In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Paradigm. Paradigm Premier 820 v2 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Premier 520LCR v2 is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Paradigm Premier 820 v2 and Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Paradigm Premier 820 v2 | Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 |
|---|
| Brand | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 7" | 2 x 6" |
|---|
| Frequency response | 52-23k Hz | 75-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 93 dB | 93 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-250 watts | 15-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 29.48kg / 64.9lbs | 14.11kg / 31lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43-7/16" x 13-1/8" x 18-5/8"
1103.3 x 333.4 x 473.1mm | 8-5/16" x 23-7/16" x 12-1/8"
211.1 x 595.3 x 308.0mm |
|---|
Premier 820 v2 and Premier 520LCR 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 Premier 820 v2 is a 3-way design whereas the Premier 520LCR 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 Premier 820 v2Paradigm Premier 520LCR 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 Premier 820 v2 |
Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
Premier 820 v2 features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 7" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 1800Hz. On the other hand, the Premier 520LCR v2 features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 650Hz and 1500Hz.
Frequency Response
Premier 820 v2 has a frequency range of 52-23k Hz whereas Premier 520LCR v2 has a frequency range of 75-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 52Hz, the Premier 820 v2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Premier 520LCR v2's min frequency of 75Hz.
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
Premier 820 v2 and Premier 520LCR v2 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 93 dB.
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.
Premier 820 v2 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Premier 520LCR v2 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 130 watts less than the Premier 820 v2.
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.
Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Premier 820 v2 features Binding post type posts and Premier 520LCR v2 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/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 Premier 820 v2's and Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2's external dimensions. Paradigm Premier 820 v2 has external dimensions of 1103.3 x 333.4 x 473.1mm () whereas Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 has external dimensions of 211.1 x 595.3 x 308.0mm ().
Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 is 892.2mm shorter and 165.1mm less deeper than Paradigm Premier 820 v2 but it is also 261.9mm wider.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 needs about 16% more floor or shelf area. Paradigm Premier 820 v2 is 165mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Paradigm Premier 820 v2 is 892mm taller.
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 Premier 820 v2 is approximately 1577.3cm2 / 244.5inch2 and base area of the Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 is approximately 1833.5cm2 / 284.2inch2. The Premier 820 v2 requires 14% less surface area than the Premier 520LCR v2 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.