martin logan cinema with paradigme fronts ????????

Without hearing the combination, it's hard to state absolutely that they won't "work" together. However, I have yet to hear a system that has both electrostatic speakers and dynamic speakers that sounds well integrated (although the ML Prodigy comes very close). The ML Cinema is going to have a faster response time than the Studio 100's (which are good speakers), as well as a distinctly different tonality. I personally would advise against pairing these speakers together, but others may disagree. Is there some reason that you have decided against getting a Paradigm center speaker (Studio CC-570) to match your Studio 100's?

thanks sdcamble. i have a cc-570. i just want to do something different. i love the look of the ml's and the sound is out of this world. i just thought i should look at all the possibilities before making my decision. i was thinking of trying ml's across the front and keeping the paradigm for rears for now.

A ML set across the front should be outstanding, provided that your room is sufficiently large and appropriate for electrostatics, which need a good deal of room both behind and to the side of the speakers. If your listening room is either narrow or rather short, you may find that electrostatics won't have enough room to "breath".

I don't have direct experience with Paradigm, but I did try mis-matching speaker designs in my HT. I had an ML Logos center with AP Virgo mains. As Sdcampbell stated, I found that perceived speed was a primary determining factor of compatibility. Tonality was less of an issue when considering the nature of the home theater experience. Multi-channel music has demands that requires separate examination.

I believe it is a fact that matched fronts will provide optimum results for most applications. In my case for HT, the Virgos allowed a broader more even coverage than ML Aerius Is in the mains position. If you listen hard enough you will find distracting elements to the sound. If you are watching and listening to enjoy a video, it won't matter. I found the ability of the center channel speaker to resolve as necessary was critical. I felt the ML center clarity was excellent and the AP holographic abilities made for a nice match.