Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Paradigm Signature S2, v. 1 Speakers by Pat D General speaker questions for audio and home theater.

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Model:	Signature S2, v. 1
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$2200
Description:	High quality 2-way bass reflex monitor speakers
Manufacturer URL:	Paradigm

Review by Pat D on May 30, 2009 at 18:45:46 IP Address: 99.251.236.4

Add Your Review for the Signature S2, v. 1

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We had had Quad ESL-63 electrostatic speakers, which are dipoles, for any who aren’t familiar with them. They are great if they can be set up properly in a reasonably large space. Our house isn’t really suited to them, though they still sounded pretty good... When the power supply on blew, and we looked into the cost of repair, I decided to look into forward radiating speakers again. We actually had a pair of Mirage OM-7 bipoles for a home trial, but I couldn’t get them to sound right. The balance on piano was rather heavy, and also, the wide dispersion was not very even and moving a few inches sideways made a very noticeable difference to the sound. A couple of friends of mine really like the big Mirage speakers, but they’re not for me.

Since we have a big subwoofer, I thought monitors or small floorstanders would work well. We actually had a pair of the big Mirage OM-7 bipoles for a home trial, but I couldn’t get them to sound right. The balance on piano was rather heavy, and although the dispersion was wide it was not very even and moving a few inches to the sound made a very noticeable difference to the sound. A couple of friends of mine really like the big Mirage speakers, but they’re not for me.

We had to travel so that my wife could help care for her mother until she died. When we got home again, I still hadn’t made up my mind for main speakers, though I already liked the Paradigm Signature Series, so I bought a pair of PSB Stratus Minis with the intention of eventually using them in the family room for movies—where they work very well. Meanwhile, I enjoyed using them for some months as main speakers.

I was able to get into the big cities from time to time. I auditioned a number of speakers. These are some of the ones I liked:

Totem Mani-2 Signature

Dali Helicon 400 -- nice, but a little colored

Dynaudio Contour 1.3 MK II – very nice indeed, but slightly tizzy on top

PSB Platinum M2 -- quite good, but seemed somewhat forward

B & W 705-- nicely balanced, wide image, but a bit rough in the upper midrange

Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor – excellent, very smooth, beautifully styled, and costly

The Paradigm Signature S2 was in the winners’ circle. The SF Cremona Auditor sounded very nice, too, but it was much more expensive. With a first order crossover at 2.5 kHz, its off axis dispersion could not be as even and so it would not sound the same in an ordinary room. The Totem Mani-2 Signature is also a very fine speaker, though I did discover a minor anomaly in the sound with one recording. It has really deep bass, but is insensitive, low impedance, and would probably benefit from a bigger amplifier.

The Paradigm Signature S2 is among the finest small speakers. I had seen announcements that Paradigm was coming out with a new top line so I wanted to hear them. It measures very well, and there are rave reviews on the Stereophile and Soundstage sites. The measurements show there is useful bass to below 40 Hz (-10 dB), but a subwoofer is helpful for deeper bass. The Signature S8 has pretty deep bass and also sounds excellent for those who wish to forgo a subwoofer.

I heard the Signature S2 in a number of different cities when we traveled, and we also had a home trial before buying a pair. With a Denon symphony recording, they always threw a huge image, with lots of depth. The massed violins were smooth and natural sounding. Female vocalists such as Diana Krall, Patricia Barber, Angele Arsenault sound great; so do male vocalists such as Roger Whittaker and Mark Knopfler. Real singers such as George London, Jussi Bjoerling, Jard van Nes, and Renee Fleming sound just fine. Choral recordings are often difficult for speakers, but they sounded excellent, for example, Handel’s Messiah with Robert Shaw and the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Telarc CD-80093. They reproduce piano very well, too. Chopin, 4 Ballades, 4 Scherzos, with Earl Wild on Chesky CD44 presents a sonic image very much like a piano being played up on the virtual stage. A lot of speakers seem to have difficulty with massed strings. I tried some different recordings of Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony which has an extended passage with the violins playing above the staff starting about 1:45 into the first movement. Alexander Anissimov and the New Zealand SO on Naxos 8.554230 will do fine. Most speakers show some unevenness and diffraction effects, but not the Signature S2.

I’ve been listening to a number of recordings recently. I recently got the excellent recording of Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies by Arthur Fagen and the Weimar Staatskapelle on Naxos 8.570230. I was able to compare it in detail with the classic Dorati recording on LPs. The recordings were pretty good, but the strings especially were forward. When I turned the Quad Tilt control down a notch, the depth improved, but still the sound was still not as spacious and smooth as the newer Naxos recordings. And that’s the basic story: with really good speakers, I tend to talk about the music rather the speakers or the system. They don’t get in the way of the music.

So, once the speakers are set up, I can put anything on from recordings from the ‘30s by Richard Crooks or John Charles Thomas, to the Solti Ring and Peter Paul and Mary, to the latest Naxos or Chesky CD. I can play Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic or Modern music, acoustical or electronic, and music of different cultures. No worries. The speakers don’t get in the way of enjoyment.


"Probability is the very guide to life."---Cicero

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Product Weakness:	They're not for headbangers, and need a subwoofer for truly full range sound.
Product Strengths:	Very smooth neutral response; wide and even dispersion; can play louder than I need; easy to place; easy to listen to. Good for most any type of music, as well as drama.<br><br>

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Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier:	Quad 606
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Quad 44
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Rotel RCD-965BX CDP, Rega P3 TT with Shure M97eX cartridge
Speakers:	Paradigm PW-2500 Subwoofer
Cables/Interconnects:	Various interconnects, 12 gauge speaker cables
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Numerous classical, folk, jazz, and world selections
Room Size (LxWxH):	28' x 21' x 8'
Room Comments/Treatments:	Overstuffed Chair and Sofa
Time Period/Length of Audition:	4 years
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

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