In this review, we will be comparing Q950 and SE 8000F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KEF and Paradigm.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF Q950 and Paradigm SE 8000F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KEF Q950 | Paradigm SE 8000F |
|---|
| Brand | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | 11th Generation Uni-Q | — |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.5" Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.0" Aluminum | 3 x 8" Mineral-filled polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-28k Hz | 45-21k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 95 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-200 watts | 15-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.68kg / 45.5lbs | 31.36kg / 69lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43-15/16" x 14-1/4" x 12-3/8"
1117.0 x 362.0 x 315.0mm | 46" x 11-3/4" x 17-3/4"
1169.0 x 299.0 x 451.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the KEF Q950 and Paradigm SE 8000F speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
KEF Q950 |
Paradigm SE 8000F |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Q950 is a 2-way design whereas the SE 8000F is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
KEF Q950Paradigm SE 8000F
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
KEF Q950 |
Paradigm SE 8000F |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.5-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
3 x 8-inch
|
Q950 features a 1.5" vented aluminum Dome Tweeter and 2 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz. On the other hand, the SE 8000F features a 1" Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 8" Mineral-filled polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Q950 has a frequency range of 44-28k Hz whereas SE 8000F has a frequency range of 45-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the Q950 can go slightly deeper then the SE 8000F's min frequency of 45Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Q950 and SE 8000F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Q950 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the SE 8000F's is at 95 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Paradigm SE 8000F a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF Q950, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Q950 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas SE 8000F has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Q950.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Q950 features Post type posts and SE 8000F has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Paradigm SE 8000F's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Q950 has a front firing port whereas SE 8000F has a rear firing ports. KEF Q950's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Paradigm SE 8000F with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare KEF Q950's and Paradigm SE 8000F's external dimensions. KEF Q950 has external dimensions of 1117.0 x 362.0 x 315.0mm (43-15/16 x 14-1/4 x 12-3/8inch) whereas Paradigm SE 8000F has external dimensions of 1169.0 x 299.0 x 451.0mm (46 x 11-3/4 x 17-3/4inch).
KEF Q950 is 52mm shorter and 136mm less deeper than Paradigm SE 8000F but it is also 63mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF Q950 and Paradigm SE 8000F in scale.
Comparison image of KEF Q950 and Paradigm SE 8000F Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the KEF Q950 is approximately 1140.3cm2 / 176.7inch2 and base area of the Paradigm SE 8000F is approximately 1348.5cm2 / 209.0inch2. The Q950 requires 15% less surface area than the SE 8000F which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The KEF Q950 weighs 20.68kg / 45.5lbs and the Paradigm SE 8000F weighs 31.36kg / 69lbs. This makes the SE 8000F 52% heavier than the Q950.
Here is a comparison of how Q950 and SE 8000F's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of KEF Q950?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Q950:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 6 Screws
- 6 Washers
- 4 Rubber inserts
- Hex-key
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of Paradigm SE 8000F?
Here are the items that come with the SE 8000F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
4 Rubber feet
4 Spike feet
Owner's Manual
Online Registration Card
Unboxing Instructions
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
44 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
21k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Passive Radiator |
2 x 8-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
1117mm
vs
1169mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1140cm2
vs
1348cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
95 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Price per pair* |
1700USD
vs
2200USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
KEF Q950 |
Paradigm Monitor SE 8000F |
| Brand |
KEF |
Paradigm |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
15-200 watts |
15-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
95 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.2 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
44-28k Hz |
45-21k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8.0" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Mineral-filled polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.5" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2200Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1117.0mm (44") |
1169.0mm (46") |
| Width |
362.0mm (14.3") |
299.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
315.0mm (12.4") |
451.0mm (17.8") |
| Weight |
20.68kg (45.5lbs) |
31.36kg (69lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Walnut |
Black |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (44Hz vs 45Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | B | Paradigm SE 8000F is more sensitive (95dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | KEF Q950 takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Passive Radiator vs Ported. |
| Expandability | A | KEF Q950: Atmos drivers. |
| Price | B | Paradigm SE 8000F is cheaper - $1,700 against $2,200, about 23% less. |
A KEF Q950 B Paradigm SE 8000F
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: KEF Q950 measures better, Paradigm SE 8000F costs about about 29% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Paradigm SE 8000F is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.