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PERSONA: the invisible loudspeaker from PARADIGM!

PERSONA: the invisible loudspeaker from PARADIGM!

Since 1982, when Scott Bagby and Jerry VanderMarel founded Paradigm, the company name has been synonymous with quality, value and, above all, performance. This reputation, combined with the fact that Paradigm was one of the first companies to adopt and develop the loudspeaker performance standards established by the National Resources Council of Canada (NRC), has helped propel the company into the ranks of the world's leading loudspeaker manufacturers.

Paradigm offers four collections of loudspeakers (as Paradigm calls them): the entry-level MONITOR SE range, the PREMIERs, with their exceptional value for money, followed by the FOUNDERs, with their precise output and dazzling power. At the very top of the Paradigm edifice is the PERSONA pinnacle. The Persona, the subject of this article, is a finely tuned product that reproduces your musical material with disconcerting perfection. To listen to Persona is to close your eyes and have the impression of being in the presence of the musicians, preserving the appearance of the room in which they recorded their works, giving you the impression that your speakers aren't there! It's transparency...

The Persona collection took more than five years to develop, and Paradigm claims that it reflects all the speaker design and manufacturing expertise acquired over the last 43 years. The Persona represents a revolutionary step forward for the brand, both in terms of sound and technology.

Before writing about what makes this an exceptional product, let me tell you about my listening experience.

Personas reveal everything, from the most brilliant recordings to the least glowing. This makes listening to new material an adventure full of continually renewed discoveries. The treble components are crystal-clear, revealing the slightest harmonics of cymbals and brass. Their realism is astounding, even bewitching. In the midrange, the neutrality of the sound is remarkable, as the full richness of the vocals is perceived with authenticity, without any exaggeration or distortion. The timbres of the guitars or the percussive note of the piano remain a delight!

When it comes to bass, we're not left wanting for more, as these boxes can go very low in the octave, all without distortion or rattling due to loss of control of the electromagnetic motor that is a loudspeaker.

Sound imaging extends far beyond the physical loudspeakers, but detail resolution remains the most impressive feature.

TECHNOLOGIES

BERYLLIUM.

One of the most significant ingredients in the design of these technological gems is the use of beryllium.

Beryllium,with the chemical symbol"Be" and atomic identifier"4", is atruesubstance found inlimitedquantitieson Earth. For many sound engineers, beryllium is the Holy Grail. Why such reverence for beryllium? Because it has low mass, high tensile strength and high thermal conductivity. In other words, when properly processed, it is extremely rigid, particularly light and rapidly dissipates heat. What's more, this low resonance is quickly extinguished, so your loudspeaker doesn't become another source or instrument that generates unwanted sounds - you hear only the sounds present, and nothing else...

Beryllium is expensive, very expensive for loudspeaker design. Although it has been used in loudspeakers since the 1970s, its use is still generally reserved for professional audio loudspeakers, or for the home reference loudspeakers of a select group of high-end manufacturers, such as Revel, TAD, Focal, and Paradigm.

But there's beryllium, and then there's beryllium. (Some so-called"beryllium"speakers are actually made from beryllium alloys ). Paradigm uses Truextent beryllium in its Persona series loudspeakers, as it is is 99.9% pure beryllium and has a very uniform granular structure. In fact, Truextent beryllium is reputed to have the highest stiffness-to-density ratio of any loudspeaker material available on the market, meaning that beryllium loudspeakers have the potential to have minimal resonance in their operating range.

Each speaker in the Persona series is equipped with a 2.5 cm Truextent beryllium dome tweeter with a PPA. The result is a tweeter capable of effortlessly reproducing frequencies from 2.4 to 45 kHz with extremely low levels of distortion.

