Paradigm Founder 120H Floorstanding Speaker, Midnight Cherry (Pair)

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

Why the Founder 120H?

Because the 120H is the biggest and smartest model in the Founder series. Midrange and treble run passively through your amplifier, but the three 20 cm Carbon-X woofers are driven by their own 1000-watt amplifier and tuned to your room via ARC Genesis software. The very bass that usually overwhelms any living room is measured here and straightened out. The result: extension right down into basement territory, without booming in a single corner.

What you hear

Authority without effort. The active bass digs deep yet stays dry and precise, while the coaxially calm mid/high section places voices and instruments credibly in the room. With 95 dB sensitivity and a frequency response starting at 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 room corners dictate.

Who is the Founder 120H for? (and who it's not 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 a power outlet (the active bass wants feeding) and at over 40 kilos per piece, it's not furniture you casually move around. If you're filling a small room or never listen above room volume, you'll never use its full potential – cheaper Founder models exist for that.

Our verdict

The Founder 120H is an exceptional speaker: half high-end passive box, half full-grown active bass system with room correction – and the two mesh together seamlessly. Once you've heard the depth and effortlessness, you understand why the trade press has honored 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 actually pay off in your room.

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

Technical data

• Type: 3-way hybrid floorstanding speaker, active bass + passive mid/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 (mid/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 speaker, magnetic front cover, height-adjustable feet with spikes and glides (for carpet and hard floors), power cable

Frequently asked questions

Does the Founder 120H need a power outlet?
Yes. The 120H is a hybrid: mid 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. This needs mains power. A regular stereo or AV amplifier drives the passive part, and thanks to the active bass, a subwoofer becomes unnecessary.

What does ARC room correction do on the 120H?
ARC Genesis measures your room using a microphone and corrects the active bass section so that booming and cancellations are smoothed out. Low frequencies in particular depend heavily on the room – so the correction audibly brings out more precision. We'll set up the measurement for you on request.

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

Does the 120H need an especially powerful amplifier?
For the passive mid/treble section, a good stereo or AV amplifier with 15 to 400 watts is completely sufficient – the power-hungry bass is handled by its own amplifier. Clean quality matters more than raw watts. We'll help you find the right amplifier for 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 more floorstanding speakers for the front, find the right amplifier for mid and treble, ensure a clean connection with good cable, and discover the whole Paradigm world.