Siblings in Paradigm's Premier series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Paradigm 800F digs deeper - 43Hz against 75Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (92dB vs 93dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Size | depends | Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 is easier to place; Paradigm 800F is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Type | depends | A Passive Floor-standing against a Passive Center Channel - a different job rather than a better one. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Sealed. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it. |
| Expandability | A | Paradigm 800F: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 is cheaper - $900 against $2,200, about 59% less; arguably a different class. |
A Paradigm 800F B Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2
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 Premier 520LCR v2 costs about about 144% 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. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 75Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Paradigm 800F has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.