Does what it is supposed to do...
Written: Aug 17 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Small size
Cons: Bass lacks definition and power
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| hayau's Full Review: Paradigm PDR 8 Subwoofer Speaker |
I bought this subwoofer because my Paradigm dealer recommended it to me. He explained to me the benefits of having a subwoofer like this. It is small, it will fit on a bookshelf, and it fills in the low end.
Now, all of this is true. It does fill in the low end. It does fit on a bookshelf. But does it sound good? Not exactly, it only sounds "okay."
I listened to it for a while and wondered if something was wrong. Bass sounded a bit congested (crossover set at 75), and not nearly as sharp and well defined as I would have liked. It just didn't give me the bass detail that I was looking for. All I could hear was low drones and thumps in some of my music, instead of the truly musical performance that I was looking for. It isn't as bad as I make it sound, though. If I wasn't spoiled by my Atoms I would probably have kept it. College student or not, I want audio performance over space savings. I also had to turn its volume up to near maximum in order to get it to balance well with my speakers. When I really hit it with the power, the subwoofer disappeared under my Atoms. This was OK, because it was certainly loud enough to annoy everyone around me already.
I went back to my local high end music store, and asked one of the salesmen what the problem might be, and if it'd be wise to return the sub for a higher end one. He told me that I should keep it for a week and break it in a bit before making my final decision. So this is what I did. I kept it at home, running the sub for about a week. It did sound a little bit better after a while, but it still lacked the necessary punch necessary to satisfy me. So I brought it back to them, and they graciously accepted my return. While I was there I auditioned a Def Tech 12" sub. I thought it sounded good. But I didn't have the money they were asking for. I would have taken it home with me right then and there if it were in my price range.
I ended up purchasing a Klipsch KSW-12 subwoofer for $309. A truly excellent sub. Suddenly, bass instruments and lots of detail appear. Best of all, it hits harder and deeper, with tremendous musicality. It also has a lot of power to spare. I have it set at 5 out of 11 in a relatively large room. When I am at school it will likely be set at 3!
I don't want you to totally dismiss the SB-8. It was designed to fit on a bookshelf, and fill in the low end. That's all it does. If you are very limited on space, and if real, serious bass performance isn't important to you, and you have a receiver with a sub out port, this is your new subwoofer. The sub does make small speakers sound larger and fuller. The congestion issue is easily resolved with a receiver with a sub out port. However, if you require more than occasional use for home theatre, have a bigger room to fill, or just desire a more musical sub, take a good look at the Klipsch. Since they are widely distributed, and internet sales are allowed, prices are very low.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
hayau
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 1 member
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