Wayne Parham Messages: 18688 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
It sure is sweet!Interestingly, it uses a direct/reflecting approach to "create the authentic impression of a live performance," according to the designer, Richard Ranger.
There used to be a place on Madison Ave (NYC) that advertised whole-house sound systems in the Sunday New York Times. An audio-minded friend of mine were walking past, had some spare time, so we went in.
They looked way better than the photos of them do, and imaged very well for the time. Unfortunately, they didn't have anything to play that we were familiar with (I remember being very frustated - they had Copland, but not the recordings I had, and it just went on from there). But I remember being very impressed - and JBL's as a group have never been favorites of mine.
There was also a "slightly larger than bookshelf" JBL that worked on the same principle. I heard them in the late 60's. My other favorite JBL.
I was fortunate enough to use one for several months as my roomate had one given him when his father passed away. It had a really smooth sound but was no fun at all to move I used early Mac SS (C-26 MC-2505) which seemed like more than enough power. I also ran my Altec Valencias off the same setup in that room. When nobody was home I had several songs I'd listen to at elevated levels and it would literally make that old house feel like it was shaking.
Yes-used to work for hi-fi store in KC, MO. in l963. We had a paragon on demo. It's a good but not great system. It has image problems unless you stand /sit very far back. It's the characteristic JBL forward midrange sound with bass that was "there" but not, by today's standards, anything special. It did, however, make a very dramatic visual statement. Most of the problem with the Paragon is that the system just does not make any real sense regarding phase alignment of speakers-woofers in modified horn; midrange shooting down the middle and tweeters for direction in a system that hawks its non-directionality. There are some speakers today that are much better than the paragon but NOTHING looks quite as good-the paragon was simply the only thing one needed in a room!
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JBL Paragon
I used early Mac SS (C-26 MC-2505) which seemed like more than enough power. I also ran my Altec Valencias off the same setup in that room. When nobody was home I had several songs I'd listen to at elevated levels and it would literally make that old house feel like it was shaking.
