Paradigm Concept 4F Speakers Preview

The engineers at Paradigm and Anthem went to work one day and heard what every engineer wants to hear at some point in their life: "We want you to build the best product you can, regardless of what it costs."  What came from that experiment is what's being called the Paradigm Concept 4F speaker, and we got eyes and ears on at CES 2016 with the pre-production prototype.

 Paradigm Concept 4F Speakers Prototype Design Interview & Listening at CES 2016

The Paradigm Concept 4F speakers are crafted in Canada and feature TruExtent Beryllium 1" tweeters and 7" midrange drivers.  The Perforated Phase-Aligned Tweeter Lens serve a phase plug function to stop destructive tweeter interference and enables more high-frequency output.  A similar technique is used with the midrange, and, of course, these coverings also serve to protect your fancy beryllium drivers.

Paradigm Concept 4F at CES 2016

Rounding out the driver compliment is a total of four 8.5" Ultra High-Excursion Differential Drive woofers (two-front firing and two rear-firing) powered by two 700 watt RMS amplifiers for a total of 1400 watts (2,800 W Peak) for each speaker.  The built-in electronics also include Anthem Room Correction (ARC) for the woofers so that, with a simple mic sweep, the speakers can be placed for best imaging in the mid and high-frequencies, while still addressing low-frequency interaction in the room to give the smoothest response possible.

Paradigm Concept 4F Cutaway

The speaker enclosure features curved sides, a high-gloss white finish, and a light-up Paradigm Logo that can be dimmed or extinguished completely.  While the standard finish colors haven't been announced, custom colors will be available with a 6-8 week lead time.  Rob Sample, the Western Regional Manager for Paradigm, noted that the Concept 4F enclosure is physically compact compared to competing speakers with similar performance that are typically much larger and more expensive.  In the CES Demo room, we were told the Concept 4F speakers were producing response down to 16Hz at meaningful output levels.

Keeping in mind that details aren't final, the plans are that the complete line will feature three floor-standing models, one or two bookshelf models, and a center channel.  Price points are yet to be set, but estimated to range from under $10,000/Pair for the bookshelves to under $40,000/pair for the tower speakers.  The release date is targeted for the end of 2016, with hopes to have products on the market sooner.

In our listening at the CES 2016 Demo Room, the Concept 4F were most notable for the extremely large image they cast.  We were able to listen to two tracks, a Russian choral piece comprised of male voices and a track from Beck's Morning Phase (The track was "Morning" if memory serves).  Neither track featured deep bass, so I could neither confirm nor deny the 16Hz claims. but everything sounded clean, powerfully fullrange including good high-frequency details in the decay on Beck's voice and the high-hats, and the size of the stereo image was, again, large enough to fill the entire front wall of the room.

The Paradigm Listening Room at CES 2016

Overall, it's a good time be an audiophile with many manufacturers redefining what is possible at the sub-$1,000 level.  The same is true at the other end of the price spectrum with Paradigm's Concept 4F.  While the price tag may still put it beyond the reach of many audiophiles, those exploring a high-end system may find themselves dropping a zero off their purchase price by taking a look at Paradigms new flagship Concept 4F and the other models in the series as they are released.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.