Center Channel Speakers

[Taxi]

If you don't have a good center, then get your act together! Much of the audio info that you get when listening to 5.1 comes from the center speaker, so it's critical to get one that sounds good to you, and that matches the sound (often called timbre [pronounced TAM ber.. Go figure]) of your front/surround speakers.

I just purchased a psb C5 center. It's a great speaker. I had a cheap-o JBL Good Guys special, so for me, the change was dramatic. I'm planning on buying a set of psb Stratus Golds, which is why I went with the Stratus C5 now, because I know they're timbre matched. I think the Status line are a nice compromise between sound quality and price. (I got my C5 for $343 on ebay. Not cheap, but not outrageous, I felt, for a speaker of this quality.)

I'd be interested to hear anybody's opinion about the pbs line of speakers, or center channel speakers in general.
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Taxi

I just got a Polk Audio CS 400 center channel and am very impressed. Know anything about bi-wiring? Cause my center and two fronts are enabled for them and I don't have the slightest clue as how to wire them properly?!?!

Any help is appreciated,
Matt

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Matt Brighton
DVD Authority

I've got the same speaker I use for my front left and rights as my center channel (Paradigm Atoms, I believe). Will I notice much of a difference if I use a REAL center channel?

CS

Matt,

Biwiring capability in a speaker means only that you have more options as to how to hook it up. Your first option, and the one your probably using, is to keep the supplied jumpers in place and run a single wire to each of the two main terminals. This is the usual way speakers are hooked up. Option two is to use different types of wire (if your the type that feels one type of wire is better for the high frequencies and another type is better for the lows)to each set of terminals on the speaker, but each wire is connected ot he same terminals on the back of the amp. Option three is to use a seperate amp for the high frequencies and run wires from this amp to the appropriate terminals, and then use a second amp for the lows and wire it to the low frequency terminals.

I've got a bit of an unusual set up myself, being that my speakers are bi-wirable. The main L/R speakers in my HT each have a 4" ribbon tweeter for highs and a 5.25" midrange with a 7" mid-woofer for lows. My amp has a unique option in that it has different circuitry for outputing a signal to the speakers- a current source set of terminals and a voltage source set of terminals. For conventional speakers with only cone type drivers only the voltage source need be used. But for ribbon and electrostatic type speakers, the current source provides a "tube" type sound by "softening" the highs a little. I've tried single wire hook up with the speakers' jumpers in place from the voltage source output and I've tried the bi-wiring option of the current source to my high frequency drivers and the voltage source to my lows. I prefer the later.

Anyway, bi-wiring is ONLY an option you can experiment a little with.

Cardshark,
You've actually got the best chance of an exact timbre match for your front soundstage. Probably pans very well from side to side. I wouldn't change a thing if I were you (unless you want to upgrade all three).

My 2 sense,
James M.


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HT equipment: Pioneer Elite Pro-100 RPTV (ISF calibrated)
Lexicon DC-1 pre/pro, Sunfire Cinema Grand amp, Adcom GFA-555II amp, Legacy Victoria L/R speakers, Legacy CinemaII center channel speaker, M&K SS150THX side surround speakers, Def. Tech BPX rear surround speakers, Velodyne F1800II sub., Sony HiFi VCR, Denon DCD-1500 CD player and DVD-3000 DVD player, NAD 1600 pre/tuner (used for powering up the system and radio reception only), Power Pack V line conditioner/enhancer, Adcom Ace 515 line conditioner/enhancer, LAT and Monster speaker cables, assortment of AudioQuest, Monster and XLO interconnects, various forms of component vibration isolation and room treatment