Paradigm updates reference Signature Sub - new SUB25

[dobyblue]

It's been 4 years, but Paradigm has finally brought out a higher model than the Signature Servo 15 - the SUB25.

http://castercomm.com/prView.cfm?cid=113&id=177

PARADIGM REFERENCE SIGNATURE SUB 25 HAS BRAINS TO MATCH ITS BRAWN


A range of features, such as universal input power, Power Factor Correction and optional integration of room correction technology, make the new subwoofer as smart as it is powerful.

Denver, CO - CEDIA EXPO 2008 - September 4-7, 2008 - Booth #938 - Paradigm Electronics Inc., an international leader in speaker design and manufacturing, introduces its most powerful and intelligent subwoofer ever: the Signature SUB 25. Recognizing that on-demand power is the essence of subwoofer performance, Paradigm has designed the SUB 25 to effectively harness and optimize AC line current for optimal performance.

All AC line voltages are not created equal, and some A/V equipment has more robust power demands than others. Paradigm has equipped the SUB 25 with universal input power, which allows the subwoofer to operate intuitively on a 120 V or 230 V circuit. This is possible because the SUB 25 can handle the load from any line voltage between 108 V and 265 V.

This flexibility to accept a range of line voltages is welcome, but how this power is managed is even more critical. The SUB 25's Power Factor Correction technology shapes the AC line input current to be sinusoidal and continuous in time. A unit without Power Factor Correction can only draw about 60 to 70 percent of the maximum available power because the current only flows at the peaks of the line voltage, essentially "choking" the line. The use of Power Factor Correction allows the SUB 25 to accept the maximum possible amount of input power, while its high-efficiency Ultra-Class DTM amplifier, rated at 7,500 watts Dynamic Peak and 3,000 watts sustained RMS, allows the maximum amount of output power. By combining both, the SUB 25 delivers the most power that can be obtained from the AC line.

The SUB 25's new high-power 15-inch driver with three-inch peak-to-peak cone travel, improved high-efficiency motor assembly, massive shorting ring and all new FEA-optimized elliptical surround offer high linearity, greater excursion, lower distortion and greater effective cone area.
An optional yet valuable add-on for the SUB 25 is Paradigm's Perfect Bass Kit (PBK-1TM) interface, a state-of-the-art room correction system derived from sister company Anthem Electronics' acclaimed ARC-1TM system. PBK-1 uses proprietary processing to compute in-room frequency response of up to four different SUB 25s before computing a target frequency response for each, yielding optimized in-room reproduction of low frequencies.

Additional Features of the Paradigm Reference Signature SUB 25:

L/R RCA Audio inputs
Subwoofer Input
Balanced XLR input
Independently adjustable output level, bandwidth and phase
Power modes: Off, Trigger and Auto
External Trigger input
Reconfigurable via USB port
The Reference Signature SUB 25 will ship in late Q3. It has a U.S. FMV of $3,999. The optional PBK-1 interface has a U.S. FMV of $399.

For more information on Paradigm, please visit www.paradigm.com.

[img=http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/3553/sub25frontal1.jpg]
[img=http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/3553/sub25frontal1.c6f5ad123c.jpg]

Looks like a real beauty. I have been in love with my Servo 15v2 since I got it in 2006 - I'd love to give this new one a test drive.

[blujacket]

I love my Paradigms, but $4,000 for a sub is ridiculous. If you had the money, 2 Epik Conquests would be $3,000 and would clean this subs clock.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by blujacket

I love my Paradigms, but $4,000 for a sub is ridiculous. If you had the money, 2 Epik Conquests would be $3,000 and would clean this subs clock.

With 7500 peak watts, 3000 continuous watts and 3" of excursion, I wouldn't think it would be embarrassed by two Conquests at all, which actually work out closer to $3,700 for the blacks unless you go for instore pick-up from Chicago.

Most dealers should be able to get you this sub for around $3,400 and still make money from it. MSRP has at least a 20% mark up from dealer cost.

The Servo 15v2 has 2" of cone excursion with 4500 watts peak and 1500 watts continous and it is a pretty handy sub in its own right; going with double the power and more movement?

I look forward to seeing AVTalk's results when they get their hands on one.

Here's another pic from Ben Milne. This doesn't look like a sub that will have its clock cleaned by anyone.

[dobyblue]

http://www.hometheatersound.com/equi...igm_sub_25.htm

Comparison

It seems to me that in designing the Signature Sub 25, Paradigm was taking aim at JL Audio’s Fathom f113. The f113 is a more mature product than the Sub 25 -- it’s been available for a couple of years now -- and costs from $3300 to $3700, depending on finish. JL subs come in just two finishes, satin black or piano black; the Sub 25’s cherry and maple finishes make it a better-looking product. However, the Fathom is slightly smaller, permitting greater flexibility of placement and décor. Both subs have massively built drivers -- 13.5" in the f113, 15" in the Sub 25 -- capable of extreme excursion. Also, both have built-in room-correction software for smoother frequency response. The JLs come with the software already loaded into the sub, while Paradigm requires you to separately purchase the PBK-1 Perfect Bass Kit ($300). JL’s Automatic Room Optimization (ARO) is a single-frequency notch filter, while the Paradigm’s room correction is a spinoff of Anthem’s ARC software, developed for Anthem’s flagship D2 processor. To use the PBK-1, you need a laptop to run the room-correction test, and then download the settings to the Sub 25. JL’s setup is far more quick and easy: Connect the provided microphone, place it at the listening position, press the Calibrate button on the sub, and wait for the test to finish.

Both subwoofers were capable of playing very, very loud, but the Sub 25’s larger cabinet and driver meant that it could play deeper and louder than the Fathom f113, with more dynamic range and with less apparent effort. When I reviewed the f113 a few years back, it was easy to hear the difference between it and the other subs I had on hand at the time. Comparing the f113 with the Signature Sub 25 provided much the same results, this time in favor of the Paradigm. The latter’s 15" driver simply controlled my room in ways the JLA couldn’t -- and the Sub 25’s natural maple finish had seduced me. The JL Audio Fathom f113 was the subwoofer to beat. The Paradigm Signature Sub 25 now is the sub to beat.

Conclusion

I so loved my time with Paradigm’s Signature Sub 25 that I’ve decided to make it my reference subwoofer. Never has a subwoofer energized my room in so dominant yet so controlled a way. In the past, whenever I’ve written about how this or that subwoofer I was reviewing did a wonderful job of "disappearing" -- i.e., not audibly drawing attention to its position -- I never felt as if I was overstating that quality. I guess it just takes a better one to point out the difference. The fit’n’finish of its beautiful cabinet, its massive 15" driver, its ultrapowerful class-D amplifier, and its unmatched performance make the Paradigm Signature Sub 25 the best subwoofer I know of.

This is written with the sub hooked up to a 110V switch, not even a 220V as Paradigm recommend in order to allow for continuous 300W output, not that anything would require that.

Can anyone lend me $3,799?