Paradigm 500C vs Paradigm 800F Comparison

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Paradigm 500C

Passive Center Channel | 73-25k Hz

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Paradigm 800F

Passive Floor-standing | 43-25k Hz

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Paradigm 500C

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Paradigm 800F

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Paradigm 500C

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Paradigm 800F

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Paradigm 500C vs Paradigm 800F Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Paradigm. Paradigm Premier 500C is a Center Channel speaker whereas the 800F is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Paradigm 500C and Paradigm 800F first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Paradigm 500C	Paradigm 800F
Brand	Paradigm Canada · founded 1982	Paradigm Canada · founded 1982
Design	3-way	3-way
Tweeter	1" X-PAL dome with PPA (Perforated Phase-Aligning) lens	1"
Midrange	4"	6.5"
Woofer	2 x 5.5" carbon-infused polypropylene	2 x 6.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene
Frequency response	73-25k Hz	43-25k Hz
Sensitivity	92 dB	92 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	15-120 watts	15-250 watts
Weight	11.82kg / 26lbs	24.27kg / 53.4lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	7-7/16" x 20-1/16" x 12-11/16" 189.0 x 510.0 x 323.0mm	42-1/8" x 9-1/4" x 13-7/8" 1070.0 x 235.0 x 353.0mm

Premier 500C and 800F are members of Paradigm's Premier series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Paradigm Premier Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
Paradigm 800F	Floor-standing	43-25k Hz	92 dB	8Ω	2 x 6.5"
Paradigm 100B	Bookshelf	68-25k Hz	90 dB	8Ω	1 x 5.5"
Paradigm 700F	Floor-standing	45-25k Hz	91 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.5"
Paradigm 200B	Bookshelf	55-25k Hz	90 dB	8Ω	1 x 6.5"
Paradigm 600C	Center Channel	60-25k Hz	94 dB	8Ω	4 x 6.5"
Paradigm 500C	Center Channel	73-25k Hz	92 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.5"
Paradigm Premier 220B v2	Bookshelf	58-23k Hz	91 dB	8Ω	1 x 6"
Paradigm Premier 820 v2	Floor-standing	52-23k Hz	93 dB	8Ω	2 x 7"
Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2	Center Channel	75-23k Hz	93 dB	8Ω	2 x 6"
Paradigm Premier 120B v2	Bookshelf	62-23k Hz	90 dB	8Ω	1 x 5.5"

What size room are the Paradigm 500C and Paradigm 800F 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 500C	Paradigm 800F
Near-field	Poor	Bad
Small Room	Average	Poor
Mid-size Room	Good	Average
Large Room	Average	Good
Very Large Room	Poor	Average

(* 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 Premier 500C and 800F are 3-way speakers.

Paradigm 500C

Paradigm 800F

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 500C	Paradigm 800F
Driver Setup	3-way	3-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	1 x 4-inch	1 x 6.5-inch
Woofer	2 x 5.5-inch	2 x 6.5-inch

Premier 500C features a 1" aluminum X-PAL dome with PPA (Perforated Phase-Aligning) lens Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 5.5" carbon-infused polypropylene Woofer. On the other hand, the 800F features a 1" Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene Woofer.

Frequency Response

Premier 500C has a frequency range of 73-25k Hz whereas 800F has a frequency range of 43-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 43Hz, the 800F can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Premier 500C's min frequency of 73Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.

Low Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

Premier 500C

800F

Min

Average

Median

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 500C and 800F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 92 dB.

Sensitivity

Center Channel Speakers

Premier 500C

800F

Min

Average

Median

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.

800F can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Premier 500C has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 130 watts less than the 800F.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

Paradigm 500C

Paradigm 800F

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

800F features Posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Premier 500C has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Paradigm 500C's Binding post terminals

Paradigm 800F'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 Paradigm 500C's and Paradigm 800F's external dimensions. Paradigm 500C has external dimensions of 189.0 x 510.0 x 323.0mm (7-7/16 x 20-1/16 x 12-11/16inch) whereas Paradigm 800F has external dimensions of 1070.0 x 235.0 x 353.0mm (42-1/8 x 9-1/4 x 13-7/8inch).

Paradigm 500C is 881mm shorter and 30mm less deeper than Paradigm 800F but it is also 275mm wider.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Paradigm 500C and Paradigm 800F in scale.

Comparison image of Paradigm 500C and Paradigm 800F 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 Paradigm 500C is approximately 1647.3cm² / 255.3inch² and base area of the Paradigm 800F is approximately 829.6cm² / 128.6inch². The Premier 500C requires 99% more surface area than the 800F which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of Paradigm 500C?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Premier 500C:

Center-channel loudspeaker
Grille
2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)
4 Rubber feet
Owners Manual
Online Registration Card

What's in the Box of Paradigm 800F?

Here are the items that come with the 800F:

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

Reasons to choose Paradigm Premier 500C over Paradigm Premier 800F

Height	189mm vs 1070mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	850USD vs 2200USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Paradigm Premier 800F over Paradigm Premier 500C

Max Input Power	250 watts vs 120 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 5.5 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	43 Hz vs 73 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Base Surface Area	829cm² vs 1647cm²	Takes less floor space

Paradigm 500C vs Paradigm 800F Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Paradigm Premier 500C	Paradigm Premier 800F
Brand	Paradigm	Paradigm
Speaker Type	Center channel speaker	Floor-standing speaker
Power Range	15-120 watts	15-250 watts
Sensitivity	92 dB	92 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	73-25k Hz	43-25k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	5.5"	6.5"
Woofer Composition	carbon-infused polypropylene	Carbon-Infused Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	n/a	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	X-PAL dome with PPA (Perforated Phase-Aligning) lens	n/a
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	4"	6.5"
Firing Direction	n/a	rear
Physical Specs
Height	189.0mm (7.4")	1070.0mm (42.1")
Width	510.0mm (20.1")	235.0mm (9.3")
Depth	323.0mm (12.7")	353.0mm (13.9")
Weight	11.82kg (26lbs)	24.27kg (53.4lbs)
Enclosure	Acoustic Suspension	Bass Reflex
Finish	n/a	MDF/Lacquer
Available Colors	Gloss White	Gloss Black
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	n/a	Yes
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

Siblings in Paradigm's Premier series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	Paradigm 800F digs deeper - 43Hz against 73Hz.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (92dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	B	Paradigm 800F takes more power (250W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Paradigm 500C is easier to place; Paradigm 800F is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Center Channel against a Passive Floor-standing - a different job rather than a better one.
Cabinet	depends	Sealed vs Ported. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it.
Expandability	B	Paradigm 800F: bi-amping.
Price	A	Paradigm 500C is cheaper - $850 against $2,200, about 61% less; arguably a different class.

A Paradigm 500C B Paradigm 800F
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: Paradigm 800F measures better, Paradigm 500C costs about about 2.6x the price% 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 a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 73Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Paradigm 500C much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Paradigm 500C the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Paradigm 800F for a large room and a very large 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.