Paradigm Shift Offers A2 Powered Speakers and E1, E2m and E3m Earbuds By Rachel Cericola

Paradigm is branching out a bit. The Canadian speaker company will soon start selling some smaller specialty items, under its new Paradigm Shift brand. The brand will launch with the Active Atom (A2) powered speaker and E1, E2m and E3m earbuds, all of which will be made at the company's Canadian factory.

The new brand made its big debut last night, wowing the crowd at Pepcom's Holiday Spectacular event in New York City.

The A2 is a powered bookshelf/tabletop speaker with a lot of versatility. It can be used as a stand-alone unit, in stereo pairs, or as a left/right speaker in an audio setup. Designed to work with a variety of music players, gaming consoles, computers, TVs, and much more, the big hook is native support for Apple AirPlay. That means it does have the ability to stream all of your iTunes goodies, but you'll need to hook up the add-on AirPort Express.

Bi-amped with a dedicated 50 watt amp per driver (100 Watts per speaker), Paradigm has rated the A2 with a frequency response of 55 Hz to 20 kHz. It has a 5.5-inch satin-anodized pure-aluminum cone woofer and a 1-inch pure-aluminum dome tweeter. Other features include a 3.5-mm mini-jack or RCA outputs.

The A2 works with anything with a 3.5-mm mini-jack or RCA outputs, and features AirPlay support.

Available in five colors, the A2 is scheduled to start shipping in the fourth quarter of 2011. The Ash Black Grain finish will cost $279 for each speaker. Other color options, such as Vermillion Red Gloss, Polar White Gloss, Gunmetal Grey Gloss and Storm Black Satin, will cost you $329 a pop.

For something smaller and slightly more personal, the company will also have three earbuds offerings. We say "personal," because the E1, E2m and E3m in ear headphones have noise isolation qualities, meaning that outside sound should not disrupt your listening experience. Available in both white and black finishes, each model comes packing three sizes of eartips, a tangle-resistant cord, and a travel case. The E2m and E3m models also have an in-line remote and microphone, which allows you to pause and play music as well as make and take calls with one click.

Paradigm has yet to announce pricing on any of the three headphone products. However, we do have some techie details. All three have 8-mm super-neodymium drivers. The E1 is critically tuned to Paradigm's Monitor Series 7 speakers, with a sensitivity rating of 103 dB and a rated frequency response of 10 Hz - 18 kHz. Modeled after the Reference Studio speakers, the E2m have a two-piece sealed construction, a sensitivity rating of 104 dB, and a rated frequency response of 10 Hz - 19 kHz. Last, but certainly not least, the E3m is critically tuned to Paradigm's Reference Signature speakers and crafted from one-piece CNC precision-machined aluminum. This model boasts a sensitivity of 105 dB and a rated frequency response of 8 Hz - 19 kHz.

The E3m is critically tuned to Paradigm's Reference Signature speakers and crafted from one-piece CNC precision-machined aluminum.

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