# Need help picking a new center and possibly towers



## BadNewsBeards (Jun 20, 2012)

Well first off thanks in advance for anyone who offers their suggestions/support. I'm not the biggest audio wizard and always feel a little out of my element when it comes time to buy a new device. I've had a great 5.1 set of speakers by the now defuct company Yambeka Audio. You can check out a review on HTS here. I know most people aren't familiar with them so I thought the link might help. Anyways, this set has been doing me proud for many years but my Center channel is starting show distortion and cracking in the audio so it's time to move on. I just bought my first house a few days ago so funds are a little tight right now but this center channel is driving me nuts, I have to upgrade it with something else. I know pairing is essential so my hope is to eventually get matching towers for the center and possibly move my Yambeka towers to be rear surrounds unless someone tells me I'm doing something vastly wrong. My priority now is the Center, the towers will come later down the road.

The system will be used for both music and film but it's application with movies is far more important to me than it is for music. Ideally I would like to keep it under $300 for a center but I'm always willing to sell a few collectibles I have laying around to get something nicer if it's a great deal or really beneficial to me.

Setup Breakdown:
Speakers: Yambeka Audio Fronts, Rears, and center with some moo old Onkyo speakers as surrounds for the time being
Sub: 10" powered Infinity PSW310W
Receiver: Onkyo HT-RC360

My apologies for any wrong terminology used.


----------



## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Yes, those Yambekas were a good deal at the time. chances are the centre channel has been over driven and just cant deal with the level you require. Given your wanting to continue using your curent receiver I suggest getting something like this Klipsch centre speaker as it is very easy to drive and will produce very good dialogue.


----------



## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

There are loads of centers to be had under $300... and you are going to probably fetch a ton on opinions about what brand/model is best. I'm a big fan of Polk Audio's RTiA series. The matching center, the CSiA6 is great. They sell for $400. But, you can get a refurb one off of Polk's ebay store, with full warranty, for $277 (free shipping). You could add towers from their series later.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CSiA6-CHERRY-Center-Channel-Speaker-Polk-Audio-/390596655238?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item5af15ff886


----------



## BadNewsBeards (Jun 20, 2012)

tonyvdb said:


> Yes, those Yambekas were a good deal at the time. chances are the centre channel has been over driven and just cant deal with the level you require. Given your wanting to continue using your curent receiver I suggest getting something like this Klipsch centre speaker as it is very easy to drive and will produce very good dialogue.


It is very possible that I over drove it, I always feel like I'm turning up volume for dialog and the turning down when all the action scenes take place so I tend to push the center a little hard. It's also taken some damage in the last move, I had to rescrew the big speaker back into the box(my apologies I don't know the terms). I'm not sure if anything else was damaged other than the cosmetic box it's housed in but I guess if it took enough of a hit to pop the speaker out it's possible. Should I be looking into selling my receiver and buying something else as well? The receiver is fairly new probably only a year old.



Todd Anderson said:


> There are loads of centers to be had under $300... and you are going to probably fetch a ton on opinions about what brand/model is best. I'm a big fan of Polk Audio's RTiA series. The matching center, the CSiA6 is great. They sell for $400. But, you can get a refurb one off of Polk's ebay store, with full warranty, for $277 (free shipping). You could add towers from their series later.
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/CSiA6-CHERRY-Center-Channel-Speaker-Polk-Audio-/390596655238?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item5af15ff886


I've actually been checking the RTiA series out a lot lately, I'm glad you showed me that refurb unit. That may be my front runner right now but the Klipsch seems like a solid choice too since it's easy to drive and I most likely messed up my last center speaker.


----------



## pddufrene (Mar 14, 2013)

Are you can save a bunch of money and buy a Pioneer center channel for under $100 and it is definitely a over achiever for its price point and beyond. 
Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008NCD2EI/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1373524614&sr=8-4&pi=SL75


----------



## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

BadNewsBeards said:


> Should I be looking into selling my receiver and buying something else as well? The receiver is fairly new probably only a year old.


Perhaps your old center just wasn't cutting it... and dialog was hard to hear. I guess you could have also gone into the AVR settings and boosted your center channel a dB or two. 

But your AVR doesn't necessarily look like it needs to be replaced.


----------



## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Nah, I would keep the receiver and replace the speakers first. The Klipsch I linked to is a bit pricy but its also the most important speaker in a surround system as it caries much of the dialog and really anchors the sound to the display. Its very efficient to drive compared to most speakers meaning it does not need alot of power to get good levels.


----------



## BadNewsBeards (Jun 20, 2012)

Well, That C-20 is on sale today for $150 and the The Klipsch F-30's are on sale for $200. For $550 for all 3, I think I'm willing to pull the trigger on those. The Polk's would have been my ideal choice but for the price I really can't pass these up plus it sounds like these Klipsch speakers are really more suited for my needs as I like to play my movies plenty loud.


----------



## BadNewsBeards (Jun 20, 2012)

Oh man, I just realized JBL Studio 190's towers are on sale for $170 today and the JBL 120C for $80. That makes it even cheaper than the Klipsch. Any idea which way I should go? These prices are very tempting.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882665158

www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882665154


----------



## Norcuron (Jul 11, 2013)

If you have up to 300 bucks for a center and you are thinking Klipsch is an option. Why not consider the start of a new system with something like this? http://www.klipsch.com/rc-42-ii-center-speaker
The reference series is amazing.


----------



## Norcuron (Jul 11, 2013)

I just searched eBay and saw brand new Klipsch Rc-52 for $319 shipped. It's a little out if your budget but may be the start if something special lol.


----------



## BadNewsBeards (Jun 20, 2012)

Norcuron said:


> I just searched eBay and saw brand new Klipsch Rc-52 for $319 shipped. It's a little out if your budget but may be the start if something special lol.


Haha I have actually heard the reference series and enjoyed it quite a bit, my uncle played quite a bit of music through them last time I visited him in TN. The problem isn't dropping $319 on a nice center, the problem is getting the mains to timbre match it. If I went with the Klipsch Rc-52 I would want the RF-62's to match it which would end up getting costly.


----------



## Norcuron (Jul 11, 2013)

Heh and THAT is where the fun begins. I know it's a big step, would be fun over time  and think of your final product some day.


----------



## B- one (Jan 13, 2013)

You can find them used or watch for sales. My mains ate the rf-63's they are b-stock, usually a blemish or color the company wasn't happy with, not affecting sound of the speaker. I got them around half the price they sell for. Also if you build your system with better parts you would be less likely to want to replace them and save money in the long run.


----------



## tcarcio (Jun 27, 2007)

If you go with some B+W fronts I have a center you might be interested in. It is the CDMC special edition center and in excellent condition.


----------



## koyaan (Mar 2, 2010)

tcarcio said:


> If you go with some B+W fronts I have a center you might be interested in. It is the CDMC special edition center and in excellent condition.


That's got to be one of the stragest looking center speakers I've ever seen. Anything that wierd has got to sound good! I'd think B&W fronts would probably be a little tough on your budget, but sometimes used speakers can be great bargins.


----------

