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Paradigm Signature S8 V2 review

Recently moved into a house with my own sound room 16x12x8. I am aware of the integer factor of its size. Plush carpet. Other than the couch and stereo, nothing else is in the room.

Physically, the S8's are awesome. I got the cherry finish (standard) and despite this it looks phenomenal. I would of prefered Rosewood but no luck. I found the black gloss TOO glossy and not to my liking. Easily streaked with fingers. Despite being tall they are not TOO tall. Make sure you use a chair that is high enough. They are fairly deep (21 inches) but from the front you would never know it. Only from the side do you get any idea. Just using the supplied feet they are stable and do not resonate or vibrate under louder music. Very impressive. With the grille on they are somewhat boring, but with the grille off they are stunning. I am trying both styles, grille on or off and cannot decide what sounds better. They are designed to be played with the grille on I know, but I cannot see (or hear) much difference myself. Just me and I prefer seeing the driver array. Frankly, I think it is a total shame to make such a good looking driver array only to hide it. I hope Paradigm, in the future, makes them such that the grille is optional.

Sonically, I am blown away. For almost 20 years I have used supertweeters (Realistic stand alone models) to add some sparkle on the high end. I have grown accustomed to this style of sound. I no longer need them. The Beryllium tweeter is simply a revelation. Highs are extended, sharp, refined, detailed without being grating on the ears. Inner detail is amazing. Cymbals, high hat and other sharp sounds are exactly that, but sweet as well. I am happy I am not using the supertweeters anymore but find I get the sound I like.

Midrange is equally impressive. Voices are detailed, natural and sweet. I am not going to comment the sound it either forward or recindent, as a simple tweak of an EQ could change this. But the mids seem equal to the highs. Neither seems detached or separate from each other. Just sound in harmony.

Low end is simply amazing. You might read reviews that question the need for a sub and I fully agree. I suppose you could argue that you HOPE you do not need a sub given the fact each speaker has 4 7" cones for bass alone, and despite this the bass is not heavy or slow. Impact is forceful but sharp and fast. Bass is extended (I can easily get low 30's in my room, and it only begins to fade out in the high 20's) so the spec of them only going to 42Hz is completely false. I suspect some movie buffs out there would use a sub anyway, and for films I would probably agree for the impact, but for strict music I would NOT need one. I have a sub. It is a custom made 1" MDF box with 2 10" Alpine R10 car subs in it, each in its own sealed subenclosure. Each sub gets 250 high current watts from a separate power amp (Parasound HCA 2200II) and is driven with an outboard crossover (Mirage LFX 2). So it is safe to say I can get low end. But I do not use it. I have the sub hooked up (running the mains full range) but do not feel the sub adds anything. The S8's give me everything I need.

Now.

I must stress this point. I am running the S8's with a Bryston 14B SST (less than 6 months old). The amp itself is sweet, extended and robust in the low end. All this helps get the best possible sound from the S8's. I cannot stress enough that the best results come from using robust amps with excellent current delivery. Hoping to maximize the S8 with an All-In-One receiver is a dream. I do not feel the wattage is as important as the current ability but it helps. I do not use more than 10 watts on average, and up to 25 watts the amp is class A, so read into that what you want. But the fact is: better amps yield better sound. I am sure the same could be said with Classe, McIntosh, Krell et al, but get a GOOD amp if you want to REALLY hear them sing. Of course, better preamps and source components help too, but the amp is critical to getting the cones to move with force yet control.

I am using UltraLink SW 1412 speaker wire run bare into the S8. I am NOT getting into the cable debate. These are just fine; you may not think so but that is up to you. The results I get are fantastic as is. Interconnects are Pythons.

Overall I am completely floored how good they sound and look. The pride of ownership feeling, so critical to true enjoyment, is present in every facet. I am glad I got the Beryllium version. I heard the G Pal version and MUCH prefer the Be version. I find it makes a big difference to the sound and image. Ditto for the new midrange (CoPal). The improvements made to the V2 over the previous version are all for the better. I admit the speaker/amp combo is not cheap, and I realize not everyone can afford this combo, but if you index the cost verses the lifespan of the speakers and amp (the speakers should easily last 20 years as my previous Paradigms were still kicking at 16 years old and the Bryston has a 20 year warranty) it actually is not bad in the long run. I specifically got the best I could afford knowing it was a long term purchase. And the fact both are what I wanted and love is even better. I originally did not consider the S8's but I am glad I did. I think it was better to get full range floorstanders than try to get S4's or S6's and try to integrate a sub (nothing against the S4 or S6 but using a sub with the amp I have is a total waste of the amp as I have found out). But cost aside, you definitely get your money's worth and considering the lifespan of the speakers, they are a steal, really. What's more, I got mine on sale (I made my deposit on the last day of the sale I did not even know about) and saved about $1500. Talk about fate. I was totally prepared for the retail price (talked down a bit) but to get them brand new, no blemishes or problems was even better. The B+W 803D's I was considering were more expensive, by a large margin, and the store would not dicker on the price. Enough said.

