I absolutely love Paradigm speakers and they are amazing right out of the box, but I also have a lot of fun modifying them by mixing and matching other Paradigm drivers to make custom Paradigm speakers. The ones I have found no need to upgrade so far are the 90p, they are just so good. For over a year I have been enjoying a pair of 90p v2, and just yesterday I added a pair of v3. Now 90p pairs serve as key components in both of my systems. It seems that active speakers get a bit disrespected by audiophiles, but my experience is that a good active speaker is tough for an equivalent budget passive speaker to compete with. These can keep both camps happy as most audiophiles already accept active subwoofers. Speaking of subwoofers, if I had a dollar for every time I have read the following about tower, and even some bookshelf speakers "you don't need a subwoofer with these speakers", usually they are wrong, unless you are ok with missing part of the audible bass range, along with all subsonic. Well I have to be honest, I can't say that with these speakers you don't need a sub, because the truth is you already have 2! If you want serious subsonic you still may want to add a 15" or larger sub, but these have the audible bass range more than covered. It seems like a good spot to tell you what these are, first off all versions are 3 way speakers with a passive tweeter and mid to go with powered 8" subwoofers. The v1 version had only 2 subwoofers per speaker and make do with only 140 watts rms. The v2 to v4 are all mechanically similar with 3 subwoofers per cabinet powered by a 175 watt rms amp. The drivers on v1 and v2 are pretty much identical as are v3 and v4 with the updated Monitor v3 updates obviously being included on the Monitor series flagship speakers. So with v3 and v4 being nearly identical, I am going to break these down into 3 groups, v1, v2, then will treat v3/v4 as twins and will just call them v3 from here on out. I have not owned or even heard the v1, but from specs it appears that 2 subwoofers sharing the same cabinet space with a bit more power allows for lower bass extension than the other generations. V2 and v3 are very close on sound, but to my ears the updated v3 drivers are just a bit more crisp in addition to looking much better, especially if you run these without grill covers. Now that the introduction and history lesson are out of the way, here is my take. These are amazing speakers that can fill a ton of purposes due to their insane

Well no speaker is perfect right? However, I am struggling with this section. Well back to my history lesson then. My research of these speakers turned up a nugget of interesting information, which I can't verify, but it leads to the number one weakness that I found with these. The story I read alleged that the chief designer of the 90p wanted it to be a Reference level (Studio) speaker, but the company decided to instead make it the flagship of the Monitor series. If true that may explain how this punches above its weight class a bit. It does lead to my biggest weakness with the 90p, and that is that there isn't a Studio version. I have never heard a Saradigm Reference Active 40, but have read amazing reviews, and it makes me long for an active Paradigm Studio 100 v2 with light cherry real wood sides please, but alas that doesn't exist, maybe it is time to mod one or the other to create my own............

My speakers have three 8"woofs Bottom ones are driven by 175 watt amp.they are V3 models.Plenty O Bass I think there rated down to 22 hertz the top end is clean.not bright great imaging and soundstage If you can find a pair used.You can,t beat the value.Paradigm house sound.they will rock.VERY happy with them.

Great value, outstanding sound quality, deep soundstage, easy to set up and adjust the bass management/subwoofer settings. Nice finish!

Very heavy, spkied feet can damage hardwood flowers and threaten marriages.

I love the Paradigm 90P speakers! What a great loudspeaker choice for mains in an apartment or condo, one that can be used for both serious music listening and for home theater. The Paradigm 90P loudspeakers allowed us to get some serious bass output without the need for a separate subwoofer which takes up valuable real estate in a New York City apartment. (Trust me, the apartments are small.) The Paradigm 90Ps are accurate, with a good deep soundstage, and are very musical. For the moment, we are powering them with a NAD 7240 PE erceiver with 40 watts per channel (plus headroom) until we upgrade the receiver. Given its limitations, the sound quality is quite good. We found the bass management controls on the powered subwoofer to ber pretty intuitive and easy to use, even without studying the well written manual. The spiked feet on the 90Ps are very much needed, and although your significant other may not like what they do to the hardwood floors, such is audio. We can't wait to add a Paradigm center channle and rears to the system. For the record, I also have Paradigm 5SE loudspeakers in my office, Paradigm Atoms in the kitchen, and Paradigm Studio Monitors with a P1000 subwoofer in another high-end system elsewhere. The entire Paradigm line provides tremendous bang for the buck.

Similar Products Used:

Avid monitors, Boston Acoustics minis, Polk 5 Mini monitors, Paradigm 5SE monitors , Paradigm Atoms, Paradigm Export Studio Monitors, Paradigm 1000 subwoofer.

