(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best center channel speakers

700 square feet is a decent sized room. I'm a big fan of bookshelf speakers, but towers would work better with that size probably. Unfortunately, towers generally have worse quality than bookshelves for the same price. Also unfortunately, most tower speakers in that price range don't make enough bass to really shake the house or anything. They add more drivers to get louder, not to get lower.

So, I think a pair of speakers will be better than a surround system for this. 50% music is a lot of music, and music is only 2 channel, meaning you'll only be using the 2 even if you have 5. Also, I think that a pair of good speakers is more immersive than bad speakers all around you.

That being said, You're in luck. One of my favorite tower speakers are on sale.

Wharfedale Reva 3 towers. Normally, $1500, they're on sale for $1000. That's a good price for those. They're a very smooth and easy to listen to speaker. I'm a big fan. They get down to 40hz which is decent.

My next choice would be a pair of KEF Q550s. They only get down to 58hz. You'll probably want a sub eventually, but for now they'll be good. They're punchy and fast and detailed. The Wharfedales are more of a laid back speaker, and these are a bit brighter, meaning you'll be hearing a lot of detail in the top end. The reason I like these would be for home theater use. Because they're so detailed up top, vocals will be extremely clear. KEFs are some of my favorites for vocal reproduction. So these will be the best of both worlds. Good for music and good for movies.

With those, you'll want an amp.

So, I'm going to recommend that you get a surround receiver. You can always expand the system if you want. Rears and a center.

A Denon receiver would be fantastic. It has bluetooth, plenty of power, and 5 channels for surround.

When you look into subwoofers, Rythmik, REL, or HSU are what you want. Rythmik or HSU if you're concerned more about shaking the house and really digging deep. REL if you want something a bit more accurate, but they won't be able to get as low.

Let me know what you think. If you want to get a surround system straight off the bat, we can do that to. But I think a pair of speakers that you can expand on would be much better.

Okay, some of these I have correct pricing, some of these I'm guessing, but here goes. It's definitley harder to get some of this stuff in the UK without going through a distributor. First, you'll need a receiver. So for those, check out Denon, Yamaha, and Marantz, and spend around $500 for the best you can buy. All of them are pretty comparable. Something like this would fit your needs perfectly, although you could go up to the x2300w instead. Now for speakers and subwoofer:

1. Hsu Research
   These would be incredible. Their subwoofers are some of the best, so getting the 5.1 setup of this would be a very good setup. Looking at the rest of their website, they have combo packages of their lower end speakers as well, which are still very good speakers. The price should be within your budget, but I'd shoot them an email about shipping to the UK.
   
   
2. SVS. This is another great option, although like HSU, you'll have to go through a UK dealer. But, with this system, and one of SVS's subwoofers (pick literally any one of them that you can afford, theyre all awesome), you'll have a great setup.
   
   
3. KEF. A great british speaker company. Buy 2 pairs of these; one of these; and one of the subwoofers from one of those two brands I listed above, or even this one instead.

I looked it up and you have dome tweeters so don't get anything with a horns such as Klipsch. However they are from a home theater in a box which generally speaking aren't great. My suggestion is you should get the center now but plan on buying the matching left and right as soon as you can. The issues you could run into with running miss matched from stage (LCR) is timber imbalance where sounds don't have the same volume or pitch so sounds traveling across your front stage could sound like aaaaaaAAAAAAAaaaaaaa. My suggestion is listen to some bookshelf speakers and find ones you like then buy the center that matches them. Here are some options I found on Amazon but going to local shops to listen would be best:

• Fluance XL7C they are a Canadian company and make products that are great for what they cost this is $10 over budget though
  
  
• Sony Core Series center known to be a smidge bright I believe in store at best buy
  
  
• Pioneer SP-C22 Andrew Jones is a well regarded speaker designer and most of his products have a sound signature that's well liked
  
  
• Micca MB42X-C the cheapest you could go
  
  
• Polk CSR Polk is a good brand haven't heard anything about these however in store at best buy
  
  
• Paradigm Cinema 110 C heard good things about this brand don't know how their entry level stuff is
  
  I'd look up what the matching bookshelf speakers cost and factor that in as well.

