In this review, we will be comparing A3 2027 and 700F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Magico and Paradigm.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Magico A3 2027 and Paradigm 700F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Magico A3 2027 | Paradigm 700F |
|---|
| Brand | Magico
United States · founded 2004 | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | 5.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 7" Nano-Tec, aluminium-honeycomb core with carbon-fibre skins | 2 x 5.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 25-50k Hz | 45-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 15-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 59.40kg / 130.7lbs | 21.91kg / 48.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43-1/8" x 9-1/4" x 11"
1095.0 x 235.0 x 280.0mm | 40-1/16" x 8-7/16" x 12-7/8"
1018.0 x 215.0 x 328.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Magico A3 2027 and Paradigm 700F 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* |
Magico A3 2027 |
Paradigm 700F |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.
Drivers
Both A3 2027 and 700F are 3-way speakers.
Magico A3 2027Paradigm 700F
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Magico A3 2027 |
Paradigm 700F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
1 x 5.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
A3 2027 features a 1.1" Beryllium Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 7" Nano-Tec, aluminium-honeycomb core with carbon-fibre skins Woofer. On the other hand, the 700F features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.5" Midrange and 2 x 5.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 800Hz and 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
A3 2027 has a frequency range of 25-50k Hz whereas 700F has a frequency range of 45-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the A3 2027 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 700F'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
A3 2027 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the 700F which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the A3 2027 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. A3 2027 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the 700F's is rated at 91 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Paradigm 700F a more sensitive speaker compared to Magico A3 2027, 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.
A3 2027 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas 700F has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS, 120 watts less than the A3 2027.
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
700F features Posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. A3 2027 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Paradigm 700F's Posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 Magico A3 2027's and Paradigm 700F's external dimensions. Magico A3 2027 has external dimensions of 1095.0 x 235.0 x 280.0mm (43-1/8 x 9-1/4 x 11inch) whereas Paradigm 700F has external dimensions of 1018.0 x 215.0 x 328.0mm (40-1/16 x 8-7/16 x 12-7/8inch).
Paradigm 700F is 20mm narrower and 77mm shorter than Magico A3 2027 but it is also 48mm deeper.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Near-identical footprints. Paradigm 700F is 48mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Magico A3 2027 is 77mm taller.
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 Magico A3 2027 is approximately 658.0cm2 / 102.0inch2 and base area of the Paradigm 700F is approximately 705.2cm2 / 109.3inch2. The A3 2027 requires 7% less surface area than the 700F 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 Magico A3 2027 weighs 59.40kg / 130.7lbs and the Paradigm 700F weighs 21.91kg / 48.2lbs. This makes the A3 2027 171% heavier than the 700F.
Here is a comparison of how A3 2027 and 700F'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 Paradigm 700F?
Here are the items that come with the 700F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
Grille
4 Rubber feet
4 Spike feet
4 Hex-nuts
2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)
Owner's Manual
Online Registration Card
Unboxing Instructions
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
180 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
7 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
25 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
50k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
658cm2
vs
705cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1018mm
vs
1095mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1800USD
vs
25000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Magico A3 2027 |
Paradigm Premier 700F |
| Brand |
Magico |
Paradigm |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
15-180 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
25-50k Hz |
45-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
7" |
5.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Nano-Tec, aluminium-honeycomb core with carbon-fibre skins |
Carbon-Infused Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
5.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
800Hz and 2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1095.0mm (43.1") |
1018.0mm (40.1") |
| Width |
235.0mm (9.3") |
215.0mm (8.5") |
| Depth |
280.0mm (11") |
328.0mm (12.9") |
| Weight |
59.40kg (130.7lbs) |
21.91kg (48.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Sealed |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Black, Silver, Red, Blue (bead-blasted anodised aluminium) |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Magico A3 2027 costs roughly 13.9x what Paradigm 700F does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Magico A3 2027 digs deeper - 25Hz against 45Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Paradigm 700F is more sensitive (91dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Paradigm 700F is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Magico A3 2027 takes more power (300W vs 180W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Sealed vs Ported. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it. |
| Expandability | B | Paradigm 700F: bi-amping. Paradigm 700F sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Paradigm 700F is cheaper - $1,800 against $25,000, about 93% less; arguably a different class. |
A Magico A3 2027 B Paradigm 700F
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?
Paradigm 700F has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 45Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Paradigm 700F much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Magico A3 2027 the better fit for a very large room, and Paradigm 700F for a mid-size room.
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.