The barrier to great sound is unwanted resonances and colorations. Since these deficiencies can most clearly be seen in frequency response measurements, the most important measure of any speaker is its frequency response. Closer to a flat line means fewer resonance/ coloration deficiencies and less intrusion on the sound being reproduced. NRC listener preference studies show—and audiophiles universally agree—that flat midrange response, in particular, directly correlates to accurate high-end sound.

Since frequency response measurements are so fun-damental, the ability to measure accurately cannot be ignored. While much of the industry still uses low-cost, computerized pseudo-anechoic measurement techniques, these are seldom accurate and often misleading. Paradigm favors the much more accurate and expensive method of measuring in a real anechoic chamberwhere the speaker's sound can be completely isolated and then captured. Of course, a very sophisticated measuring system is needed to record this sound data with repeatable accuracy.

Paradigm's state-of-the-art R&D facility includes a new 36,000-cubic-foot (more than 1 million liters) fully isolated anechoic chamber and a proprietary measurement system that is the most accurate available. Developed at Paradigm's Advanced Research Center (PARC) this measurement system allows for in-depth analysis of a speaker.Our proprietary Auomated Servo Mechanism allows laser-calibrated measurements between the microphone diaphram and loudspeaker azimuth accurate to within ± 1/10th of a degree!

R & D | NRC Research | Getting It Right | Anechoic Accuracy | Front Axis |