Nothing gets the Tim Taylor inside home theater enthusiasts going quite like a bad-ass subwoofer. There’s something raw and primal about deep, explosive bass that tends to turn us into cavemen — that’s why we call them man caves, right? But the more evolved, refined side of us craves elegance in a subwoofer as well, both in terms of sound quality and aesthetic. This tricky blend of brute and beauty is one Paradigm has mastered, and you need look no further than the Canadian audio company’s new Prestige line of subwoofers as proof of that mastery.
Paradigm’s classy Referenceseries now features the 12-inch Prestige 1000SW and 15-inch 2000SW. Both subwoofers feature front-mounted controls, powerful “Ultra-Class D” amplifiers, are available in four premium finishes and come with Paradigm’s outstanding Perfect Bass Kit (PBK).
The 1000SW weighs in at a hefty 91 lbs. and measures 18.25 × 18.25 × 16.62-inches. The sub’s proprietary 12-inch aluminum driver is powered by a 1000-watt RMS (1700-watt peak) amplifier which offers both RCA stereo and LFE inputs as well as balanced XLR inputs for high-end pre-amps and processors.
The 2000SW weighs a whopping 121 lbs and measures 22.25 × 21.75 × 20.25-inches. A 2000-watt RMS (3400-watt peak) amplifier powers the sub’s 15-inch aluminum driver, and offers the same inputs options as the 1000SW. Finish options for both subs include gloss black, gloss midnight cherry, satin walnut and satin black walnut.
Both subwoofers ship with Paradigm’s Perfect Bass Kit which includes a microphone and computer software that measures the the subs response in a user’s room and corrects for issues such as standing waves, null areas, and frequency drop-outs at the listening position — easily the finest subwoofer correction system we’ve tried thus far.
Both subs also offer some unique front-mounted controls in addition to the standard level, crossover and phase dials: A tone sweep button activates a test tone that sweeps from high to low, allowing users to listen for rattles or resonances. If a rattle or resonance is detected, the user can press the button a second time and the sub will hold at the frequency that is causing the issue, allowing the user to seek out the noise or attempt to abate the resonance. Also unique to these subwoofers is a PBK on/off switch that allows users to hear the difference in bass output with and without room correction.
The Prestige 1000SW starts at $3,000 and goes up from there depending on finish option. Likewise, the 2000SW starts at $4,000 and goes up from there.
Given Paradigms outstanding reputation for building gorgeous subs with impeccable build quality and performance, both of these new additions appear poised to delight the most finicky of listeners while dressing up any system. Digital Trends expects a review unit soon, so check back for a full review in the coming weeks.
