In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Paradigm. Paradigm Premier 800F is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Premier 120B v2 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Paradigm 800F and Paradigm Premier 120B v2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Paradigm 800F | Paradigm Premier 120B v2 |
|---|
| Brand | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene | 5.5" |
|---|
| Frequency response | 43-25k Hz | 62-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-250 watts | 15-130 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 24.27kg / 53.4lbs | 7.39kg / 16.3lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42-1/8" x 9-1/4" x 13-7/8"
1070.0 x 235.0 x 353.0mm | 12-1/16" x 7" x 12-3/16"
306.4 x 177.8 x 309.6mm |
|---|
800F and Premier 120B v2 are members of Paradigm's Premier series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Paradigm Premier Series
History
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 800F is a 3-way design whereas the Premier 120B v2 is a 2-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 800FParadigm Premier 120B v2
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 800F |
Paradigm Premier 120B v2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 5.5-inch
|
800F features a 1" Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 700Hz and 2500Hz. On the other hand, the Premier 120B v2 features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.5" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1200Hz.
Frequency Response
800F has a frequency range of 43-25k Hz whereas Premier 120B v2 has a frequency range of 62-23k 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 120B v2's min frequency of 62Hz.
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
800F and Premier 120B v2 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 800F sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Premier 120B v2's is at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Paradigm 800F a more sensitive speaker compared to Paradigm Premier 120B v2, 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 Premier 120B v2 has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS, 120 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
800F features Posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Premier 120B v2 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 800F's and Paradigm Premier 120B v2's external dimensions. 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) whereas Paradigm Premier 120B v2 has external dimensions of 306.4 x 177.8 x 309.6mm ().
Paradigm 800F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 57.2mm wider, 763.6mm taller and 43.4mm deeper than Paradigm Premier 120B v2.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Paradigm 800F and Paradigm Premier 120B v2 in scale.
Comparison image of Paradigm 800F and Paradigm Premier 120B v2 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 800F is approximately 829.6cm2 / 128.6inch2 and base area of the Paradigm Premier 120B v2 is approximately 550.5cm2 / 85.3inch2. The 800F requires 51% more surface area than the Premier 120B v2 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Paradigm 800F?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 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