By Paradigm Electronics has a long and storied history in the audiophile loudspeaker business. The company dates back to 1982, when Paradigm was founded by Jerry VanderMarel and Scott Bagby in Toronto, Canada. The company’s original mission was to build speakers that were of a high-performance level but were affordable and based on hard science. To achieve the science portion of their mission, they were able to leverage facilities in Ottawa, Canada, that were provided by the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC). With the guidance of Dr. Floyd Toole, the NRC had pioneered double-blind listening tests and precise off-axis measurements. Paradigm was able to leverage these tools in their early days and continues to maintain a relationship with the NRC today.
At AXPONA 2026, Paradigm announced the launch of the V2 series of their Premier speaker line. With this comes two new floorstanding models, the 820F and the 720F, as well as two bookshelf versions, the 220B and the 120B. The folks at Paradigm were kind enough to provide us with a set of the 120B V2 bookshelf speakers, which features two different drivers, the AL-MAC tweeter and the AL-MAG mid-bass driver.
What Makes the Paradigm Premier 120B V2 Bookshelf Speakers So Special?
- The Paradigm Premier 120B V2 bookshelf speakers are easy to drive. As eight-ohm speakers that are 90 dB efficient, you won’t have any trouble driving these, no matter what your amp of choice might be.
- Having two sets of binding posts makes adding a subwoofer easy. The original Premier 100B that these speakers are replacing only had one set of binding posts, so you could only connect your amplifier directly to the speakers, but these have two, so you can use the extra set to connect directly to your subwoofer.
- Line-level input is a fantastic feature. As a person who uses an analog preamplifier, having a subwoofer that has speaker-level inputs is a game-changer. It ensures the handoff between the speaker and the subwoofer is seamless, and you don’t need to worry about getting double bass because your crossover isn’t set quite right. This is also great if you are someone who wants to run a bi-amp or bi-wire setup.
- The Paradigm Premier 120B V2 Bookshelf speakers were easy to get to image. Sometimes you really must work to get a new set of speakers to image. That wasn’t the case with these speakers. I was able to get them placed and had a great image quickly without too much effort.
- The gray grille with the white speakers looks fantastic. You typically see white speakers come with a black grille, but Paradigm chose to go with gray to go with the white Premier 120 B V2 speakers, and I think it was an excellent choice. as it still has contrast, just one that isn’t as stark.
Why Should You Care About the Paradigm Premier 120B V2 Bookshelf Speakers?
The original Paradigm Premier speakers were an incredible line that punched well above their weight class, and the V2 versions of these speakers do the same. Paradigm has added more of the features from their higher-end speakers into these, as well as some other nice smaller touches (like the binding posts noted above, and the floorstanding line now has outrigger feet, which is a nice add as well). These speakers are priced in a way that most audiophiles can afford them, and they are built in a way to also ensure that most audiophiles enjoy them.
Some Things You Might Not Like About the Paradigm Premier 120B V2 Bookshelf Speakers
• The speakers produce very little very low bass. With these speakers rated to go down to 62 Hz, you will likely find yourself wanting to add a subwoofer, as you will be missing a significant portion of the bass spectrum otherwise.
• The color options are a bit limited. Paradigm is interesting in this way. Some of their speaker lines come in exotic reds and blues, but they chose to keep at least the initial run of the Paradigm Premier 120B V2 to just black, black walnut, walnut, and satin white. You can also only get the satin white in the 120B bookshelf speakers and the 520LCR, which is a center-channel speaker.
Listening to the Paradigm Premier 120B V2 Bookshelf Speakers
I tested the Paradigm Premier 120B V2 bookshelf speakers with my SPL Elector preamplifier, the Anthem MCA 225 Gen 2 amplifier, a Bluesound Node (2024) streamer as a source, and my Paradigm Premier 700F speakers (read my review here).
The first track I used to test the Paradigm Premier 120B V2 bookshelf speakers was the Arcade Fire’s “Ready to Start” (Qobuz 44.1 kHz) from their 2025 album with the same title. Like many of Arcade Fire’s best-known tracks, “Ready to Start” gives you a full wall of sound that especially fills the midrange. You want to be able to hear the guitar, bass, and vocals clearly throughout the track, and I was able to do that with the Premier 120B bookshelf speakers. When I compared the sound to my reference Premier 700F speakers, I found that the 120Bs were a touch warmer, and the clarify of the sound and separation were very much the same. The other thing I found was that the Paradigm Premier 120B V2 speakers kept the image more into the center. There is a synth sound that appears in the first 30-45 seconds of the track that stayed in the center with the 120Bs but moved distinctively to the left on the 700Fs.
