REVIEW SHOP SHARE LEARN
Paradigm Reference Seismic™ 12
Paradigm Reference Seismic™ 12
MSRP: $ 1700.00

More Subwoofers from Paradigm Reference >>
Search AudioReview forums for the Paradigm Reference Seismic™ 12 >>
   
Popular Subwoofers
more...
Top Ranked Products from Paradigm Reference.
3seMKIII
Rated:
Active 450LR
Rated:
Signature S2
Rated:
more...
 |  Sorted by Latest Review |  Sort by Best Rating >> |  Sort by Worst Rating >> | 
Rating
Reviewed by:

windman

(Audio Enthusiast)

Review Date
November 3, 2008

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Rate this review?

Review 1 of 2

Price Paid:  $1500.00 from Dealer

Summary:
I agree with the former reviewer and the “hum” problem. When I first got mine; it hummed so bad I sent it back to the dealer (5 hours away I might add) they said it worked fine and sent it back. It still hummed. The dealer suggested it was a wiring issue and that I should have a “dedicated’ circuit. $ 300 spent on the electrician putting in a dedicated circuit and it still had the hum.

At this point I tried it out on 2 other residences at friend’s places. Still had the hum. I finally got fed up; the dealer was useless and I parked it in storage out of sheer frustration. Recently decided to give it another try. Now it still humms; however the remote power trigger no longer functions. When manually turned on it powers up, but no sound. Basically it was a $ 1500 piece of garbage and it will be the last Paradigm prodcut I ever buy.

On my next trip to the dealer I think I will drop it off to get it “fixed”. Maybe it can be “fixed” now that the warranty is up and it is on my dime. Who knows. I just want something that works.

Strengths:
Compact size.
Very adjustable

Weaknesses:
See desc. Build quality and electrical issues galore.

Similar Products Used:
Velodyne, Boston, SVS, Cerwin-Vega, Mirage.


Would you like to Comment?
Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Rating
Reviewed by:

hammondb2bv

(AudioPhile)

Review Date
February 24, 2006

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 5.00 votes

Rate this review?

Review 2 of 2

Price Paid:  $1500.00

Summary:
An incredible subwoofer, or at least another incredible subwoofer, finally, that can be intended for music. Paradigm did an incredible job creating a subwoofer that is extremely tight, and integrates very nicely with fast speakers.

Strengths:
Very tight, plenty of power and then some, phase alignment, contour (best set at flat) and there are balanced inputs. Build quality is nice too. For those whom love music, you may know the Vandersteen 2W is outstanding because it is indeed so fast. For years, it has paired well Magnepan planars. I have 3.5R's and I had an older Vandersteen, and it was time for something different in my new listening room. I chose the Paradigm for several reasons: 1.) Power is not a problem (300Watt Vandersteen vs. 1200 with lower harmonic distortion on the Paradigm) 2.) I can actually use a high end Interconnect rather than parallel speaker wire designs the Vandersteen has, and 3.) The music - the paradigm, when set correctly, gives you music, and not the boom. It has Home theatre capabilites beyong my knowledge, my interest lies within 2 channel audio, and this subwoofer is impressive. I cross it over at 40, and let the Maggies do the rest. It's CERTAINLY worth an audition, at the very least.

Weaknesses:
Well, there seems to be an issue with these things having a 60Hz hum, not comming from the speaker, but rather the amplifier. I have a newer home and a dedicated circuit, and still, there must be a ground loop problem somewhere in the house. Once I find it, the hum should be eliminated, but this is the first time i've experienced a hum in my system. I've seen other complaints on this issue, something Paradigm should take into consideration, which I'm sure they are aware of. I've since corrected the issue, and it's perfect.

Similar Products Used:
Vandersteen 2Wq Subwoofer


Would you like to Comment?
Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Company Pages

Audio & Video company review pages. Browse product user reviews, compare prices, top ranked products, and compare specs by manufacturer.

Bowers Wilkins Reviews
Bowers & Wilkins
NAD Reviews
NAD
Marantz Reviews Marantz
Denon Reviews
Denon
Klipsch Reviews
Klipsch
Sony Reviews
Sony
Yamaha Reviews
Yamaha
Rotel Reviews
ROTEL
McIntosh Reviews
McIntosh
Bose Reviews
Bose
Polk Reviews
Polk Audio
Paradigm Reviews
Paradigm
Onkyo Reviews
Onkyo
JBL Reviews
JBL
KEF Reviews
KEF
Pioneer Lens Reviews
Pioneer
Harman Kardon Lens Reviews
Harman-Kardon
Panasonic Reviews
Panasonic
Press and News
Submit News & Press...
Audio and Video News & Press Releases.

Latest and Greatest

Best Floorstanding Speakers Under $2000

So many to choose from! Lets us boil it down. Choose a Floorstanding Speaker that fits you:

Best Bookshelf Speakers Under $1000

So many to choose from! Lets us boil it down. Choose a Bookshelf Speaker that fits you:

Best Floorstanding Speakers Under $1000

So many to choose from! Lets us boil it down. Choose a Floorstanding Speaker that fits you:

Sanders Sound 10b Speaker Review

No, you can’t always get what you want. The number of loudspeakers surpassing the cost of a decent family sedan is staggering. Then there are speakers that cost as much as a house.

Velodyne Optimum-12 Subwoofers Review

I have set up about a dozen different subwoofer models, including a few that I built, in my systems over the years.

Reviews and Featured Articles
Expert hi-fi audio reviews, blogs, and audio articles.