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New member Username: GriffinPost Number: 2 Registered: 03-2004 | I've been shopping around for 5.1 speakers and a receiver. I'm a bit of a newbie, but I think I'm close to making a decision. I'd like to run the setup by this board for a final round of advice. I'm looking at Paradigm speakers. I want this system to be primarily for music listening (mostly hip-hop/jazz/funk and a little of everything else), but I also want it to work well as a home theater. The salesman urged me to invest mostly in the front speakers and the receiver. I live in Manhattan, and my living is room is only 11' x 11'. The walls are solid brick. This is the deal I'm currently considering: 2 Paradigm Phantoms (shielded) 2 Paradigm Cinema 70s 1 Paradigm CC-170 1 Paradigm PDR-10 NAD 752 Receiver Cables, wall brackets This package is $2010. It's a little more than I intended to spend. I don't mind, but I'd prefer not to go any higher. What does everyone think? Would you tweak this setup in anyway? Any comments or things I should consider? Any input is appreciated. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkPost Number: 386 Registered: 12-2003 | Scott: I think it is an excellent system. I have actually tried several Paradigm speaker sets with my NAD T753 and I happen to think the match is a superb one. Your system seems well balanced for your small and lively room--I don't think I would change a thing (I agree with your salesman that you should invest more in the front mains). For cables and speaker wire, I recommend you visit www.partsexpress.com where you can find excellent cables under the Dayton Audio and Phoenix Gold brands (I have used both and found them to be very comparable to Monster Cable at 1/3 the cost), and they also have very good OFC speaker wire under the Sound King and Phoenix Gold brands, as well as Monster Cable. Good luck! |
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New member Username: GriffinPost Number: 3 Registered: 03-2004 | Thanks so much for the response, Hawk. I've been reading a lot of your posts on this forum. I have to say, a good deal has changed in the past few days. Like I said, my apartment is a small 11' x 11'. I have a wrap-around couch, a fairly large desk, a book shelf, and 1,200 CDs. I decided to try some measurements, and it's a good thing I did because the Paradigm Phantoms really will not fit. Then I saw the "cosmetic blemish" PSB specials on DMC Electronics and I have a whole new setup planned: 2 PSB Image 4Ts 2 PSB Image 1Bs 1 PSB Image 8C 1 PSB Image Subsonic 6i It seems you've recommended similar setups many times on this forum and this has influenced me a lot. I'm actually going to have to put them on 4" cinder blocks so that the left speaker clears an arm of the couch. The bottom woofer will still be blocked a little, but it's about a foot away from the couch (not right up against it), and I'm hoping this won't affect the sound too much. This is Manhattan living. I'd really prefer tower speakers to bookshelves so I'm going by the philosophy that everyone has to make sacrifices for the characteristics of their room. Is this situation reasonable? I also have a quick question about the NAD T752. I've read the posts on this board about some of the bugs. It seems this is usually related to the firmware. I even saw a few people comment that v1.20 and above works well. I'm buying a refurb receiver. Is there anything I can ask the dealer that will do more to insure I'll avoid the problems some people have had? For example, if the refurb date is after a certain day can I feel confident that it will be upgraded and fixed? I'm going to take a good look at www.partsexpress.com. Cables are my next step. Thanks for your input, I've learned a lot. |
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New member Username: GriffinPost Number: 4 Registered: 03-2004 | And one more question, if you have time: Should I consider the T761 over the T752? It's actually $50 less, but that's not important. |
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New member Username: GriffinPost Number: 5 Registered: 03-2004 | Nevermind, I think I answered the question above. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkPost Number: 390 Registered: 12-2003 | Scott: Wow. You really did change a few things! Well, where to begin . . . 1. I think the PSBs are a huge step up from the Paradigm system you outlined. The 4Ts are a floorstanding speaker that is a particularly good value--even at their regular price. DMC's "blem" price is even better! I am very fond of the 4Ts as I think they are a very well balanced speaker system, so they are a very good choice. As PSBs use the very same research data from Canada's National Research Council that Paradigm uses, they are very similar in their overall sound, although I would liken the Image 4Ts to something more like the Paradigm Monitor 7s, which are a big step up from the Phantoms. The 4Ts will have much better detail than the Phantoms. 2. Now, I think the rest of your system looks very good too. I would not spend an inordinate amount of money on surrounds and I think the 1Bs are very well suited to duty as surround speakers. PSB has been well respected for their subs, so the Image 6 sub is a great choice. As for putting the speakers on cinderblocks, we all do what we have to in order to solve a problem, and if that is what works, well, it seems a very practical solution to me, so go for it. I think it is more than reasonable. BTW, if you need speaker stands for the rear surrounds, look at Part Express--they have several nice speaker stands for a very reasonable amount of money (less than $100). I never cease to be amazed at what that website offers--and at reasonable prices, too. 3. Yes, it does appear that the T752s had a few problems which are related to its firmware. The good news is that NAD appears to have solved the firmware problem. If you get a 752, simply check the firmware version. It should read version 1.22, which is the latest version (although as you observe, anything above version 1.20 is probably OK). If it isn't one of these late version, any NAD dealer will replace it under warranty and it is a five minute job where they will open the receiver and replace an EPROM chip by pulling the old one out and popping the new one in. I would ask DMC about the firmware version, but I wouldn't be too concerned about it as any refurbished receivers had to be checked by NAD techs--they almost assuredly replaced the EPROM chip as part of their check-up. In this regard, I think buying a refurb is likely to be more likely to have the upgraded firmware than the normal new stock. I hope this answers your questions. Good luck! |
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New member Username: GriffinNew York, NY USA Post Number: 6 Registered: Mar-04 | Well your comments on the PSBs are all the more encouraging. I feel confident that this is the right choice. In fact, I've placed the order and everything is in the mail. I talked to Dave at DMC. He said that all the refurb T752s are either v1.20 or v1.22. Then he offered me the refurb T762 for $699, which is $50 off or $150 more than the T752. What could I do? So the speakers are the exact setup that I've listed above, and I upgraded the receiver to the T762. Sometime today, I'll order some cables from Parts Express. I'm looking at a spool of Phoenix wire and some Dayton banana clips. Do you happen to know if these speakers will accept banana clips? I've done some searches and haven't been able to find the answer. Because my living room is so small, I'm going to mount the surrounds on the wall. I'll see how the brackets that come with the 1Bs work, and if they're no good, I'll shop for something better. Again, thanks for taking the time to write. I'm sure you know how helpful you've been, but it's always good to hear it from someone else. The package should arrive a week from today. I'll make sure to post a followup once I set everything up. |