[13mh13]

Please suggest upgrades and/or mods for the Export Monitor Mk2 (second from left in group photo; I do have the matching Audiostream metal, lead-filled stand). Images below from brochure and my own captures of the crossover and area behind woofer.

[13mh13]

Just above the yellow film caps are hard-to-see (dark color) electro caps that may be in parallel.

I have done no component replacement or upgrades.

[Hobbsmeerkat]

You have a few options, you could send one to Danny for him to measure & design a new, custom crossover upgrade for it.
Or you could take the same value parts & replace them with higher quality components.

You could also line the cabinet with Norez and replace the binding posts with tube connectors, and replace the wiring with high quality copper.

[13mh13]

The cabinet is braced (cross-members, two I think) front baffle to rear.

What was Paradigm's quality like at this time in their history? From the brochure, my pictures and my listening experience, they seemed decent.

Oh ... forgot to mention .... they've been boxed up and unused since Jan 2004 (nearly 17 years -- I have not tested them yet). And from 1992-2004, they were not used more than 500 total hours. Exclusively driven (gently -- never loud) by AVA-Hifi Fet-Valve preamp and AVA-HiFi Omega II 260 power amp.

[Skilly]

Congratulations on your retention of the original materials. Sadly, the contents have to be deemed marketing materials that may be accurate but are not likely to be entirely so. I am certain Danny may chime in soon, but I having seen a number of posts like yours, I feel confident his response will be something like this: One can not know what the speakers need without measuring them. Replacing the existing crossover parts with higher quality (similarly rated) components may be helpful, but also may not. If the original design is not correctly setting the crossover points, or correcting other issues, like ringing then the increase parts costs may not be yielding you the better results. Danny would prefer to examine the connections and wiring. Examine the binding posts, inspect the box for bracing issues. Pictures alone are rarely enough to gauge a professional inspection. If you watch Danny's video on diagnosing speakers sent to him for review you will see certain themes emerge. 1) Send me the speakers. 2) Almost certainly you will want to replace the binding posts with tube connectors. 3) Point to point wiring in the crossover is always preferred 3) Lining the box with no res and adding bracing will always be better. 4) Adjusting the crossover requires testing to see what the speaker is doing before you invest in replacement parts.

Danny might not say it, but I am wondering if you might test the speakers in your room before any of this to see how you find the sound in there proper place.  This might help you determine what you might want out of an "upgrade." Does the speaker sound forward in the mids and highs? Is the bass boomy or muddy?  Are you hearing spikes at certain frequencies? I am thinking these might be good questions to find answers before investing in an upgrade project. 

[jn316]

...or to simply check to see if the woofer surrounds are rotten. Don't know if they are foam or not, but they are old.

[13mh13]

I do have all the orig. boxing and owners manual, too.
Yes, that brochure is "markety" but it and and the manual  were very well written (as were their magazine ads from that era). Definitely native-English-language goodness.
I actually mail-ordered them from Kief's Audio Video (Lawrence, KS). Minus the $120/pair Audiostream stands, I believe the Export II's were ~$750.00 (shipped). This was quite a bit less than local hi-fi distributor in Ohio.
Other than GR Research upgrades, I can assume that the electro' have to be replaced. Not sure about how HF driver (suspension) ages over all these years. But the LF driver's rubber surround seems supple and intact.

About "No Rez" shown on this page:
https://www.gr-research.com/store/p41/No_Rez_24%22x27%22_Sheet.html
That open-cell foam material has a  finite lifetime IME. For example, Grado headphone foam pads either flake off or get messy-gummy. And all my Sonex acoustic foam (similar open cell material) fell completely part after 20 years of use. Very messy (gummy or powdery crumbles). I think it reacts with oxygen in some horrible way.

[corndog71]

I was a big Paradigm fan back in the early 90’s.  My first “real” speakers were the Atoms.  I remember being impressed by their marketing as well.  They actually showed pics of their crossovers and used cast frames for their drivers.

I would consider rebuilding the crossovers with all new parts a fun project.  No Rez is more than just foam.  The vibration damping part of it is what does most of the work and is very effective and recommended.

If you really want to hear what they’re capable of then you will have to send one to Danny for a thorough evaluation.

[Skilly]

You raise some good questions about the long term viability of the No Rez. I think Danny may have to speak to that. What i can say about the No Rez, is that it is surprisingly heavy. The pictures on the web site do not really convey how substantial the backing material is. The no rez is more than just the thick foam structure. The adhesive material is stiff and when affixed to the sides of the box they knock out the vibrations in the wood. For speakers of your size, I would imagine they might add about 5 to 7 pounds to each speaker. It does not completely replace the damping materials inside. I had my concerns before agreeing to spend $$ on the no rez. After installing it, I have none. It is Money well spent. Danny does not waiver on his opinion as to the value and results from adding no rez, or tube connectors. Opinions differ on the tube connectors. Danny is well aware of the doubters. All I can say is that I never heard someone who had them disagree that they make a difference. He might be the first to recommend that you keep your binding posts, but add the tube connectors so you can test them for yourself. He is very comfortable stating that most people can tell a difference right away when using them.

