As it approaches its 40th birthday, Paradigm has launched the first completely new speaker line its co-founder Scott Bagby reacquired the company two years ago. And it's called the Founder Series.
Designed and manufactured at Paradigm’s factory in Toronto, Canada, the Founder line-up is six-strong, comprising three floorstanders (80F, 100F and the hybrid passive/active 120H), the 40B standmounter, the 90C centre speaker and 70LCR speaker.
All models are available in four finishes – walnut or black walnut wood veneer, midnight cherry or piano black high gloss – and priced between £1200 ($1100, AU$1950) and £4300 ($4250, AU$7000) for each speaker.
The Founder Series draws on both new and old Paradigm patented technologies, which are created in-house. Paradigm’s newest tweeter, the AL-MAC, is an aluminium, magnesium, and ceramic alloy for their combination of light, strong characteristics. The AL-MAG midrange driver is a 6in aluminium magnesium alloy driven with a 2in voice coil and the company’s Perforated Phase Alignment lens, designed to focus its performance where our ears are most sensitive. Paradigm’s CARBON-X Unibody bass driver, meanwhile, has a mineral-infused carbon fibre cone and has been made in 5.5in, 6in, 7in and 8in sizes.
Each model has a faceted enclosure constructed from MDF and 1in-thick top and bottom insets, with a complex bracing system featuring an angular longitudinal central brace forming a structural core and dividing the walls of the cabinet non-uniform surfaces. Additional horizontal cascade braces have been implemented to in an effort to prevent excess energy from escaping through the walls. To control resonance, both from driver to cabinet and cabinet to floor, Paradigm has developed an elastomer suspension system to mechanically decouple drivers and cabinets (Advanced Shock-Mount Isolation system), as well as specially designed elastomer feet to isolate the floorstander cabinets from the floor (Advanced Shock-Mount Feet).
The Founder Series’ flagship, the 120H, is different to its siblings in its active implementation. Here, the 1in AL-MAC ceramic dome tweeter, 7in AL-MAG midrange cone and three 8in CARBON-X driver are driven by an integrated 1000-watt amplifier. They also have built-in ARC Genesis Room Correction to help tune them to their listening environment.
Priced per speaker (not per pair), the Founder 40B standmounter is £1200 ($1100, AU$1950); the Founder 70LCR is £1700 ($1700, AU$2900); the Founder 90C is £2700 ($2600, AU$4500); and the Founder 80F, Founder 100F and Founder 120H floorstanders are £1900 ($1900, AU$3250), £2700 ($2600, AU$4500) and £4300 ($4250, AU$7000) respectively.
In Australia, the Founder Series is distributed by Audio Active, with stock expected to arrive in early May.
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