Help!!
Overnight, one of my faithful Paradigm Mini Monitors has died 😢. I’ve had them for years, and always loved the sound, but I suppose all good things come to an end…
So, does anyone have a suggestion of what I might replace them with? Something that has a transparent sound, medium sized, and preferably under £500 a pair.
I fear it’s going to be a quiet few days…
I’m planning to audition these:
https://www.richersounds.com/bowers-wilkins-607-s2-anniversary-edition-black.html
and these:
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/elac-debut-20-b62
as soon as possible. Liking the idea of the front reflex port on the Elac speakers, but Elac is not a name I’m familiar with 🤷🏻♀️
It would be great to have any other suggestions to audition!
In the meantime I’ll take my Paradigm speaker apart to see if there’s an obvious problem… (well, I can’t make it any worse than it is 🥺)
In the meantime I’ll take my Paradigm speaker apart to see if there’s an obvious problem… (well, I can’t make it any worse than it is 🥺)
Are there no repair shops in your area that could help? Maybe it's a simple fix?
Well… I’ve taken the poorly speaker apart… and noticed that the (metal) tweeter dome wasn’t sitting correctly in the diaphragm. So I nudged that back in place. Then I disconnected every cable within the speaker and reconnected them. And screwed everything back in place.
And… it works!! I’m a very happy person 🎵 🎶 👍
(Although I realise this repair may be temporary, since the diaphragm is no longer a snug fit. I’ll email Paradigm to see if they can still supply replacements.
And, I’d still be very interested to hear what people think about speakers with the reflex ports on the front. That would seem to give more options for placement, but are there downsides?)
Thanks @Eldarboy!
When you joined us yesterday, I hoped you might have some insightful thoughts about the speakers 😊
My repair to the Paradigms is holding up surprisingly well, but it’s only a matter of time before the tweeter dome slips again, and I’ve yet to hear from Paradigm about replacement diaphragms.
So I think it’s a shrewd move to audition replacements ASAP 😉
What amplifier do you use?
From my personal experience Monitor Audio is a brand that can do justice to the classical music provided you have an appropriate amplification. I don't know prices where you live, but Silver 100 (6th generation) could easily be within your budget, especially now when the new 7th generation is announced. These are great boxes. And don't be worried about the rear-sided bass reflex port. If you can pull the speakers 30-50 cm off the wall then there will be no issues with boomy bass.
Please let us know once you have decided.
Good luck!
Thanks, @Nenad! I’ll check out Monitor Audio.
My current amplifier is Yamaha AX-10, but it’s even older than the Paradigms, so I’m thinking an upgrade may be in order…
I am not familiar with the AX-10, but Yamaha’s amps generally pair well with MA’s speakers.
Besides the Elac Debut 2.0, the latest buyer's guide from The Absolute Sound (US counterpart of What Hi-Fi) recommends PSB Alpha P5 in your price range.
Btw, I feel your pain on this one. I am using 33-year-old Magnat speakers that I still love, and I don't know what I'd do if I suddenly had to buy new speakers.
Thank you all - I now have four speakers to audition, a prospect I look forward to with both excitement and trepidation!
But before that, I’ve had a sense very recently that my ears are becoming untrustworthy. Why wasn’t it obvious that those diaphragms were slack before the tweeter dome went awol?? Why do sopranos and violins (live or recorded) seem to sound a bit screechy these days? 😢
So, I have a hearing test on Wednesday. Double trepidation!
And then the speakers - well it’s an interesting prospect to choose new ones with hearing that’s in flux… 🤷🏻♀️
