Center channel speaker

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daboyz
daboyz Posts: 5,206
edited April 2014 in Wanted (WTB) Classifieds
Kicking around the idea of using my Maggie's as my fronts in my HT and am looking to upgrade my center. I currently have a Csi40 which is very, very good but if the Maggie's are moved in I just have to have a better center! :) I am intrigued by an MMG C or other Maggie center but am open to many different speaks. I am not as freaked about timbre matching as some/most.

Thanks!
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited April 2014
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    The maggie center channels suck. Go phantom for sure.
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited April 2014
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    To expand on that advice a little: in my experience, with any speakers, a phantom center channel can sound better than a real center... if setup properly. Plus Maggies are certainly the type speakers that lend themselves to a phantom center, so it's a no brainer imo. Doing it right now with my 1.7's and it sounds great. Much more expansive sound than what you get out of a pin-point box. Sounds like voices are coming from the whole screen, not just one point. Sounds more like a movie theater. I am a big advocate for phantom centers... even for speaker lines that have good centers, like the LSiMs... but especially for speakers like maggies.
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • daboyz
    daboyz Posts: 5,206
    edited April 2014
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    Thanks for the input. Still looking. If anyone has suggestions?
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited April 2014
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    DSkip wrote: »
    ...have you considered the wall-mount versions they have? You use a pair on either side of the TV and they act like a center.

    They suck. Trust me.
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited April 2014
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    How much room you got? If you can fit it, this bad boy will blow anything else away for the price. It will actually match the maggies pretty well. Check it out:

    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?157177-Speakers-Polk-LsiM-LSi-Usher-Audio-Magnepan-Totem-Acoustic

    It's the Usher X-616. It is MINT, and I have the original box and packaging. I'm doing 450 shipped on it now (+3% for non-gift paypal).

    attachment.php?attachmentid=93151&d=1388769095

    attachment.php?attachmentid=93155&d=1388769154

    attachment.php?attachmentid=93154&d=1388769138
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited April 2014
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    Dual maggie center channels, or how about one of my 3 Martin Logan Stage center channels lol. These things rock **** big time and I am always searching for something to beat it.
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  • PSOVLSK
    PSOVLSK Posts: 5,064
    edited April 2014
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    I'm pretty sure you won't find a better center for the price than the Usher. The one pictured is basically a new speaker.
    Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden
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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited April 2014
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    PSOVLSK wrote: »
    I'm pretty sure you won't find a better center for the price than the Usher. The one pictured is basically a new speaker.

    I am pretty sure he could
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited April 2014
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    polkfarmboy wrote: »
    I am pretty sure he could

    Care to give a suggestion?
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited April 2014
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    A martin logan Matinee center, they go for around $450 these days. This was my first electrostatic center and if your sides can handle the bass the clarity from that speaker is just divine. Its very coherent and fast and I know from sitting down with the maggies that it would be a great blend.

    If the op had ushers then the it would be a no brainer but he does not. Its all down to how fussy you are as some people just dont care and in that case... sure go for something thats not gona blend good. This is just my take on the whole scenario and anyone is free to disagree.
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited April 2014
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    polkfarmboy wrote: »
    A martin logan Matinee center, they go for around $450 these days. This was my first electrostatic center and if your sides can handle the bass the clarity from that speaker is just divine. Its very coherent and fast and I know from sitting down with the maggies that it would be a great blend.

    If the op had ushers then the it would be a no brainer but he does not. Its all down to how fussy you are as some people just dont care and in that case... sure go for something thats not gona blend good. This is just my take on the whole scenario and anyone is free to disagree.

    Not a bad choice, but it's not an inherently better timbre match, nor is it a better speaker in absolute terms, as you seem to assert.
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • daboyz
    daboyz Posts: 5,206
    edited April 2014
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    I'd love the Usher but I only have about a 9" clearance in my stand for a center. My Onkyo doesn't have a Phantom center option so I'm trying to figure out the best way to try that option?
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited April 2014
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    you can't set the center to "off"?
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • daboyz
    daboyz Posts: 5,206
    edited April 2014
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    Of course I can set it to none. I guess I was wondering if there was a specific mode in the Onkyo since it doesn't actually have a "Phantom" setting.
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited April 2014
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    No receivers have a phantom setting... it's just the act of setting it to none and letting the fronts image the center content.
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • daboyz
    daboyz Posts: 5,206
    edited April 2014
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    I beg to differ. I've owned a receiver with a phantom option
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited April 2014
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    daboyz wrote: »
    I beg to differ. I've owned a receiver with a phantom option

    Interesting... I'm assuming the "phantom" setting was the equivalent of setting the center to "off" or "none"??
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter