In this review, we will be comparing 700F and 800F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Paradigm.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Paradigm 700F and Paradigm 800F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Paradigm 700F | Paradigm 800F |
|---|
| Brand | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene | 2 x 6.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-25k Hz | 43-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-180 watts | 15-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 21.91kg / 48.2lbs | 24.27kg / 53.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-1/16" x 8-7/16" x 12-7/8"
1018.0 x 215.0 x 328.0mm | 42-1/8" x 9-1/4" x 13-7/8"
1070.0 x 235.0 x 353.0mm |
|---|
700F and 800F 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 700F 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 700F |
Paradigm 800F |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
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 700F and 800F are 3-way speakers.
Paradigm 700FParadigm 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 700F |
Paradigm 800F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
700F features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.5" 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
700F has a frequency range of 45-25k Hz whereas 800F has a frequency range of 43-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 43Hz, the 800F can go slightly deeper then 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
700F and 800F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 700F sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the 800F's is at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Paradigm 800F a more sensitive speaker compared to Paradigm 700F, 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.
800F can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas 700F has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS, 70 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both 700F and 800F features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Paradigm 700F's Posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Paradigm 800F's Posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 700F and 800F 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 700F's and Paradigm 800F's external dimensions. 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) 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 800F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 20mm wider, 52mm taller and 25mm deeper than Paradigm 700F.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Paradigm 700F and Paradigm 800F in scale.
Comparison image of Paradigm 700F 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 700F is approximately 705.2cm2 / 109.3inch2 and base area of the Paradigm 800F is approximately 829.6cm2 / 128.6inch2. The 700F requires 15% less surface area than the 800F 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 Paradigm 700F weighs 21.91kg / 48.2lbs and the Paradigm 800F weighs 24.27kg / 53.4lbs. This makes the 800F 11% heavier than the 700F.
Here is a comparison of how 700F and 800F'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 are included inside the box of 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
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
 Height |
1018mm
vs
1070mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
705cm2
vs
829cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1700USD
vs
2200USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
180 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
43 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Paradigm Premier 700F |
Paradigm Premier 800F |
| Brand |
Paradigm |
Paradigm |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
15-180 watts |
15-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-25k 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 |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.5" |
6.5" |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1018.0mm (40.1") |
1070.0mm (42.1") |
| Width |
215.0mm (8.5") |
235.0mm (9.3") |
| Depth |
328.0mm (12.9") |
353.0mm (13.9") |
| Weight |
21.91kg (48.2lbs) |
24.27kg (53.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in Paradigm's Premier series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (45Hz vs 43Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | Paradigm 800F takes more power (250W vs 180W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Paradigm 700F: bi-amping; Paradigm 800F: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Paradigm 700F is cheaper - $1,700 against $2,200, about 23% less. |
A Paradigm 700F 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 700F 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. Match it to your room: we rate Paradigm 700F the better fit for a mid-size room, and Paradigm 800F for 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.