Suess Electronics sells both the Paradigm Studio 20 and the B&W CM5 bookshelf speakers.  These excellent speakers are towards the top of the range for both manufacturers and both sell for the exact same price.  Recently, we decided to do a shoot out to directly compare both models.

The system used to perform the shootout was based on Rotel:

Rotel RCD1520 CD player

Rotel RC1550 preamplifier

Rotel RB-1582 200 watt per channel power amplifier

A sound pressure meter to compensate for subtle differences between sensitivity between the Paradigms and the B&Ws.

Music: ‘Tin Pan Alley’ by Stevie Ray Vaughn (1984 Couldn’t Stand the Weather, Epic Records)

The Paradigm Studio 20s were first up.  Our notes indicate excellent low frequency bass, lively accurate midrange and excellent detail with the high frequencies.  Subtly audible with this recording is what sounds like original Master Tape hiss, barely revealing itself as a barely raised noise floor.  Although having excellent reproduction of tape hiss isn’t the goal of any system, it lends itself as a reference point when analytically listening to a system.  Loss of high frequency detail in a speaker presents itself with no audible tape hiss in this particular recording (revealing loss of high frequency detail with music too), improperly performing high frequency in a speaker reveals itself as a ‘frying egg’ sound with the tape hiss.  The Studio 20s tape hiss ‘measuring stick’ revealed it being subtly audible and sounding like normal tape hiss.  The rest of the listening session went well with a accurate sound stage and very musical response from the speakers.

Next up: the B&W CM5.  Upon cuing up Stevie Ray we noted a HUGE broad sound stage, noticeably higher and wider than the Paradigm Studio 20s.  High frequency detail was excellent (with accurate tape hiss-no frying egg sound here!)  Bass was detailed and layered…but perhaps not quite the physical presence that the Studio 20 bass was.  The music was engaging, lively and accurate.  The midrange was spot-on without the ‘fruitiness’ that some bookshelf speakers produce.

So which speaker won?  If you love accurate, deep bass and excellent sound staging the Paradigm’s won-great speakers for entertaining-truly room filling.  If you love a wide, tall, deep sound stage, accurate musical reproduction with the goal of simulating being present in the recording studio with the musician-the B&W win in spades.  Both are so close: yet the shootout reveals subtle differences in presentation.

We can’t decide!  Consider stopping by: sitting down for a listening session and help us decide which is best!

George Webster, Suess Electronics

Enter the realm of subwoofers. Useful for both movies AND music, subwoofers are bass specialists. They are designed to recreate the low frequency effects from cinema or to bring out the bass energy often missing in your favorite music. Paradigm knows bass, and they know subwoofers. Subwoofers can be large black boxes: usually physics gets in the way and the larger the driver, the deeper the bass and the larger the box. Large black boxes usually don’t go well with other members of the family or the average home decor. However, Paradigm has figured out how to produce the best bass in the world, but from a cabinet that doesn’t dominate the room. The result: the Paradigm Sub 2. Rather than one large driver, it is comprised of six specially designed drivers. This allows the surface area of the woofers to equal one giant driver (and cabinet), but remain in an elegantly sized non room dominating cabinet with much tighter bass response than what some giant floppy driver could ever produce. Some of our customer’s have actually mistaken the cabinet for a fine piece of furniture!

The Paradigm Sub 2 in our listening tests produces mind boggling bass performance. Most subwoofers have a challenge to accurately re-produce 20hz. The Paradigm Sub 2 literally plumbs the depths to 7hz. With 4500 watts of continuous power and 9000 watts of dynamic peak means the Sub 2 will be like the Terminator: it will absolutely never ever stop! What we noticed is not just how ‘loud’ it goes: but instead how ‘effortless’ it played at normal listening levels. Listening to the Sub 2 with music is literally like being present with the musicians. With movies, the Sub 2 transports us into the movie where we just don’t ‘hear’ the bass, but also ‘feel’ the bass.

Paradigm considers the Sub2 to be the best subwoofer in the world. Period. All of us at Suess have to agree.

George Webster, Suess Electronics

Like other speakers of B&W high end line, the PM1 utilizes the famous tapered Nautilus tweeter. The benefit of the Nautilus tweeter is less distortion due to the fact the sound that comes from the back of the tweeter is dissipated into an insignificant minimum rather than bouncing around screwing things up. Located on top of the speaker, and decoupled from the cabinet we find the tweeter’s sound to be more accurate and more involving than many other designs. With B&Ws new carbon bracing, using a ring of ultra-thin wound carbon fiber, the high frequency detail is among the most accurate we’ve listened to at any price.

The 800 Diamond series of speakers are known for their incredible bracing in their cabinets. B&W calls this their Matrix cabinet technology. Although not a member of the 800 Diamond series, the PM1 utilizes the the Matrix cabinet design just like their far more expensive bigger brothers. A three dimensional honeycomb structure reinforces the cabinet in each direction The benefit of the Matrix cabinet is a notable reduction in the cabinet coloration and more accurate stereo imaging from the speakers.

