In this review, we will be comparing Premier 520LCR v2 and Premier 500C, two Passive Center Channel speakers by Paradigm
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 and Paradigm 500C first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 6" Woofer
- 75-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 93 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Weight:kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): " x 23-7/16" x 12-1/8"
Paradigm 500C Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" X-PAL dome with PPA (Perforated Phase-Aligning) lens Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 2 x 5.5" carbon-infused polypropylene Woofer
- 4" Midrange
- 73-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-120watts
- Weight:11.82kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 189.0" x 20-1/16" x 12-11/16"( 189.0 x 510.0 x 323.0mm )
Premier 520LCR v2 and Premier 500C are members of Paradigm's Premier series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Paradigm Premier Series
History
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 and Paradigm 500C compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Premier 520LCR v2 is a 2-way design whereas the Premier 500C is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 |
Paradigm 500C |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
Premier 520LCR v2 features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6" Woofer . On the other hand, the 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 .
Frequency Response
Premier 520LCR v2 has a frequency range of 75-23k Hz whereas Premier 500C has a frequency range of 73-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 73Hz, the Premier 500C can go slightly deeper then the Premier 520LCR v2's min frequency of 75Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
High Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Premier 520LCR v2 and Premier 500C have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Premier 520LCR v2 sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the Premier 500C's is at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 a more sensitive speaker compared to Paradigm 500C, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel Speakers
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Premier 520LCR v2 features Binding post type posts and Premier 500C has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Paradigm 500C's Binding post terminals
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Premier 520LCR v2's and Paradigm 500C's external dimensions. Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2 has external dimensions of ( ) whereas 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) .
Paradigm 500C is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 510mm wider, 189mm taller and 323mm deeper than Paradigm Premier 520LCR v2.
What's in the Box of Paradigm 500C?
Here are the items that come with the Premier 500C:
Center-channel loudspeakerGrille2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)4 Rubber feetOwners ManualOnline Registration Card