New York Giants sport Paradigm SHIFT earbuds

Look who's wearing Paradigm SHIFT earbuds!  Not just your average Joes, turns out they appeal to NFL players.

 

Above, Amani Toomer, former wide receiver of the New York Giants smiles as he first listens to Paradigm SHIFT E2m earbuds.

 

 Hours later, Toomer is still lost in the music, picking tunes on his iPad.

Travis Beckum, current tight end for the New York Giants, trys out the E2m's on his Blackberry.

Merry Christmas Travis! Enjoy your new buds.

Click here! for more information on Paradigm SHIFT earbuds or to buy online.

Photos courtesy of The Source Home Theater NYC

Holiday Gift Guides Recommend Paradigm SHIFT products

So you've already racked your brain trying to figure out the perfect gift for that techy someone in your life and still you can't find a single thing to get them this holiday season.  That's when the glory of holiday gift guides truly come in use!  Here are a few gift guides that we found particularly helpful and each one includes a recommendation for a SHIFT product! ...

Click here! for Canada HiFi's Holiday Gift Guide

 

 Click here! for Audioholics Christmas Gift Guide

Click here! for AARP's Digital Stocking Stuffers

 Click here! for Digital Trends Home Theater Gift Ideas



Click here! for 10 Cool Audio-Video Christmas Gifts under $500 
from HomeTheaterReview.com
 

For more information on SHIFT products and to buy online visit: www.paradigm.com/shift

"As far as PC speakers go, I couldn't ask for a better outfit" says Secrets of Home Theater on the Paradigm SHIFT A2

A little trip down memory lane...
Nearly two decades ago, when the idea of powered speakers in the high-end audio world was seen, quite simply, as absurd, Brian Florian of Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity was a huge fan of the Paradigm Reference Active 20 and bigger brother Active 40 powered speakers. Not to say he was the only one who loved them, because he certainly wasn't, but unfortunately the iPod hadn't been introduced yet and with Paradigm Reference grade technology, the Actives weren't necessarily inexpensive... yada yada... not enough customers rushed to the closest Paradigm dealer to buy a pair. So in 2001, Paradigm decided to throw in the towel and leave the powered speaker market and like many Paradigm customers and industry persons, Brian was not pleased. In fact, ever since, Brian has been bugging the Paradigm team to bring back the Active line.

Fast track 10 years, the iPod is the main source for music (figures!) and suddenly a whole new generation of customers want nothing other than powered speakers (and other mobile products like earbuds and headphones). Soooo Paradigm eagerly responds to this growing desire with Paradigm SHIFT, a new brand designed for today's mobile music customer... and what's our first product? A fun and budget friendly powered speaker, the Paradigm SHIFT A2 (big shocker right?) ... That's right, we're back in the game and this time, we're not so 'absurd'.

Anyhow, enough with the history lesson, there's a point here... So we announce the Paradigm SHIFT A2 and no surprise, Brian Florian wants a taste and we were more than happy to ship him a pair to play with. We recommend you read Brian's full review but here's a few teasers to get you excited:

Comparing Apples to Oranges
"... when Paradigm announced a new powered speaker earlier this year many, again myself included, hoped it would be the second coming of the Active Studios. It isn't. Wait, don't hit the back button in your browser just yet. They may not be Active Studio/20s, but they don't cost $2000 a pair either. I've been bugging Paradigm nonstop for 10 years to make something like this: a set of small, powered speakers, something I could use at the PC."

The Orange Doesn't Fall Far from the Apple Tree
"In practice the A2s have the sound which Paradigm is known world over for:  for the most part well balanced, neutral, able to articulate complex music through the difficult midrange and exhibit pinpoint accuracy in terms of spatial imaging."

"As the listening level increases though, they morph into something very different, no doubt at the hand of the embedded signal processing. The A2s do their best to maintain a clean output at high levels but rather than let you test the physical limits of the motors, the A2s instead (by design mind you) shed fullness and dynamic range."

Conclusion
"The A2s seem quite resistant to abuse as such and I think that Paradigm has succeeded in their goal: at modest, near field output they sound like a true hifi speaker, but if someone wants to crank them for a patio party to decibel levels which would destroy most ordinary compact powered speakers, they can do that, albeit with compromised fidelity (but at a patio party, who's critically listening anyway?)."

"...the A2 makes for a fantastic "bookshelf" system. They also would make a very decent upgrade to a TV's built in sound and do so without adding another box to the equipment stack (or remote to the side table). And as far as PC speakers go, I couldn't ask for a better outfit." 

Click here! to read the full review.

Click here! for more information on the A2 or to buy online.

