Timbre Matching Old Speakers

[JustStartingOut]

Hi everyone,

I recently was given a very nice 3.1 home theater setup. My front speakers are paradigm monitors 7 v.2 with an infinity center channel and Klipsch r112sw. I bought a Yamaha rx-a860 to run everything. I am currently trying to find a center channel to upgrade to. I want to timbre match my two paradigms but since they are 10 years old I doubt I will be able to find a non used cc370 or a used one where I can actually go see the speaker. I have heard the monitor 3 v.7 is the match but is 5 version difference actually going to be a match? Another issue I have is the speaker needs to go under my TV and the monitor 3 v.7 is just a little too small for the stand. I was thinking about going with a Klipsch rp-450c since it can support the TV and it has good reviews. If I go with the monitors what solutions are there for center channel mounting? My TV is away from the wall and in a corner and the TV stand has no room for a center channel. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks for your help.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

Your best bets for a good timbre match are the CC170 or 370, as they had drivers that were identical to the Monitor 7. Another excellent option is the Mini Monitor, as it also had the same woofer and tweeter as the 7. It should be no problem finding any of these on ebay.

As far as the physical issues situating the speaker for actual use, no one can help you with that if you’re adamant about only using the cabinetry or stands you have on hand.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[JustStartingOut]

Okay that is good to know. I guess I should just keep an eye out for them. I don't want to buy one used without hearing it first though. Would you have any tips on good used speaker websites? Also is it the cc370 v2?

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

Well, you won’t be able to buy a used one before hearing it unless you can find one within driving distance.

As far as websites, there’s Audiogon or US Audio Mart and its international affiliates, but you can’t go wrong with ebay. If the speaker doesn’t work right or even doesn’t meet the seller’s physical description (e.g. he said it was pristine but it's scuffed up), ebay will get you a refund if you file a complaint.

If you’re simply worried about the timbre-matching aspect, it’s just a risk you’ll have to take if you want to keep your Monitor 7-based system. But there’s no reason why another speaker from the same series won’t be a good timbre match, save perhaps bass response in a large version vs. a small one. If you ultimately don’t like it, you can simply resell it and probably won’t lose a dime, save shipping costs.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[JustStartingOut]

Thank you so much for your help I will look on those websites! You have been a great help.

 

[j_garcia]

CC170 isn't very good. Look for the 370. v3 if you can find it, but v2 will work. The new monitor line are not like the older ones and will not match timbre.

 

[JustStartingOut]

Okay that's what I was afraid of as far as the trying the new monitor center channels. I have read some people say the reference studio cc v.2 can work as well. Does anyone know if this is true I know it is not an exact match. Should I just got with the cc370 v3 and not go for an upgrade? Is the cc370 slanted from front to back?

 

[class a]

There is a CC370 V3 on HI FI Shark for $165. It's being sold by Echo Audio a local Audio Store in Oregon.

 

[JustStartingOut]

I contacted them last night about its a great deal as long as shipping isn't too steep. Thanks for looking out!

 

[j_garcia]

Studio center will definitely not match either. The V2/V3 Studios were a noticeable step up from the V2/V3 Monitors. If you do that, you will end up wanting to upgrade to Studio mains

 

[JustStartingOut]

Haha I wish I could but right now I don't think I could spring it. Thank you everyone for your help if anyone has anymore input I would love it!

 

[JustStartingOut]

So I have found two listings for the cc 370 v3 but both are priced at 165 and 169. Neither are in excellent condition. It seems to me that these prices are a but steep for an 11 year old speaker that sold for 330. Am I being cheap? Is it because there is such little supply? I really have no clue how used speaker pricing works.

 

[j_garcia]

$330 new sounds high. Pretty sure I paid around $200 brand new for mine, however as long as the speaker functions, I think those prices are not out of the ballpark because these tend to hold more value than the bookshelf speakers from that era IMO. The centers were more rare than the mains. Offer less and see what they say.

 

[JustStartingOut]

So I found a cc 370 v3 for 140 and I got it. It is arriving on Monday so I will post updates on the sound and how my first timbre matched setup sounds as soon as I get it. Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[JustStartingOut]

I got the cc 370 and man did it make a difference. First of all the speaker is much higher quality then the infinity I was using and the timbre match just sounds great. A follow up questions to this is I was looking at the atoms v2 as surrounds so I could timbre match the whole set but the atoms don't have the same tweeter, woofer, sensitivity, or crossover. Are they really a timbre match? My space is too small for mini monitors or I would definitely go for it. If I cannot timbre match would the definitive technology mythos gem xl or cambridge minx min 22 be a decent solution for my setup? Would it be better to go without? Thanks for the help!

 

[j_garcia]

Atoms or Titans will be fine for surrounds. Otherwise you need Mini Monitors for a perfect match. Surround duty is a little less critical to match to the mains, more just that they match each other. I've owned them all - Atoms (v2), Titans (v1-v3), Minis (v2), Monitor 5s (v2, my favorite of these), CC170, CC370.