[13mh13]

If you look at one of my listening room photos (2002), almost all of that Sonex foam panels fell apart (by 2007).

In any case, I'm sure NoRez works well. Not sure how much it changes the internal cabinet dimensions, however. Some math and CAD did go into optimizing cabinet volume + crossover + drivers + port. In fact, like other major Canadian speaker manufs, they had NRC help.

[13mh13]

Exports IIs are 28 years old. Maybe a dated design.
Obviously (because of 17 years of storage), I'm not attached to them any any important way.
And two-way shipping on these heavy beasts add to the cost?
So what do you folks think .... get one of GR's in-house models for the same modding $$ (I may be willing to add $200 to overall spendtag)?

[SET Man]

Hey!

  I think the question is... It is worth putting money into them at this point? And shipping is not cheap these days.

  Well, skimming through this threat and look to me that you've only used them for a short time and put them in storage for 17 years? So, to me that says a lot, that they weren't good enough for you to keep them and enjoy them in your system?

  What speaker are you using right now? You could hook them up and see how they sound today compare to your current speaker. I guess you can do the upgrade yourself for fun by swapping caps and resistors for better one. Or spend money on something else. Well, that's just my $0.02USD... it is your money you can do whatever make you happy.

   BTW... I think I spotted a JVC cassette deck there 3-head? And my first amp was also an Adcom, a 535II... nice little amp I remembered.

Buddy

[Skilly]

I am hopeful some others will attest to the durability of the No Rez. Mine is not that old and frankly, mine is sealed inside the speaker so I have not had cause to inspect it. Being sealed, it is not subject to exposure to heat, sunlight, moisture, or other factors I suspect may have degraded your panels. As for volume, Danny normally says that volume of the speaker is barely impacted by the no rez as it is mostly air. He will likely tell you that the no Rez does not significantly impact the internal Volume. That is the reason he encourages dampening in addition to the No Rez.

Listening to your responses, I am wondering why you have not commented on how they sound right now? You clearly have some doubts.  I am wondering if you are wanting new, or wanting better? NO big deal either way; modified speakers can be like new. But you might be happier with a purchase (whether upgrade or new kit) if you can better isolate your motivations. It seems like you have predetermined that the age is a problem for you, not withstanding what they sound like.  From the photo you added I am thinking that you might learn alot about what your vintage speakers can do by moving them away from the walls. They may benefit from experimenting with other amplifiers as well. Even new speakers will benefit from "fitting" them to your room, or suffer from a failure to do so. 

[corndog71]

The most dated part of those speakers is maybe the aluminum tweeter. 

If you want a better overall speaker, then build a pair of X-LS.  Or any of Danny’s designs. 

I still think tweaking the Paradigms would be a fun project.  It won’t increase their value but it might make them sound better.

[Danny Richie]

Hey guys,

The foam in the No Rez will last a long time.

As to the old Paradigms, it is really cool to see that old broacher again.

They are really dated and especially the internals. So updating them and upgrading them might only be worth it for nostalgic reasons. And it might be a fun project. But for performance verse dollars spent, there might be better choices.

And someone already mentioned that it might be best to measure and test them to see if there are any issues before you start parts swapping to newer and better parts. There may be other issues that need to be addressed. 

[13mh13]

They are really dated and especially the internals. So updating them and upgrading them might only be worth it for nostalgic reasons. And it might be a fun project. But for performance verse dollars spent, there might be better choices.

And someone already mentioned that it might be best to measure and test them to see if there are any issues before you start parts swapping to newer and better parts. There may be other issues that need to be addressed.

Are they really THAT dated? In some of the GRR videos, I've seen much cheaper speakers have their parts updated. So what attributes in particular do you feel might qualify them as "dated" ... or might they even qualify as "vintage"?
As far as measurements, well Paradigm designs supposedly went thru the NRC (Toole) facility as other Canadian models.
All that said, I may very well go for one of GRR's original designs as a direct (cost-effective) replacement to the Paradigms.

[13mh13]

  What speaker are you using right now?

Mostly headphones (many types and amps) and PC speakers from Cambridge Audio and "vintage" Monsoon MM-1000

The MM-1000s sound awesome ... but are starting to buzz for some reason (magnet clogged up with metal dust???).