TECH.KNOW BLOG

How many zillion reviews are there for the PLAY5? It’s a great piece, it simply works and the sound is easy to enjoy. This review will be a bit different, as I am focusing on the PLAY5’s ideal use and exactly why you should or shouldn’t want one.

 

Do you want ambient music throughout your house, in the kitchen, bedroom and Den? The PLAY5 is great in this application! It produces good sound with ample volume for most spaces. If desired, the Sonos app allows for multiple zones playing multiple tracks or you can link the whole ‘shebang’ and rock the house. You should want SONOS!

 

A single PLAY5 is a great way to get started in the Sonos family. However, a single point source of music is only simulated stereo and we want REAL stereo! Not a problem as you can link two PLAY5’s through the app for true stereo right and left. This sounds much more complex than it is. In fact, it takes only a few quick taps and then you are done. You should want SONOS!

 

Most people have never heard the PLAY5 paired in stereo. It’s worth hearing, particularly if you want to go whole-hog and add the Sonos SUB. Granted, this is a moderately pricey solution for 2.1-channel stereo sound. Before your veto the idea, consider that you can easily disband the setup. Use your Sonos components for a whole home solution when entertaining, and then revert back to your listening system for more intent sittings. See honey, it’s versatile. ;-)

 

Are you building a reference level system or are you planning on critical listening? If you are, there isn’t yet an all-in-one streaming speaker that meets your needs. This area is still reserved for components and lossless audio formats. You shouldn’t want SONOS.

 

Do you want to use your speaker as part of a small home-theatre setup? Sonos has a different speaker for that application (PLAYBAR). The PLAYBAR is a soundbar solution that incorporates left, right and center channels (pair with the SUB and PLAY1, 3 or 5 for surround sound).  The PLAY5 does not accommodate home theatre functionality without a PLAYBAR. You shouldn’t want the PLAY5 without the PLAYBAR.

 

Fit, finish, style and sound of the PLAY5 is excellent. You can’t replace the raw power and precision of a component 2-Channel system, but you can get so very, very, close. You might not even notice the difference.

If you were looking for an excuse to buy an OLED TV, here it is.

 

LG has recently dropped the price on its least expensive OLED TV with 4K resolution, the B6 series reviewed here. The 55-inch OLED55B6P is officially $2,000 while the 65-inch OLED65B6P is $3,000, but there's a limited-time Black Friday sale with a further $200 discount on each.

 

That's a discount of up to $700 and $1,200, respectively, compared to prices in early October. Because of this price drop, and the fact that 2016 OLED TVs like the B6 deliver the best picture quality of any TV I've ever tested, I'm increasing its Value subrating from a 6 to a 7, its overall score from 8.4 (4 stars) to 8.7 (4.5 stars), and awarding it CNET's Editors' Choice Award.

 

In other words, if you have the money and want a 55-inch or 65-inch TV, buy this one.

I recently decided it was time to own my own home theatre and stop mooching our display models over the weekends. This seemed like a good idea because not only would I have my own dream setup, but I would be able to test other equipment against a known baseline for my reviews.

 

All I needed was a well-matched speaker and an amp. No problem right? Wrong!

 

Lucky for me I feel in love with Yamaha’s A-S501 amplifier the moment I met it. Ooooh, that sexy retro simplicity. This amplifier peaks at 120Watts per channel and has a RMS of 85Watts per channel. This means that in short bursts it can reach 120W but it can sustain 85W all day long. This is an important distinction that I will need you to remember. If you care about this stuff you may want to start taking notes now. It’s about to get messy.

 

85W RMS in hand, I went hunting for speakers.  The obvious choice for my small space would be bookshelves. I started with the Prestige 15B because I am a fool for a pretty lady and you can’t beat the Prestige series for being pretty. The 15B has an amplifier rating from 15W to 150W with a max input of 90W. This means it will play with as few as 15W. It can also handle amplifier up to 150W (if you are careful not to turn it up too high). The 15B will play all day long on up to 90W. More than 90W will damage these speakers.

 

I took the 15B’s home for a test drive and was shocked how far up I had to dial my amplifier to get decent volume. Numbers alone, the AS501 should have had no problem working these speakers to their very edge, but I wasn’t really getting comfortable until 2/3rds volume. This seemed too close to the limits to me. What if I wanted to dial them up for a movie or a party?

