Paradigm Premier 500C

A crucial component for a cinematic experience

Paradigm’s Premier 500C center channel puts you in the action by delivering clear dialogue and engaging center channel surround sound effects. As part of Paradigm’s Premier Series, it offers an impressive level of sonic prowess at a price much lower than you might expect. For a complete Premier home theater setup, you can grab a pair of Premier towers, two Premier 100B bookshelf speakers, and a Defiance V12 subwoofer.

Careful research and precise engineering

The amount of research Paradigm conducts on sound and speaker design always impresses me. Take the ART™ (Active Ridge Technology) surround used in this speaker’s midrange and bass drivers. In studying how woofer cones and surrounds interact, Paradigm found that the spot where the two meet can cause some unwanted distortion, particularly at high excursion points. They discovered that by “overmolding” the cone to the surround, they could get 50% more excursion and far less distortion than traditional surrounds.

Both the patented 1″ X-PAL pure aluminum done tweeter and the 4″ midrange driver just below it use Paradigm’s PPA (Perforated Phase-Aligning) lens as a refined phase plug to block out a wide range of unwanted out-of-phase frequencies, for smooth, uncolored sound. Flanking the tweeter and midrange are two 5-1/2″ bass drivers made of carbon-infused polypropylene that give voices and effects some extra punch.

The cabinet is made of 3/4″ non-resonant MDF, and it’s tapered to reduce internal reflections and resonances, leading to cleaner, more accurate sound. The front baffle where the tweeter and mid/bass are mounted is an inch thick to reduce diffraction (a form of distortion) and to further control resonance.

Crafted in Canada

Premier Series speakers are made in Paradigm’s 225,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility located in Mississauga, Ontario. That allows the company to have control over every step in the production process. They design, build, test, and tune every speaker there to ensure each one has the company’s signature sound before it ever leaves the factory.

Partnered with Canada’s National Research Center

Paradigm is partnered with Canada’s largest federal research and development organization, the National Research Center (NRC). The two research the nature of sound and human hearing together, and their findings influence the design and performance of Paradigm’s loudspeakers and subwoofers. The result is a uniquely realistic sound that’s backed by ample scientific research.