In this review, we will be comparing Prime Tower and 700F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from SVS and Paradigm.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Prime Tower and Paradigm 700F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Prime Tower | Paradigm 700F |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 4.5" | 5.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene | 2 x 5.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-25k Hz | 45-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-250 watts | 15-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.23kg / 40.1lbs | 21.91kg / 48.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36-5/8" x 8" x 11-11/16"
931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm | 40-1/16" x 8-7/16" x 12-7/8"
1018.0 x 215.0 x 328.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the SVS Prime Tower and Paradigm 700F 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* |
SVS Prime Tower |
Paradigm 700F |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.
**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Prime Tower and 700F are 3-way speakers.
SVS Prime TowerParadigm 700F
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
SVS Prime Tower |
Paradigm 700F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4.5-inch |
1 x 5.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
Prime Tower features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2100Hz. On the other hand, the 700F features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.5" Midrange and 2 x 5.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Prime Tower has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz whereas 700F has a frequency range of 45-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Prime Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 700F's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
Prime Tower and 700F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Prime Tower sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the 700F's is at 91 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Paradigm 700F a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Tower, 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.
Prime Tower can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas 700F has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS, 70 watts less than the Prime Tower.
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
700F features Posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Prime Tower has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Prime Tower's 5-Way post terminals
Paradigm 700F's Posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Prime Tower and 700F 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 SVS Prime Tower's and Paradigm 700F's external dimensions. SVS Prime Tower has external dimensions of 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm (36-5/8 x 8 x 11-11/16inch) whereas Paradigm 700F has external dimensions of 1018.0 x 215.0 x 328.0mm (40-1/16 x 8-7/16 x 12-7/8inch).
Paradigm 700F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 11mm wider, 87mm taller and 31mm deeper than SVS Prime Tower.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of SVS Prime Tower and Paradigm 700F in scale.
Comparison image of SVS Prime Tower and Paradigm 700F Size and External Dimensions
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 SVS Prime Tower is approximately 605.9cm2 / 93.9inch2 and base area of the Paradigm 700F is approximately 705.2cm2 / 109.3inch2. The Prime Tower requires 14% less surface area than the 700F which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The SVS Prime Tower weighs 18.23kg / 40.1lbs and the Paradigm 700F weighs 21.91kg / 48.2lbs. This makes the 700F 20% heavier than the Prime Tower.
Here is a comparison of how Prime Tower and 700F's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of SVS Prime Tower?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Prime Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of Paradigm 700F?
Here are the items that come with the 700F:
- 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
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
180 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
931mm
vs
1018mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
605cm2
vs
705cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
1700USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
| General |
SVS Prime Tower |
Paradigm Premier 700F |
| Brand |
SVS |
Paradigm |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-250 watts |
15-180 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-25k Hz |
45-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Carbon-Infused Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.5" |
5.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
350Hz and 2100Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
931.0mm (36.7") |
1018.0mm (40.1") |
| Width |
204.0mm (8") |
215.0mm (8.5") |
| Depth |
297.0mm (11.7") |
328.0mm (12.9") |
| Weight |
18.23kg (40.1lbs) |
21.91kg (48.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | SVS Prime Tower digs deeper - 30Hz against 45Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Paradigm 700F is more sensitive (91dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | SVS Prime Tower takes more power (250W vs 180W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | SVS Prime Tower is easier to place; Paradigm 700F is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Paradigm 700F: bi-amping. Paradigm 700F sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | SVS Prime Tower is cheaper - $1,400 against $1,700, about 18% less. |
A SVS Prime Tower B Paradigm 700F
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 45Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate SVS Prime Tower the better fit for a very large room, and Paradigm 700F for a mid-size room.
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.