Paradigm Reference Studio 20 Bookshelf Speakers

"... one of the best sounding, highest value for the dollar, monitor loudspeakers from one of the industry's most respected manufacturers, Paradigm." - Home Theater Review, Feb 2010

Highest Standard of Technological Excellence

Studio speakers offer the highest standard of technological excellence resulting in a breathtaking quality of music reproduction that captures the essence of the original sound.

Equally important is the speakers’ performance in home theater. Movie soundtracks are a complex mix of dialog, music and action effects. This requires a level of articulation and spatial representation that few movie theaters are capable of reproducing. Studio speakers exceed typical high-end home theater sound by expanding the sheer size, scale and dynamics of the acoustic soundstage. While listening to a Studio system The Perfect Vision magazine put it best: “It’s just like being at the movies — except the sound is a lot better.” - Nicholas Bedworth, The Perfect Vision on the Studio 100

G-PAL™ Gold-Anodized Pure-Aluminum Domes. Exceptionally rigid low-mass domes with treated textile suspensions ensure remarkably uniform and instantaneous power response. The elevated position of the dome provides better ‘air’ and frequency response that is smooth, pure and clear.

S-PAL™ Satin-Anodized Pure-Aluminum Midrange and Bass / Midrange Cones. Very high stiffness-to-mass ratio and outstanding internal damping. The result? Remarkable midrange clarity, superb extended bass response and freedom from unwanted resonances and distortions.

IMS/SHOCK-MOUNT™ Isolation Mounting System. This unique butyl-rubber driver fastening system found on all Studio Series drivers is a progressive system of critically placed isolation inserts and gaskets that decouple drivers from the speaker enclosure itself. This leading-edge ‘baffle-less’ technology reduces driver / enclosure interactions to inaudible levels.

High-Velocity Low-Noise Aluminum Ports. Bass efficiency and minimum turbulence distortion for cleaner and more articulate bass response. Studio 10 features an elliptical port, a functional touch that allowed us to gain a little more and a little deeper bass response, in fact, far more than is typical in such a compact design.

Beautifully Sculpted Cabinets with Real Wood Veneer Finishes. Add a whole new dimension to the classic appeal of this series. Seven coats of the highest quality lacquer, hand-sanded between coats. Available in four luxurious real wood veneer finishes.

Paradigm Reference Studio 20 Bookshelf Speaker Reviews

Home Theater Review - Andrew Robinson - Feb 2010 (v.5)

I loved the previous four incarnations of the Studio 20s but have to admit that v.5 looks to be the best yet.

... the Studio 20 v.5 is a very smooth, refined, nearly colorless or characterless loudspeaker. I don't mean characterless in a bad way, actually quite the opposite. When you think about it, a loudspeaker should be characterless, it should simply be a messenger, one without any agenda or history of its own.

The Studio 20 v.5's midrange is sublime and among the best you'll find in its class ... high frequency performance is top notch ... bass is surprising and very agile and taut.

... one of the best sounding, highest value for the dollar, monitor loudspeakers from one of the industry's most respected manufacturers, Paradigm. It's easy to drive, easy to integrate into seemingly any living space or system and looks great to boot. It's quite possibly the perfect speaker for the budding audiophile or enthusiast looking to simplify things and get back to what matters most; enjoying your music and or movies.

Home Theater Magazine by Mark Fleischmann - March 2007 (v.4)

I review stuff. Manufacturers have a right to be wary of people like me. And, when I ask for a surround receiver, the first thing they ask me is, "What speakers will you be using with it?"

I tell them, "Paradigm Reference Studio 20s." The sighs of relief at the other end of the phone line are almost audible. More often than not, I get what I ask for.

The Studio 20s have been the mainstay of my reference system since 2002, when I reviewed them for Audio Video Interiors, pronounced them "close to ideal as reference speakers," and thereupon adopted them.

Since then, they have put countless receivers through their paces and, during off hours, have kept my soul alive with an intravenous drip of music.

The Paradigm Reference Studio 20 occupies a sweet spot in the speaker market: the low end of the high end.

If your only experience with loudspeakers is the mass-market junk sold in many national chain stores, stepping up to the Paradigms will give you a true taste of the high end—and you'll never want to go back.

If you've already got the megabucks two-channel rig of your dreams but want something surround worthy for the family's home theater, you'll find value here.

I've found my new reference speaker.

Paradigm Reference Studio 20 Bookshelf Speaker Specifications