Paradigm Decor Owner's Manual

OWNERS MANUAL

Paradigm DOES NOT supply hardware for mounting speakers to the wall.
Hardware shown in the bracket instruction sheet is an example only and
will vary depending on the wall type. Always use screws appropriate for
wall type and weight of speakers.

IMPORTANT: READ BEFORE WALL-MOUNTING YOUR SPEAKERS.

Wall mount your speakers securely enough that they cannot fall
and cause personal injury or damage to property.

RECYCLING AND REUSE GUIDELINES (Europe)

In accordance with the European Union WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directive effective August 13,
2005, we would like to notify you that our speakers may contain regulated materials which, upon disposal, require special
reuse and recycling processing. For this reason Paradigm Electronics Inc. (the manufacturer of Paradigm speakers and
Anthem electronics products) has arranged with its distributors in European Union member nations to collect and recycle this
product at no cost to you. To find your local distributor please contact the dealer from whom you purchased this product or
go to our website at www.paradigm.com.

Please note that only the product falls under the WEEE directive. When disposing of packaging and other shipping material
we encourage you to recycle through the normal channels.

© PARADIGM ELECTRONICS INC.

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1

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for choosing speakers from Paradigm’s Décor Collection and congratulations! You are
about to hear the difference these state-of-the-art high-end speakers will make in your music
and home theater system.

Your speakers were designed and crafted in our Toronto, Canada facility. They are internationally
recognized for their exceptional state-of-the-art sound.

Extensive listener preference tests conducted by the National Research Council (NRC) give our
design engineers a firm understanding of how we hear speakers and clearly establish which design
parameters are most critical to good sound. Using the NRC findings along with measurement-based
analysis done in the anechoic chamber at our Toronto facility and listening tests carried out in
our controlled double-blind listening rooms, Paradigm engineers work to constantly improve our
speakers in three critical areas:

Flat Midrange: Smooth and even with coloration reduced to the lowest level possible.
Smooth Total Energy Response: On and off axis, sound must be fundamentally similar. Dispersion

must be wide and uniform ensuring superior imaging and a wide listening area.
Low Distortion: Lowest levels possible.

In addition, Paradigm concentrates on two other significant performance areas:

Better Bass Response: Tight, extended and well defined.
Higher Power Handling: to improve dynamic contrasts and sonic realism, power compression

must be minimized.
Unyielding attention to all of these areas results in state-of-the-art speakers that are measurably

and audibly superior. Comprehensive R&D, leading-edge design, use of the finest materials and
sophisticated manufacturing and quality control provide vastly superior performance for each
component part at every stage of design. Quite simply, we build better sound and we have the
product awards to prove it.

Your new speakers will provide you with stunning reference quality sound and unparalleled listening
pleasure for many years. Their ultra-thin profile was designed to complement the thinnest flat-panel
television on the market today as well as the ‘even thinner

’

flat panels yet to come.

To achieve all of the exceptional sound they are capable of providing requires care in installation
and operation. Please take the time to read this manual and follow all instructions. If you have
further questions, contact your Authorized Paradigm Reference Dealer or visit the Q&A page in the
Tech Support section of our website at paradigm.com.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ......................1

The Technology

Behind Your New Speakers ...........2

Your New Speakers.................3

How To Avoid Speaker Damage ........4

Connection.......................5

Limited Warranty ..................7

2

THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND YOUR NEW SPEAKERS

Bass/Midrange Drive Units

• High-Performance Anodized
Unibody Bass/Midrange Cone

• Peformance-Optimized Nitrile­Butadiene Rubber Surround

• Nomex

™

Spider

• High-Power Apical

™

Former

• High-Performance Motor Assembly
includes 1-1/2˝ High-Temperature
Aluminum Voice Coil and Powerful
Neodymium Magnet

• Steel Heatfin Basket

High-Frequency Drive Units

• S-PAL

™

Satin-Anodized

Pure-Aluminum Dome

• Rigid Mineral-Filled ABS Chassis

• Perforated Phase-Aligning (PPA

™

)
Tweeter Lens protects the delicate
pure aluminum tweeter dome and
acts as a Phase Plug. this boosts
output and blocks out-of-phase
frequencies for smoother, extended
high frequency response with
incredible detail.

• High-Power Apical

™

Former

• Advanced Motor Structure with
Extruded Aluminum Heatsink

3

YOUR NEW SPEAKERS

Break-In

Although your speakers will sound great ‘out of the carton’, they will sound even better once they are
‘broken in.’ Allow them to play for several hours before you begin to listen critically.