Infinity makes great speakers, but they are tinny. If you want to find a center channel, I'd definitely be looking for something warm, but since we need to find something with a similar sound scratches head. Matching up to the towers I'd go with a Klipsch as they are horn loaded tweeters and should provide some blend.

As for the surrounds...try adjusting your receiver. Surrounds are designed to do just that, unless you are in full 5-channel or more stereo. Receivers really should be flat on the EQ, and that will make your speakers feel warmer, and more natural sounding.

Adjust your subwoofer to pickup wherever you set the cut-off so it can pickup the difference. Perhaps maybe around 85hz if the speakers are playing 90+ or above, that can create a tinny sound on it's own. I'd say 80hz (Full-range) would be for the fronts, and place the rears at 85hz. The fronts will sound warmer playing the full octave.

A Klipsch that can keep up with the towers...Klipsch RC-42 II should do the trick. Just adjust the levels so the towers are knocked down a bit and they won't overpower the center. Blending non-voice matched speakers can take a minute, but I'm sure you'll get it.

http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Reference-Series-Channel-Loudspeaker/dp/B0040QMTK4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381817266&sr=8-2&keywords=klipsch+center

> What do you think about 5-Channel Stereo? I'll have 5 or 7 speakers, and I wonder if sound coming from all of them, around the room, would be nice. Any thoughts?

I don't personally like it, but you're free to try it when you get it setup. You're not wrong if you do like it either, it's all personal preference.

> Do you think I could get a good quality receiver + 5.1 or 7.1 speaker set for up to $3,500?

Definitely!

I've spent a bunch of time listening to speakers in stores, and if you gave me $3500 right now, I'd go out and buy this:

• GoldenEar Aon3 bookshelf speakers for the fronts, $1000 a pair
  
• GoldenEar Supercenter XL - $800
  
• Polk FXI A4 bookshelf speakers for the rears - $400 a pair
  
• SVS SB-1000 subwoofer for $500
  
• Marantz SR7009 receiver for $800
  
  That'll clock in right at $3500 though you still need $50-$100 or so for speaker cables and such. The only downside is GoldenEar can be hard to find because they only sell in stores and not online. If you don't have a dealer near you, my next best speakers are the Monitor Silver 2's at $1050 a pair with matching center speaker for $800. If you wanted floorstanding fronts instead, you could drop down to the Monitor Bronze 5's which are $630 a pair on Amazon now, with a matching center channel which is only $228.

For $500, disregard measly PC speakers.

Buy a discrete amplifier (aka, a home theater receiver) and put together a real sound system that'll knock your socks off.

The average receiver will provide you with ~100w per channel, which is nearly twice as much power as most PC speakers are capable of. Granted, that comes at the expense of requiring larger cabinets.

Onkyo is inarguably the best bang for your buck, but since you'll be using your sound card's DSP capabilities, you really only need something to make your signal louder. For that, I'd recommend saving some money and going with Sony.

As far as the speakers themselves are concerned, go for ones that are at least two-way (tweeter and woofer). Full-range speakers are a lot more convenient, but nothing beats having speakers with dedicated drivers for highs, mids, and lows.

Two sets of these and a center channel and you should be set (those are just examples, not an actual recommendation).

Trust me, after having a setup with true power connected to your computer, PC speakers seem like toys for your iPod.

You can certainly go the super budget route and get something like that Pioneer set, but there are two main reasons I would advise against that:

• With a set like that, you're pretty much limited to what the set offers for the entire duration that you own that system. The minute you want to upgrade, you'll likely find that you want to start from scratch.
  
• Budget sets that come with a companion subwoofer don't typically offer a great subwoofer (usually pretty mediocre or otherwise terrible).
  
  And, to be honest, a little patience and some research will usually yield a longer lasting, quality system that you will be less likely to want to upgrade sooner. (One of the few exceptions to this would be the SVS Prime Bookshelf Surround set, which is highly regarded.)
  
