Question about upgrading center channel. (1 Viewer)

[Matt_Marlow]

I consider the center speaker to be really important for movies, so I have a question about upgrading my current one. My current setup: Denon AVR 3300 receiver with all Paradigm speakers. CC-350 center channel, Monitor Sevens for mains, Mini Monitors for surrounds, and a PS 1200 subwoofer.

For Paradigm owners: can the CC-350 be replaced with the Reference Studio CC and still sound okay? Would it be timbre matched to the other speakers in my setup? Also, would you consider that to be a significant upgrade? I used to be happy with the CC-350, but when I upgraded my RPTV, I'm now sitting a little farther from the front speakers and the center channel itself is about a foot higher than before.

General question: how would a non-Paradigm center channel sound with my speakers if I decided to go that route?

With my current setup, it just seems that my center channel is overpowered by the rest of my speakers (and sub), so I was hoping that replacing it would improve things.

Thanks.

 

[Arthur S]

What happens when you just turn the level of the center up by, say, 3db? If that doesn't do it for you, the 450 should help. Used with Paradigm Studio 100's, the 450 sounded excellent on top of a big screen, however, the showroom was very small so I was only 7 feet from the screen.

Artie

 

[Matt_Marlow]

Yeah, I've increased the center channel level, but it seems "strained" to me when compared to my other speakers. I actually now have the center channel angled down a little bit towared the listening position, which helps somewhat, but I'm still not satisfied with it really. My thinking is that if I do replace my CC350, that I'll keep it and use it for the rear speaker in a 6.1 setup whenever I decide to replace my receiver (probably not any time soon, though). I just don't want to spend a lot of money on a new center speaker and have it sound out of place. My local Paradigm dealer doesn't have the Studio CC in stock, but he can order it for me...so I can't audition it.

I've just always thought that the center channel is really important.

Also: do you ever set you center channel to large? As for the setting on the Denon receiver, that isn't an option, but my JVC DVD player has built-in decoders, so if use the 6 channel inputs I can set it to large when watching movies. Anyone ever try something like that, and if so, did it make a difference?

One other point: I've thought of eventually replacing all of my speakers with Paradigm Reference models, so the center channel might be a good place to start...although it would take me a while to replace all of them.

 

[Nick G]

Matt, the CC350 is a good center and should have pleanty of oommph to keep up with your Monitor Sevens. I do not think the Studio CC (I have one) center would be an improvement. In fact it might be worse since it is not timbered matched to your mains. What you describe sounds like alike a calibration or location problem to me. Also make sure your are running your center as small so it is not trying to reproduce low frequencies at the same time as dialogue. In fact I think running all your speakers as small is the way to go for movies.

Nick