Paradigm Founder 120H Floorstanding Speaker, Black Gloss (Pair)

The Paradigm Founder 120H is an active-passive hybrid floorstanding speaker that combines a bass section amplified with 1000 watts and built-in room correction (ARC) with classic high-end drivers in one cabinet.

Why the Founder 120H?

Because the 120H is the largest and cleverest model in the Founder series. Midrange and treble run passively off your amplifier, but the three 20 cm Carbon-X woofers are driven by their own 1000-watt amplifier and matched to your room via ARC Genesis software. The very bass that would otherwise overwhelm any living room is here measured and straightened out. The result: depth right down into the basement, without any corner booming.

What you hear

Authority without effort. The active bass digs deep yet stays dry and precise, while the coaxially calm midrange-treble places voices and instruments believably in the room. With 95 dB sensitivity and a frequency response from 22 Hz, the 120H plays big – and thanks to room correction it sounds in your living room the way the engineers intended, not the way your corners dictate.

Who is the Founder 120H for? (and who isn't it for – straight talk)

For anyone who wants uncompromising depth and control without setting up a separate subwoofer – and who has a large room where a speaker like this can breathe. Straight talk: the 120H needs mains power (the active bass wants to be fed) and, at over 40 kilos each, is not a piece of furniture you just shift around on a whim. If you're playing to a small room or never listen above living-room volume, you'll never exhaust its potential – cheaper Founder models exist for that.

Our verdict

The Founder 120H is an exceptional speaker: half high-end passive cabinet, half fully grown active bass system with room correction – and the two mesh seamlessly. Once you've heard the depth and effortlessness, you understand why the trade world has honoured it. At HD Zürisee in Wädenswil we set up the ARC room correction properly and integrate the 120H into your system – so that the 1000 watts really do come to life in your room.

What the trade press says: Honoured with the EISA Award "Floorstanding Loudspeakers 2022–2023" from the European Imaging and Sound Association.

Technical data

• Type: 3-way hybrid floorstanding speaker, active bass + passive midrange/treble
• Tweeter: 25 mm (1") AL-MAC ceramic dome, OSW waveguide + PPA lens, ferrofluid-cooled
• Midrange: 152 mm (6") AL-MAG cone, PPA lens, shock-mount isolation
• Woofers: three 215 mm (8") Carbon-X unibody, Gen3 ART, actively amplified
• Active bass amplifier: 1000 W; room correction ARC Genesis
• Frequency response: ±2 dB 22 Hz – 23 kHz; bass extension 18 Hz (DIN)
• Sensitivity: 95 dB / 92 dB (anechoic)
• Recommended amplifier power (midrange/treble): 15 – 400 W; max. input power 300 W
• Impedance: 8 ohm compatible
• Dimensions (W×H×D): 35.4 × 115.3 × 44.1 cm
• Weight: 41.7 kg each
• Available in: Black Gloss, Black Walnut, Midnight Cherry, Walnut
• Sold: per pair
• Included: floorstanding speakers, magnetic front cover, height-adjustable feet with spikes and glides (for carpet and hard floor), power cable

Frequently asked questions

Does the Founder 120H need a power outlet?
Yes. The 120H is a hybrid: midrange and treble run through your amplifier, while the bass section with three 20 cm drivers is actively driven by a built-in 1000-watt amplifier. That needs mains power. A normal stereo or AV amplifier drives the passive part, and a subwoofer becomes unnecessary thanks to the active bass.

What does ARC room correction do on the 120H?
ARC Genesis measures your room via microphone and corrects the active bass section so that booming and cancellation are smoothed out. Low frequencies in particular depend heavily on the room – the correction therefore audibly extracts more precision. We're happy to set up the measurement for you on request.

What room size is the 120H designed for?
The 120H plays to its strengths in medium to large rooms, roughly from 25 square metres upward. Its depth down to 18 Hz and high sensitivity want room to breathe. In very small rooms it's oversized – there, a Founder 80F or 100F is often enough.

Does the 120H need an especially powerful amplifier?
For the passive midrange/treble section, a good stereo or AV amplifier with 15 to 400 watts is completely sufficient – the built-in amplifier handles the power-hungry bass itself. Clean quality matters more than raw watts. We help you find the right amplifier to go with the 120H.

Why buy the Paradigm Founder 120H at HD Zürisee?
Because an active-passive hybrid with room correction needs proper setup to shine. We set up the ARC measurement, tune the 120H to your room and system, and deliver and install on site on request. As an experienced team in Wädenswil, we get the maximum out of the Founder series' flagship.

Goes well with

A flagship plays as part of a system: combine further floorstanding speakers for the front, find the right amplifier for midrange and treble, secure a clean connection with good cable, and discover the whole Paradigm world.