Everything

None in this price range

Much of the detailed information on these speakers has been written in the previous reviews, so I will not go into the same details. However, my comments are on the Version 2, which has three 8 inch drivers for bass reproduction, not two. I am very, very happy with this purchase. These speakers for the cost are quite remarkable. Cost was $1398 and after careful consideration of other brands, I decided to stick with the Paradigm line. The 90P’s version 2 replaced a pair of Paradigm Studio 20’s and a PDR-10 sub in my home theater setup. I was not totally happy with the musical/theater presence of the output that they produced. Could be the acoustics of my room or my ears, but the presentation/image just seemed to lack something that I could not put my finger on. My system consists of all Paradigm products. A CC-350 for center, two Micro’s for rears and the 90P’s for fronts. The system is powered by a Sony STR-DA777ES, which produces 120 Watts per channel. Yes, Sony, but this receiver has excellent reviews and is quite the workhorse that produces excellent quality for the money. The item that impressed me the most about this speaker was how much fuller and richer the sound is, compared to the Studio 20’s and the sub setup. Initially I did not think there would be a vast difference, but it is like night and day. To be honest, the speakers do not produce quite the detail in the high and mids as the Studio 20’s, but the difference is made up by musical presence alone. However, in this room, my focus is more inclined towards home theater rather then music. Yet, even with music, they are quite wonderful and almost exceptional for cost versus performance. The nicest item of all is that you don’t need to purchase a sub for these speakers and they do put out a huge amount of bass with the self amplified three 8 inch woofers. In fact, for my ears and the room size, (16 X 20) they are outstanding. I am not a high power, crank it up type of person, but like moderate to above average levels of sound reproduction. Yet, even beyond normal listening levels, they are warriors. After breaking them in for a few weeks, they have loosened up and are quite remarkable. These are not Dynaudio Contour’s, but then pricing is not equivalent. However, for the amount of money you spend, they are a steal in this price range. There are better sounding products in th

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm, Dynaudio, Klipsch,

Excellent imaging and clarity, very accurate

Bass can be boomy if they are not positioned properly, subs cannot handle VERY high volume.

Current System:
Yamaha RX-V596 receiver
Carver A/D 360 CD changer
Pioneer DV-333 DVD player
Yamaha K-960 cassette recorder
Paradigm Monitor 90P mains
Paradigm CC-350 center
Paradigm ADP-370 dipole surrounds

These are large, floor-standing 2 way speakers with built-in 140 watt powered subwoofers. They can be bi-wired/bi-amped and for music the subs are driven by the speaker level input (binding posts) with an adjustable level control. There is also a seperate LFE line level input, again with its own level control, for LF effects when watching DD 5.1 movies. The sub crossover is set at 180Hz, so effectively, they are 3-way speakers.

When I first auditioned these speakers (Aug '00) I was concerned that a 2-way speaker/sub-woofer combination would not be able to reproduce the sound quality of a true high quality 3-way speaker, but that concern was unfounded. These are possibly the best speakers available in their price range, they are certainly the best I have heard. The clarity and resolution is excellent, without being bright or harsh. The bass response is also excellent, tight and very musical. The relatively high 180Hz low frequency crossover also improves imaging, like the woofer of true 3-way speakers. The accuracy of these speakers is also amazing, I am hearing notes and sounds in the music that I have never heard before. My first concern is music, home theater comes second, and I was perfectly willing to sacrifice HT effects for the sake of music. I am very happy to say that with these speakers that was never an issue, their music reproduction is incredible AND they have proven to be wonderful for home theater. There are better speakers on the market, but only at prices that far exceeded my budget.

Potential buyers should be aware of some things before they make their purchase: These speakers cannot be placed in corners or the bass becomes very boomy, you will have to experiment with placement; These are tall, heavy speakers, you cannot put them on a stand and the floor spikes are required for the best performance; If you like your music VERY loud or have a very large space to fill you will find the 140 watt sub amps and dual 8 inch drivers just don't move enough air to fill the space or supply enough volume. But since I live in a condo these speakers are more than loud enough for my taste. :-)

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned PSB, NHT, Boston Accoustics, Kef, etc.

Excellent home theater speaker, good low-mid volume musical contender

can be boomy depending on placement, volume limited by its integrated sub

I purchased these speakers as the first step in upgrading my college home theater setup. I wanted a complete system that did not require a sub, but was loud and strong enough to satisfy my need for musical power.

These speakers for the most part did what I wanted. For home theater, there simply isn't anything in this price range better. They save you from purchasing as sub, and do a great job of producing those NECESARY LFE signals with ease. I highly recommend 1) letting these speakers break in before doing any level adjustment (2 inputs - a sub LFE in and overal bass db asjustment), 2) Don't put them in a corner! They get real, real boomy.

For the average listener these speaker will be ideal for pretty much any use either musical or HT, however for the power hungry audio enthusiast like myself they will eventually fall short. Since the woofers are driven wholey by the internal 140W amp (not to shabby - but not bypassable!!!) there isn't really any room for improvement. Upgrading to a hig poweramp will only give you benefits in the tweeter and mid range department - the woofers are still driven by the paradigm amp which filters/reduces the amplified input signal to line level. I ran into a problem with playing music with a stiff hard and low bass line at high volume levels and excessive excursion on the woofers. They simply can't handle demanding bass lines at high volume levels - they're only 8".

