Center channel speakers recommendation

[ayaname]

My setup:

• 25" x 15" x 9" room
• 5.1 home theater system
• Front Left/Right - Canton Quinto 510
• Center - KLM unknown model
• Surround Left/Right - Canton GL 260
• Subwoofer - Polk PSW110 (want to replace with SVS PB-1000)

I am a novice in home theater setups. I inherited the old Canton speakers from my Dad so I did not spend any money on those.

When running sound tests like when setting up the receiver, the center speaker sounds distinctly different from the left and right. So I am investigating whether I should replace the center speaker with a speaker that's a better timbre match with my left/right speakers.

I contacted Canton and a rep recommended the Canton GLE 456. It's $400 and seems very expensive.

Do you have any recommendations for a cheaper solution?

Is there a more affordable Center Channel speaker that would be a good match for the Canton Quinto 510's?

Should I replace all 3 front speakers, and with what?

Thanks in advance.

 

[zieglj01]

Time to get new speakers and center for the front L/C/R channels.
Do you have some type of budget?

If not, then look for some type of Canton center on Ebay.

 

[ayaname]

Do you have some type of budget?

I am hoping to spend less than $200.

look for some type of Canton center on Ebay.

Would the Canton CD 50 II be a good timbre match? How can I tell without being able to listen to it in person hooked up to my home theater system?

 

[Pyrrho]

You might want to do without a center until you find a good match. Unfortunately, it is hard to know what will match what you have, other than another Canton Quinto 510, which would be a perfect match for your front right and left speakers.

Speaker manufacturers change their designs over the years, so it is very hard to know if anything current would really be a good match or not (though a manufacturer is almost certain to try to sell you something regardless). If you can find another Canton that uses the same tweeter and midrange as your Quinto 510 speakers, that would likely be a good match.


Canton made some good speakers over the years, so I imagine your Quinto 510 speakers are pretty good. So don't be too quick to replace them with something else just so that you can have matching speakers up front. Make sure you like them more than the Quinto 510 speakers or just do a "phantom" center (i.e., do without a center). And, of course, replacing all three up front with something better would cost you more than $200 anyway.

 

[ayaname]

Make sure you like them more than the Quinto 510 speakers or just do a "phantom" center (i.e., do without a center).

Interesting. Never thought to go without a center speaker. I will definitely try it out.

From some brief Googling, some people say that your Front Left/Right speakers need to be no more than 2M apart (6.6 feet). Mine are about 8 feet apart. And my viewing is a bit wide, not smack in the middle of the TV. Is it important for me to move the Front speakers as close together as possible and sit closer to the middle of the TV for the phantom center to work?

Thanks for your response.

 

[j_garcia]

If going phantom center, then yes, it will be preferable to have the speakers equally spaced from the display. Otherwise, most centered dialog (coming from both speakers and would have been only in the center) will sound like it is off to one side.

 

[LAB3]

Interesting. Never thought to go without a center speaker. I will definitely try it out.

From some brief Googling, some people say that your Front Left/Right speakers need to be no more than 2M apart (6.6 feet). Mine are about 8 feet apart. And my viewing is a bit wide, not smack in the middle of the TV. Is it important for me to move the Front speakers as close together as possible and sit closer to the middle of the TV for the phantom center to work?

Thanks for your response.

If you have your fronts 8 feet apart and towed IN some try setting the same distance back (centered) like a equilateral triangle and have the rears in line with the fronts and the same distance behind where you set, if you room is large enough. IMHO what ever the distance you have the fronts apart set back centered the same distance seems to image the best, giving you a phantom center speaker sound.. I see you can't set centered so adjust the balance to off set this, reduce the gain to speaker that is closet to you for a balanced L to R separation so they will image and give you a phantom speaker sound. I am forced to have my huge Cornwalls (fronts) 7 feet apart and I towed them in where I can almost look down the mid horn and set back 7 feet and have my rears inline with fronts 7 feet behind me. Try moving them around and experiment until they image correctly for your room and not being centered.

 

[Pyrrho]

Just to be clear, I am a strong advocate of having a center channel speaker. However, I would not go with bad front speakers to have one, nor would I advocate a mismatch to have one. Try to find a suitable center speaker, but do not settle for one that is not suitable.