專業評論和獎項

The Paradigm A2 is a flexible desktop speaker that... provides very pleasing sound and a broad soundstage when run in a pair. If you've been living with a set of cheap 'computer' speakers, it's well worth your while to audition them.

The Paradigm Shift A2s struck me as having a certain iPad quality. You think you don't need or want the A2s, until you've spent a while using them. You slowly realize there are so many situations where they can fulfill a role, you start to wonder what life was like before.

The Paradigm Shifts' sound is equally straightforward: dynamic, uncolored, and impressively extended. The A2's reproduced pop and jazz bass with laudable impact and pitch-definition down to the lowest notes of the bass guitar...Music keying on smooth and extended treble, such as piano jazz trios or string quartets also sounded great.

For a pair of speakers without a sub, the A2s can deliver big volume and big sound with virtually no distortion thanks to its digital signal processing. Audio felt downright immersive during movies (not to mention BBC's Life) and the imaging of lows, mids and highs were excellent.

...the A2 makes for a fantastic "bookshelf" system. They also would make a very decent upgrade to a TV's built in sound and do so without adding another box to the equipment stack (or remote to the side table). And as far as PC speakers go, I couldn't ask for a better outfit.

Paradigm's A2 speakers are a total knockout and, at about $500 a pair, a tremendous value, too. Their limited quirks are easily out-shined by their superior build quality, unique connectivity features and fantastic sound. These speakers exhibit a high level of musical refinement that is an absolute feast for the ear. Though marketed toward aspiring DJs and music producers, these speakers will likely find audience with audiophiles everywhere. If there's a better sounding sound solution under $500 out there, we haven't heard it yet.

As impressive as the bass was, what really stood out was the precision of the A2s' imaging. Small monitors have a reputation for good imaging, but even for small monitors, the A2s were exceptional in this regard...I could follow the sounds as they crossed the soundstage in a way that I've heard from very few other speakers.

At just $279 apiece, these little active Atoms boast a size(and price)-to-oomph ratio that makes my special places tingle, and rate an "11 on a scale of 1 to ass-kicking." I seriously haven't had this much fun listening to music in a long, long time.

Paradigm's new Shift series of components are exactly that; a paradigm shift, in that they're aimed at a new breed of enthusiast, one who values performance, portability and simplicity. On all three levels the A2 bookshelf speakers succeed. These powered monitors sound as good connected to a laptop or portable music device as they do directly to a preamp in an intimate two channel setup. But the fun doesn't have to stop there. Thanks to their rather ingenious input and connection options you can even use them in a home theater setup, thus negating the need for bulky, or expensive amplifiers -an AV preamp is all that is required. You can even daisy chain multiple A2s together to cut down on cable clutter. Add in a variety of custom paint schemes and you've got the makings for one of this year's most surprising and well-rounded loudspeakers we tested.

...when it comes to the A2 loudspeaker, shift is exactly what it will do to both your expectations and your body. Simply put, the A2 is a fun, fun, fun mother #*&!!!

For their sub-$600 price, you get a good-looking, well-designed pair of speakers that requires nothing more than a source with volume control, be that a computer, TV, gaming system, or iPod. But if your goals are more sonically ambitious, the A2s can take their place within an audiophile-approved two-channel system with equal assurance, sounding more robust, more balanced, and more extended down low than their physical size or price would suggest. They respond to better ancillary equipment, cables and speaker stands, becoming the conduit through which it all speaks, just like their pricier competition. "For the Way You Play" indeed. The A2s are the little speakers that not only could but do.

The Paradigms took me aback with their room filling, viscerally exciting presentation. I literally did a double take. This was real deal, high fidelity sound that in no way resembled classic 'computer speakers' in any shape or form. I am talking about authentic, tuneful, believable bass, liquid, totally satisfying midrange textures, and silky high frequencies.

A 2012 Golden Ear recipient, the Shift A2 is more than just a cleverly named loudspeaker. Compact, internally powered, and equipped with DSP bass management and enough back-panel inputs to connect almost any source, this is what 21st century entry-levle high end is all about. A combination of sound and value, it extends the welcome mat to budding high-enders who may have felt they couldn't afford the entrance fee.

A 5.5-inch surround with carbon-infused polypropylene cone with a larger PPA lens handles the midrange frequency driver, and two 5.5-inch ART surround polypropylene cones provide the bottom end.