The Studio 60 v.5 system is a real treat on movie soundtracks, in part because it so effortlessly and gracefully shifts from playing “large” to playing “small.” Let me provide an illustration to explain what I mean.
In the “Depth-Charged” chapter of U-571, a German destroyer has pinpointed the location of one of its own captured U-boats and is raining deadly depth charges down on the sub from above. The system is called upon to reproduce the sound of multiple, violent underwater explosions, and then to capture the sounds of chaos from inside the U-boat. We hear the hull quake with each detonation, pipes bursting, instruments shattering, electrical fires breaking out, and the sounds of loose objects and crewmen being flung in every direction. That’s what I call playing “big,” because the system is forced to reproduce multiple cacophonous sounds at once, even as its dynamic limits are being probed. It’s a test the Studio 60 v.5 system passes with flying colors.
But later in the film, in the “200 Meters” chapter, extreme sonic subtlety is the order of the day. We watch and listen as the Allied crew pushes its captured U-boat far beyond its design limits—to the terrifying depth of 200 meters—in an effort to dive under the depth charge barrage. Desperate not to reveal their position to the German attackers overhead, the crew communicates only in whispers, while the sub’s hull pops and creaks under the enormous water pressure outside. You can hear palpable relief and grudging admiration in the Chief’s voice when, at the 200 meter mark, he whispers, “Mary, Mother of God, those Krauts sure know to build a boat…” What’s impressive is that the Paradigm system handles low-level details so effectively that it conveys even more emotion through these whispered words and the hull’s soft but ominous groaning than through all the sturm und drang of the earlier “Depth Charged” chapter. When a system plays “small” as well as this one does, the impact can be huge.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE
During my music tests, I put on an old surround sound favorite—the “Timeless” track from Larry Coryell, Badi Assad, and John Abercrombie’s 3 Guitars [Chesky, Multichannel SACD], and invited a young office colleague in to listen. My colleague had heard the track many times before, both on high-end stereo systems and on other surround rigs, but he sat absolutely transfixed as he listened to the Studio 60 v.5 system. Part of what’s so special about this recording is that it captures the three distinctive guitarists performing on stage in an intimate setting and from an up-close perspective; Coryell is playing on the left and Abercrombie on the right, with Assad in the very center of the stage. As the track came to a close, my colleague looked up and said, “Is it my imagination, or does this system do a way better job of placing those guitarists in exact positions on the stage—as if (he stopped to gesture) they’re right there in front of you?”
The answer is that the Studio v.5 system’s qualities of precision imaging and focus are palpable and real. One of the most intense illusions created by this track is that of Badi Assad playing masterfully from the center of the stage. But here’s the kicker; Chesky’s multichannel recordings deliberately forego any center channel information (they are essentially four-channel recordings). This means the Studio 60 left and right main speakers were doing all the work necessary to create that hyper-vivid sonic image of Assad at center stage, which is downright amazing.
BOTTOM LINE:
Paradigm’s practice is to continually improve its various speaker product families, but I think the firm has really struck gold with its fifth-generation Studio models. The new Studios not only look better than their predecessors, but also sound a lot better—with a presentation reminiscent of the sound of earlier-generation Signature models. True, it takes serious commitment to spend a mid-$6k sum on a fine surround speaker system in these troubled times, but for those who can afford the entry price, the Studio 60 v.5 system offers sumptuous sonic rewards. Highly recommended.
SPECS & PRICING
Paradigm Studio 60 v.5 Surround Speaker System
Paradigm Studio 60 v.5 3-way/four-driver floorstanding speaker
Driver complement: One 1-inch ferrofluid-cooled G-PAL dome tweeter, one 5.5-inch S-PAL midrange driver, two 5.5”mineral-filled polypropylene bass drivers
Frequency response: 45Hz–22kHz
Sensitivity: 92dB
Impedance: 8 ohms
Dimensions (HxWxD): 40.125” x 7.875” x 11.875”
Weight: 70 lb./each
Warranty: Five years, parts and labor
Price: $1,998/pair
Paradigm Studio CC-490 3-way/four-driver center channel speaker
Driver complement: One 1-inch ferrofluid-cooled G-PAL dome tweeter, one 3.5-inch S-PAL midrange driver, two 5.5”mineral-filled polypropylene bass drivers
Frequency response: 65Hz–20kHz
Sensitivity: 90dB
Impedance: 8 ohms
Dimensions (HxWxD): 8.375” x 19.25” x 11.375”
Weight: 45 lb./each
Warranty: Five years, parts and labor
Price: $799/each
Paradigm Studio ADP-590, 3-way/five-driver surround speaker
Driver complement: Two 1-inch ferrofluid-cooled G-PAL dome tweeters, two 3.5-inch S-PAL midrange drivers, one 7-inch mineral-filled polypropylene bass driver
Frequency response: 85Hz–20kHz
Sensitivity: 89dB
Impedance: 8 ohms
Dimensions (HxWxD): 8.75” x14.75” x 6.625”
Weight: 17.5 lb./each
Warranty: Five years, parts and labor
Price: $1,398/pair
Paradigm SUB 12 subwoofer
Driver complement: One 12-inch mineral-filled polypropylene woofer
Integrated amplifier power: 1700W rms
Dimensions (HxWxD): 21.75” (with feet) x 16.37” x 21.25”
Weight: 89lb./each
Warranty: Three years, parts and labor
Price: $1999/each
(Optional) Paradigm PBK-1 (Perfect Bass Kit) subwoofer EQ optimization kit
Price: $299
System Price: $6,194 without PBK-1, $6,493 with PBK-1
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