Center Speaker and More??

[HP409ss]

Hello, New member here. I have been reading over and thought I would finally join. I currently have a 5 year old Cambridge soundworks system. The center speaker is finally shot, and I am in need for a new one. The question is should I buy new fronts at the same time? They currently work fine as well as the rears. My current receiver is HK AVR330.

Also and recommendations on who I should sample as a replacement? I don't want to break the bank but want a good speaker.

Thanks for helping a newbie.

 

[corey]

Your front 3 need to work together. If you are happy with your fronts, call Cambridge & get the matching center.

If you have the upgrade bug, remember that when you buy your new center, you are committing to the matching fronts, even if you do not buy them at the same time.

 

[j_garcia]

Do you have a budget in mind?

If you're happy with the CSW, there's no reason why you don't have to stick with them, but as corey said, if the upgrade bug has bitten, you will be looking at replacing all 3 mains with another matching set ideally, at some point.

 

[HP409ss]

Do you have a budget in mind?

If you're happy with the CSW, there's no reason why you don't have to stick with them, but as corey said, if the upgrade bug has bitten, you will be looking at replacing all 3 mains with another matching set ideally, at some point.

I have been happy with the CSW's I have, The center has always been a bit weak compared to some others I have seen of the same size and price.

I only have about 1K to spend right now and don't want to put anything on credit. Are CSW speakers worth the money?

 

[j_garcia]

CSW are OK, but with that kind of budget, I'd be looking elsewhere. I like the M60s and M80s, but they don't really have a true matching center. I'd start with the standards like www.bwspeakers.com and www.paradigm.com for dealers in your area so you can give them a listen. If you have a Mordaunt Short dealer in your area, I'd give them a listen too. Those speakers can be found online for great prices at www.ac4l.com .

Internet direct will likely give you a better bang for your buck though. I'd recommend you take a serious look at www.ascendacoustics.com , because you can get 2 CBM-170SEs and a CMT-340SE center or even 3 CMT-340s well within your budget. Also see www.axiomaudio.com and www.av123.com , and I'm sure there will be others recommended as well.

 

[tomd51]

I have been happy with the CSW's I have, The center has always been a bit weak compared to some others I have seen of the same size and price.

I only have about 1K to spend right now and don't want to put anything on credit. Are CSW speakers worth the money?

Greetings HP409ss (sounds like an R2 unit...);
As your familiar with the CSW sound and seem to be pleased with them, you many want to check out some of the Newton series. I've been pretty happy with their balance of music and HT performance as well as their aesthetics in a secondary setup. I have a feeling I know what center you're referring to and they do have much better options out now...

As they're a bit overpriced IMHO, I would strongly suggest ordering from their outlet store or from their eBay store. Their eBay store is returns/refurbs that offer substantial discounts from new. I've ordered quite a few speakers from their eBay store and all of them have looked brand new. Going this route would give you a very nice front soundstage (L/C/R) for much less than your budget. You could even get a 5 speaker package for less than your 1K budget as well. These speakers also fall under the 45 day money back guarantee if you're not satisfied, so its a very low risk option.

Lastly, not sure what you're running for a sub, but a quality sub will make a big difference in performance as well, so this may be a consideration in addition to the fronts and center.... -TD

 

[JennAir]

http://www.us.alegriaaudio.com/RosaLCR.htm