I was excited when I first go this sub.

but having listened to other subs like Monitor Audio 380 and BK XLS 200, i have to say, it's a bit of a boom box. the bass is loud but uncontrolled. sounds below 50hz are a struggle (i suppose that is expected in an 8" design). Having owned this for over 4 years now, I have noticed it clips or rattles when continuous 50hz track is played - for example a explosion that lasts for some time. I can feel the speaker moving rapidly trying to reproduce sound but instead i hear the cone flopping around in the cabinet.

If you like a loud bass to add to your movie experience then this is ok. don't even bother with music, its too boomy and take over the music ( unless off course you like that).

Overall, good value for money, but too loose and muddy.

Get it! Look for this on the used market find it buy it!! I put this next to my velodyne minivee for comparison. Kept up nicely..and we are talking about a 900.00 dollar sub vs 100.00.
I would get this if your looking to build a nice stereo 2.1 system for a bedroom/computer system. Cheaper and better than the "new" stuff out.

i love this sub. i bought it from a couple moving to spain. pretty much a steal. OMG for its size it sounds amazing!! i replaced my Sony 8 inch sub with this. Huge difference! im running it from my 6 month old Denon avr-589.
i am currently running a pair of Bose 201 iv series and this paradigm pdr-8. AMAZING is all i can say, it roars.
my receiver is fairly new, bought it new, the speakers i am running are fairly old but not too old. but as they say...they dont make things like they use too..

Paradigm quality, great sound, box is not too big.

Can't handle all LFE's due to it's size.

When I first listenend to the PDR-8 with my HT set up, I said to myself, " WOW, this subwoofer sounds great." My set up consists of Mains=Titans, Center=CC-190, and Surrounds=Atoms. The PDR-8 blended well with my speakers and was able to produce the LFE's nicely, meaning that it definitely enhanced the HT experience. Believe me, despite it's small size, placed in the right location this sub can shake and rumble your HT room. And my HT room size is only 12x10x7 feet (LxWxH).

Unfortunately, and this is due to my own personal preference, the PDR-8 began to sound small and inadequate after watching some intensley LFE's movies such as U-571 and The Incredibles. To me, it seemed like the PDR-8 was having a hard time keeping up. But hey, this is an 8" sub don't expect too much.

So in conclusion, the PDR-8 would work well for someone who doesn't need to impress friends and neighbors but rather enjoy the HT experience without breaking the bank (The Casual Listener). The PDR-8 sounds incredible but does have its limits when it comes to intense LFE's.

Similar Products Used:

None, this is my first subwoofer.

Tight, clean, well-defined bass. Great value.

None that I can discern

I believe this "little" subwoofer has tighter/cleaner bass than most in its price range. It was the best bang for the buck and listened to more expensive Velodynes etc. I am very very happy with this little monster. I even listened to the 10" Paradigm sub which was louder and deeper but not cleaner sounding. I've read reviews of folks saying there's a hum in this unit but I haven't heard it in mine. It's dead silent on quiet passages. I don't know why this little 8" Paradigm doesn't do better than 4.25/5. For me, it's closer to 5 of 5! Clean, tight, deep/loud, huge value for the dollar! Bravo!

compact and attractive sub fairly tight base

60hz Hum a bit boomy no auto on/off

Not the best sub I've heard, but I'm happy with it for the price. Mine had a horrible 60hz hum when new. The hum was easily heard from 10-12 feet away. The salesperson indicated this was a common problem with this model and told me I couldn't return a 3-day old unit because I special ordered a color they don't stock. I took the sub home and fixed it myself. It took an extra ground wire from the agnd lead farthest from the x-former and a couple extra caps on the power rails on the lower board to completely rid the sub of hum. My amplifier was labeled as rev. D; you'd think they would have fixed the hum in one of the revs between A and D. My "fix" is just a band-aid for a poor design.

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Infinity, JBL, Polk

Price, Size, Price, Size

No remote.

Great Price and sound. If you have a smaller room and want it rock and roll, this is it.

Similar Products Used:

Velodyne FSR-12

Small, inexpensive, accurate and natural sound.

Probably won't rattle the windows

Great for music; very accurate and natural reproduction of rock to orchestral bass. No hiss. There is no power switch, but I plug it into the aux power on my amp and it comes on when I turn the amp on. Great bargin! I have a large living room and it fills it up nicely.

Deep bass when both dials are maxed out

The hiss that occurs and the salesperson at the place I purchased it.

Not Bad for a small room or an apartment

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Denon

Little orange light that tells you the unit is on. Not "fat" bass, but punchy and accurate. Great value and small size.

No auto on/off. Not for large rooms.

I've now used the PDR-8 for 7 months. I highly recommend this sub for apartments or small-to-medium living rooms. This sub works absolutely fabulously with home theatre and music. I've read posts here that complain of a "hum", but I have not experienced anything of the sort (even wtih my ear right next to it). These hums can be caused other electrical interference, power source, or an inadequate amplifier. I would have liked an auto on/off capability, but it's not really that big of a deal.

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Cambridge Soundworks - stinks don't bother