Paradigm Cc-370 Or Psb Stratus C5

[LEAFS264]

I'm thinking of selling my PSB Stratus C5 and picking up a Paradigm cc-370 center.
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. I don't feel the 5 1/4" woofers on the C5 are handling multi channel music to well.

[Woochifer]

HOLD YOUR HORSES!

First consideration is what mains are you using? The key with center speakers is not how big the woofers are or how good they sound by themselves. The key question is how well they match your mains. THAT is the FIRST and ONLY question you should consider with center speakers.

As contradictory as this sounds, you can make your system sound worse by switching to a "better" center speaker because big mismatches between the center speaker and mains will break up the continuity of the front soundfield.

[LEAFS264]

I have PSB Stratus Silveri's for mains. But the C5 just dosen't have the sound that i feel i need for SACD and DVD-Audio,Video. I want something with a little more umpf. And the Stratus C6i is too much money.

[Woochifer]

I have PSB Stratus Silveri's for mains. But the C5 just dosen't have the sound that i feel i need for SACD and DVD-Audio,Video. I want something with a little more umpf. And the Stratus C6i is too much money.

What do you mean by "umpf"? If you're referring to punch in the midbass, then in actuality, the center speaker is probably the wrong place to try and convey that. You don't want to send a full range signal through the center speaker to begin with, especially in your case where you use floorstanding speakers that are likely voiced with a very different profile in the lower frequencies. In most cases, you will set the center speaker to "Small" and redirect the bass to either the mains or the subwoofer.

If the C5 is a sufficient timbre match for the main speakers, then it does not matter how much of how little "umpf" it has if the mains behave the same way. The voice match that you're listening for is in the midrange and highs.

You should give the C6 a listen and see if it matches your mains better. If so, you're better off saving up the extra coin and going for that model instead. Doubtful that the Paradigm center speaker will be a better match.

[N. Abstentia]

Yeah, what Wooch said. There won't be enough difference in the 2 centers to warrant the cost. I mean really..what's the difference between a 5.25" driver and a 6" driver? Possibly a 6" CAN handle lower frequencies better, but with a center you don't want a full range signal going to it anyway, so that's a moot point.

What are you using to power the center channel?

[LEAFS264]

Sorry , I'm not looking for more bass from the center. I find the dialog in my movies not as clear,if thats the right word. It just doesn't seem to jump out at me like some other centers that i've heard in the past. I'm using a Sony STR-DB940 for the power and decoding.