BBT,
outside of price, any other limitations, namely size and placement? Per usual, many people are promoting the "matching center". It is imo that this point is sometimes over-emphasized. Though many here have the impression that it is the front sound-stage that is key, I find often times the mains are simply surround speakers that happen to be placed up front. Also, I have been told that Dolby and DTS recommend a similar size speaker as more important than matching brands. Of course, matching brands does help to match timbre. But I feel this is much less important with HT than it is with mult-ch music.
Anyways, can you have a tower as a center? A bookshelf? If it has to be horizontal, can it be placed on a stand in front/below display? If not, what kind of dimensions are the limitations? (and what are the dimensions of your mains?)
Me? what I would look for in a center? Lack of sibilance and/or "accuracy" of dialogue. Then dispersion and extension would be a very distant 2nd/3rd. While perfectly matching (assuming that matching would be more important than size) is cool and all, would you take a healthy amount of sibilance to be sure to match? I wouldn't.
Then again, some speakers can sound more similarly than others. Just my opinions, have fun.