 

The next morning I went in to talk to my product expert Rick. Rick explained that although the speakers are rated at 90W Max the Prestige series uses that power inefficiently. Basically, it takes a whole pile of Watts to get the heavy-duty cones moving. This helps iron out unwanted artifacts in the music. It also means that the speaker will not play as loud at the same power level because it needs more force to vibrate. (This is actually a good thing, and a common trait of premium speakers.)

 

Rick suggested I try Paradigm’s Mini Monitors for comparison. Mini Monitors are rated for 15-100W 80W Max. I figured they would react similarly given the similar numbers but Rick explained that the Monitor line is far more efficient than the Prestige line. I went home not expecting much, but remembering his cautions to be careful.

 

The Mini monitors exploded to life, and by the time I reached a 1/3 volume they were exceptionally loud. By 1/2 volume the speakers were bouncing of the limits of their surrounds and I had to back down.

 

I was shocked. By the numbers alone I would have assumed that I could have driven these speakers almost to full volume without risking damage. There I sat; listening comfortably at 25% volume, and limited somewhere under 50%. The AS501 could clearly drive a much larger speaker in the Monitor line because they use the power more efficiently.

 

The next day I was back at Ricks’ counter looking to see how far I could push the AS501. I wanted to test the big daddies of the Monitor line. A pair of speakers that I happen to really love; the giant Monitor 11’s!

 

I asked Rick if he thought they would run on my moderately sized amp. Monitor 11’s are rated for 15-250W 180W Max. Because my amp peaks way below this, I expected Rick to laugh me out of the office. To my surprise, he did not. Instead he explained that though I would probably need to dial my volume up a bit, they would likely be closer to the levels of the Mini Monitors.

 

I would have assumed that I would need twice the volume to achieve the same amount of noise with the Monitor 11’s. Rick explained that though the max power rating is 2.24 times higher I was missing a critical consideration. Speakers have crossover switches that control power to the different cones and tweeters. These switches cause power to be used differently than I expected.

 

Rick explained that as I dial my amplifier up, I am actually not increasing the power output directly. I am increasing the desired volume. The amplifier then sends Watts to the speaker tower. Once the power enters the tower a switching block, like a sorting machine breaks the power down into separate streams in order to fire different cones. Tweeters only need a little power for the high notes, then the middles need a little more, and finally the bass speakers need a bunch.

 

Compared to my volume, which remains steady, my power usage will jump up and down depending on the music. A big crashing rock number will need big surges of Watts to punch those woofers in time to the bass and drums. An equally loud solo on a flute will only need a little bit of power because it does not need to fire the woofers at all. (If you have an amplifier with analogue sweep gauges on the face, it is these surges of power that make them dance at a set volume.)

 

In fact, Rick explained, I might experience the same loudness with the towers and with the bookshelves, at the same volume level on the knob. The difference in power usage will be hidden inside the amplifier.

 

Because the tweeters and mids on both the Mini Monitors and 11’s are similarly efficient they will come up to volume easily and quickly. However, the amplifier will have to send more power to the towers when the crossover switch sends Watts to the woofers for low notes. The kick of a drum at a certain volume on the bookshelves might take 20Watts while the same kick on the towers takes 60Watts. This is because the crossover-switch fires 6 woofers on the towers instead of only the two mids on the bookshelves.

 

Will my A-S501 be able to achieve the same maximum volume on the equally efficient towers and bookshelves? No. The limiting factor is no longer the speakers themselves but the power of the amplifier during certain listening conditions.

 

Symphonic music that forces the towers to fire every cone throughout the range will take a pile of watts. As I turn this music up, the amplifier will eventually run out of power to kick the bass drivers. This condition is called clipping.

 

Clipping also known as “popping” or “farting out” is how you know that the amplifier has reached its limits for the song you are enjoying. YOU NEED TO DIAL IT DOWN FAST. Sustained clipping will either burn out a speaker by heating the coils until they melt, or you will torch the amplifier as the circuits heat up from the massive flow of electricity.

 

Lucky for us, we don’t need special tools to diagnose clipping. Just listen for a pops, clicks, and weird farty sounding bass in heavier sections of music. If you hear it, back off the volume until it stops. Brighter songs will be able to play louder, but turn down that heavy metal.

 

So how do you know what a particular amplifier and speaker will sound like together? Well it’s not in the numbers. For general advice, you should deal with person you trust; like Rick. Ultimately, the best thing to do is, find a store where they will let you demo the pieces you want with your music. The numbers can say almost anything, but your ears will know right away.