Spoken of in hushed reverence in audiophile circles is the B&W Kevlar speaker cone. Kevlar is stronger than steel, but far lighter allowing a more accurate and less muddy sound than most paper or plastic cones. B&W is famous for their use of Kevlar and in the PM1 they don’t disappoint. In our listening sessions, we’ve noted wider stereo imaging and more accurate and deeper bass than we thought possible with the size driver in the PM1. By design or by accident many speaker designs in this size and class can have a ‘fruity’ mid-bass. Our listening tests note that B&W has hit it out of the park in mid-bass accuracy.

The Bowers & Wilkins PM1 speaker has been a welcome addition to our showroom and we often find ourselves in slower moments taking in a quick listening session and seem to find it difficult to pull ourselves away! The comfortable size, the qualities and technologies that B&W have placed into the PM1 make this a speaker that you should consider on your short list of quality speakers to audition.

Well done B&W.

George Webster, Suess Electronics

Nearly every audio device produced today has a headphone jack. Unfortunately, most headphones have become commodities: meaning they are made as cheaply (and thus sounding as cheaply) as possible. The B&W P5 headphones are the antithesis of this philosophy.

The English company Bowers and Wilkins is well know for their world class loudspeakers. They have extended their knowledge and expertise of loudspeaker design and philosophy into their P5 headphones. Unlike most head phones which are made from plastic, the P5 headphones are made from materials such as lamb skin ear covers, memory foam ear cups, and elegant (& light) stainless steel face plates. If you use an Apple iPhone, an inline microphone is included to allow you to make/take calls or talk with Siri.

A key feature we enjoy with the P5s are the noise isolation aspects. A rigid metal back and sealed ear-pads isolate you from the outside world just enough to maintain the dynamics in the music without totally isolating you from the outside world.

Another welcome feature is the memory foam ear cups. This is the same type of memory foam that is found in high end mattresses. The ear cups conform to your ears: it’s heavenly! When wearing the headphones, the headphones seem to disappear after awhile: leaving just beautiful music.

The sound quality is superb of course. In our listening tests with the P5s, smoothness, detail, imaging-all the qualities we expect from the best loudspeakers from Bowers. We noted the bass response was layered and accurate: not overly exaggerated as we sometimes find in lesser headphones.

In the box are an adapter to use the headphones with 1/4 inch headphone jacks as well as a quality quilted carry case meant to to be easily packed into a suitcase or briefcase. The cord and ear-pads are designed to be replaced in the future if they become worn. A spare cord is included.

In todays age: with all the distractions and complexities of life, it has become a rare pleasure to be able to literally ‘disappear’ into your music. The B&W P5 headphones allow this to happen effortlessly. Along with the superb build quality and materials the B&W P5 headphones become something you will be proud to own.

Recommended!

George Webster Suess Electronics

As we enter our 62nd year of business, we have learned to recreate music effectively at Suess Electronics. We understand high priced electronics don’t automatically guarantee high performance. Instead we understand the placement of speakers in the room can have as much to do with accurate sound quality as the electronics being used to produce the sound. We understand that ‘best’ sound is a matter of removing layers of distortion by carefully implementing the correct electronics, providing line conditioning to remove household electrical noise, installing the appropriate audio interconnects and speaker wire. Each small adjustment adds up; each working together to make the end result ever closer to perfection.

Our view is the Big Box Stores of the world have a goal to move a box from a shelf to the car trunk with as little interaction with the customer as possible. Our goal, born from decades of experience, even if we are good at moving lots of boxes too, is to instead do things in the way we know best. We go beyond moving boxes. We instead strive to interact and work with our customers to help them recreate the emotion in their music. To help them achieve the therapy, the spiritual attachment, even to create profound emotional response that can affect a person to their core. It takes knowledge, experience, passion and even empathy to achieve this goal.

We think we are very good at accomplishing this.

Audio Quest cables provide four key elements that prevent harm from occurring to the original signal:

Solid Conductors:
Feature: Solid and Semi Solid Conductors.
Advantage: Signal is able to maintain position and magnetic strand interaction is eliminated.
Benefit: Less distortion of the signal, better performance.

Better Metals:
Feature: Superior Metals.
Advantage: Purer metals, lower oxygen content, fewer grain boundaries.
Benefit: Less distortion of the signal, better performance.

Geometry
Feature: Advanced Geometry
Advantage: Reduced noise and conductor field interaction
Benefit: Less distortion of the signal, better performance.

Dielectric
Feature: Superior Dielectric
Advantage: Increased air content reduced signal smearing
Benefit: Less distortion of the signal, better performance.

George Webster, Suess Electronics August 6, 2012

Stop in and experience the New TV system by Bose!
The VideoWave® II entertainment system is the only HDTV with a complete Bose® home theater and music system built inside. Movies grab hold of you with awe-inspiring sound and exhilarating effects. Music takes on a newfound spaciousness that will also delight you. Exclusive Bose technologies make it all happen with no speakers, subwoofer or wires in sight. If you’re looking for a new HDTV, you simply have to hear the VideoWave II system.