  If you're gonna start with L/C/R, here are my suggestions around (and slightly above) $500:
  
  
• Polk S20 + S30 ($460)
  
• Q Acoustics 3020i + 3090Ci ($490)
  
• Elac B6.2 + C6.2 ($560)
  
• HTD Level Three Bookshelf + Center ($580)
  
• Chane A1.5 + A2.5 ($630)

Ok cool. No need for me to drag this out too much more but here in Denver we have amazing deals such as this one:

https://denver.craigslist.org/ele/6107718293.html

Anyways - what I'd do is this - grab a Yamaha RX-V379bl or similar for around $230.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00V5VJ3TM/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1494299813&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=yamaha+2.2+4k&dpPl=1&dpID=31pVrlfIHSL&ref=plSrch

Then I'd grab something like these tannoy towers for $280.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01AT33J6O/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1494300026&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=tannoy+speaker&dpPl=1&dpID=41s1xNU9wbL&ref=plSrch

This center for $200

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LYSQXK4/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1494300530&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=tannoy+eclipse&dpPl=1&dpID=41ulOt6tZhL&ref=plSrch

And a few of these for the rears.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MF7Z6WZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1494300662&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=tannoy+eclipse&dpPl=1&dpID=414LYZKE-6L&ref=plSrch

For a budget subwoofer you are hard pressed to beat the Parts Express lineup such as this one.

https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-1000-10-100-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-628

This is just a sample as there are a ton of options out there --- good luck!!

Hey I'll try to help you out.
First things first that's a nice TV stand but it might be hard to add a receiver or center speaker into. Your space is tight so I'd rule out towers and focus on bookshelf speakers with stands. And also your budget will make it hard for a quality 3.1 setup. Id focus on 3.0 or 2.1. You might get recommendations on big bundles of cheap speakers but nah, start with quality speakers and go up from there.

With that being said, to match your beautiful white TV stand, I'll recommend some pretty white bookshelf speakers Q Acoustics 3020i $299

Matching center

Leaves you roughly $200 to find a refurbed Denon receiver from accessories4less or from Amazon renewed

Add some 16 gauge speaker wire and you are set to go. Save up for the subwoofer of your choice and you're off towards quality audio!

I need help...(scroll down for TL:DR) My turntable needs to get louder and have more low end. My receiver is usually blaring when gaming or watching TV at "-10 db" however when I play my turn table at the same setting it is quieter. Not silent or really low mind you, but not quite as loud. When I turn up my receiver higher to compensate it will eventually go into protection mode and turn itself off (no bueno, I know).

Here is my setup:

Turntable: Technics SL-1300
Cartridge: Shure M97xE
Receiver: Denon AVR-391
Pre-Amp: Behringer PP400

Speakers:

Front Bookshelf Speakers: Panasonic SP-BS22-LR
Rear Speakers: Polk TL1
Center Speaker: Polk TL1 Center
Woofer: Pioneer SW-8MK


So, as you can see, for speakers I have a 5.1 speaker set up. I can run my turntable in Pro Logic, Multi-Channel Stereo, Stereo, Direct (whatever that means), Virtual, and DTS Neo. I am not really sure what would be best but I would like to use a setting that also uses my subwoofer as it is it's own powered speaker. Is that ok for the receiver to split it into Pro Logic or something else from the analog signal or not? As far as my connection I have the RCA cord coming from my pre-amp and connected to my "Dock" RCA input which is 1 of 3 RCA inputs on my receiver (Dock, Sat, DVD). Also my turntable is grounded to my preamp.

I am at a loss of what to do as it's never quite loud enough for my liking. I don't need it to be breaking windows but I would like to be able to rock out once and awhile.


TL:DR I guess what I'm asking is what setting should my Receiver be on and would a new pre-amp increase my volume?

1. I forgot the 6012 needs a 2ch amp to make it 11ch, a <$100 Dayton one would work.
   
   
2. 15ft is far, so yeah you’d need Klipsch as they are highly efficient (PSA makes much better speakers, but a lot more expensive).
   
   
3. Can you even fit rear surrounds? For sure surrounds, get the Fluance XLBP for $200, and for Atmos get these in-ceilings.
   
   
4. I wouldn’t get the RP-280F, as pairing 8” woofers with a 1” tweeter isn’t good. Also, that’s the old gen, the new gen is supposed to be decently better, and the RP-6000F is only $800 and the RP-600C is $500.

A 3.1, or possibly even a 3.2 setup down the road, should do nicely. I would highly consider these Emptek (now RBH sound) speakers and this matching Center, along with a sub of your choice. The Bic F12 is a local favorite. This leaves some change (~$400) for a receiver and wires and whatnot, or maybe some speaker stands.