But the Persona series offers even more beryllium for your budget. The cones of the Persona 3-5-7-9H's 7" midrange driver, the Persona B's 7" woofer and the Persona C's 4" midrange driver (center) are all made of beryllium. beryllium Truextent. Integrating a beryllium tweeter and midrange diaphragms in the same speaker is almost as rare as beryllium itself, especially for speakers as affordable as those in the Persona series. In fact, Paradigm is the only manufacturer worldwide to use it in midrange units. 

Ideal, beryllium has damping properties closer to those of wood than metal, and because it is some 30% lighter and 400% stiffer than aluminum, using beryllium for the 7" medium diaphragm pushed the cone's resonant frequencies well above the speaker's bandwidth.

PPA LENS.

PPA stands forperforated Phase Aligning"translated as "perforated lens for phase alignment".

These lenses are designed to block out-of-phase signals. They are used for midrange and high-frequency loudspeakers. The spacing of each lens is the result of computer modeling based on the shape and size of a specific diaphragm, and how its output should align with the outputs of the other drivers in the enclosure. Paradigm claims that, by covering the entire diaphragm, its PPA lenses enable phase problems to be corrected more effectively. The claimed results are sharper frequency response and better maintenance of tonal balance when the speakers are listened to off-axis. 

Remember that phase cancellation is the phenomenon analogous to two stones thrown into a body of water: the wave from one cancels out the wave from the other, which is what you don't want with sound waves.

THE X-PAL ALUMINUM WOOFER.

X-PAL aluminum woofers are robust and unique. Each woofer is equipped with three powerful magnets that power its differential-drive motor. The latter is equipped with two 1.5" voice coils wired in tandem, but in opposite directions, on the same Kapton support, and is housed in a magnetic air gap of opposite polarity. 

The aim is to reduce the magnetic field generated by the coils to virtually zero. This minimizes interference with the motor magnet and, more importantly, considerably reduces distortion.

Paradigm also claims that the use of two motors extends the cone's linear excursion while eliminating distortion due to flow modulation. Combined with Paradigm's Active Ridge Technology(ART) loudspeakers, this system increases maximum loudspeaker output while further reducing overall distortion.

MEMBRANE ART.

Active RidgeTechnologyisa technique for reinforcing the surround of the midrange and woofer cone. Using a more massive rubber surround with reinforcing ribs results in an astonishing and measurable 3 dB output gain (louder) and a 50% reduction in distortion. (the audiophile's mortal enemy).

WORK OFART"CASE AND FIGHT AGAINST DIFFRACTION.

The enclosure must be absolutely neutral, allowing only the loudspeakers it houses to express themselves.

Part of the production of Persona housings is carried out by a CNC machine and an imposing, vice-like, elliptical clamping machine that compresses and shapes the seven layers of HDF that make up the outer shell of each Persona box. (Paradigm uses a viscoelastic adhesive between the layers, which hardens thanks to radio-frequency energy. (Like a giant microwave oven)

The rest of the manufacturing process for a Persona Series loudspeaker is essentially manual, right down to the final quality checks. Each speaker is accompanied by a certificate signed by the three Paradigm people who carried out the quality checks.

The result is an acoustically inert enclosure, damped by a stress-layer damping system. Chambered and heavily reinforced on the inside, the cabinet features a rear vent surmounted by two sets of high-quality, all-metal connection terminals, suitable for bi-wiring or bi-amplification.

The base of Persona columns is assembled from several pieces of milled aluminum, harmoniously integrating a thick base plate, foot brackets, rear foot caps, riser plates and a terminal housing at the rear, which cleverly acts as the speaker's rear support.

The box's side profile clearly shows that the elimination of internal standing waves was essential to its design.

The final assembly is then reinforced with 2.5 cm thick wood composite reinforcements, and covered at the top and bottom with 2.5 cm thick top and bottom plates.

How do you make these beautiful elliptical shapes attractive?

AUTOMOTIVE-GRADE PAINT.

