In this review, we will be comparing Premier 500C and Ultra Center, two Passive Center Channel speakers from Paradigm and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Paradigm 500C and SVS Ultra Center first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Paradigm 500C | SVS Ultra Center |
|---|
| Brand | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" X-PAL dome with PPA (Perforated Phase-Aligning) lens | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | 4" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" carbon-infused polypropylene | 2 x 6.5" composite glass-fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 73-25k Hz | 45-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-120 watts | 20-225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 11.82kg / 26lbs | 14.09kg / 31lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 7-7/16" x 20-1/16" x 12-11/16"
189.0 x 510.0 x 323.0mm | 8-1/8" x 22-1/16" x 11-3/16"
207.0 x 561.0 x 285.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Paradigm 500C and SVS Ultra Center speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Paradigm 500C |
SVS Ultra Center |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
Both Premier 500C and Ultra Center are 3-way speakers.
Paradigm 500CSVS Ultra Center
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Paradigm 500C |
SVS Ultra Center |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Premier 500C features a 1" aluminum X-PAL dome with PPA (Perforated Phase-Aligning) lens Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 5.5" carbon-infused polypropylene Woofer. On the other hand, the Ultra Center features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
Premier 500C has a frequency range of 73-25k Hz whereas Ultra Center has a frequency range of 45-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the Ultra Center can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Premier 500C's min frequency of 73Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Premier 500C and Ultra Center have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Premier 500C sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Ultra Center's is at 87 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Paradigm 500C a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Center, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Ultra Center can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas Premier 500C has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 105 watts less than the Ultra Center.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Ultra Center features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Premier 500C has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Paradigm 500C's Binding post terminals
SVS Ultra Center's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Paradigm 500C's and SVS Ultra Center's external dimensions. Paradigm 500C has external dimensions of 189.0 x 510.0 x 323.0mm (7-7/16 x 20-1/16 x 12-11/16inch) whereas SVS Ultra Center has external dimensions of 207.0 x 561.0 x 285.0mm (8-1/8 x 22-1/16 x 11-3/16inch).
Paradigm 500C is 51mm narrower and 18mm shorter than SVS Ultra Center but it is also 38mm deeper.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Paradigm 500C is approximately 1647.3cm2 / 255.3inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Center is approximately 1598.9cm2 / 247.8inch2. The Premier 500C requires 3% more surface area than the Ultra Center which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Paradigm 500C weighs 11.82kg / 26lbs and the SVS Ultra Center weighs 14.09kg / 31lbs. This makes the Ultra Center 19% heavier than the Premier 500C.
Here is a comparison of how Premier 500C and Ultra Center's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
What's in the Box of Paradigm 500C?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Premier 500C:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- Owners Manual
- Online Registration Card
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Center?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Center:
- Center channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
189mm
vs
207mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
225 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
45 Hz
vs
73 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1598cm2
vs
1647cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
799USD
vs
850USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Paradigm Premier 500C |
SVS Ultra Center |
| Brand |
Paradigm |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
15-120 watts |
20-225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
73-25k Hz |
45-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
carbon-infused polypropylene |
composite glass-fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
X-PAL dome with PPA (Perforated Phase-Aligning) lens |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
4" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
500Hz and 2200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
189.0mm (7.4") |
207.0mm (8.1") |
| Width |
510.0mm (20.1") |
561.0mm (22.1") |
| Depth |
323.0mm (12.7") |
285.0mm (11.2") |
| Weight |
11.82kg (26lbs) |
14.09kg (31lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Gloss White |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Paradigm 500C is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | SVS Ultra Center digs deeper - 45Hz against 73Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Paradigm 500C is more sensitive (92dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Ultra Center takes more power (225W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Sealed vs Ported. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it. |
| Expandability | depends | SVS Ultra Center: bi-amping. Paradigm 500C sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($850 vs $799 a pair). |
A Paradigm 500C B SVS Ultra Center
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
SVS Ultra Center has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 73Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Paradigm 500C the better fit for a small room, and SVS Ultra Center for a large room and a very large room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.