In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Paradigm. Paradigm Premier 100B is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the 700F is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Paradigm 100B and Paradigm 700F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Paradigm 100B | Paradigm 700F |
|---|
| Brand | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene | 2 x 5.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 68-25k Hz | 45-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-130 watts | 15-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 5.86kg / 12.9lbs | 21.91kg / 48.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 11-3/16" x 6-3/4" x 9-11/16"
285.0 x 172.0 x 247.0mm | 40-1/16" x 8-7/16" x 12-7/8"
1018.0 x 215.0 x 328.0mm |
|---|
Premier 100B and 700F are members of Paradigm's Premier series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Paradigm Premier Series
History
What size room are the Paradigm 100B 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* |
Paradigm 100B |
Paradigm 700F |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Premier 100B is a 2-way design whereas the 700F 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.
Paradigm 100BParadigm 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 |
Paradigm 100B |
Paradigm 700F |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
Premier 100B features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene Woofer. On the other hand, the 700F features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.5" Midrange and 2 x 5.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Premier 100B has a frequency range of 68-25k Hz whereas 700F has a frequency range of 45-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the 700F can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Premier 100B's min frequency of 68Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
Premier 100B and 700F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Premier 100B sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the 700F's is at 91 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Paradigm 700F a more sensitive speaker compared to Paradigm 100B, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
700F can handle a max power of 180 watts RMS, whereas Premier 100B has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the 700F.
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. Premier 100B has a Posts which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Paradigm 700F's Posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Premier 100B and 700F have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 Paradigm 100B's and Paradigm 700F's external dimensions. Paradigm 100B has external dimensions of 285.0 x 172.0 x 247.0mm (11-3/16 x 6-3/4 x 9-11/16inch) 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 clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 43mm wider, 733mm taller and 81mm deeper than Paradigm 100B.
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.
Paradigm 700F needs about 66% more floor or shelf area. Paradigm 700F is 81mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Paradigm 700F is 733mm 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 Paradigm 100B is approximately 424.8cm2 / 65.8inch2 and base area of the Paradigm 700F is approximately 705.2cm2 / 109.3inch2. The Premier 100B requires 40% less surface area than the 700F which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Paradigm 100B?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Premier 100B:
- Bookshelf loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber feet
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration Card
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