Review: Paradigm Reference Studio Esprit Speaker System

LOOKIN' SLEEKER, SOUNDIN' BETTER

September 2008 By Adrienne Maxwell

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Remember the Sesame Street segment “One of These Things Is Not Like the Other”? Apply the game to Paradigm’s Reference Studio Series loudspeaker line, and it’s pretty easy to pick out the Esprit and Esprit C center as the things that just don’t belong. The much-heralded Studio Series lineup consists mostly of beefy bookshelves and imposing floorstanders that look like the serious performers they are. As the first on-wall models in the line, the new Esprit speakers are a bit sleeker and less imposing. But trust me, they’re no less serious about rendering good sound.

Despite some physical differences, the on-wall models clearly share the family DNA. For one, each Esprit speaker ($1,099 a piece) uses the same driver materials as the rest of the Studio line: a 1-inch gold anodized pure aluminum (G-PAL) dome tweeter, a 4.5-inch satin anodized pure aluminum (S-PAL) midrange cone, and two 7-inch mineral-filled co-polymer polypropylene bass cones. Despite measuring just 26.38 by 8.94 by 5.88 inches, the Studio Esprit weighs a solid 24 pounds, and the cabinet feels incredibly inert. The attractive design melds piano-black side panels with a brushed gray cabinet and black grille, a perfect complement to most current flat-panel TVs. (The speakers are also available in cherrywood/silver and rosenut/gray finishes).

The Esprit’s curved cabinet design demands that you either mount the speaker on the wall or purchase the optional GS-40 speaker stand. The supplied wall-mounting hardware is easy to install and includes two pieces: a wall bracket and an adjustable speaker bracket that allows you to fine-tune the speaker’s positioning – for instance, to angle it in toward the listening area, if desired. The Esprit C center has the same drivers, weight, and dimensions, but Paradigm changes the position of the drivers to suit its horizontal configuration. The center is also wall-mountable; or, if you prefer cabinet placement, you can use the supplied brace to hold the speaker in place. The instructions for assembling said brace are vague, and it’s the one piece whose build quality leaves something to be desired. The pieces don’t lock together, so the brace easily comes apart anytime you try to move the speaker. Paradigm is supposedly addressing this in future production runs.

To round out the 5.1-channel system, Paradigm sent along a pair of Studio ADP-590 bipolar surrounds ($679 each) and the Seismic 10 subwoofer ($1,499). Like the Esprit, the ADP-590 is a wall-mountable speaker that puts a 1-inch G-PAL tweeter and 4-inch S-PAL midrange driver on each side panel, with a single 7-inch woofer firing to the front. Compared with a direct-radiating surround speaker that aims the sound forward toward the listening position, this bipole sends more sound effects out along the walls to create a wider rear soundstage with less localizable effects. The Seismic 10 is a nice fit, size-wise, for this on-wall system: It’s about a 13-inch cube with a 10-inch woofer, dual passive radiators, and a 1,500-watt amplifier.