Paradigm 9SE

A friend of the blog stumbled upon these Paradigm 9Se speakers by the side of the road and was stoked to drop them by and ask for my opinion and wanted to know if there was much to do to improve upon these speakers.

The vinyl veneer had seen better days but the job would be laborious considering their size.

The 9Se is the second from the top of the line with the range staring with the 3SE Mini, 3SE, 5SE, 7SE, 9SE and the 11SE. I have had 4 pairs of the 3SE, which I like very much 2 pairs of 3SE a pair of 5SE. I always found the 3SE and the 5SE a tad bit boomy in the bass.

These 9Se have a double 8 inch woofer that makes the very efficient running at 4 ohms. The bass is done right and is tight unlike the 3SE and the 5SE.

The 9SE are very airy with a wide sound stage, the mid range is upfront and full.

These are a fabulous speaker from Paradigm and worthy of seeking out if the price is right. You will need a good amp to drive them properly.

PSB 50R Speakers finished

The PSB 50R speakers have been finished for over a week and this was another very worthy project. These speakers are typical 8 inch woofer paired with a dome tweeter.

These speakers are designed by Paul Barton using Philips drivers. The cabinets are very well built with bracing behind the woofer. Apparently Paul used the NRC testing facilities to design these speakers. I remember the 50R's getting really good reviews in the early 80's

These speakers got a re foam which was tedious as the foam surrounds are unique but I found a correct pair.

The crossover 4.7uf cap was replaced with a polyester foil cap, which opened up the high end.

The sound is incredibly smooth from these speakers with tight bass smooth mid range and 3 dimensional depth. They do not give off the spaciousness or airiness of other speakers I have but they put the instruments in the right place 3 dimensionally.

I always wanted to try the 50R speakers and I am glad I have the time to audition these classics.

PSB 50R speakers, just arrived

I picked up a pair of Paul Barton's 50R speakers yesterday. These were well regarded 8" woofer and 1" dome bass reflex speakers from the mid eighties. The drivers are from Philips and the woofer's need to be refoamed.

Pictures will be up once the work is done.