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Coverage of HI-FI '99 from Chicago, USA -- May 12-16, 1999
Although a full active home-theater system can be configured from the Paradigm product line, the company chose the passive Reference Studio series for home theater, which allowed them to show off what they consider to be the star of the show -- the new Anthem MCA 5 multichannel amplifier that produces 150Wpc across all five outputs for only $1400 (a two-channel MCA 2 retails for $700 and a three-channel MCA 3 is $850). For front speakers, the latest version of the floorstanding Studio/100s were used ($2000 per pair) along with the Studio CC center-channel and Studio ADP-80 surround speakers. A pair of Paradigm's venerable Servo 15 subs were employed to pound out the bass. The total price of all speakers for this system clocks in at approximately $6500. Playing A Bug’s Life on a new Pioneer high-definition rear-projection television set proved to be a first-rate home-theater experience that we suspect will satisfy the most discriminating listeners and watchers. |
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Copyright © 1999 |
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![[SOUNDSTAGE! LIVE]](../../covers/ssmainlive.gif)
Paradigm showed both music and
home-theater systems that each exposed the best of the company’s two loudspeaker
technologies. For music, the new Reference Active 40 loudspeakers ($2200/pair) were
used along with a Sonic Frontiers linestage and CD source. Because the Active 40 has a
built-in 125Wpc amplifier for the low frequencies and a 50Wpc amplifier for the highs, no
additional power amplification is needed -- just plug the speakers into the wall and drive
them with interconnects from a preamplifier. Despite the relatively small size of the
Active 40s, the sound produced nearly was full-range, with bass to below 40Hz. They also
displayed impressive dynamics and wonderful clarity that breathed life into music.