A meticulous design and implementation that stands out at all levels, the Founder 40B is a great example of how the experience and technologies developed for a top speaker, can find their way to lower and more affordable price ranges.
The Paradigm’s Founder series is a brand-new speaker series and the first to be released since the return of its founder Scott Bagby in 2019. Bagby has now regained full ownership of Paradigm, as well as its sister company, Anthem .
The Founder is placed above the Monitor SE and Premier series but below the top Persona models. The Founder series includes six models, with top quality speakers based on almost 40 years of know-how and solutions developed for Paradigm’s flagship Persona 9H (and smaller models in the same series). The company has also implemented a number of new technologies in the design of units and the construction of cabins while the speakers were designed, developed and manufactured by Paradigm in Toronto, Canada.
The speakers of the series are designed to meet the needs of a conventional, high-fidelity two-channel system for listening to music but also for use in home cinema systems. It includes three models of base-standing speakers, the Founder 80F, the Founder 100F and the top-of-the-line active / passive Founder 120H hybrid, which also includes the ARC Genesis acoustic correction system. There is also the Founder 90C, a uniquely designed (and large) center speaker designed to fit the size and response of base-standing speakers, and the Founder 70LCR is of interest as a three-way enclosed cab designed to be used horizontally as a compact center speaker or vertically for front and / or peripherals. The series concludes with the Founder 40B, an impressive design, two-way base speaker, which is the subject of our test.
A simple base duo? No way!!!
The Founder 40B is a two-way base speaker with a bass reflex charge, the expansion hole of which is located at the rear and can be used either as a stereo pair or as side and rear channels in a multi-channel system. The 40B uses the same high build quality as the larger speakers in the series. Cascade-Fusion Bracing technology inside the Founder series prism cabs increases rigidity and neutralizes low-frequency stationary waves that tend to grow inside the speakers. This, according to Paradigm, offers much tighter bass with improved sharpness and accuracy. The bindings have, of course, an effect, making the cabin a monolith, as the company very successfully states, stronger than the sum of its parts. The first thing one notices about the 40B is something it shares with all Founder models except the 70LCR. The cab is thinner both from the bottom up and from the front to the rear, with the bottom being wider than the top and the rear panel being, overall, narrower than the front bumper. What is more unusual, however, is a beveled corner that bisects each side surface diagonally, adding style and aesthetics that go unnoticed. Paradigm uses Advanced Shock-Mount technology, essentially an isolation system that uses an elastomeric suspension to support the midwoofer to the buffalo to mechanically disconnect it from the cab and minimize the vibrations transmitted to it.
For high-frequency performance, the Founder 40B uses a tweeter, which the company calls AL-MAC. This combines a one-inch diameter dome made of a combination of Aluminum, Magnesium and ceramic materials (hence the name) and is combined with a perforated surface for phase control and a large diameter waveguide, in the shape of a “shallow” funnel. From a technical point of view, the profile of this waveguide belongs to the family of flattened spheroids (Oblete Spheroid Waveguide, OSW) and aims to improve the radiation of the speaker off-axis.
The mid / low frequency range is provided by an AL-MAG unit, also Paradigm, which is based on a 6-inch cone made of aluminum / magnesium alloy and is designed for significant power intake, judging by the ventilation coil diameter 1,5 inches and suspension that allows long distances. However, the unit hides other interesting points, and these are, firstly, the PPA (Perforated Phase Alignment) technology for the improvement of the phase behavior, which is implemented with a very characteristic metal mesh that covers the cone and, secondly, the ART suspension (Active Ridge Tech), which uses a special rubber material that is integrated into the cone, ensuring long distances without the risk of destruction and significantly improves sensitivity, according to Paradigm. Both approaches are used in Persona series speaker units.
All this leads to a speaker with a nominal resistance of 8Ω, and a frequency response of 69Hz-23kHz (± 2dB) and a sensitivity of 92dB, with the lower cut-off limit being at 41Hz and the sensitivity decreasing to 89dB if we are talking about an audible calculation. The two speakers are driven by a second-class acoustic filter, with a cross frequency of 1600Hz.
Each speaker has dimensions 197x368x320 mm and weighs 11.3 kg. It has a magnetic backing black, fabric protective mesh (with the Paradigm logo on the bottom), double bars on the back (the short circuits are perfect!) And the well-known, neat, luxurious finish of the company. The buyer has a choice between walnut, black walnut, midnight cherry and piano black. A well-designed base is also available which can be purchased optionally.
Great Solutions!
The Founder 40B impressed from the beginning and watching Elli Paspala, David Lynch and Stavros Lancias on Trio Live, they immediately revealed the exceptional detail and control that these speakers offer. The system reproduced the musical events of the live orchestra with remarkable fidelity, with each instrument standing out with its essence, in the recording without alterations. The 40B rendered each instrument accurately, while the vocals were rendered with a pleasant clarity.
The well-designed units and cabins handled the midrange and treble perfectly, with drums sounding clear and precise during See You Again. From another artistic point of view, the ethereal guitars that create an impressive atmosphere inside the Hotel California, are rendered in multiple levels of stereo and with remarkable clarity. Finally, the huge orchestra from Maxim Vengerov- Israel Philharmonic- Zubin Mehta Paganini Violin Concerto No. 1, III Rondo simultaneously brought out the rich natural sounds and a huge music scene that spreads in all dimensions.
The Founder 40B performed impressively, revealing solid foundations, which are at the same time strong dynamic, but also refined. There is genuine scale in the overall sound scene, but never at the expense of detail. Tone coherence is ideal for anyone who wants to build a home theater but will obviously need at least one subwoofer to improve low frequency performance.
In summary, there is no doubt that the Paradigm Founder 40B is in its own category, both in terms of construction and aesthetics. Overall it is an excellent speaker, with the presentation of the music content being accurate and controllable, with exceptional dynamic range and a robust and rich in music scene. They will be richly rewarded, both in music listening and in home cinema systems, as they combine fantastic build quality and cutting-edge technology to reproduce with precision, control and superior dynamics, an acoustic result that is neutral, balanced and tonally cohesive. Based on all this, we are dealing with one of the best small volume speakers we have tested and therefore highly recommended.
Overview
Description: Base speaker
Roads / Loudspeakers: 2/2
Loudspeakers: 1x inch tweeter (AL-MAC), 1x 6-inch woofer (AL-MAG)
Crossover: Second class audio, 1.6kHz
Charging: Bass Reflex (rear)
Sensitivity: 89dBSPL (anxiolytics)
Rated resistance: Compatible with amplifiers leading 8Ω
Frequency response: 69Hz-23kHz (± 2dB), lower cut-off limit: 41Hz (DIN)
Recommended amplifiers: 15-150W
Other features: Dual cabling capability, optional base.
Dimensions: 197x368x320 (mm, xxxx)
Weight: 11.3kg
info: aace, tel.: 210-961.3707, www.aace.gr
Price: €2.700
Reviewer: George Katrakazas