My solution:
Choices:
1- take the 90P's back and upgrade to the studio 80's or 100's AND a poweramp to drive those monsters, + purchase a decent subwoofer to get the home theater performance I had with the 90P's. Price: approximately $3000 for what I wanted

2 - keep the 90P's, limit their response to 70Hz and above (using the "small" speaker setting for my mains) and purchase some kick ass subs to handle all that low frequency power I wanted for high volume music. My delaer suggested two PW-2200 for my needs. I haven't received the subs yet, but trying out the 90P's set to "small" limited to 70Hz and above worked beautifully, and very very loud with manageable woofer cone excursion. Price: $1000

I have chosen option 2 for the interim (duh!?). The 90P's can handle all the volume I can thow at them with the exception of the 8" woofers response to LFE levels. My only concern is how well the subs match up MUSICALLY with the 90P's - a little weary about this as I have heard few subs capable of real punchy and tight musical bass..I hate boomy music.

The bottom line is these speakers are excellent all purpose speakers fit for the most picky of listeners (especially HT freaks). If you can get by the limit on power they have in the LFE domain there is certainly no better main/sub combo loudspeaker out there.

Value 5-stars: no better for value, hands down
Overall 3-stars: Paradigm really didn't count on high power listeners purchasing these speakers. The dual 8" woofer design simply can't handle the 140W of real bass they advertise. ADD A BYPASS!!!

My setup:
Paradigm 90P Mains
Paradigm CC-350 Center
Paradigm ADP-350 Rears
Yamaha RX-V2095 Receiver


Dave

I was in the market for the best home theater system I could find for around $5,0000. After listening to a dozen or so systems, I ended up buying a yamaha DSP-A1 integrated amp to be the center piece of my system. For my speakers I bought a pair of paradigm monitor 90P's for the mains, a c-c 350 for the center and mini-monitors for the rears. To put it mildly, I was blown away by the sound quality of this system, on both music and home theater. The imageing and overall tonal quality of the 90P's is truly outstanding. Anyone looking for a pair of affordable, high end speakers should give these paradigms a listen to,you'll be glad you did.

For the money, I don't know how you would beat these.
Best features are #1: the bass reproduction is superb. The bass
is super linear and goes deep and smooth. I can't think of a speaker
I have heard that does better on bass for under $2000. Best feature #2:
imaging. Don't toe them in. And put them farther apart than the distance
you are from them. In that position, they image great. If you are too
far back in the triangle, imaging is not as good, but sound dispersion
is still excellent throughout the room.

Minor gripes are #1: the Paradigm sound is a tiny bit hard for my taste.
I like something that is a little warmer and with more of a sheen on the
extreme top end, for example B&W stuff and ribbon tweeters. But if you
want detail and dynamics, I can accept the tradeoff. The Paradigms image
extremely well, and are outstanding in terms of dynamics. Gripe #2: the
wiring. It's not true bi-wire capable, because you can't wire around the
amp that is working on the two lower drivers. The middle driver is not
amplified. So it's not max-configurable wiring, but I understand why
they did it that way, i.e. to make it dead simple for anybody to connect. And
it is nice that they let you plug in your sub-LF-out if you have one. So
unless you really want to subvert their amp, it's a nice setup.

Best match was with older Sony ES separates. Warm amp/pre-amp worked
well there. Best bass came out of Golden Tube Audio SE-40 Special Edition.
It's hard to beat the bass signal of that amp though, so no surprise.

Bottom line: a great value, and an excellent choice for someone who wants
one setup to do both home theater and home audio. Nice.

I listened to a lot of different speakers in my quest for a new home theater system once my basement is complete. I listened to several Bipolars (Definitive Technology, Mirage) and several with integrated subs (Klipsh, etc) since I did not want a separate sub in my room. I built an inwall entertainment system so the bipolars would not work since they would be effectively in a box and too boomy. I have had the 90P's since August and I am very pleased with the performance. I have only been listening to music via an old 60W 2 channel Technics receiver that I bought while in college. I have just ordered a B&K AVR-202 and cannot wait to hear the sound. One caveat is that they are very tall and had to modify the area where they are housed since they are also a bit deep due to the integrated subs. Lots of BASS! I plan on getting the Paradigm CC-350 (center channel) and biPolar surrounds. The local dealer in Atlanta told me that they all contain the same drivers so this is the best match. I have heard the entire package through an Acurus and they sound great loud or soft. Very clean sound.

I have had these now for about 3 months and am very happy with their performance. I originally had them adjacent to a TV stand with very little
separation (about 6 feet) while waiting for our new entertainment center
furniture. They are in a home theater setup with cc350 and Mini Monitor
surrounds. The 90Ps are bi-wired to a Denon AVR2700 with separate sub-out
directly to the built-in amps. Since moving them to their current location
(about 8.5 feet apart and about 8 inches from the wall) I have been much more
pleased with the Bass output from the subs. They really go quite low for a
pair of 8-inch woofers. The mids and treble are smooth and transparent with
a small bit of forwardness. The dynamics in my listening room are very good
15x32 feet for movies which is about 60% of our listening.

These were a budget compromise with the wife who put an upper bound of $2k
on my speaker budget for the entire setup. I would have Legacy Audio Focus
systems if left on my own. I give them 5 stars for value and very good
overall sound.