Those speakers really sound fantastic though, and they look like something you would normally find in the $1000+ range of bookshelves. Plus, they match your furniture pretty well, so thats a plus.

Yes, the receiver is good and you can do 7.1 or 5.1.2 (Atmos) with it.

However the speakers and subwoofer are not very good.

Instead of buying 5 most basic quality speakers and 1 most basic quality subwoofer, it is often better to start with 2 better bookshelf speakers, then maybe the matching center or a better brand subwoofer, then add on what you are missing later.

For example,

Q Acoustics 3020 with Q Acoustics 3090 Center.

Monitor Audio Bronze with Monitor Audio Bronze Centre

Dali Spektor Bookshelf Speakers and Center

Mission QX-1 with Mission LX-C Centre

Subwoofer:

Wharfedale Diamond SW150

Monitor Audio Mrw10

If you do go with the HTiB system, then upgrading the 3 front speakers and subwoofer later will improve the sound the most.

There are a lot of option between polk and SVS!

I'm not very well versed on audio outlets from the Netherlands, but it does look like the Klipsch SW115 subwoofer is available on Amazon.de for only €318.00 link. That's a crazy deal considering the same model is currently being sold for $800USD in the states. Link. You really won't find anything else that comes anywhere close for only €318.

My personal recommendation would be to buy the receiver + sub immediately and then replace your main speakers as you can but you can honestly do much better than Polk with your budget.

Stage 1: €668

• Denon X1500H - €340
  
  
• Klipsch SW115 - €318
  
  Stage 2: With your original budget of €1500 - you have €832 left after buying the above receiver and sub.
  
  
• Option 1 Towers: Jamo C95 x2 and Jamo C9 Center. = €758
  
  
• Option 2 Bookshelves: Jamo C93 pair and Jamo C9 Center. = €513
  
  
  You’re way under €1500 budget either option you go, and there’s a monumental difference between the Polk signature series and the Jamo concert series. The Jamo will be better in about every way. Use your existing speakers as surrounds with the Jamo at first and upgrade down the road if you want, they do not have to match your main speakers.

Several UK guys have posted they got some Good Deals on Sale items at Richer Sounds but Amaon Uk has some Good Stuff.

You need an AV receiver and 2 speakers to start, then add a center then your sub or surrounds.

Unless you buy Used an AV receiver starts at about $220 plus $80-$150 for 2 speakers.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Denon-AVR-X250BT-5-1channels-Surround-channels/dp/B07DRP4N1P

plus

If you start with smaller speakers like these you could move them to the surrounds Later when you get Bigger front speakers:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mordaunt-Short-Compact-Bookshelf-Speakers-Black/dp/B00L5882A6

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cambridge-Audio-SX-50-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B00ELK7XUA

or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mission-LX-1-Bookshelf-Speaker-Black-Wood/dp/B00Y0NZBUW

or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mordaunt-Short-Compact-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B00L5884ZY

or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wharfedale-9-1-Diamond/dp/B002WJAQY2

or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wharfedale-Diamond-220/dp/B00OHHF37C

Center speakers:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TANNOY-Eclipse-Centre-Speaker-Black/dp/B01LYSQXK4

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cambridge-Audio-Aero-Walnut-Speaker/dp/B00FM5RSFI

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wharfedale-Diamond-11-CC-Centre-Speaker/dp/B074N2N3CF

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mission-LX-C-Centre-Channel-Speaker-Black-Wood/dp/B01MYNDMXR

​

Usually if you have a Newish TV - everything connects to AV receiver via HDMI then a single HDMi connects to TV. Speakers connect to receiver with speaker wire. If you have an Older TV without HDMI, you connect DVD player, cable box etc to TV via RCA cables and run optical from TV to receiver.

I honestly dont think there's a better buy than the MK402's! for the price (especially if you are in the US) they are a steal. I have watched several movies with them and was impressed! Mind you, there's also the center channel version of them that is even better. Some have experimented getting two and putting them in vertical position and apparently they rock!

Okay so I think I’ve got a good setup pre planned!

