Paradigm Persona 7F Floorstanding Loudspeaker Preview

See the complete review of the Paradigm Persona 3F Floorstanding Loudspeaker

Ever since Paradigm unveiled their statement prototype speaker the Concept 4F, back at CES 2016, it was plain to see that it was a harbinger of a special new series of speakers.

Not just any speakers mind you, but a line of audio reproducers that would showcase what the company could do if no restraints were placed upon them. Well the new Persona line of speakers is the culmination of Paradigm’s efforts, and I have been graced with the stunning looking Persona 7F floorstanding speaker to examine and review for you.

The Persona 7F is the second from top-of-the-line model in the series. It is a passive loudspeaker design whereas the top-dog Persona 9H features an active bass section and integrated ARC room correction, included as part of the package. Besides being an absolutely gorgeous looking design, the 144-pound (each) Persona 7F are some of the most solidly constructed and inert speakers that I have come across. The enclosures are made from seven layers of HDF combined with a viscoelastic adhesive which are held together in a custom-made press for five days to shape, bond and cure. The 1-inch tweeter and 7-inch midrange drivers have a dome and cone made from pure beryllium processed and manufactured with a proprietary process called Truextent that reserved especially for acoustic applications.

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It is manufactured exclusively by a company based in California called Materion, and it is this company that supplies Paradigm with its custom beryllium components. Beryllium tweeters are being heard about more and more in higher end audio, but this is the first time that I have come across a midrange driver whose cone is made completely of the same stuff. An interesting little “tech-brief” about the benefits of beryllium in audio driver applications can be found here on Materion’s website.

The tweeter and midrange drivers also feature an integrated cover, perforated with a specific geometric pattern. These covers act as “acoustic lenses” that filter out-of-phase information and smooth out the respective driver’s response. The bass duties are handled by two 8.5-inch, high excursion aluminum drivers that feature dual voice-coils and the same over-molded Active Ridge Technology surrounds that are found in Paradigm’s subwoofer drivers.

The Persona 7F have a claimed frequency response of 24Hz to 45kHz +/- 2dB, a sensitivity of 92dB (in room) and an 8 Ohm impedance rating, thus making them both capable and easy to drive. At a suggested MSRP of $25,000.00 for the pair, they are a little less-efficient on the pocketbook but, tis the price one pays for perfection. Perfection that is designed, developed and completely manufactured out of Paradigm’s Toronto-area facility. For good or for ill, I intend to savor these because “perfection” demands it. Of course, I jest, well…. sort of!

Initial impressions are that the Persona 7F have an exceptionally clean and clear midrange and upper-end response combined with a punchy and solid sounding bottom end. Usually when I come across a such a finely resolving pair of speakers they tend be rather unforgiving of recordings that aren’t equally as exceptional. I have not found that to be the case with the Personas…. yet. A most interesting and satisfying conundrum so far.

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See the complete review of the Paradigm Persona 3F Floorstanding Loudspeaker

Carlo Lo Raso

A native of Toronto Canada, Carlo's interest in audio began at a young age when, unbeknownst to his mother, he started taking apart her numerous transistor radios to see how they worked. This desire for “knowledge through deconstruction” continued through to the family’s 8-track tape player, turntable, headphones, and speakers. Carlo subsequently spent a lot of time in his room. Toronto was a fertile ground for Hi-Fi in the 1970s and 80s and Carlo spent much of his wayward youth hanging out in downtown Toronto stereo shops, listening to all manner of gear and picking the brains of the various store owners. Through that formative experience, Carlo developed an appreciation for good music and good sound reproduction. Also, as a budding graphic artist, the aesthetic aspects of a given piece of gear became increasingly of interest to his eyes. It was at about that time as well that Carlo began purchasing “Audio Magazine” on a regular basis and came to appreciate, in particular, the writing and reviewing of the late Leonard Feldman. Later on, he was also influenced by the writing and observations of the staff at Sound and Vision Canada, helmed at the time by Alan Loft. Carlo graduated from Sheridan College with a degree in Classical Animation and was subsequently employed by Walt Disney Consumer Products for 10 years as a Character Artist and Art Director. Having become disenchanted with Los Angeles, he then decided to strike out on his own. Carlo started his own company and has been freelancing artwork, from his home studio, primarily for the toy and publishing industries since 2001. In 2013, on a bit of a lark, Carlo answered a “Call for Writers” ad from an AV website that he had been regularly reading for about 5 years called Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity. He had come to appreciate the website’s combination of subjective impressions along with the objective bench-testing available in several of the reviews. The “B-Team” must have been working that day because by some miracle he was hired as a writer and his first review for the site was published early in 2014. Carlo has been continually writing, editing, traveling, listening, and learning on the company’s behalf ever since. Carlo currently lives in Granville, Ohio with his wife, two sons, and a very old, but chill dachshund.