Drivers use ferro-fluid that can thicken at temperatures below 10° C (50° F). Surround material used
in the bass/midrange units is made of a compound that may stiffen in colder temperatures. If your
speakers have been transported or stored in the cold, let them warm to room temperature before use.

Cleaning

Your speakers have a premium finish that must be treated with care. Use only a damp, soft cloth to
clean. Never use strong, abrasive or corrosive cleaning products. Common household cleaning
products should be avoided.

Speaker Grilles

Your speakers are meant to be played with their grilles on.

HOW TO AVOID SPEAKER DAMAGE

Your speakers are efficient and can be driven to loud listening levels with moderate amplifier power.
They are also able to handle the output of very powerful amplifiers. To prevent damage to your
speakers, please read the following guidelines before hooking them up.

Amplifier Distortion — The #1 Culprit!

Amplifier distortion is the principle cause of speaker damage. When listening at higher volume
levels, your amplifier may run out of clean power and begin to produce a distorted signal if
levels are increased any further. This will damage any brand of speaker very quickly. (See your
Authorized Paradigm Dealer for amplifier recommendations).

More Powerful Amplifiers are Safer

When choosing an amplifier, always select an amplifier with a power rating greater than that of
the speaker. Using a 100 watt per channel amplifier on a 50 watt speaker allows the amplifier
adequate headroom in order to provide a distortion free signal. Conversely, using a 40 watt per
channel amplifier on a 50 watt speaker limits the amplifier’s headroom. This causes the amplifier
to enter its distortion level much sooner, potentially damaging the speaker.

Volume Control

Do not be fooled by the Volume Control of your receiver/preamplifier. It only adjusts listening
level—it is not a “power-output” dial. The amount of amplifier power actually used at a given
Volume Control setting depends solely on the nature of the music you are listening to.

At a given Volume Control setting a quiet section of music will use less amplifier power than a loud
section. With typical pop-rock, jazz or large scale classical music, the rated output power of many
receivers/amplifiers is often reached when the Volume Control is between the ‘11 and 1 o’clock’
settings (with bass/treble and loudness controls not used—otherwise rated power may be reached
at even lower Volume Control settings).

Remember, all amplifiers produce distortion when operated beyond their rated output power. The
resulting distortion will damage all speakers! Exercise caution! If you listen at loud levels, be careful
to listen for the point of audible distortion—if the speakers begin to sound distressed turn the
Volume Control down or your speakers and/or amplifier(s) will be damaged! This type of damage
constitutes abuse and is not covered by the warranty. If louder volumes are desired, obtain a more
powerful amplifier.

4

HOW TO AVOID SPEAKER DAMAGE (continued)

There is a Limit!

Although more powerful amplifiers are safer, there is a point at which you could have more power
than the speaker can handle. At that point you will overpower the speaker and damage it. Exercise
caution! At loud levels do not increase bass/treble controls from zero and ensure that all loudness/
contour/bass EQ buttons are off (otherwise rated output power will be reached at lower Volume
Control settings). If you listen at loud levels, watch for excessive visible cone excursion (grille
movement) from the woofer—then turn the Volume Control down.

The Right Amount of Power

A power-range rating is given as a guide to indicate the approximate minimum and maximum power
input of your speakers speakers. Amplifiers that exceed your speaker’s power-range rating are
recommended. Their greater power reserves provide better sound. However, exercise caution! Use
the speakers within their power-range rating to prevent damage (keep listening levels below the point
of excessive woofer cone excursion).

YOUR LISTENING ROOM

Your speakers are designed to provide state-of-the-art sound in a wide variety of domestic settings.
Note however, that room construction, dimensions, even furnishings all play a part in the quality of
sound you ultimately achieve. Your listening room will impose its own character on the performance
capabilities of any speaker system. The extra care taken in installation will result in greater listening
enjoyment. Try to follow these guidelines:

• Mid and high frequencies are affected by the amount of soft furnishings in your room—curtains,

carpets, sofas, wall coverings, etc. An excess of such items can result in a somewhat dull sound. The
same room without any soft furnishings can produce an overall bright sound. The typical quantity of
soft furnishings found in most living environments provides the right acoustic characteristics to allow
the speakers to sound balanced;

• Concrete floors and walls tend to aggravate low-frequency standing wave problems and are

less preferred;

• Rooms where height, width and length are similar should be avoided as they can exhibit

significant low-frequency standing wave problems. This may result in reduced clarity. If no other
room is possible, experiment with speaker placement to minimize problems.