Infinity Primus C25 review

As the only center-channel speaker in Infinity's Primus family, the $200 C25 has a simple primary directive: complement the rest of the lineup.

The C25 has the hard-edged box look common to most large center speakers, but Infinity softened it with a curved front baffle. Hiding under the contoured grille is a plastic baffle, nicely finished in silver. It's home to twin 5.25-inch woofers and a 0.75-inch tweeter, all of which incorporate Infinity's proprietary Metal Matrix Diaphragm technology. The drivers' anodized aluminum supposedly generates lower distortion than the more conventional plastic and metal. At the rear, all-metal connectors accept banana jacks or bare wire. The C25 is a fairly big specimen, measuring 7.6 inches high, 17.5 inches wide, and 9.6 inches deep. Its 17.6-pound bulk bespeaks solid build quality.

We used the C25 with some of its matching Infinity siblings: the top-of-the-line Primus 360 towers, the Primus 150 bookshelf monitors, and the PS 10 subwoofer. We tried the 150s in both the surround positions and up front as left and right main speakers. The C25 was always a good fit.

We were a little skeptical about the C25's ability to keep up with the massive towers, but the combination worked. The Dances with Wolves DVD sounded magnificent. The gunfire and that wonderfully heroic orchestral score were positively vivid, and Kevin Costner's voice was properly present and full-bodied. Pans across the front three speakers were smooth and even.

Switching to more-musical multichannel selections didn't faze the C25 a bit. The big drum that kicks off "Hotel California" on the Eagles' Hell Freezes Over DVD is anchored in the center channel, and the C25 wasn't at all shy about delivering the instrument's attack and weight.

If you like big, bold home-theater sound, the Primus posse is your kind of ensemble, and the C25 is a solid center-channel anchor. With its high-powered definition and its clarity, it won't be overwhelmed by its mighty siblings.