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Paradigm Titan V1 Rebuild

Riccardo77 said:
Wow I got two pairs of Titans v1 and ,v2 for free needing refoam. They both sound amazing. The v2 sounds clearer on the highs than the v1 which makes it nice for movies with the v1 being nice for music.

This weekend just got a pair of Phantoms. Quite a bit larger! But wow! Really nice! The cabinets were beat up but managed to get them for 20. Cleaned them up and touched up the cabinet scratches and they sound really nice. They go low in bass and the highs are clear similar to the Titan v2. They are quite large but really nice. They don't sound like they need surrounds so it's it not broke I will not fix it.
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The Phantoms have Butyl rubber surrounds so they don't need to be refoamed. I got my Phantom V1 from a flea market - the guy was cleaning out the garage. I asked how much and he said 5$ and that was a no brainer. You did really well at 20. I see these on the bay or CL once in a while but never lower than 100-150.
 
infullview said:
The Phantoms have Butyl rubber surrounds so they don't need to be refoamed. I got my Phantom V1 from a flea market - the guy was cleaning out the garage. I asked how much and he said 5$ and that was a no brainer. You did really well at 20. I see these on the bay or CL once in a while but never lower than 100-150.
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Wow 5 dollars that's amazing!
 
infullview said:
Just dumb luck!
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Only had them hooked up for a few hours but really liking them. They are connected up to my home theater Yamaha which I consider poor for music and yet they still sound so good. Although timbre matched to the Titan they do sound much larger and fuller which would be expected.
 
Thanks for the detailed thread. I also have a pair of Titan v1 that will need a redo in the near future. The foams were still intact the last time I checked, but both black spring clips have broken off. Without the spring clips, they will still accept a banana plug into the opening, which is why I haven't taken them apart yet.
 
I have a pair of Atoms doing computer duty on my desk for the last 5 years or so. Picked up at Sally Ann for 4 bucks needing a refoam, they sound very good for their size. I also have TT, CD player, and cassette deck hooked up too. The Atoms seem to be a nice match with my Pioneer SX-680 receiver.
 
When I first looked at your pictures I thought your Titans looked just like my Focus v3. but after looking at all the pictures there are a lot of differences in the constrution
 
orsen said:
Phantoms used a rubber surround and wont need refoaming, and getting the cabinet apart is very difficult
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Yes when I got them (phantoms) last week and initially tried to remove the back cover and quickly realized it is not nearly as easy to remove the cover as the Titan v1 so I stopped before doing any damage and hoped they had rubber surrounds. I have many speakers and the Phantoms are quickly moving up the ranks of most pleasurable to listen to.
 
infullview said:
Just dumb luck!
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Just scored a pair of Phantoms, V1, for $5 as well. Seller didn't know what they were, no badges or any writing on them whatsoever.

I posted pics here on AK and on a couple of FB hifi pages, and sure enough someone said they looked like Paradigm Titan V1s, but not quite. A little Googling, and I see thy are the original Phantom V1s (spring clip speaker plug, cherry coloured vinyl veneer, no plastic surround on the port).

They sound very refined! Best $5 I have spent in a while. :)
 
I also have a pair of Titans, they have a molded plastic back with gold binding posts.
How do I tell what version these are?
 
I have a pair of V1 and V2. The V2 is a bit clearer/brighter on the highs but gives a bit a away to the V1 on the bass. The V2 seems to be a little bit of a better combo overall but I still like the softer warmer sound of the V1. Just depends on what you like and also depends on the electronics/source. Both are really good. Especially at low prices if they need a refoam since it is definitely a doable project.
 
Thanks for all the pics and rebuild info. I have a pair of Paradigm Titan v1s that I bought many years ago. They've been on my "refurbish" project to-do list for a long time. This thread has motivated me to get moving on the rebuild. Planning to refoam and either change cabinet color from white to black or maybe put on a wood veneer. I've been wanting to develop veneering skills before taking on a larger 4-way floor standing speaker refurbishment project. Anyone know if wood veneer will stick directly to vinyl? The speaker cabinets are in very good condition, so if veneering isn't an easy option over vinyl, then I'd more likely spray paint the vinyl and grill cloth to change color.
 
So I got a pair of these (early V1s) and I honestly think they sound great. Since I can’t open the front grille to inspect the rubber, how do I know if they need to be refoamed? Sorry if this is a super basic question, I’m new to speakers in general. I should add, I already tried to take off the rear panel but am finding it really difficult to get out, and don't want to keep trying unless it's really worth it. I do have the plastic piece that holds the terminals already out so I can kinda look inside if that helps. Also, I don't really understand how OP got the back of his. And tips will be greatly appreciated!
 
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Grim Tuesday said:
So I got a pair of these (early V1s) and I honestly think they sound great. Since I can’t open the front grille to inspect the rubber, how do I know if they need to be refoamed? Sorry if this is a super basic question, I’m new to speakers in general. I should add, I already tried to take off the rear panel but am finding it really difficult to get out, and don't want to keep trying unless it's really worth it. I do have the plastic piece that holds the terminals already out so I can kinda look inside if that helps. Also, I don't really understand how OP got the back of his. And tips will be greatly appreciated!
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Welcome to AK @Grim Tuesday . The back panel may be difficult to pull out as these were precisely cut and have no room for daylight. If you already have the terminal cup out, you should be able to pull the back panel off. Beware, it needs to come straight out or the dado it sits in could be damaged because it's very thin. FYI I don't have Titans, I have Phantom V1's but they open from the back as well. Do you know what a dent puller is? A device like this might be inserted into the terminal hole and used to gently start moving the panel. Once you get it started then insert the screws part way into the holes and use them to carefully pull.
 
Wow thank you for the welcome! I think the construction of my speakers is slightly different from others. There's an MDF panel in the back that screws into the side panels. It's pretty thin and the holes in it are not tapped with thread, so there's no way to use a screw through them to pull. I don't have a dent puller but I do have some rubber tools for cleaning and disassembling lenses (my main taking-stuff-apart hobby) that I'll try pulling with.

Edit: scratch that, I just looked again and the back panel is almost an inch thick. And the holes are tapped. Idk why I thought I saw something else last evening.

Edit 2: I got it open! Foam didn't look damaged at first glance but I touched it and it instantly disintegrated. Will order a refoam kit pronto!
 
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orsen said:
i have refoamed many many of these, in canada
they used to be so plentiful here that they were called firewood
i would agree with bracing but the rest should remain stock
paradigm knew what they were doing
btw the whole series sounds great from the atom all the way to the 7's
i found the 9's and 11's kinda dark sounding
the phantom is harder to find but sounds great.

the original psb alpha is supposed to be very close sound wise but much harder to find
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Agreed.....just bought a super clean set of 1994 Phantoms....sound great...I think .8 inch woofers...Will open to inspect....
 
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