Will upgrade in speakers give me better voice? (1 Viewer)

[Sedona Rider]

I am currently using a Yamaha RX-A710 receiver with Paradigm Cinema V.1 center channel and front speakers. The speakers are almost 20 years old. I want to improve the quality of voice while watching movies and TV. I have adjusted the receiver trying every option to improve voice, but there are still times the voice comes out muddied. While I am overall happy with the sound from the speakers, outside of the voice, I am wondering if I could improve voice by replacing the speakers. I am thinking of something like the Klipsch RC-250C for a new center channel. The Paradigm center speaker is pretty small, 12x4 inches. I am not sure if I should also replace the Paradigm front speakers to keep them matched to the center channel. Would I see a significant improvement in voice quality with the new center channel speaker or would I have better sounding muddied voice?

 

[JohnRice]

What have you adjusted on the receiver to try and improve the voices?

 

[Sedona Rider]

I have tried almost every option. Right now I have DRC turned on, the center channel speaker at a higher volume and treble maxed out.

 

[John Dirk]

A few questions.

1) Is the voice quality suddenly unacceptable or has this always been the case?
2) Have you physically inspected your speakers [especially the center] This sounds suspiciously like blown tweeters to me.
3) I assume you've run YPAO but you didn't specifically mention it. If so did it complete without issue and what level & crossover was selected for your center relative to the fronts.
4) Do the speakers sound better playing two channel music sources?

 

[theJman]

With traditional HT systems the center is the most important speaker. It's imperative that it match the left and right front though, so if you opt to replace your center you need to ensure it's a direct peer to the other front channels. That generally means you need to replace all 3, otherwise you are likely to create a disparity.

 

[Sedona Rider]

A few questions.

1) Is the voice quality suddenly unacceptable or has this always been the case?
2) Have you physically inspected your speakers [especially the center] This sounds suspiciously like blown tweeters to me.
3) I assume you've run YPAO but you didn't specifically mention it. If so did it complete without issue and what level & crossover was selected for your center relative to the fronts.
4) Do the speakers sound better playing two channel music sources?

John,
There is nothing wrong with the speakers, it is more of an issue with my ears aging. I did the YPAO run about 5 years ago and it completed without an issue then. I guess what I am really asking is if I replace the fairly small 20 year old Paradigm speakers with a larger speaker set, ie: Klipsch RP-250C & RP-150M, would I experience a significant improvement, which would hopefully include the quality of voice?

 

[John Dirk]

John,
There is nothing wrong with the speakers, it is more of an issue with my ears aging. I did the YPAO run about 5 years ago and it completed without an issue then. I guess what I am really asking is if I replace the fairly small 20 year old Paradigm speakers with a larger speaker set, ie: Klipsch RP-250C & RP-150M, would I experience a significant improvement, which would hopefully include the quality of voice?

In that case my answer would be a resounding "Yes." I use the Axiom VP 150 shown below but there are plenty of worthy options. I've had it for about 8 years and couldn't be happier. Axiom offers a free in-home 30 day trial for peace of mind. You could always replace the Center first and then decide when or if you need to replace the fronts based on your new experience.

 

[JohnRice]

Something still sounds suspicious to me. I also thought the tweeter in the center speaker might be blown, and it could be without you knowing it. If it is, then replacing the speakers will fix things. But I also wonder if something is set up wrong, and if that's the case, new speakers won't fix it.

As far as new speakers, that's a matter of personal taste. You might like Klipsch, or you might not.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

My speakers are a "Frankenstein" assortment, but I did notice a huge improvement just by replacing my centre channel.