Dayton Audio B652-AIR 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker with AMT Tweeter Pair https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NOA58RS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WVIyCbYFCB1PM

Dayton Audio SUB-1000 10-Inch 100 Watt Powered Subwoofer (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0063NU3AA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_

Dayton Audio MK442 Dual 4" 2-Way Center Channel Speaker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BVVNVXT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vWIyCb0Q5DY0B

Are you in the UK or the US? Other speakers I'd consider in that price range are Martin Logan Motion LX 16: http://smile.amazon.com/MartinLogan-LX16-Piano-Bookshelf-Speaker/dp/B0061LG5H4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458566049&sr=8-2&keywords=martin+logan+motion

Motion 30 center: http://smile.amazon.com/MartinLogan-Motion-Gloss-Black-Loudspeaker/dp/B008YJIWJK/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1458566049&sr=8-16&keywords=martin+logan+motion

For surrounds which are not critical at all I'd opt for something like a pair of Micca MB42x speakers ($90 a pair.) If that saves you enough to go with towers up front I'd get: http://smile.amazon.com/MartinLogan-Motion-Gloss-Black-Floorstanding/dp/B007THXXXS/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1458566049&sr=8-7&keywords=martin+logan+motion

For sub, to stay with commensurate quality I'd go with either:

This: http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-3mk5HP.html

or this: http://www.rythmikaudio.com/LVX12.html


I'll leave the TV recommendations to those that keep up with that.

Thanks everyone. My wife loves the idea of in walls, but you've confirmed my fear about the angled speaker.

After some in depth mockup, a new option is a set of Polk RTi4's and a CS1 center. Currently listed for a good price on craigslist. I'd use some side clamping mounting brackets to mount them to the wall.
Here's the fancy mockup. http://imgur.com/a/eoehU

Here's a link to the fronts:
http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Performance-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B0000E2XEB

And the center:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002MPMAE/

And the speaker mount:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000X9O8SI/

Looking to invest in a 5.1 speaker setup for my TV in the future. For now my budget is about €500-€600. I can start with a 3.0 system and upgrade later on by adding rears and a sub. The budget is including a receiver and any other gear necessary. For the complete 5.1 set, I don't want to go far above €1000.

The room is about 13 by 23 feet or 4 by 7 meters, and about 3/5th of that space is used for the TV area. I have some good positions for the speakers, however 1 rear speaker will be placed in the corner of the room. Is this really that bad? I don't really have any other options.

I'd like for the front speakers to be towers, although I understand that's probably a stretch at this pricepoint. The reason for this is that my cat for some reason likes to lean on tall objects and push them over. Not sure if she'd be able to push over speakers on a stand?

EDIT: So after doing a lot of research and asking around about different products. I've put together a small list:

• Q-Acoustics 3020i as front and rear speakers (€250 + €250 = €500)
  
• Q-Acoustics 3090Ci as center speaker (€180)
  
• Denon AVR-X 1500H as AV receiver (€300)
  
  So that's a total of €980. Any opinions on this list? I might consider getting the Elac Debut B5 speakers (€266) as front speakers or getting 2 towers once I upgrade from 3.1 to 5.1. But those are too big to be used as rear speakers. I'll still need a subwoofer, especially since those bookshelf speakers only drop to 65hz. Any suggestions on what budget subwoofer to purchase?

I would match Reference Premiere Centre to the bookshelves, not stop down to the normal Reference series.

https://www.amazon.ca/Klipsch-RP-500C-Center-Channel-Speaker/dp/B07G39V6FW

Polk Audio TSi400 3.0 Home Theater Speaker Package (Black)

or

Dayton MK442 T transmission line tower speakers pair

Dayton Audio MK442 2-Way Center Channel Speaker with Dual 4" Treated Paper Woofers and Silk Dome Tweeter

Jamo studio 805 pair

and

jamo studio center

Receiver: https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavrx2400h/denon-avr-x2400h-7.2-ch-x-95-watts-a/v-receiver-w/heos/1.html

L&R Speakers: https://www.amazon.com/Acoustics-3050i-Floorstanding-Speaker-Graphite/dp/B07D7G2SGB

CC: https://www.amazon.com/Acoustics-3090Ci-Center-Speaker-Carbon/dp/B07C7264S4

Sub: http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-2mk5.html

Just need to pick some surrounds, and you'll still have about $500 to do that.

CS1 series II is readily available. Is that a match?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290210

Then there's this, that says it's the old version, but one reviewer says it's the Series II.

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Monitor-Channel-Speaker/dp/B0002MPMAE