 

P.S. I’m not bringing the Monitor 11’s back. They like it here in my living room.

There’s nothing wrong with spending a bit more for the BEST solution.

Yamaha’s YSP-5600 is the most expensive mainstream soundbar available… barring enthusiast brands because, let’s be honest, there’s always obscure ways to show how full your wallet WAS.

 

The YSP-5600 has a very specific role, for a very specific purpose. If you want a surround sound experience, (including the new ceiling channels in the ATMOS 7.1.2 format) but you don’t have the space or ability to install a bunch of speakers the YSP-5600 is the tool for the job. RIGHT HERE you should note: The YSP-5600 is NOT a soundbar. The YSP-5600 is a sound projector. It has 46 individual drivers in the housing (the most in Yamaha history). The multi-driver array allows it to simulate a full home theatre.

 

It’s simple, the YSP-5600 was made for exactly one purpose and it’s the best option in the sound projector category. It’s worth every penny.

 

The remote is great. It is well labeled and full sized. I would like to see backlighting on the buttons. Perhaps next time…

 

Build quality is excellent with a solid and understated aesthetic. The YSP-5600 is very tall and quite long which will need to be a consideration when you are positioning the unit.

 

You cannot place this on the same tabletop as your TV without obstructing the bottom of the screen. This setup would also impair the performance of the sound projector. Ideally, you will need to mount your TV on a wall and place the soundbar forward on a credenza below the TV. Alternatively, you might consider wall mounting both the sound-projector and the TV.

 

A note on setup: Before you start using the simulated surround sound offered by the YSP-5600, you need to run the room correction tool. This will allow the sound-projector to accurately time the audio so that the reflections will be perceived correctly. The shape of your room can effect how well the simulated surround will work. Lack of calibration will deliver sub-optimal sound. I believe a flat ceiling in a basic rectangular room will work best.

 

What about music? The YSP-5600 has Bluetooth, AirPlay, WIFI and Ethernet support for streaming media. It also incorporates into Yamaha’s MusicCast network. A feature that allows it to stream media as part of a whole home distributed audio system. It’s great for casual listening, but I would not recommend this as a critical listening piece. It doesn’t look like speakers, taste like speakers or sound like speakers. Therefore it’s not speakers. It’s a sound projector.

 

A final note on the YSP-5600: You can’t have all the cake and eat it too! It can simulate an incredible 360degree soundstage, but the effect is going to require you to sit in a sweet spot. This spot is big enough for about 2 people.  If you are planning a less intimate party, your guests won’t hear what you do.

I’m writing this while having my grey-matter rearranged by Audioquest’s Nighthawk headphones. Not my own pair, because I don’t got phat stacks like that!

 

LET’S BEGIN BY SAYING THESE ARE SUPER COMFORTABLE! *sorry I have the hawks up really loud. I am a super-freak about how headphones feel. I am all about the full-cushion circumaural (around ear) headphones. These are easily the most comfortable pair I have ever clamped on.

 

Speaking of clamped on, the head pressure is really low on the Nighthawks. They hold you firm enough for a great seal and not an ounce more. Yet they don’t slip or slide. 10/10 for comfort.

 

The detachable Y-style cable is good quality with a machined junction barrel and strain reliefs at every vulnerable joint. A nylon weave cable jacket should save it from any sudden jerks when you jump up forgetting you are wearing them. The 3.5mm jack has a unique 45-degree output as opposed to the standard straight or right angle connectors. It’s a clever touch that makes a ton of sense when you think about it. Yeah, this works for me!

 

Style is subjective. Whether or not you like the liquid wood ear-cups on the black frames is subjective. I dig it, but I think my appreciation is more focused on the simple design and solid build quality. I love simple design. Less is more, less is timeless, and less is best.

 

Finally we come to sound. I tested the Nighthawks through Audiquest’s Dragonfly DAC. At this price it should surprise absolutely no one that the Nighthawks sound great. They also sound really different. I don’t know if they are tuned incredibly flat, and I am hearing soundstages in a whole new way; or if the treble is subdued, and the orchestra has been rearranged with all the fiddles and cymbals way at the back.

 

To be clear the high details aren’t gone, they are about 10 paces back from where I am used to hearing them. Meanwhile the vocalists are dead center and the big strings are forward on the sound stage. My regular headphones have a similar stage but every one stands closer together.