The only thing I am going to do is look into a 1/3 octave or parametric EQ to tame the room imposed EQ curve and to ensure the wall outlets are wired for 20 amp service to ensure no voltage drop. I am looking into a GOOD conditioner and maybe this will help, but we will see. As it stands, I am in heaven and have waited a long time for it.
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Showing 4 responses by blackfly

blackfly's avatar
blackfly OP
23 posts
 
Well, I liked the Focal but found the performance vrs. cost to not be there. I might point out that I am a fan of using EQ's and any facet of speaker performance regarding such (forward mids, recindent highs etc) is something easily fixed or tweaked with proper equalization. Given your experience I can get the same performance, with better bass, with my S8 at a substantial cost savings. I am not suggesting more expensive speakers are a con; far from it, but given the performance to cost of the S8; no, the performance, period, I found the S8 the best. Of course, and deficencies I could easily make up for with a proper EQ.

No doubt the Focals are exquisite in the fit and finish department. But given the cost, they should be. I am just saying the S8 is an incredible speaker period, and the fact it costs what it does is even more incredible. I agree some, maybe many, find it hard to believe what the S8 can do given its lineage and cost but the fact is this: Paradigm makes everything in house which reduces cost. You can simply get more with Paradigm given they do not outsourse and are not reliant on others' economies. Fact.

B+W was also tried but were tired, overpriced and the store would not lower the price. With oil at the price it is you are a fool to not think shipping from England is going to affect pricing. It showed when I looked. Frankly, I think B+W is in for hard times. They may be good but in the US and Canada locally made gear does not have to go overseas, and that is a huge cost as speakers are not small.

Energy, Def Tech, and a host of others were considered but despite living in Vancouver, BC Canada you would be suprised how few high end speakers are available. I would of loved to tried Legacy, but the fact you cannot hear before trying is the biggest No-No in audio. I am not going to trust an $8000 purchase on faith.

You must remember I used Paradigms faithfully for 16 years previous, and they had lower end cones, particleboard cabinets and plastic veneers and still sounded great. The S8 v2 are so much a step up from what I had and they sound so good I have no regrets. I am aware that may rock the core of many in the high end thinking it cannot be done cheaply (relative to the competition) but I would not of bought otherwise. I am not rich but I could of afforded the B+W 803D or 802D had I wished it but found I could not see the cost increase giving me anything the S8 could. And the fact I am supporting my local countrymen (like the Bryston amp). The speaker/amp combo is killer.

I guess personal taste also has something to do with it. The signature of the S8 v2 sound is exactly to my personal tastes in sound and music, so it was a natural fit. The subtle nuances you and I find in other brands are the things only you and I can see, and it is something that cannot really be identified. At the price level, it is the smallest detail that makes it but again, there are so many different styles and tastes it explains the variety out there. I even tried Totem another Canadian brand, but they were expensive (I was looking at the top model, the Wind) and they were poorly represented locally so I discounted them. Not to say they were poor at all; Totem are excellent, but I could not hear a Wind, and the store that sold them were no better than Walmart. I am not spending $10K this way.

I did my homework and the decision was based on all available criteria and taste. The S8 was simply the tops for me.

Now, if I win the lottery tonight and had more funds, the decision might be different with a larger room and more gear, but again perhaps not. I did not have the option to look at $50K speakers, but few do.
blackfly's avatar
blackfly OP
23 posts
 
Acdvd:

Regarding the tweeter of the S4: The Beryllium tweeter is the same for the entire Signature line. The same high end I get with the S8 is the same you would get (assuming the room is not completely padded etc..). Now regarding the rest....

