Price Paid:  $350.00 from ebay

Summary:
Let me make this clear to those who read this review: I like celestion speakers. I have had one set or another for twenty years. So when I went looking for a home theater set-up, I went looking for celestion.

Celestion speakers are one of those things that you either love or hate. If you are into heavy metal, hard rock, speed metal, etc., DO NOT BUY these speakers. You will be disappointed. Not at the speakers, but at how really bad these speakers make this music sound. Celestion speakers really shine for classical, jazz, female vocalists. Examples of the type of music that I listen to through these speakers are, Dave Mason, Sting, Bowie, Flim and the BB's, Steely Dan, Alan Parson's, and Pink Floyd.

I have compared the 'sound' of the C1's to the SL6si's. The SL6si's are better. But then I would expect that. The C1's have a smaller sealed box, different tweeter and bass drivers. However the celestion 'sound' is there. These speakers are better suited for casual FM listening, movie sound tracks and surround sound effects. Do not get me wrong, these speakers are still better than 90% of all the surround speakers you are likely to find under $1000.00.

The C1's like all the other speakers in the C series are hard on the amp. These are 4 ohm speakers. If you have a cheap amp or receiver, don't use it with the C1's. The C1's will damage your equipment. Many so-called high current amps and receivers have overstated specs. This speaker will expose your equipment for being a wimp.

I am constantly surprised at the sound I hear from these speakers, especially given the fact that I am watching and listening to TV. The sound quality of TV transmissions are really very poor. But ocassionally, a praticular program or commerical with a great sound track reminds me of why I bought these in the first place. The treble and mid-range are almost holographic.

The C1's generally sell for $499 per pair new. I found mine on ebay for around $350. These are generally not available on the secondary market, but if find a pair grab them. I went to my local Hi-fi shop looking at their trade-ins. I inquired about used celestion speaker, the manager told me they do not get any celestion speakers of any type because people do not sell them. Take that for what it's worth.

I am giving the C1's 5 stars for value, not only because I bought them used, but at $499 new, they are still a great buy.

My overall rating is a 4. These are not the best sounding speaker celestion makes, but they are much better than most other speaker manufacturer's speaker in this price range.

Strengths:
Similar as other Celestion Speakers. Excellent High end and midrange. Unique cabinet design. Split crossover/Bi-wireable. Power Handling (up to 100 watts.)

Weaknesses:
Typical celestion problems: Bass rolls off between 50-70hz.
Impedance Handling, needs a subwoofer.

Similar Products Used:
Celestion SL6si, SL600, Cambridge Soundworks