 

The final effect is that the sound stages sound deeper without adding width. Imagine the Nighthawks as a 10X40’ room and my usual headphones as a 10x20’ space. If you are having trouble picturing that, make sure you audition the nighthawks with YOUR music before you commit.

 

All told these are excellent headphones and no one is going to be disappointed. Well done, Audioquest! BUT, be prepared for the bill. You have to pay for a performance like this.
 

BAM! Braven has just released the ultimate portable knock-around boom box. Yes. I know I’m not supposed to make absolute claims like “ULTIMATE!”. However, I don’t know of much competition in the armored portable music category. If you need a tailgate / camping speaker that can take some knocks, shrug off a spilled beverage, last all weekend and charge your devices: BEHOLD the XXL!

 

BIG SOUND! If you have tried to take a portable speaker outside you know that the sound that was fine inside, seems to evaporate outside. The Braven XXL combats this with sheer brute force. Inside, it rattles the china with booming bass and piercing highs. I thought the balance was weird until I took it outside…Ah yes, the same settings sound balanced outside. The down facing woofer and two pairs of forward and rear facing speakers can fill a large area with sound. Is it Audiophile perfect? Nope, but this isn’t critical listening; it’s Campfires with seven kinds of sausage and a steak salad side!

 

BIG BIGNESS?! Yeah, it’s huge like the boom boxes from my childhood. At 18lbs you won’t want to hike this beast much further than the beach. It does come with a shoulder strap, which helps enormously.

 

PHENOMINAL COSMIC POWER! Unlike the boom boxes from my childhood, which might last an hour on batteries, the XXL will play continuously for 14 HOURS!

Plus, you can share the power from the 15,600mAh battery with your portable devices. You don’t want your phone to die halfway through Bohemian Rhapsody.

 

BIG BLUE TOOTH! Line of sight, my phone (which hasn’t got the best Bluetooth antenna) held the signal closer to 50ft  than the rated 33. It did cut out sharply at the edge of connectivity but there’s more than enough coverage to ensure a good connection.

 

RUGGED AND HANDSOME! Braven isn’t kidding around when they decide to commit to an outdoor portable speaker. Large rubber pads cushion sensitive areas. An IPX 5* rating ensures that a little rain or spilly friends won’t kill the music. Steel grilles protect the speakers and the heavy-duty housing will probably outlast most of your other camping supplies. Form follows function and I like the industrial look.

Plus, there’s a beer opener on the strap; a feature that will probably get more use than we all care to admit ;-)

 

Should you get one? Well… Do you need one? I think I do. I should get one.

 

*IPX 5:Water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. Test duration: at least 3 minutes. Water volume: 12.5 litres per minute. Pressure: 30 kPa at distance of 3 m

NEW RELEASE! BLUETOOTH POWERED OUTDOOR SPEAKERS

SYNC to your wireless device! These loudspeakers are engineered to reproduce music that is so detailed, you will hear music in a whole new way. Weather resistant and wall-mountable, making it perfect for outdoor listening.

Firstly this is less of a review than my other articles, as I don’t have the capacity to test an entire line of projectors. Also the gentleman in the video is our JVC rep Francisco. That said, these projectors are universally loved for their many talents.

 

First talent: Black levels; JVC has em’! You can read any review from any site and many agree, pound for pound, JVC may just deliver the sharpest blacks for the dollar. Black is the best measure of perceived picture sharpness whereas washed out blacks make a picture look fuzzy and dull despite the amount of pixels it contains.

 

Second talent: Colour fidelity; JVC married colour generations ago and this new generation demonstrates a relationship that remains strong. Using a colour meter we find that JVC has done an excellent job of calibrating their DILA projectors. A pro installer can tailor the experience to be perfect for your conditions, but an average user could plug and play without missing much.

 

Third talent: Range of options. Set a reasonable budget and JVC has a DILA projector for you. YES, as you climb in price you get more features, a better picture and brighter lamp options. BUT, There is a great model for every price bracket and there aren’t really and bad choices in the 6^th generation.

 

Fourth talent: Sexyness! Projectors can be ugly brutes and in most installations you need to be OK with looking at one hanging from your ceiling, or sitting in the center of your room. I find JVC’s DILA Projectors to be uniquely attractive with a Vaderesque quality that begs for an Imperial decal. Decal or not, they are easy to appreciate in any configuration.

