Paradigm is a Canadian speaker brand with an international following among audiophiles. Recently, the company has created a new sub-brand, Paradigm Shift, targeted at people who use computers rather than audio components to listen to music. The first Paradigm Shift products were a series of earbuds; the company also plans conventional and gaming headphones.

The A2 the first Paradigm Shift speaker. From the front, the A2 looks like a conventional bookshelf speaker. You need to look at the back to understand its unique character. There, you'll find RCA and 3.5mm mini jacks for both input and output; an AC power input plus an accessory AC output; a volume control; a slider switch that lets you use the A2 as a left-channel, right-channel or monaural speaker; and an on-off switch.

The drivers themselves are the same as those in Paradigm's Atom Monitor bookshelf speaker: a 5.5-inch satin-anodized aluminum woofer and one-inch anodized aluminum dome tweeter. But as the product name implies and the back panel confirms, the A2 is an active loudspeaker, with built-in amplification. Each driver has its own 50-watt amplifier. The A2 also contains a digital signal processor (DSP) that shapes frequency response for the drivers and for the volume level.

The retail price is attractive, given that the A2 combines high-quality amp and speakers in a single package. In the standard finish, black ash woodgrain, the A2 sells for $300 each. Cosmetically, the black ash version isn't particularly striking. The optional finishes (vermillion red gloss, polar white gloss, gunmetal grey gloss and storm black satin) look really spiffy. But they're priced at a premium: $350 each.

The A2 can be used with iPods, iPhones, iPads, Android smartphones and tablets, PCs and Macs, electronic instruments, HDTVs, CD and DVD players, DJ consoles: anything with headphone or line-level output jacks. In that sense, it's very flexible; you can use it to get high-fidelity audio from practically anything. In other sense, it's not that flexible, because you can use it with only one device at a time. There's no input switching. Another potential downside is that you will be using the analog audio circuitry of your source device.

For stereo applications, you connect your device to one speaker, and set the audio switch to L or R, depending whether it's the left or right speaker. Then connect the supplied stereo audio cable to the output jack, and route it to the input jack of the other A2 and set its audio switch to the other channel. Plug one speaker into a wall AC outlet, and the other speaker into the accessory AC outlet on the speaker connected to the wall. The on/off switch on the speaker connected to the wall will control both speakers. Voilà, you have a complete stereo audio system.

Listening

And a very good system it is. The A2 produces big, effortless high-fidelity sound. "Ain't No Cure for Love" from Leonard Cohen's Live in London album (played from an iPod touch, and recorded from CD in AAC format at 320kbps) had a wonderful sense of drive and momentum. Vocals and instruments had excellent attack and tonal accuracy.

The deep sustained bass in "Personal" from Up in our Bedroom After the War by Montreal indie band Stars was powerful and well controlled. Vocals sounded commendably accurate; there was no papery edginess to Amy Millan's lovely soprano voice.

The piano sound in a great recording of Bach and Beethoven piano music by James Rhodes (256kbps files purchased from the iTunes store) was very convincing, with great heft in the bottom octaves and lots of sparkle in the upper octaves. Through these speakers, the nuances of Rhodes' expression and pedaling were wonderfully conveyed.

And of course, a separated stereo pair of speakers provides spaciousness and imaging that you just can't get with a one-piece system.

Given the A2's lineage, its excellent performance should surprise no one. After all, the Active Atom is a high-fidelity bookshelf model from a leading speaker brand, with its own dedicated amplifiers.

Paradigm Shift A2
PLUS
Excellent sound
Very flexible applications

MINUS
No input switching
Premium price for superior finishes

NUTS & BOLTS
Amplification and speakers: 5.5" satin-anodized aluminum-cone woofer powered by 50-watt amplifier; 1" anodized aluminum dome tweeter powered by 50-watt amplifier
Connectivity: RCA and 3.5mm mini analog inputs and outputs
Size: 27.9 x 16.8 x 22.5 cm (h/w/d)
Weight: 5.26kg
Price: $300 each in black ash woodgrain finish, $350 each in red gloss, gunmetal grey gloss, white gloss and black satin finishes
Website: www.paradigm.com/shift

Article Tags:  Paradigm, Shift, A2, speaker, active, atom, woofer, tweeter, sound, review, audio, woofer, tweeter, amplifier, loudspeaker