What does a center channel speaker do?
In a home theater, most of a film's dialogue comes from the center channel. The speaker sits at the screen, under or above it, and keeps voices fixed to the picture, so a listener in a side seat still hears an actor's voice come from the screen rather than from the nearer left or right speaker. Center channel speakers carry so much of a soundtrack that they need to stay clear at high volume, not only at a whisper.
Placement of center channel speakers
Speaker placement matters more for the center than for any other speaker in the room:
- Centered on the screen. Keep it as close to the screen's edge as you can, so voices seem to come from the picture.
- Aimed at ear height. Under a screen, tilt it up toward the seats; above a screen, tilt it down. Perlisten's S7c controls its vertical dispersion to cut reflections from the floor.
- At the front edge of the shelf. On a TV stand or in a cabinet, bring it forward to the edge rather than setting it back inside, where the shelf colors the sound.
- Sealed or ported. Acoustic suspension (sealed) centers, like every Perlisten here, are less fussy about the wall or cabinet behind them than ported ones such as the SVS Prime Center.
Matching center channel speakers to your fronts
Sound pans across the front of the room from left to center to right. If the center sounds different from the speakers beside it, voices change character as they move. A center from the same family as your left and right speakers shares their tweeter and tuning:
- Perlisten's R5c and R7c use the same DPC array of three 26mm silk dome tweeters as the rest of the R series. The S5c and S7c carry the S series' beryllium dome tweeter.
- SVS's centers come in the same Prime and Ultra Evolution lines as its towers and bookshelf speakers.
See floorstanding speakers and bookshelf loudspeakers.
Center channel speakers or LCR speakers?
- Dedicated centers are built wide and low to lie flat under or above a screen.
- LCR speakers are one design for the left, center and right channels, so all three front speakers can be identical. RBH's Signature 661-SF and its Inspire 55-ir and Impression 55-i LCR speakers are sold singly, so you can order three.
High-end center channel speakers
High-end center channel speakers use more and better drivers to keep dialogue clear at any volume:
- 3-way designs give the midrange, where voices sit, its own drivers: Perlisten's S5c and R5c, the SVS Prime Center, and the SVS Ultra Evolution Center, which puts a 5-inch midrange between a 1-inch tweeter and two 8-inch woofers.
- THX Dominus certification on Perlisten's S5c, S7c and R5c, for large home theater rooms.
- A large center channel speaker such as Perlisten's R7c has four 165mm woofers in a cabinet 920mm (36.2 inches) wide and 230mm (9.1 inches) high. Check that it fits under or above your screen.
Setting the center channel crossover
Your receiver or processor sends the center's deepest bass to the subwoofer below a crossover frequency you set. A compact center needs a higher center channel crossover than a large one: the SVS Prime Center is rated from 70Hz, while Perlisten's R7c reaches 29Hz in a typical room. Set it a little above the point where the center's own bass falls away, and let the subwoofer take the rest. See home theater subwoofers.
Center channel speaker brands
- SVS is based in Youngstown, Ohio.
- Perlisten Audio was founded in 2016 in Verona, Wisconsin.
- RBH Sound was founded in 1976, moved to Utah in 1986, and still makes a series of its products in the US.
Why buy center channel speakers from ODSY
- Talk to Kellen, ODSY's co-founder, before you buy. Share your room's size and what you listen to, and get a recommendation that fits.
- Home theater design and installation. ODSY can plan the system and put it in.
- Free shipping. Every center channel speaker here ships free.
- A new unit if it arrives defective. Tell us within 30 days and we replace it with a brand-new one, so you don't wait for a factory repair. If we ship the wrong item, we send the right one.
Center channel speaker FAQs
Can I return a speaker? ODSY sells mainly on a final-sale basis, so check the fit with us before you order. Defective units and shipping errors are covered, as above. Opened items and preorder deposits can't be refunded. Read the full policy.
Do I need a center channel speaker? Without one, a receiver can send dialogue to the left and right speakers as a "phantom" center. That works from the middle seat; from the sides, voices pull toward the nearer speaker. A center keeps them on the screen for every seat.
Can any speaker be used as a center channel? A speaker that matches your left and right can, and LCR speakers are made for it. An upright speaker laid on its side changes how it spreads sound, so ask us before you use one.
Complete your center channel speaker setup
Surround Sound Speakers · Home Theater Processors · Audio Racks · Speaker Wall Mounts
