Newbie Question

I have been in the hobby for over 25 years.

1. SACD is an improvement over CD's. However, there is a limited amount of software. It is worth the extra $200 to give you the option of dvd-a/sacd.

2. Dipole surrounds will not work in your setup. Dipoles require that you seating position be at least 5' from the rear wall.

3. Power conditioning is a must. I have a dedicated 20amp line for my eq and I still use power conditioning. It will filter out all the noise from home appliances as well as anything coming off the power grid. You can pick up and inexpensive panamax or monster power conditioner for less then $200.00. Also, these units also offer warranties for equipment replacement if they ever fail.

4. Cables do make a difference, but finding the ones that will work in a system can be frustration. Over the years I have tried cables from at least 30 different manufacturers. Right now I'm using cables from 6 different manufacturers in my main system. It's fine to mix and match. I would recommend that if your on a budget, then buy used cables. That way if they don't work in your system you can usually resell them for little or no lose if you turn them around fairly quick.

I am currently using a pair of Paradigm titans in the bedroom system. A lot of bang for the buck. Also, check out the little B&W DM303's. Again, a lot of banf for the buck.

Good luck,

Thanks for the feedback.

I've subsequently been advised that the rear (surround) speakers should be as powerful as the front b/c new music releases are increasingly employing content on those channels (esp. w/ SACD). This line of reasoning seems a little weak to me--any thoughts??

Rear speakers should be "voiced" like the front's. It's best to use speakers from a single manufacturer so that pans are seamless from one speaker to the next.

Good luck,

SACD is an absolute must--not because of the enhanced audio quality, which is of questionable value--but because it's almost certain to become the next standard. Right now, SACD is the only viable weapon the record companies have against declining margins, rampant bootlegging, and the booming popularity of Internet downloads. Even if buyers can't her the difference, expect the companies to cram SACDs down their throats. There was a great article in Businessweek about this a few months back.

If I were buying a new audio system, I'd be sure to make the SACD the focal point. You should learn from Beta vs. VHS...

Newbie,

Trust me, Paradigm is not the way to go.

Paradigm's rise to prominence is a tale of marketing chutzpah, more than anything else. At a time when all the other other manufacturers were advertising heavily in the typical trade magazines, paradigm ingeniously devised a guerrilla marketing campaign, spreading word through underground channels that it was a company for "in-the-know" consumers who wanted high-end fidelity at a lower price point. Gradually, the company developed a positive reputation amongst pseudo-audiophiles, when in reality its products are far inferior to others in the same price category. You'll hear from people that paradigm was founded by a bunch of brilliant Yale grads, that it can offer better pricing because of superior sourcing, etc...as far as I know, none of this is true. if you test out their speakers in-store, you'll hear what i mean.

for the same price as the paradigm, i'd go with harman kardon, or better yet, vendela.