A 4-driver, 2 passive radiator, 3 way center channel, sealed enclosure center channel from Paradigm's Founder Series.
Precision. Control. Dynamics.
These are the pillars the Founder Series was built on.
Every once in a while, something special comes along and changes the rules. The perfect blend of technology, design, and performance. At the start of Founder’s development, Paradigm knew one thing, when Art Embraces Science, anything is possible, and Paradigm exceeded their wildest expectations.
Founder is no ordinary loudspeaker. Every component, large and small, was scrutinized down to the tiniest detail. Every component has been thoroughly researched, designed, and engineered, exclusively for the Founder Series. New patented technologies were developed for the acoustic platform. The new cabinet platform is not just a stunning design, its unique shape and integrated structural bracing delivers acoustic performance that cannot be matched by traditional square boxes. By leaving no element unaddressed, Founder’s is so much more than the sum of its parts.
During Paradigm's exhaustive research, design, and engineering process, they looked closely and carefully at how speakers interact with their environment. The contemporary home interior presents design challenges that have become even more prominent over the last decade. Stone, glass, and wood have become the materials of choice and open concepts dominate. Founder’s design has evolved with this trend and is perfectly suited to deliver its maximum performance in rooms that would challenge traditionally designed speakers. Whether you enjoy movies and music in a more traditional listening space, or your home is from the pages of Architectural Digest, you can be sure Founder will sound as good as they look.
Precision
When Paradigm says “precision” they mean the nuance, detail, and realism that is achieved when a speaker “gets it right.” Founder series includes many new advances in design, materials, and engineering to provide class-defining levels of performance.
Control
Packing incredible technology into a speaker means nothing if the benefits don’t reach your ears. By addressing every component, Pardigm's engineers made sure that you could hear the results of their hard work in any environment.
Dynamics
Detail, clarity, accuracy, fidelity – these are words often thrown around to indicate the quality of sound, but what of the quantity? Recreating a live performance takes dynamics, or the ability to recreate quiet sounds, loud sounds, and everything in between. The Founder Series recreates the broadest and most powerful dynamics.
AL-MAC™ High-Frequency Driver
The Founder’s tweeter is a 1" (25mm) Aluminum Magnesium Ceramic (AL-MAC™) dome with a proprietary Oblate Spherical Waveguide (OSW™) and a Perforated Phase-Aligning (PPA™) Lens.
AL-MAG™ Midrange Driver
The Founder’s midrange is a 6" (152mm) Aluminum Magnesium (AL-MAG™) cone with Perforated Phase-Aligning (PPA™) Lens, Advanced SHOCK-MOUNT™ Isolation Mounting System, and a 2” high-temp multi-layered voice coil with ventilated Apical™ former.
Beautiful Premium-Grade Finishes
Founder Series cabinets are offered in a variety of beautiful premium-grade finishes: Walnut and Black Walnut have a smooth satin finish with distinctive wood figuring. Paradigm's exclusive Midnight Cherry and Piano Black feature a luxurious hand-rubbed, high-gloss finish.
Ultra-High-Excursion CARBON-X Unibody Bass Driver
The Founder’s Bass driver is a 6” (152mm), 7” (177mm) or 8” (215mm) Ultra-High-Excursion Unibody CARBON-X™ Cone, over-molded Gen3 Active Ridge Technology (ART™) Surround with Vertical Mounting System, Advanced SHOCK-MOUNT™ Isolation and a 1.5” high-temp multi-layered voice coil with ventilated Apical™ former.
ADVANCED Shock-Mount™ System
The Founder Series midrange and bass drivers are mechanically decoupled from the front baffle by Paradigm's Advanced SHOCK-MOUNT™ Isolation Mounting System. This special mounting hardware uses an elastomer suspension to prevent any transfer of vibration from the driver to the cabinet, and from the cabinet to the driver. By eliminating resonance, the driver is free to render sound purely and efficiently with no audible distortion and maximum clarity.
