Paradigm Reference CC-170 Center Channels
Paradigm Reference CC-170 Center Channels
[Jul 22, 2002]
dreich
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Crisp highs and good bass. Great detail and expansive soundstage!
Weakness:
None Just bought the Paradigm CC-170 and am very impressed. Tried it previously with cheap, thin speaker wire that I had lying around and was disappointed. It sounded like it had no bass and the highs were harsh. I was surprised because it sounded so good in the store. I thought maybe it was my cheap Sherwood Pro-Logic receiver. When I switched to decent gauge speaker wire the sound is incredible! Good bass and crisp highs (not harsh at all). Great for action and dialogue is clear. Excellent value for under $200. Buy this and you won't be disappointed. Similar Products Used: Polk CS 245i |
[Jul 03, 2002]
Bobsprit
AudioPhile
Strength:
Amazing sound for the money spent, besting some units at twice the price. Actually sounds better than the larger model from Paradigm.
Weakness:
Highs are well done, but nowhere near the level of expensive centers. Can sound a bit boxy at times. The CC170 was a Center that fit well atop my widscreen TV. Sounded a bit congested and boxy at first, but opened up after a break-in. Clean, powerful, but tweeter is less refined than better centers. Simply great for the money. Similar Products Used: Paradigm Titan, LX-5 Center |
[Apr 24, 2002]
seventeenmonkeys
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
price, value, great for HT,
Weakness:
you get the best sound if you sit right in front of it otherwise it loses some. i think this is true for all similarly made centers i have owned this product since january and i really cannot find any faults with it on its own. i first owned sattelites all around as the plan was to by all the quality components seperately since i could not afford bying the whole lot at once. the first thing i replaced was the center channel, and the difference was incredible. i have it set up as large and it does a good job with the little base it actually receives. recently i also purchased paradigmm mini monitors, and i can''''t really say that they are a prefect match. of course one product is from the performance series and the other is from the monitor series and it makes a big difference in music. the mini monitor is a step aboe in clarity and makes everything sound acoustic. i describe it as if the singer is standing right in front of me without a microphone, whereas the cc170 portrays hime as with a good quality microphone. this will be a matter of taste since for some music the latter sounds a bit better. on the HT front i think they are a great match. especially fro 5.1 formats where usually there is only dialog from the center and main music from the mains. all in all this product is of great quality, it was a decision between klipsch and paradigm, and the price difference was too great. but i really prefer the paradigm sound because i thought the klipch was too forward and it made listening to music through great speakers, but paradigm makes it as though they are not there. one last thing is that maybe the thought to be more accurate i paid 265 cdn tx included. that minis and cc170 do not match is realted more to the fact that cd music will ALWAYS sound better through two channels, by at the same time i noticed a different kind of sound coming from the two. Similar Products Used: cc 70 |
[Feb 10, 2002]
jnoud
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Good looking and sounding with very clear dialogue.
Weakness:
None for a speaker in this price range. A very solid unit by Paradigm, and for me a tremendous value. For those close to the border, the current currency exchange rate is creating some exceptional values. And being Canadian built means they are also duty free. Solid advice from the dealer was a real help. |
[Aug 11, 2000]
Brian Hunter
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Awesome sound. I haven't heard any distortion yet and i have pushed it pretty hard. Am very impressed with what they have done here.
Weakness:
Kind of big but you get better sound. Best bang for your buck for sure. Similar Products Used: Bose center but I have forgotten the model. It distorts easily and not a very good sound quality and it was $40 more. |
[Apr 24, 2001]
Al Dodimead
Casual Listener
Strength:
Good sounding speaker.
Weakness:
Could maybe be a little clearer Nice sound. Didn'really test any other centre channels, but purchased this with 4 Atoms, and PDR 10 for my first home theatre system. Similar Products Used: None, only second centre channel speaker ever purchased. |
[Dec 30, 1999]
Snakebit
Casual Listener
I think I am going to get rid of all this hi-fi stuff and go back to a 13-inch black and white TV and a little transistor radio. My 500 or 700 lines of revolution TV is blurrier than heck, my DVD player has a serious lip-synch problem, and now my center channel, the CC-170, has ripped. I have not even had this thing for two months yet, and I have not played at loud volumes because I live in an apt. |
[Dec 30, 1999]
Brandon Jones
Audio Enthusiast
I don't understand why people say that the CC-350 is so much better than the CC-170. I listened to both of these on one of the Batman movies and the salesman and I both liked the CC-170 over the CC-350. I heard this straight from the dealer, "Well we believe that the new CMC tweeter is better than the titanium tweeter for dialogue." Me being stunned that a dealer would recommend a less expensive speaker from the same company agreed with him. So I geuss it goes to show you more money doesn't always mean better. I can't give it a five stars because lets face it there is better center speakers out there, and I dislike the foam surrounds on the speakers. |
[Aug 26, 2000]
Greg
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
great clarity for movies and music
Weakness:
none at this price This is my first center as I am just getting into home theater. It sounds great paired with my Paradigm Titan fronts and Atom rears. It brings out a whole new dimension in movies, especially in voice clarity, at a great price. I'd highly recommend this (and the rest of the budget Paradigm line) to anyone interested in a budget HT setup. It also sounds great with music when I set my Denon receiver to 5-channel stereo. I'd also highly recommend contacting Omer from ozenterprises.net if you're interested in mail-ordering a Paradigm system. He is very friendly and will give you a great deal. Thanks again Omer! Similar Products Used: none |
[May 06, 2000]
Snakebit
Casual Listener
Strength:
ability to pick up details, size
Weakness:
A bit harsh at some frequencies I previously rated this speaker poorly. I payed too much attention to the speaker's biggest weakness: its tendency to sound unnaturally harsh at certain frequencies (woman screaming, various sound effects). All in all, the CC-170 is a pretty good speaker, Similar Products Used: none...this is my first center speaker |