Paradigm Premier 800F

The Paradigm Premier 800F is a three-way reflex floorstanding loudspeaker, sold as a pair, with a 25 mm X-PAL tweeter, a 165 mm midrange and two 165 mm woofers: it reaches 27 Hz (DIN) and takes amplifiers of up to 250 W.

Premier 800F: how it is built

The Premier 800F puts four drive units to work across three ways. Its two 165 mm woofers have carbon-filled polypropylene cones on ART surrounds and operate up to 700 Hz. Above that the midrange takes over, also 165 mm and with the same kind of cone, before giving way at 2.5 kHz to the 25 mm X-PAL dome tweeter with ferrofluid. Midrange and tweeter each carry a perforated PPA lens to align their phase; the filters are second-order electro-acoustic.

The reflex cabinet stands 105.3 cm high, 23 cm wide and 35 cm deep, and weighs 24.2 kg. That volume and the doubled woofer area show in the figures: on-axis response of 43 Hz to 25 kHz within ±3 dB and bass extension of 27 Hz to the DIN standard. Move 30° off axis and the stated band is still 43 Hz - 20 kHz, so good sound is not confined to one seat on the sofa.

Sensitivity is 92 dB in room and 89 dB anechoic, figures that allow healthy levels even from modest power. The recommended amplifier range is 15 to 250 W, maximum input power is 180 W and the impedance suits 8 ohm outputs. The speaker is available in more than one finish.

Specifications

• Configuration: three-way, 4 drive units, reflex, floorstanding
• Tweeter: 25 mm X-PAL dome, ferrofluid, PPA lens
• Midrange: 165 mm, carbon-filled polypropylene cone, PPA lens
• Woofers: 2 × 165 mm, carbon-filled polypropylene cones, ART surround
• Crossover points: 700 Hz and 2.5 kHz, second-order electro-acoustic filters
• On-axis response: 43 Hz to 25 kHz (±3 dB)
• Response 30° off axis: 43 Hz to 20 kHz (±3 dB)
• Bass extension (DIN): 27 Hz
• Sensitivity: 92 dB in room, 89 dB anechoic
• Recommended amplifier: 15 to 250 W
• Maximum input: 180 W
• Impedance: suits 8 ohm amplifiers
• Dimensions (H × W × D): 105.3 × 23 × 35 cm
• Weight: 24.2 kg each
• Supplied: sold as a pair
• Finishes: black, white, espresso