In need of a center channel (1 Viewer)

[budiz]

Hello new member here. I recently acquired 4 pioneer elite tz 7 ltd speakers. They are beautiful and sound amazing. I am currently using 2 of them in my home theater setup as the right and left channel. They are 4 ohm speakers so i am powering them with a realistic sta 2280 connected to the preamp on my onkyo txds676.
I tried using a power amplifier (russound x75) in place of the realistic but i dont feel that it added anything, so i went back to the realistic. My real question is what center channel to pair my mains with. Currently I am using an older polk center channel with no model number and it sounds just ok. The surrounds are polk monitor 60's.
Any advice with be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[schan1269]

That is a tall order, but I'd start here...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PIONEER-ELITE-TZ-C700-CENTER-CHANNEL-SPEAKER-MINT-/120973810586?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item1c2a99db9a#ht_500wt_1414

 

[SoundDoc]

This will be a real problem. These speakers you have were designed with stereo in mind, not home theater. They are not as large as the 9 series, but nonetheless, they were designed to be used for stereo. In the age of quadraphonic music, if one had enough money, buying four just to hear Carmina Burana or Switched on Bach in quad could be done. But then television was still broadcasting in monaural.
All of that said, I'd first try using NO center and let your receiver work to create a phantom center. I've done it on occasion. In my present system, when I am watchimg programs that don't have much going on in surround, I'll switch back to stereo, which defeats the center speaker, and I can't tell the difference. But that's because my speakers - right, left, center, and surrounds are all the same (although I do use two subwoofers; one for LFE and the other to provide the extreme low bass for my front left and right speakers.
So here's your task if a phantom center won't work for you. Pick a relative good speaker, put in into the center position and park yourself in your listening position. sweep pink noise from speaker to speaker. If left and right sound the same, but the center is different, go find another center and so on. Since surround isn't so important in dialogue or setting the sound stage, almost anything will work and ideally you could use the other Elites you have. Another idea would be to switch to a projection system and park three of the Elites behind a screen, use the fourth as the rear surround, and continue using the Polks for the left and right surrounds.
The system I just retired, actually I am looking at it now, had a center that was voiced like the towers and that made for a wide sound stage. But towers failed the SAF test and the newer smaller speakers are being just tolerated. They, the smaller speakers, cost a hell of a lot more than my towers when they were in production for only two years and it took me six years to find them.

 

[budiz]

Thanks for your responses, I was looking at that center channel on ebay but didnt know if I could justify the cost without knowing if it would pair. Also considered another cheap pioneer center that is on sale now, the sp c21, but i didnt think that would do my elites justice. I did consider using one of the other elites as a center as well but ive just been at a loss for the best solution. I will let you know what I decide on, if anyone else has a suggestion I am listening. thanks again

 

[budiz]

I was thinking about trying this one out. BIC Acoustech PL-28 Center Speaker or maybe another big speaker on its side,

 

[SoundDoc]

If you do use a big, stacked driver, speaker, place it vertically. The point of the center speaker is to improve dialogue. One reason why most center speakers have woofers on either side of a tweeter is so that to focal point will be the center of the speaker. With a tower on its side, the focal point will still be the tweeter. In addition to the system I just retired, I have a set of Yamaha NS100 towers and the appropriate center. I would never have considered placing an NS100 on its side, but I did use them in a virtual center until I could find the correct center speaker.
If you can play a pink noise through both channels and, with your eyes closed, hear it come from between your speakers as if a slice of noise were coming at you, then, first, they are in phase, second, your room isn't mucking up the acoustics too badly, and third, you can get by without a center speaker until you find and afford the appropriate one.

 

[budiz]

thanks again for the response, basically i would be best off using one of my elites from the other set vertically? i was about to pull the trigger on the Premier Acoustic PA-8C, based on nothing more than a hunch. I appreciate the feedback and will inform when i do make a decision.