Despite the high efficiency of the 120H, when Paradigm say hybrid, they don’t mean it gets great gas mileage. No, they mean it has an amplified bass section that does the “heavy lifting” for you. Since Paradigm’s engineers designed the 120H from the ground up with its own amplification for the bass, they could perfectly tune the output as a system, giving a higher performance in a smaller package than would typically be possible. The 120H also takes advantage of the incredible ARC Genesis room correction system that takes real-world measurements in your room to tune the bass response for your specific situation. This is indeed next-level bass performance that allows your amplifier to concentrate its energy on the critical mid-range and high frequencies. The 120H offers truly uncompromising performance in a very reasonably sized package.
The Paradigm Founder series is no ordinary loudspeaker lineup. Every component, large and small, was scrutinized down to the tiniest detail. Every component has been thoroughly researched, designed, and engineered, exclusively for the Founder series. New patented technologies were developed for the acoustic platform. The new cabinet platform is not just a stunning design, its unique shape and integrated structural bracing delivers acoustic performance that cannot be matched by traditional square boxes. By leaving no element unaddressed, the Founder series is so much more than the sum of its parts.
During exhaustive research, design, and engineering process, Paradigm looked closely and carefully at how speakers interact with their environment. The contemporary home interior presents design challenges that have become even more prominent over the last decade. Stone, glass, and wood have become the materials of choice and open concepts dominate. The Founder series’ design has evolved with this trend and is perfectly suited to deliver its maximum performance in rooms that would challenge traditionally designed speakers. Whether you enjoy movies and music in a more traditional listening space, or your home is from the pages of Architectural Digest, you can be sure Founder will sound as good as they look.
Aluminum Magnesium Ceramic (AL-MAC™) High-Frequency Driver
Any high-performance speaker driver (in this case, the tweeter) must be both very strong (to prevent distortion), and very light (to be agile, responsive, and accurate). This quest of design and engineering has led the industry to try many different exotic materials. Some of them found practical application and many did not. AL-MAC is our unique blend of Aluminum, Magnesium, and Ceramic materials; each of which contribute to the end goal of greater accuracy and realism. Their special properties contribute to the final product which is not only strong and lightweight, but embodies a natural anti-resonance to ensure the tweeter doesn’t just sound good on paper, but truly sounds incredible in the real world. Cutting edge technology, with real benefits, in practical applications – this is what the Founder series is all about.
Aluminum Magnesium (AL-MAG™) Mid-range Driver
Similar to the goals Paradigm had in mind when developing the AL-MAC tweeter, AL-MAG was conceived to bring the same elevated level of performance to the area where our ears are the most sensitive, the mid-range. If you have ever read a speaker review, the mid-range typically gets a lot of attention, and rightly so. By nature, human hearing places an emphasis on things like voices so that we know when we’re interacting with someone familiar. Think about how instantly recognizable your favorite recording artist or actor’s voice sounds. Our goal here was to have the mid-range driver sound as realistic as possible. After all, isn’t that why you have a nice audio system? To make it sound like you’re there? With AL-MAG technology, the Founder series comes another step closer.
Ultra-High-Excursion CARBON-X Unibody Bass Driver
The foundation of our listening begins with the lowest frequencies. In pursuit of ultimate clarity, Paradigm developed new technology, high performance bass drivers for use in the larger floorstanding models of the Founder Series. These drivers use a single-piece cone construction for added strength, especially at higher volumes, with the lowest possible mass to ensure every detail can be heard clearly. Combine this with Paradigm’s signature ART Surround, and Shock-Mount technologies and you get a bass driver that’s both detailed and powerful, as it should be.
Oblate Spherical Waveguide (OSW™)
The rooms where we live and listen have changed dramatically over the years. And while home interiors have evolved; many speaker technologies have not kept pace. Paradigm believe that speakers should be a natural extension of your room’s look and feel, while also providing a noticeable and real-world performance gain. Enter the Oblate Spherical Waveguide (OSW™) tweeter waveguide, only from Paradigm. The OSW™ helps the Founder series’ loudspeakers cope with the challenge presented by modern-day environments, which are larger, more open, and full of reflective surfaces. OSW™ technology utilizes a precise, natural geometry to help focus the tweeter output where it matters, the listening area. As you move to the sides of the listening area, tweeter output gradually decreases, avoiding performance-robbing room reflections. Decreased output at the periphery of the room means that sound will not disrupt others that may be in earshot but wish to focus their attention elsewhere. Coupled with a larger, more powerful magnet/motor structure with greater efficiency and lower distortion, OSW™ gives you better sound where you want it, and less distracting sound where you don’t. Real solutions for real life.
Perforated Phase-Aligning (PPA™) Lens
Perforated Phase Aligning (PPA™) Lens technology is a perfect example of form meeting function. Not only are the crafted metal parts beautiful to look at, but they protect the driver cone and provide a substantial performance benefit. For added levels of realism, the PPA™ lens works to ensure that all frequencies arrive at the listener’s ears at the same time. This means that everything sounds more realistic from the lowest bass, up to the most delicate details. The Founder series’ floorstanding models also receive this treatment on their mid-range drivers helping to project the sound more predictably at a distance. That makes them ideal for listening from farther away without losing sound quality and detail to the room.
Increasing Usable Output by Decreasing Distortion
All Founder’s technologies, from the drivers to the feet and everything in between, are engineered to reduce distortion and provide the most accurate sound possible. Studies have shown that listeners are more tolerant of high output levels when distortion is lower. This essentially proves that it’s the “noise” in the sound that bothers us, not necessarily the volume. For those that like it loud, the Founder series is full of technology that lowers distortion and raises the usable volume output. If you enjoy cranking it up, even just occasionally, the Founder series is an ideal solution, providing more natural, accurate, and pleasing sound not just at lower volumes but also when it’s time to rock out. Better sound all the time, this is the way.
Specifications…
- 5-driver, 3 way hybrid floorstanding with active bass, ported enclosure
- Frequency Response (On-Axis): ±2dB from 22 Hz – 23 kHz
- Suitable amplifier power range: 15 – 400 watts
- Crossover:
- 2nd order at 2.4 kHz (tweeter) 2nd order digital/analog @300 Hz (bass)
- Maximum input power: 300 watts
- Impedance: Compatible with 8 ohms
- Sensitivity: Room: 95 dB
- Sensitivity: Anechoic: 92 dB
- Low frequency extension: 18 Hz
- Finishes: Piano Black, Black Walnut, Midnight Cherry, Walnut
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 115.3 x 35.4 x 44.1cm
- Weight (each): 41.7 kg
Check out the brochure for more information – Paradigm Founder Series Brochure