Paradigm SHIFT A2... "a total knockout and a tremendous value too", says Digital Trends

Caleb Denison of Digital Trends reviewed the Paradigm SHIFT A2 powered speaker and not only did he give it Digital Trends "Editors' Choice" status, he also said:

"If there’s a better sounding sound solution under $500 out there, we haven’t heard it yet."

There are many other great quotes in Caleb's review, which we mention below, but first check out this video which takes a close look at the Digital Trends out-of-box experience with the Paradigm SHIFT A2 speaker...

To summarize Caleb's experience, here's a handful (ok two handfuls) of quotes taken from his review of the Paradigm SHIFT A2...

Out of the box:
"As we pulled the speakers from their boxes we found…well, not a lot actually. That’s the beauty of active speakers. All you really need is a power cord and some connecting cables."

"Our review pair came with the ash black grain finish which was well executed... the veneer had some real texture to it. The speakers do come with magnetic grills-and the grills are attractive enough-but we took them right off. These speakers are way sexier with grills removed."

"We gave the A2 speakers ample break-in time (about 40 hours), but they didn’t need it much. These speakers sounded great straight out of the box."

Performance:
"The first thing that struck us was how detailed and controlled the high frequencies were. Often, with great detail comes great brightness, but Paradigm struck a balance with the tweeter that results in dazzling, detailed treble and superb dispersion without getting too excited."

"...with such remarkable warmth and resolution, we almost felt as if we were listening to a pair of large, floor-standing speakers. The primary difference here was that the A2 produced effortless, pin-point center imaging whether placed within two or ten feet of our listening position."

"Perhaps the A2’s most impressive attribute is their wide dynamic range...Even cranked up, the A2’s were able to pivot effortlessly and quickly between disparate volumes."

"The A2’s bass response is simply outstanding... punchy, taught, balanced, assertive, nimble and musical... Anyone doubting the bass capabilities of a 5.5-inch driver needs to hear the A2’s in action. While the A2’s response isn’t likely to upset the neighbors two doors down, it’s exactly what it ought to be; a perfect foundation for the music played over it."

Conclusion
"Paradigm’s A2 speakers are a total knockout and, at about $500 a pair, a tremendous value, too. Their limited quirks are easily out-shined by their superior build quality, unique connectivity features and fantastic sound. These speakers exhibit a high level of musical refinement that is an absolute feast for the ear. Though marketed toward aspiring DJs and music producers, these speakers will likely find audience with audiophiles everywhere. If there’s a better sounding sound solution under $500 out there, we haven’t heard it yet."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves!

But we do encourage you to click here! to read the entire review. 

For more information on the Paradigm SHIFT A2 or to buy online, click here!

"The A2 offers genuine high fidelity... I recommend it without reservation." - GoodSound! on the Paradigm SHIFT A2

Brooke McClelland of GoodSound! reviewed the Paradigm SHIFT A2 powered speakers and gave them the "GoodSound! Great Buy" stamp of approval as well as an array of compliments. Read on for the highlights...

"I was more excited than I’ve been about a product in a long time. 

Acoustically speaking...

"The more I listened to the A2s, the more I appreciated just how balanced they were from top to bottom. No particular area of the audioband drew attention to itself; rather, the sound was evenhanded throughout. The result was a series of long listening sessions that never left me feeling fatigued."

"As impressive as the bass was, what really stood out was the precision of the A2s’ imaging. Small monitors have a reputation for good imaging, but even for small monitors, the A2s were exceptional in this regard...I could follow the sounds as they crossed the soundstage in a way that I’ve heard from very few other speakers."

"Also noticeable was a depth of soundstage not often heard from speakers in the A2’s price bracket. In a class where many speakers can reproduce little or no depth, the A2s performed exceptionally well."

"The A2’s treble offered impressive levels of detail and insight without ever sounding hard or fatiguing."

Technically speaking...

"From a technical standpoint, the Paradigm Shift A2 offers terrific value by combining all that a great passive bookshelf speaker offers with 50W of amplification, an active digital crossover with DSP, and unmatched flexibility that allows it to be used as a left, right, or mono speaker, as well as powering and housing an Apple Airport Express."

"All this technical innovation would be moot if the A2’s sound weren’t up to par, but this is where the A2 really excels. I can’t think of any similarly priced passive speaker that equals its overall performance. The DSP gives the A2 the deep low end of a bass-reflex design, but with the tightness of a sealed cabinet. The A2 offers genuine high fidelity in the form of a very balanced sound throughout the audioband that never left me feeling tired. Despite its affordable price, it has no significant shortcomings."

"This first offering from Paradigm Shift is true to its name. It does indeed embody a paradigm shift that other manufacturers can only strive to emulate. I recommend it without reservation."

Click here! to read the full A2 review at GoodSound!

Click here! for more information on the A2 and to buy online.