Dual-Sync™ Continuous Flux Motor
The Founder’s new coaxial midrange driver found on the center channel models, employs OSW™’s oblate spheroid shape with a coaxially mounted tweeter. It maintains detail and sonic focus within the broad and deep sound stage by acting as the waveguide for the tweeter, making its dispersion characteristics ideal for any listening space. Paradigm's patented Dual-Sync™ Continuous Flux Motor has taken away the limitations of combined magnet structures as well as having a full-sized, low-distortion and higher output midrange tweeter combination while maintaining a relatively low height for the center channel cabinet, allowing for greater placement flexibility.
Cascade-Fusion Bracing
Cascade-Fusion Bracing inside Founder Series’ faceted cabinets increases rigidity and breaks up standing low-frequency waves. This delivers much tighter bass with greater clarity and accuracy. All bracing is extensively reinforced, making the cabinet into a monolith stronger than the sum of its parts. The inherent strength of the geometric cabinet profile distributes the load points across a larger cabinet area providing greater support and rigidity than can be achieved with traditional square cabinet geometry.
Proudly Crafted in Canada
The Founder Series is completely designed, engineered, and built at Paradigm's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility just outside of Toronto, Canada. It's made by people who love great audio (just like you). From the hand-chosen, specially engineered components and materials, to the precise workmanship of the non-resonant cabinets with their beautiful premium-grade finishes, Founder Series is truly hand-built for performance. Sure, Paradigm could say "Made in Canada," or "Manufactured in Canada." But they believe that building loudspeakers is an art. Everyone at Paradigm shares a passion for crafting speakers, and it's from this intense passion that "Crafted in Canada" was proudly born.
Partnered with the NRC
Paradigm is partnered with Canada’s world-renowned NRC in ongoing research to reveal the true nature of sound and human hearing. Findings influence design and performance specs, resulting in a uniquely realistic listening experience, backed by sound science.
Paradigm Founder 90C Center Channel Speaker
Tech Specs
SPECIFICATIONS
DESIGN | 4-driver, 2 passive radiator, 3 way center channel, sealed enclosure |
CROSSOVER | 2nd order electro-acoustic at 2.5 kHz (tweeter), 2nd order @ 500 Hz (bass) |
FREQUENCY RESPONSE ON-AXIS | ±2dB from 55 Hz - 23 kHz |
HIGH FREQUENCY DRIVER | Coaxial 1" (25mm) AL-MAC™ Ceramic Dome with Oblate Spheroid Waveguide (OSW™) and Perforated Phase-Aligning (PPA™) Tweeter Lens, ferro-fluid damped / cooled, Patent Pending Dual Gap Motor Structure |
BASS FREQUENCY DRIVER | Two 7" (177mm) Ultra-HighExcursion CARBON-X™ Unibody Cone, Gen3 Active Ridge Technology (ART™) with Vertical Mounting System, Advanced SHOCK-MOUNT™ Isolation, and a 1.5” high-temp multi-layered voice coil with ventilated Apical™ former |
MIDRANGE FREQUENCY DRIVER | Coaxial 6” (152mm) AL-MAG™ Cone with SHOCK-MOUNT™ Isolation Mounting System, a 2” high-temp multi-layered voice coil with Apical™ former, Patented Dual-Sync™ Continuous Flux Motor |
LOW FREQUENCY EXTENSION | 37 Hz (DIN) |
SENSITIVITY ROOM / ANECHOIC | 94 dB / 91 dB |
FREQUENCY RESPONSE 30° OFF-AXIS | ±2dB from 55 Hz - 17 kHz |
SUITABLE AMPLIFIER POWER RANGE | 15 - 260 watts |
MAXIMUM INPUT POWER | 200 watts |
IMPEDANCE | Compatible with 8 ohms |
DIMENSIONS HXWXD | 8.9” x 35.7” x 12.9” (22.6cm x 90.8cm x 32.7cm) |
WEIGHT | 48 lbs (21.8 kg) each |
FINISHES | Piano Black, Black Walnut, Midnight Cherry, Walnut |
PASSIVE RADIATORS | Two 7" (177mm) Ultra-High-Excursion CARBON-X™ Unibody Cone, Gen3 Active Ridge Technology (ART™) with Vertical Mounting System, Advanced SHOCKMOUNT™ Isolation, Passive |