center speaker suggestions

[presto75]

Hi,

I'm about to purchase a Harman Kardon AVR 525--I already have a pair of Celestion 5's that I want to continue to use as my left and right. I'm looking for some advice on a center channel that would match my celestions. Any thoughts? According to CNET's Surround-sound Buying Guide, matching, is very important:

"First, matching the treble/midrange/bass balance of the center channel to the front speakers is key, and secondly, if the left/right speakers are fairly large, try to get the largest possible center speaker. Try not to rely on the sub to provide the bass for the center speaker. Small center speakers always sound, well, small."

Here are some of the relevant specs of my Celestion 5's:

Crossover: 5 element: 4kHz - 2nd order low and high pass
Power Handling: 90 watts programme
Impedance: 8ohms

Your thoughts/suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

[Tarheel_]

Hi,

I'm about to purchase a Harman Kardon AVR 525--I already have a pair of Celestion 5's that I want to continue to use as my left and right. I'm looking for some advice on a center channel that would match my celestions. Any thoughts? According to CNET's Surround-sound Buying Guide, matching, is very important:

"First, matching the treble/midrange/bass balance of the center channel to the front speakers is key, and secondly, if the left/right speakers are fairly large, try to get the largest possible center speaker. Try not to rely on the sub to provide the bass for the center speaker. Small center speakers always sound, well, small."

Here are some of the relevant specs of my Celestion 5's:

Crossover: 5 element: 4kHz - 2nd order low and high pass
Power Handling: 90 watts programme
Impedance: 8ohms

Your thoughts/suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
yes, the center channel should match the fronts and thus timbre match. I would contact the manufactor of your Celetestions and ask them for advise. In the meantime, set the AVR 525 to <no center channel> in the setup menu and this will create a "phantom" center. If your speakers image well this will produce positive results.
If going this route, experiment with your front speaker placement and especially "toe-in" which mean to angle the fronts inward toward your listening position.

I speak from experience...i own the 525 and currently do not have a center channel and enjoy the results so much that i'm unsure if a center is neccessary. I can also suggest this phantom mode verses another brand of speaker as your center. I've also tried this will horrible results.

[Woochifer]

It's been ages since I've tried out Celestions, but I always remember that they had a sound comparable to KEF and Mission. If you can't find a matching center speaker for your particular model, you should see what those manufacturers have available. I have no idea how far back your model goes; if it's more recent, odds are good that Celestion has a matching center speaker available and that's where you should start.