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 200B is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Paradigm 800F and Paradigm 200B first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Paradigm 800F | Paradigm 200B |
|---|
| 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 | 6.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 43-25k Hz | 55-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-250 watts | 15-130 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 24.27kg / 53.4lbs | 8.18kg / 18lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 13-7/16" x 7-13/16" x 12-7/8"
342.0 x 199.0 x 328.0mm |
|---|
800F and Premier 200B 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 800F and Paradigm 200B 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 800F |
Paradigm 200B |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.
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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 200B 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 200B
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 200B |
|
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 6.5-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 200B features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
800F has a frequency range of 43-25k Hz whereas Premier 200B has a frequency range of 55-25k 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 200B's min frequency of 55Hz.
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 200B 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 200B's is at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Paradigm 800F a more sensitive speaker compared to Paradigm 200B, 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 200B 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 200B has a Posts which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Paradigm 800F's Posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 800F and Premier 200B 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 800F's and Paradigm 200B'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 200B has external dimensions of 342.0 x 199.0 x 328.0mm (13-7/16 x 7-13/16 x 12-7/8inch).
Paradigm 800F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 36mm wider, 728mm taller and 25mm deeper than Paradigm 200B.
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 200B is approximately 652.7cm2 / 101.2inch2. The 800F requires 27% more surface area than the Premier 200B 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
What's in the Box of Paradigm 200B?
Here are the items that come with the Premier 200B:
- Bookshelf loudspeaker
- Grille
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration Card