Can you recommend a good center channel speaker?

Question

I have a Pioneer VSX-D509S receiver and Sony tower speakers, SS-MF400H, if that makes a difference.

Should the box of the center speaker be made of wood?

Should I get a Sony center speaker since my towers are Sony?

Answer 1

Ive been reasearching speakers lately too.  I read alot of different opinions but the majority say that the center speaker's voice doesn't need to match the front a/b speakers.  But all agree the center speaker is VERY important. I bought a set of HK 5.1 speakers but Im getting a 7.1 pioneer reciever.  Plan on buying a Cerwin Vega for the center, as it is a better speaker in general than the H/Ks are.  The only time the center being a different voice might cause a problem from what I've read is with music but most agree it would be hard too hear and differences and having a High end center will make the overall system sound better.

Answer 2

If you are not a total audiophile then really you might not notice a difference. Any center channel will do. If you are a little more discerning like myself I reccomend getting the same Brand AND Series, Since you have Sony SS-MF towers, try and find out if sony makes a matching center channel. Speakers of the same brand/series with have the same tonal qualities and will "Match" as far as their sound goes.

If you cannot find a center or sony doesn't make one you could find a match for it but that is much more difficult. I would recommend first contacting a sony retailer and tracking down a similar center channel, if that is not possible then I would go to your local mom and pop high end audio dealer. If they don't carry sony most of those guys that work in there are nerds and can probably tell you a good match. Good Luck!

Answer 3

I have an infanity center speaker and it sound pretty good

Answer 4

I don't have any specific recommendations but it's always suggested you stick with one brand of speaker, if not the same family, as they will most likely sound good together ("voice matching"-- as each speaker is different, if you mis-match it might be really noticeable when something is coming out of a different speaker. A good setup will cause the speakers to almost disappear as individual points of sound). If you like the sound of your Sonys, definitely check there first.

Answer 5

Wow. Where are you guys hearing that the center does not need to match the L/R speakers?

I'm sorry, but I believe this is totally wrong.

The point of "surround sound" is that the sound should change location, but still be the same sound as it moves from speaker to speaker.  This requires not only the same brand, but the same model of speaker.  The enclosure, crossover, the drivers need to be nearly identical.  (This is what the sound-engineers who master the movie soundtracks use.)

Here is a little known truth about home theater: A set of cheap/un-accurate/down-right-crappy speakers can give you a fairly decent movie experience.  The secret is that the 5 speakers all tone-match, and are positioned & setup properly.

This is why some Home Theaters in a Box, retailing for $500-$900 work very well.  They dont sound so good with music,  but HT sound is different enough that it does not matter.

You could put a $1,500 NHT  center speaker next to some $2,500 DefTech L/R towers  and despite being 'good' speakers, the system will have noticeable shifts in tone which will blow the illusion of surround sound.

flaxxseed - My advice is that you should try to find a SS center to match those Sony towers. If not - audition and try to decide on a replacement set of speakers and start by buying the center.

A better choice : look on your local CraigslIst for people selling 5 identical speakers used.  I believe this will give you a better HT experience than even adding an expensive center in a miss-matched configuration.

Answer 6

Center Speakers are critical in a home theater since movies have most of the dialog allocated to the center channel. I strongly recommend getting a good one.

For music "timbre matching" (as suggested by other responders) is important but in my view is a little less important for speakers used primarily for home theater. I don't know, however, what your emphasis is, so judge accordingly.

I'm not going to recommend a specific model, but the first link is to a series of reviews that may prove useful. The second link is to a similar, but less varied series of reviews/ratings that is easier to search.

Finally, I include a link to an article on speaker orientation that may be of interest (depending on the speaker you choose).

Hope this is useful. Cheers.