Looking for center channel to complete system (1 Viewer)

[Heavy D]

Hi everyone, new member here. I haven't had a chance to browse around too much, but I'm sure there is a ton of info here. This is my first HT system, but I've put together a couple of car audio systems in the past so I kind of know my way around audio equipment.

Anyway, I'm looking for a center channel speaker to complete my basement home theater system. The system is nothing major since I'm just a college student on a tight budget. I aimed to put together a modest system that would get the job done for gaming, movies, and music. Here's my current setup:

Receiver: Pioneer VSX-815

Front speakers: Some homemade ones my Dad built when he was in high school. Don't laugh! They sound pretty darn good IMO. I have no idea what they consist of other than 10" woofers from a jukebox and some horns. I know they seem like a joke, but they really do sound pretty decent with fairly flat in-room response down to ~35-40Hz.

Rear speakers: Some older BIC bookshelves. Can't remember the model # off the top of my head.

Sub: DIY passive radiator setup with a Dayton 12" driver and 8" PR. 350W Rhythmik Audio amp.

I want a center channel speaker with a voice that will blend nicely with the rest of my "random" system. I'm not looking for something really expensive since I'm on a budget, just something that will get the job done and isn't crap. The system is used probably 60% for gaming and 20% alike for music and movies. Any suggestions?? Thanks!!

 

[JohnRice]

There's just no way to answer that question. How can anyone possibly recommend a center "that will blend nicely with the rest of my "random" system" when the front speakers are home made? All you can do is try every speaker in your price range until you find one that matches tolerably. Fortunately, most big box retailers have generous return policies.

Welcome to the forum, BTW.

 

[Heavy D]

Are there any center channel speakers that are considered "neutral" i.e. they don't have an extremely characteristic or unique sound? Are there any brands/models that people typically use when their systems have a lot of different speaker brands in them? I can't believe I'm the only person with a bunch of different speakers who's looking to complete a system. If you can't provide any specific recommendations, are there any brands you would generally recommend over others?

 

[JohnRice]

Donnie, don't you see the irony in asking for a speaker to "blend into" a patched together system? No doubt someone will come in with blind recommendations, but when everything is just thrown together to begin with, what difference will one more make?

 

[Heavy D]

Yeah, I mean I guess I can see how having one more oddball wouldn't really make a difference, but I just didn't want to buy something that would sound too out of place or draw unwanted attention to itself.

To ask a question that's hopefully easier to answer, could you recommend some good brands/models for under $200? My receiver is rated at 100W RMS/channel at 8 ohms. Thanks guys.

 

[clubfoot]

The best recommendation I can make is to build another front for the centre, odd as it may seem. What the other posters are alluding to is the ideal of having "all" your speakers the same "voice" for LCR and surrounds! That way as the sound pans from speaker to speaker it will sound the same.

 

[Heavy D]

Right, which is what I was trying to avoid by getting a "neutral" center speaker, but in retrospect I realize that there may not be such a thing. I know every speaker out there is going to have its own unique sound and I was hoping that maybe this might not be so pronounced in some models. I realize that this was probably an unrealistic hope.

 

[JohnRice]

Donnie, the point is, even if you got a "neutral" center, it will be a bad match for the front speakers unless they reasonably match it in sound. Maybe your fronts are actually quite bright or dark. Then a "neutral" speaker will be a bad match. Since the fronts are home made, there is absolutely no way any of us can possibly know what to match them with.

 

[Heavy D]

Yeah, makes sense now.

I think I'd like to try something from Polk. Based on internet prices (MySimon), the CS1, CS2, CSi25, and CSi3 are in my price range. Would any of these be a decent choice? Is one better than the others in terms of bang for the buck?

 

[gene c]

The CSi3 is the best of the bunch but the CSi25 (and it's not-quite-as-good replacement, the CSR) can be found, at times, for $60-70. And since any center, at any price, isn't going to sound right in your situation, I'd stick to the least expensive option.

 

[JohnRice]

Donnie, I'll repeat my initial suggestion, and then probably just duck out. All you can do is try speakers until you find one which blends in decently. Considering the other fronts are home made, there may not be a decent match.

 

[Heavy D]

I understand this and am past it lol. You've made this abundantly clear. All I'm asking now is whether Speaker X is a better choice than Speaker Y based on quality and any previous experiences from members here. I don't have, nor do I really want to spend, the money necessary to try out 3 or 4 different centers until I find the "right" one for my crazy system. I'll probably be out of college by then and on to a totally new system. I'm deciding to take a chance with Polk and was just wondering which of their speakers would be the best choice for ~$200 or less. If it's just a matter of "buy the best model you can with your budget" then I'll do that. Sorry to bug you guys with such an unanswerable question, didn't mean to be a pest.

 

[gene c]

I've owned RTi's (still have'm) and condider them to be somewhat brite. A friend had Polk R50's which is the same family the CSi25 belongs to, and they were not nearly as brite. I have no first hand experience with the CS1 or CS2 but suspect that they're closer to the 3 than the 25. Having said that, I agree with everything John has said. But since you're going to buy a center speaker, and probably one of those Polks, and it doesn't look like you're going to audition any of them, and it's going to be replaced eventually anyway, I say get the cheapest one and be done with it . And usually that means the CSi25 or the CSR which happen to be (IMO) the more neutral of the group. But I really don't think that's going to matter.

 

[Heavy D]

Cool, thanks for the info gene. I don't like really bright speakers, so that helps a lot.