In this review, we will be comparing two different type 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.
Paradigm 800F Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene Woofer
- 43-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-250watts
- Weight:24.27kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1070.0" x 9-1/4" x 13-7/8"( 1070.0 x 235.0 x 353.0mm )
Paradigm Premier 120B v2 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 5.5" Woofer
- 62-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Weight:kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): " x 7" x 12-3/16"
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
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Paradigm 800F and Paradigm Premier 120B v2 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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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.
| 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 . On the other hand, the Premier 120B v2 features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.5" Woofer .
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.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. 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
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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 ( ) .
Paradigm 800F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 235mm wider, 1070mm taller and 353mm deeper than Paradigm Premier 120B v2.
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