 

Finally I just want to thank JVC for lighting ALL the buttons on their remote. You really can’t watch a projector screen with your lights on and yet there are still companies that don’t light the whole keypad. This leaves me the braille method and every button feels the same. This invariably goes poorly. JVC might not make the prettiest remote (I try not to look at it in the light) but it works great in the dark and please don’t change a thing!

We are often asked what the difference is between LED and OLED. After all, isn’t “OLED” just “LED” plus an “O”? Actually, despite the naming similarities these two technologies are completely different. The short answer is you want OLED. The long answer is:

 

OLED and LED are two fundamentally different technologies. LED uses a backlight and a series of tiny shutters with colour filters to display an image. Do you remember Light-Bright? The children’s toy had a light in a box and you could poke colored pins into the front panel to create pictures. That’s basically a standard LED TV; only there are little groups of Red, Green and Blue, pins already laid out. An extra layer “opens” and “closes” shutters thus illuminating the pins to display your image. The term LED (light emitting diode) actually refers to the type of backlight used in the box. The screen itself is LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). LCD is the technology of the shutters.

 

OLED is actually a much simpler technology.  Organic Light Emitting Diodes are basically tiny Red, Green and Blue lights. To create an image, the screen simply turns “on” the lights in the right places. Because no shutters or back-lights are needed the screen can be much thinner.

 

OLED does not distort when viewed off-axis because the whole mechanism is thinner and you don’t need to look through the shuttering mechanism. Imagine the LCD shutters as a stacked wall of cardboard boxes open on both ends. Looking straight into the wall you could see through but as you moved to the side, you would see more and more of the sides of the boxes until finally you wouldn’t see through at all. That stack of boxes is much like the shuttering layer that causes the off axis distortion in LED TVs.

 

The other major benefit of OLED is not needing an “Always On” backlight. The LCD shutters in an LED screen are fairly good but much like closing blinds on a sunny window, they don’t block all the light. The result is that the LCD shutters can’t achieve absolute blackness. The picture is always shadow grey. In contrast, OLED screens have pixels that emit their own light. When they are “off” they emit zero light and are completely black.

 

Because OLED pixels can go from “off” to blindingly bright, they reproduce a wider range of colours compared to LED screens that have a range starting from grey.

 

The last major difference between OLED and LED is also a symptom of the LCD shutters. How fast can you switch a light “on” then “off”? As fast as electricity can zap, right! That’s how quick your OLED can turn its colored pixels “on” and “off”. The LCD shutters in an LED screen are more like mechanical doors. How fast can you open and close a door? Not as fast. Doors have mass and once you get it swinging it can be hard to get things headed back in the other direction. The speed limitations on moving objects limits the refresh rates of LED screens to about 120Hz or about 2 milliseconds between fully “open” and fully “closed” shutters. Motion blur on your screen is caused by your LCD shutters trying to close after the action has already zoomed by. OLED being many tiny lights can be switched “on” and “off” at speeds of .002 milliseconds or 120000Hz. As you might guess from those numbers OLED does not suffer from motion blur.

 

OLED has a faster, more accurate picture with true blacks that can reproduce the subtle details in dark scenes. Side by side with LED, OLED is a clear winner. The only REAL question is “can you fit one in your budget?” I’m still saving, but for me the OLED experience is worth it.

Active Noise Cancellation; because telling an airplane full of people to “PIPE DOWN!” isn’t socially acceptable.

 

I know of only three companies that produce good noise-cancelling headphones. Those brands are Sennheiser, Bose, and Paradigm. The degree of cancellation is different for each brand.

 

If you want a genuinely quiet space, it has to be Sennheiser or Bose. Their systems are aggressive to the point of being detrimental to the sound quality of the music. But hey, they’re really, really, quiet!

 

If you are planning a more musical journey, the Paradigm H15NC is a much more balanced set of headphones. The noise cancelation is good, but not nearly as aggressive as Sennheiser or Bose’s system. The trade-off is that the sound quality is better, even with the noise cancellation “On”.

 

Turn the noise cancellation, on any of the brands, “Off” and it becomes anyone’s game. Each brand sounds good but different. With any audio product you should audition all contenders for the profile you like best!