Since Paradigm manufactures its products from scratch, the logical thing to do was to set up an in-house paint shop. Every day, professional painters apply the finishing touches to Persona cases. The German paint dryer that Paradigm has acquired for these speakers enables them to be produced in an infinite range of shades, offering a durable finish comparable to that used in the automotive industry. Assistants then hand-polish to perfect the finish, and sign a certificate of conformity included in every box you buy.

Persona loudspeakers are available in five finishes: two high-gloss (Vanta Black and Harmony White) and two high-gloss metallic (Aria Blue and Sonic Silver), plus the new deep-finish Carbon black. For an additional charge, there are some twenty custom colors, as well as an almost infinite choice of silver or black mesh and frame colors.

PRODUCT RANGE.

The Persona range consists of 4 main units, a center unit and an amplified subwoofer.

PERSONA B / $8499 pair.

The Persona B two-way speaker features a 2.5 cm beryllium dome tweeter and a 17.8 cm (7") beryllium bass-midrange driver. It also features a third-order electroacoustic crossover at 2 kHz.

The two-way Persona B is distinguished by its single low-midrange driver for reproducing low frequencies. Although, like the midrange driver in all Persona floor-standing speakers, the Persona B's midrange driver has a beryllium cone, its driving structure is much more robust. It features a 1.5" split voice coil, a large ceramic magnet and Paradigm's ART (Active Ridge Technology) suspension, molded directly onto the cone. The ridges of the ART suspension are designed to offer larger, more linear cone excursions, for better performance with less distortion. ART suspension is used only on the woofers of the other Persona models, and not on their midranges. In other words, although the Persona B's midrange woofer features the same beryllium diaphragm as the other Persona models, it incorporates several components from the woofers of these same models to optimize bass reproduction.

All this gives you the best value for money in this series. The purity of beryllium being fully utilized in this affordable model.

PERSONA 3F / 13799 pair.

This model remains a great value, giving you an exceptionally efficient column at a fraction of the price of all its direct competitors. Well-built, it incorporates all of Paradigm's superior technologies.

PERSONA 5F / 21,999 pair.

This model is frankly very sexy, with 5 drivers per box. The three 7" woofers will give you a higher output than the 3F model, which is exactly what lovers of feel are looking for.

PERSONA 7F / 29999 pair.

The 7F is Paradigm's best passive loudspeaker.

The 7F distributes audio signals between its 8.5" drivers via an all-new third-order crossover mounted on a vertical support inside the cabinet, directly between the lower woofer and the downward-facing port. This positioning has two advantages: the air circulating through the vent helps cool the crossover components, and as the brackets induce less vibration than the cabinet walls, they transmit less resonance to the crossover. All the filter's inductors are made of thick copper wire, wound internally in Toronto, with quarter-turn precision; the capacitors are made of high-voltage, low-tolerance, low-dissipation metallized polypropylene, accompanied by non-inductive Lynk metal oxide resistors. The filter's printed circuit boards are double-layered, with maximum cross-section signal tracks, to minimize on-board resistance. Cut-off frequencies are 450 Hz and 2.4 kHz.

A single piece of multi-contour, textured and painted aluminum is attached to the loudspeakers. It perfectly conceals the speaker screws and houses the PPA lenses. The rear panel features five-way binding posts of exceptional quality, finished in carbon fiber.

Only Persona 9H can beat them!

PERSONA 9H Hybrid / 39999 pair.

When it comes to the most prestigious high-quality loudspeakers, certain brands are invariably mentioned, such as Wilson Audio, Magico, Stenheim, Estelon Speakers, among others. Among those worth mentioning, but sometimes overlooked, is Paradigm. This Canadian giant offers a high-performance loudspeaker equipped with an amplifier and room acoustic correction function. It compares favorably with the legendary Wilson Audio"WattPuppy"loudspeakers,thanks to its innovative design and Anthem ARC (Anthem Room Correction) technology, which guarantees deep bass. This feat isparticularlyeasy for the user toachieve.

