 2 of the 3 versions of the Studio 40's, and have owned some Paradigm model for the last 10+ years. Yes, Paradigm is warm compared to big box junk like Klipsch or Phase Tech (not Monitor Audio), but comparing apples to apples they are not.
 

anonymousII
Unregistered guest
Art,
I hope you did not take my comments about the Paradigms as in any way a criticism. I love Paradigms and your system is a very nice one. Sometimes we get caught up in semantics and maybe that explains our slight disagreement.
As to the three receivers we have been talking about I wish I could consider one of them for myself but they all lack in not having enough inputs for my system. I find it very hard to understand how a $2000 receiver can have only 6 inputs. That takes me out of the market for any of these and several others as well.
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 1404
Registered: Feb-05
anonymous2. I did not take your comments as a criticism of Paradigm but instead as a mistaken misconception about Paradigm Reference series sound. For years the complaint about the Reference series and the Studio 20 and 40 in particular was that they were too bright. That's why they addressed it with the new tweeter design.

The more you hear expensive high end speakers the less "warm" Paradigm is. Please accept my apology if you felt that I was posting in anger. Warm has a specific meaning in this hobby and I feel that it is often misapplied
 

anonymousII
Unregistered guest
Thanks Art. I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this one as I have never read or heard anywhere anything about any Paradigm speaker being though of as too bright. Just the opposite. The important thing is do you like them? Since you bought them I guess you must. Take care.
 

New member
Username: Savagescott

Post Number: 4
Registered: Jul-05
Update - Thank you, all, for your input - it's been helpful. I was able to do an A/B with the Rotel 1067 and the Arcam AVR300 today and I ordered the Arcam. We did a blind test (I didn't know which was which until I made the choice) and I was surprised at how quickly I was able to hear the difference. The Arcam seemed more open and natural. With the Rotel, evrything seemed to close in just a bit and was not as detailed. For me, the choice was easy.

I also ordered a DV 78, Any thoughts or experience about that?

Thanks again.
 

Silver Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY

Post Number: 356
Registered: May-05
You can't go wrong with Arcam. There stuff speaks for itself.
 

anonymousII
Unregistered guest
Congratulations on your purchase. I am sure you will be very happy with the Arcam. I envy all who can consider the three brands we have been taliking about and like I said before I wish I could.
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