Home

Power Amplifiers

Mixing and Matching: The Paradigm Reference Signature C5 Center Channel Cone Speaker vs. Electrostatics

John E. Johnson, Jr.

In most A/V publications, they will tell you to stick with one brand and line of speakers so that the tonality will be the same across the entire soundstage. That's true. But, if you look for neutrality in sound, you can mix and match with no problem. I have used electrostatic speakers (ESLs) in our home theater lab as a reference for years. The problem has always been the center channel. The front left and right ESL are 6 feet tall, and the center channel ESL was only 4 feet, and even then, the motorized projection screen would come down in front of it about a foot. Secondly, ESLs cannot be driven to high SPLs like cone speakers.....So, I decided to use a conventional (cone) speaker for the center channel, the new Paradigm Reference Signature C5 center channel speaker.....Was I disappointed in the results? Read our review to see.

Surround Sound Speaker Systems

Canton Reference 5.2 DC Floor-Standing Speakers

Piero Gabucci

Back in mid-2005, I auditioned Canton's new Vento line of speakers with an entire surround package, (although the matching sub had yet to be released). I found them impeccably designed and crafted, and they sounded terrific. In this review, I take a look and listen to the Canton Reference 5.2 DC tower (floor-standing) speakers. More-terrific is what I found.

Floor Standing Speakers

Denon AVR-689 7.1 A/V Receiver

Gabe Lowe
It amazes me that what passed for a premium feature in A/V receivers two or three years ago can now be found on entry level models.  That is the beauty of progress!  Nowhere is this better exemplified than in the Denon AVR-689.  At an MSRP of $399 it is hard to believe that this unit is so jam packed with bells and whistles. Now this is what I call an affordable - and good - receiver. Read our review to see more.
Receivers
article placeholder

SIM2 Grows Popular DOMINO Series

nicoll pr

Miramar, FL-July 2008-Italian manufacturer SIM2, whose striking high-performance home theater projectors are known worldwide for their pristine video, has added a new, aggressively priced model to its popular DOMINO series. SIM2 DOMINO D60 DLP front projection system delivers stunning 1080p full-HD imaging at the highly competitive $5000 US price point, where with SIM2's reputation for superb performance and unequalled style it will stand as a unique solution for discerning yet budget-conscious home theater enthusiasts.

 

Press