 

Sound quality is interesting for the H15NC. Paradigm has certainly gone bass heavy which is deeply satisfying for intensive listening to rock and other punchy styles. The treble response is slightly muted which is generally less fatiguing for extended listening. That said, I personally prefer my headphones to be sharper up top for really snappy cymbals, snare hits and vocals. You might totally disagree, that’s just my preference.

 

I think the sound profile was likely chosen knowing these headphones would be mostly purchased for travel and other extended listening situations. Instead of studio fidelity, Paradigm created a profile designed to be pleasant and non-abrasive.

 

Construction on the H15NC is excellent. Every piece is fitted to every other with extreme precision. The frame is heavy, rugged, and the adjustment slides are unbelievably satisfying. It’s rare to see craftsmanship this solid and I am struggling to find any faults.

 

My only two gripes are: The clamping force on my ears is a bit much. It should be noted that the H15NC’s are Supra-aural (On-Ear) headphones. I can only wear these headphones for about 2 hours before my ears start to hurt. I do have sensitive ears, so your mileage may vary. Secondly, for a travel headphone, they really don’t fold down very small.

 

Noise canceling headphones are a tricky bunch. Choosing your next pair is equal parts style, portability, comfort, sound quality, and silence. That said, I encourage you to try Paradigm’s H15NC; you might just become their newest fan!

Recently we reviewed the Paradigm PW800, just one of the latest components entering into the wireless speaker arena. The Paradigm Premium Wireless products run on the DTS Play-Fi (app) platform. We compare the Play-Fi platform to that of “Android” for smartphones, which means this technology can be paired with other DTS Play-Fi manufacturers allowing you to “mix and match” your options. Now, the end user has full control for what type of sound quality or aesthetic they prefer in each room of their home. Power to the people!

We were very impressed by Paradigm wireless offerings and invited John to introduce the line-up.

Enjoy…

Bookshelves. They are the speakers that fit best in most applications. When you are low on space: bookshelves. When you have a small amplifier: bookshelves. When you are saving a few bucks: bookshelves. I understand some people actually don’t like the look of towers, which IS crazy: Bookshelves.
 
The trick with buying Bookshelf speakers is finding a pair that preform bigger than they are, and when I say bigger, I do mean bigger. You see, speakers are always limited by one physical factor and it’s SIZE. If you want to create a high note you need a tiny diaphragm in a tiny space. To make low notes you need to have a large diaphragm in a large cabinet. Thus, most bookshelves are overly bright and pitched high because the tweeter is perfectly happy while the mid struggles to uphold everything from tenor through baritone. i.e. You won’t be getting that super bass or a date with Niki Minaj. The cabinetry is simply not big enough, and the mid usually can’t travel far enough, to create the big pulses of air that make up low frequency sound.
 
The Paradigm Prestige 15B is in a unique position to do a particularly good job of overcoming the physical limitations of the bookshelf format.
 
The overmolded ART™ surround is the flexible seal that connects the edge of the cone to the chassis. If you look carefully you will notice that on the Prestige series there are two important changes in this area.
 
Firstly, while most surrounds protrude outward this one dips inward. This in itself would not make much difference, but it allows Paradigm to make the flexible ridge much deeper than would be appealing if it were to protrude. The larger deeper surround allows the mid to move further than the standard designs. If it can move further, it can move more air, and produce lower frequencies.
 
Secondly the surround is ribbed for your pleasure. Ha! But seriously, the ribbing combined with the new super elastic material softens the surround allowing it to move more freely. Freedom of movement makes it possible for the cone to travel its entire stroke quickly and easily. Once again, this allows the Prestige 15B to dig deeper, and more precisely, into the bass frequencies.
 
My listening test proves the science is sound. Ha! A bookshelf will never be able to surpass a tower but the Paradigm Prestige 15B is one of the best bookshelves I have ever auditioned. I challenged it with a range of music and though it could not dig as deep as it’s larger siblings I never felt like I was missing much. I was surprised how well it handled low frequencies without breaking up or distorting.
 
The Paradigm Prestige 15B never left the middle behind as it dug deep. This can be a problem with cones that try to do it all. I think the light but rigid X-PAL™ brushed pure-aluminum bass/ midrange driver helped it maintain clean vocals throughout its travel.
 
My final verdict: If you are an audiophile with limited space the Prestige 15B should be high on your list to audition. Despite my love for proper towers I could happily own a set of these if I had less space. They sound fantastic with a small form factor… and did I mention how phenomenal the Prestige Series looks! The Prestige line is breathtaking.