The next track that I used to test the Premier 120B V2 bookshelf speakers is “Utzp” by Angine de Poitrine (Qobuz 48 kHz) from their 2026 math rock (yes that is a real subgenre) album Vol. II. As an act. this group from Quebec, Canada, has the appearance of what you would expect from a metal band from the early 2000s, with many people likening their experience with the band to a higher-fashion Slipknot or Buckethead. The music itself, however, feels very fresh and very dense. The imaging of the speakers really showed off in this track. In the initial loop of sound, everything seemed to be coming from the center, but as the track built, there started to be more sounds coming from the left and the right. Throughout all this, the Paradigm Premier 120B V2 bookshelf speakers were able to maintain clarity in the sound, as you could continue to pick out the separation of the distinctive guitar, bass, and drums.
The last track I used to test was “The Chain” (Qobuz 96 kHz) from Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours Live album. This track was from this famed act’s 1977 tour, although the album itself wasn’t released until 2023, some 46 years after the original recording. This track provides a solid test for bookshelf speakers, as they can often struggle to recreate a live soundstage. I found that the Premier 120B V2 bookshelves didn’t struggle to recreate the 3D feel of a live venue (in this case, the LA Forum, or the Fabulous Forum, as it was called in 1977) that you picked up through the crowd noise. When Mick Fleetwood’s kickdrum first hit, I heard it in the centers, and then I could pick up that Christine McVie’s organ and Lindsey Buckingham’s vocals and guitar were to the left of the stage, while Stevie Nicks’ vocals and John McVie bass were to the right.
Will the Paradigm Premier 120B V2 Bookshelf Speakers Hold Its Value?
I would expect these speakers to hold their value well. Paradigm is a brand that is well known and has plenty of people who seek out their products. With the speakers being well-made and having features that most audiophiles would be looking for in a set of bookshelf speakers, I would be surprised if you couldn’t get back at least 50 percent of what you paid after three to five years of use.
What is the Competition for Paradigm Premier 120B V2 Bookshelf Speakers?
When I think about subwoofers, one that comes to mind is the SVS Ultra Evolution Nano ($900 – buy at Crutchfield). SVS’s Ultra Evolution series has been very well-regarded, and I would expect the smallest version of that line to be no different. They look to have a similar frequency response to the Paradigm Premier 120B V2 bookshelf speakers, and they are a little smaller. Eric Forst reviewed the SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf speakers (read the review), which is the next size up from these, and he had nothing but glowing remarks to make about them.
Another competitor to the Paradigm subwoofer is the DALI SONIK 1 ($900 – buy at Crutchfield). DALI’s most recent releases have been quite impressive. The SONIK, at 86 dB, isn’t quite as efficient as the Paradigm Premier 120B V2, but they are similar in the sense that they are nearly the same size, as well as having similar-sized tweeters and low/mid-frequency drivers. I expect they are worth auditioning, based on DALI’s reputation of making high-value speakers.
If you can go a little bit higher with your budget, you can consider the Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3 bookshelf speakers ($1,200). Bowers & Wilkins is one of the most beloved speaker brands out there, and these bookshelf speakers are no different. They are also eight-ohm speakers and are 88 dB sensitive. They feature a one-inch titanium tweeter and a six-and-a-half-inch midrange/bass driver. Nasim Abbu-Daggar reviewed these Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3 speakers (read the review) and said they provided “detail, clarity, and a compelling sense of musicality.”
Final Thoughts on the Paradigm Premier 120B V2 Bookshelf Speakers
I have been using Paradigm Premier speakers for several years now as part of my Andrew Dewhirst reference audiophile system, and every time I take them out and put them back in, I am reminded of why I enjoy them so much. I expect that many audiophiles will have a similar experience with the Paradigm Premier 120B V2 bookshelf speakers. At just $800, they provide tremendous value to anyone who is looking for bookshelf speakers, and the small touches that Paradigm has added may have many people who own the original Premier series considering an update to the new versions. If you’re in the market for bookshelf speakers for under $1,000, you should strongly consider giving the Paradigm Premier 120B V2s an audition.