The mids will be just as nice, but given the mid unit is a mid/bass driver and NOT a dedicated mid driver the mids will be SLIGHTLY different, but I cannot say. As I write this the Signature Line brochure is to my left, and from that I can tell you the S4 is different in the mids. As to how it will sound, well, it is hard to say. A dedicated mid unit will be a bit more refined, but that is hard to say as anything you will notice unless under direct comparison to the S8. Not likely in your sound room. Obviously the bass will be different. I am not saying bad, but different. The S4 will not go as deep or with as much force as the S8 will, but for music it would be satisfying, especially if the room is smaller. In fact, in some of the reviews on Paradigms' web site some allude to the fact a S4/sub combo is a cheaper way to get an S8. The only downside is making sure the sub/sat integration is proper, which is hard to do. But as a speaker alone they are very satisfying IF you are not into bass heavy music OR are NOT into bass rich music sound in any way. Imaging is excellent as is texture and quality, but compared to the S8 it is hard to expect to get the same sound given the obvious differences. Teamed up with a sub, or dual subs and proper tweaking, I cannot see how the S4 could not be as good, or even superior, to the S8.

The only reason I did not go the S4/sub route was the fact my amp was a high end unit that has excellent low end and I felt teamed up with a capable floorstander I could do away with a need for a sub. I do NOT use it for movies in any way. But IF I did need a sub the crossover point would be in the high 30's, so you can see a sub is irrelevant. Crossing over any later would waste the S8 and amp and that is not what I want to do. Not to say I would not do it later if I had a larger room or whatever, but for now running the S8 full range with the amp I have is fully satisfying. My Telarc Digital discs do just fine as is. In fact, running a sub (that I have) adds nothing except to rob power from the wall that the amp could use to its fullest need.
blackfly's avatar
blackfly OP
23 posts
 
I am finding the S8 to be fabulous in listening for pure enjoyment. I find the resolution and detail they offer make listening much more enjoyable. You hear things (detail) that you did not before and the resolution brings out everything on the recording.

I am finding that some recordings are turning up to sound poorer with the S8 in the fact the S8 is so good there is little a bad recording can do (and definitely NOT hide). But for the most part the sound is awesome. Definitely musical and enjoyable.

I find that the tone controls do get used depending on the recording and artist, but this is a fact of listening. Some recordings are bright, some dull, some flat.....

But no doubt, the S8 is the best I have heard and used. The amp pairing is perfect, I think, in that the amp has the attributes the speakers have as well, and as a result, the imaging, high end, mids and low end are all maximized. Could not be happier. I would of tried Legacy but for $8000 I am not making a purchase on faith and would rather SEE and TOUCH what I am going to be buying beforehand rather than them show up on my doorstep. Frankly, and I am aware Legacy makes awesome speakers, but the way they sell them is inexcusable. What happens if they do not work out for you? Do you pay shipping, and what of any "incidental" shipping damage?
blackfly's avatar
blackfly OP
23 posts
 
Acdvd:

The S6 for the longest time was going to be my speaker. In DIRECT comparison with the S8, no other speaker, the S6 lacked ONLY in the low end in terms of weight and range. That's it. The same tweeter and same mid is used, so expecting ANY difference is going to be hard to find in any way. I myself noticed nothing in the mids but did notice that the low end was noticebly more robust in the S8. But this DOES make some difference in terms of perceived clarity and focus in the mids: I mean, with the low end more clear and extended I found it to be the mids came into focus more (not literally, but the low end helped refine the mids). I am comparing very fine lines here, within a speaker line that each is awesome.

There is no doubt the S6 is made to be mated to a sub, where the S8 is designed to be stand alone. I find, for me and my room, the need for a sub to be stupid and a total waste. My amp is robust in the low end and the speaker can handle it. I do not think a sub is worth it for the lowest range (20hz) and since I do not listen to pipe organs that much I do not really miss it. Nor do I listen to movies either. For a GOOD home theatre I think a sub is manditory, even if you are using the S8 but for music alone the S8 is just fine.

The S6 is equally fine, but I think the sub is ultimately needed for the S6 for the fullest effect. So now, factor in the cost of a good sub for the S6 and then take that towards the S8, you can see where I am going....

I do believe, in either case, both are best and can be maximized providing the amp is of good robust quality. I could of easily used the Bryston 4B SST and saved some coin, but always wanted a 14B SST type amp and got that. I can assure you the amp is NOT a limiting factor, and that alone is enough for me.
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