The Paradigm Persona 9H is the largest and most powerful loudspeaker Paradigm manufactures in its Ontario factory. These behemoths, weighing in at 86 kg (190 lbs.) each, are packed into imposing crates and make a grand entrance into any listening room. The speakers are powered by 1400 watts of amplification. Paradigm Persona 9H speakers let you buy an amplifier with the best sound, but probably less power. These speakers guarantee crystal-clear, spacious and ultra-precise sound, while allowing you to adjust the acoustics of your room thanks to ARC technology. The latter, based on indisputable mathematical principles, delivers perfect bass, just as other high-fidelity loudspeakers do with their physical placement.

On the power side, an amplifier from 15 to 500 watts can be used. Using the internal power of 1400 watts, this means that a pair of 9Hs has the capacity to push a total of 2400 watts!

The combination of an amplified loudspeaker and room correction in the bass is quite unique. Another comparison could be made with Meridian and its DSP7200 SE at almost three times the price. This speaker doesn't integrate room correction like the Paradigm Persona 9 H's ARC, but it does the work of your DAC, preamp and amp, all inside the speakers. This approach is far from ideal, because when digital standards evolve, your "intelligent"will become obsolete! For a much lower price, you also get a much larger and more powerful speaker with the Persona 9 H.

For many audiophiles, the Paradigm Persona 9H speaker marks the limit of possible improvements. Period!

PERSONA C / $8999 each.

The Persona C is a central cinema loudspeaker. Thanks to it, you'll get unrivalled realism when listening to films of all kinds. The presence of the characters' voices is sure to surprise you.

PERSONA SUB / $7999 each.

This subwoofer is a godsend in its class. It incorporates phenomenal power with a design that strives for the same precision and perfection as the rest of the range.

Paradigm's Persona SUB is a 118-lb. hexagonal cabinet (10 lb. of which belongs to the hard ferrite magnet/motor structure per loudspeaker), with a power rating of 1700 continuous watts, peaking at 3400 watts, and six 8" drivers. Tests carried out by Paradigm's research team revealed that the Persona SUB loudspeaker has an unrivalled ability to amplify bass in a room, achieving an impressive -12 hertz (+/-2dB) down to 220 hertz. You can't hear them that low (12 Hz), but you can feel them. We're talking psychoacoustics here!!

What about this six-sided cabinet? (The Persona SUB's six low-frequency drivers with pure aluminum cones and overmolded suspensions - all active, mounted two per side, one above the other, on alternating side panels - are radially aligned in relation to the cabinet, pair by pair. In other words, the magnets all point to the same internal center point. This configuration, already used by Paradigm for its Signature Series SUB 2 subwoofer, creates opposing forces of almost equal amplitude as the drivers move in and out in unison. The Persona SUB subwoofer cancels out unwanted vibrations so effectively that your teeth may be chattering before the subwoofer even begins to vibrate on your floor!

The last word.

Paradigm is proud to be one of the few loudspeaker manufacturers in the world to design and manufacture in-house, with the exception of the pure beryllium tweeter and medium diaphragms, every component of every loudspeaker it signs. This allows Paradigm to closely control the quality, function and integration of every component, and offers Canadian consumers peace of mind that, should a Paradigm loudspeaker break down, there will always be a replacement part.

Now that you know all about this Canadian flagship, it's time to listen. In Quebec, however, there are very few authorized Persona retailers. Sonxplus in Chambly is one of them. At the time of writing (end of March 2025), we're just a few days away from the Salon de l'audio: l'AudioFest de Montréal, which takes place on March 28-29 and 30, 2025. Persona will be on display in the Paradigm/Anthem room. Christian will be there on Saturday and Sunday, and I'd like to suggest that you drop by the boutique to pick up your free, no-obligation tickets.

It's a date!

Stay tuned!

-          Christian.

Next articles The secret of life* in audio: The Subwoofer.

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