Polk Audio center channel

[cheapskete OCer]

anyone know the difference between the csi25 and the cs1 center ..they seem to have the same specs...im trying to get the most bang for the dollar..like alot of people.... and i can get the csi25 for 80 bucks or the cs1 for 119 ...is it worth the extra 40 dollars ...and wouldnt the csi25 match up better with my R50s and R15s...if theres anyone on here with exp in polk speakers let me know ..thanks

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

anyone know the difference between the csi25 and the cs1 center ..they seem to have the same specs...im trying to get the most bang for the dollar..like alot of people.... and i can get the csi25 for 80 bucks or the cs1 for 119 ...is it worth the extra 40 dollars ...and wouldnt the csi25 match up better with my R50s and R15s...if theres anyone on here with exp in polk speakers let me know ..thanks

There's some big differences between the two. First off, one is 4 ohm nominal, the other 8 ohm (huge difference in amplifier demand). One is larger, and weighs quite a bit more - CSi25. The issue is your existing speakers are 8 ohm nominal, so you really don't have much of a choice. The tweeters match, but the mid/woofer seems to be a different type (mineral filled polymer vs. bi-laminate composite). The website says the bookshelves go with the CS1, but doesn't say anything about your towers. My vote goes to the CS1.

 

[billnchristy]

I wouldnt get too hung up on the resistance of the speakers.

My mains are 6ohm, center 4ohm and rears are 8ohm, it really matters where that minimum impedence is reached and whether or not you will reach it often.

That being said I have no opinion on the above choices!

 

[Sheep]

I wouldnt get too hung up on the resistance of the speakers.

My mains are 6ohm, center 4ohm and rears are 8ohm, it really matters where that minimum impedence is reached and whether or not you will reach it often.

That being said I have no opinion on the above choices!

Uhmmm, the nominal impedance is the one that the amp will see the most. You should be worried about this, not the maximum.

If you're using a mid level receiver, you should aim for 8ohm speakers with no less then 88db efficiency.

SheepStar

 

[billnchristy]

This is what i mean. You hit that 6ohm mark at around 100hz and 2k, almost everywhere else in the frequency range you are sitting at 8 or more.

 

[Sheep]

This is what i mean. You hit that 6ohm mark at around 100hz and 2k, almost everywhere else in the frequency range you are sitting at 8 or more.

It stays at 6 for a good bit after 2KHz. Its just safer to take the 8ohm speaker. Plus, if the efficiency is low, you will have to crank that channel up, which adds more stress.

SheepStar

 

[cheapskete OCer]

so it looks like the cs1 with the 8ohm is the safer bet..the only thing that sucks though is what buckeye said about the woofers being made out of diff material..than the fronts and rears .im really goin for a matched set up here...is the material goin to make the difference ...i dont know ...i dont mind spending the extra 40 bucks if its worth it..i dont plan on upgrading for a few years so i want something good

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

so it looks like the cs1 with the 8ohm is the safer bet..the only thing that sucks though is what buckeye said about the woofers being made out of diff material..than the fronts and rears .im really goin for a matched set up here...is the material goin to make the difference ...i dont know ...i dont mind spending the extra 40 bucks if its worth it..i dont plan on upgrading for a few years so i want something good

Timber matching (tone) is paramount. The tweeter is more important in that setup, seeing how much of a Hz range it handles. I'd stick with the 8 ohm center, as you'd need twice the amplification to reach the same dB level with the 4 ohm center. That's quite a dB boost, but your receiver may be able to handle it with proper level matching. There's no doubt the quality of the 4 ohm center is a bit better (larger, heavier, same msrp), but it's just a pig of a speaker to try and drive along side 4 - 8ohm ohm speakers.

 

[cheapskete OCer]

I wonder if this reciever is capable of producing the power effecintly to the center at 4ohm and the rest of the speakers at 8ohm without consiquence...you would think with the auto-mic setup up it would compensate for that...basicly i dont know wich one to get and am relying on exp users opinions...from what ive read im starting to realize the center channel is a important factor when it comes to HT

 

[mytzen]

Polk recommends the CS2 to match R50's
http://www.polkaudio.com/education/showanswer.php?question_num=63
Their tweeters and mid/woofer both match size and material. They both are 0ohm nominal

 

[cheapskete OCer]

thanks for the link...but the page description is .....what center channel matches older model speakers......cs2 is expensive...im not paying that much for a center...but ofcourse i want a good one...im goin to call polk tomorrow and see what they recomend between the 2 ...but im still looking for more advice here

 

[cheapskete OCer]

i wasnt able to get ahold of polk today..but i was looking at the specs and reviews for the CS2 and it looks pretty impressive ...maybe i will spend the money on it...but that makes me wonder if the center is goin to out perform my other speakers ..lol

 

[mytzen]

you can always tone it down a little and if you cant afford it now maybe you could wait a little longer and save some up for it.

 

[MUCHO]

I could be wrong but I was under the impression the Csi25 WAS the timbre match for the R15/30/50.

I was also under the impression that Polk discontinued it and came out with a nearly identical more expensive model the CS1.

Save the $40.

I set a friend up with a R15 at the corners, Csi25 center, and Dayton sub for an inexpensive HT setup and he couldn't be happier. Bought at Frys on sale his entire speaker setup cost less than half of my sub does alone!

 

[cheapskete OCer]

i got a hold of polk today and they said the csi25 being rated at 4ohm was a typo and its 8 ohm he said it matched the r50s but that it was discontinued..now ofcourse i can get my hands on one..im one of those guys thouhg if i get the csi25 ill probably be dissappointed even though i shouldnt and think i need the cs2...desicions desicions

 

[MUCHO]

i got a hold of polk today and they said the csi25 being rated at 4ohm was a typo and its 8 ohm he said it matched the r50s but that it was discontinued..now ofcourse i can get my hands on one..im one of those guys thouhg if i get the csi25 ill probably be dissappointed even though i shouldnt and think i need the cs2...desicions desicions

Yea - sounds right.

I picked up my Csi25 for $40 slightly used. Look around. Craigslist, ebay ect.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

What makes you think the CSi25 isn't up to par with the CS1? The CSi25 is heavier by 7lbs, larger, and better looking. Plus, it's less expensive to you, even though they have the same MSRP. The CSi25 play 5Hz deeper because of the larger box. If it's truly 8 ohms, your decision is made.

 

[JAD2]

The CS1 isnt even a close match to the R lineup of speakers from Polk.
It uses the same drivers the monitor(M series)line uses, which is much brighter sounding then the R's which are neutral to a tad warm in sound.
Plus it doesnt have the same cosmetic appearance the R's do.

The CSi20 and 25 use the same tweeters as the R's do, but not the same mid range driver and is the closest to the R series.

I run R30's for fronts and RT25i's for rears and had the CS-1 for a center and for movies its OK, for music it was piercing sounding over the 30's on the front so I went to a CSi25.

Ebay has these all the time, sub $75 shipped!!

 

[cheapskete OCer]

ok thanks for the input guys...i think im goin to save myself some money then and get the csi25.