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 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.
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 200B Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene Woofer
- 55-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-130watts
- Weight:8.18kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 342.0" 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Paradigm 800F and Paradigm 200B 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 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.
| 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.
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 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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
800F can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Premier 200B has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS, 120 watts less than the 800F.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
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
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 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
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Sensitivity 
Number of Woofers 
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring 
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair*