Smaller Center Speaker Replacement?

I currently have a CSi5 center speaker which is huge. My wife wants to get a different entertainment center that has a fireplace. But my center speaker is to big. My options are to sell my current equipment and replace everything with a soundbar or maybe get a much smaller center speaker that will still put out a lot of sound.

Any ideas?


Onkyo TX-NR709 A/V Receiver
Polk RTi8's Front
In-Walls for Rears
CSi5 Center
SVS 20-39PCI Subwoofer

Comments

  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    I'd advise against a soundbar. If your used to the big full sound of the CSI5, no thinner/smaller center is going to be able to produce that same sound. You might have to adjust your expectations.

    Polk's Signature series has a thin center that would most likely fit, sounds good too, but it's no CSI5. What front speakers are you running with that CSI5 ?

    Sounds like the wife doesn't like your speakers and is nicely telling you that. :)
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • gmcman
    gmcman Posts: 1,739
    Any chance you could wall-mount the tv to gain height for the center speaker, without having everything too high? Set the center channel on top of the entertainment center?
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    gmcman wrote: »
    Any chance you could wall-mount the tv to gain height for the center speaker, without having everything too high? Set the center channel on top of the entertainment center?

    Could be a good option, depending on how tall the fireplace unit is. Maybe try and talk the wife into a different unit that's more accommodating....or get a different wife. :)
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • tonyb wrote: »
    I'd advise against a soundbar. If your used to the big full sound of the CSI5, no thinner/smaller center is going to be able to produce that same sound. You might have to adjust your expectations.

    Polk's Signature series has a thin center that would most likely fit, sounds good too, but it's no CSI5. What front speakers are you running with that CSI5 ?

    Sounds like the wife doesn't like your speakers and is nicely telling you that. :)

    My fronts are Rti8


    Onkyo TX-NR709 A/V Receiver
    Polk RTi8's Front
    In-Walls for Rears
    CSi5 Center
    SVS 20-39PCI Subwoofer

  • tonyb wrote: »
    I'd advise against a soundbar. If your used to the big full sound of the CSI5, no thinner/smaller center is going to be able to produce that same sound. You might have to adjust your expectations.

    Polk's Signature series has a thin center that would most likely fit, sounds good too, but it's no CSI5. What front speakers are you running with that CSI5 ?

    Sounds like the wife doesn't like your speakers and is nicely telling you that. :)

    Actually she loves the sound that comes out of everything. I am in the instigator of this being we need an entertainment center with a fireplace. My current entertainment center is only 30" tall and there are not very many options for shorter ones. It was tough to fine this one that the Csi5 would fit. I was hoping not to have the TV up to high.


    Onkyo TX-NR709 A/V Receiver
    Polk RTi8's Front
    In-Walls for Rears
    CSi5 Center
    SVS 20-39PCI Subwoofer

  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,454
    You can build one. Not hard just takes time.

    Signature S35 will fit under the TV or wall mount the S35. You can also wall mount theTV and have the CSi5 on top of the stand.
    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
    Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
    Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    edited September 2018
    The new Polk Signature Center speakers are very short and are supposed to sound great too. That was a great suggestion! B)

    A BOSE (**&^*) VCS10 is very flat and puts out a lot of sound for a Center Channel.
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/323421763707

    Then there's that Co. ZVOX that has a flat platform Center Channel your TV sits on. They aren't cheap but they get rave reviews.
    https://zvox.com/
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • Airplay355
    Airplay355 Posts: 4,298
    Could you shop for a new wife instead? :p

    Mine also didn’t like the idea of a largish Center speaker. After it was setup she liked it better.

    What about mounting t above the TV angled down? There are shelf like kits that mount to the wall mounts on the back of the TV.
  • Strong Bad
    Strong Bad Posts: 4,276
    tonyb wrote: »
    gmcman wrote: »
    ....or get a different wife. :)

    This was going to be my suggestion and well. HAHA!
    No excuses!
  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    Isn’t there also a CSi3, which is smaller?
    If you can find one of those used, and it’ll fit, they would be the way to go IMO.
  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,454
    Be ready for a shock going from a CSi5/CSI-A6 to a lesser center.

    I had a CSi5, built my first TV stand and didn't have the knowledge to make the center space big enough. I tried a CSi-3 and it made due, I always thought I was missing something. I gained enough woodworking knowledge to make a proper stand. When I got my Signatures the package came with an S30. Nice center, better than the CSi-3 but I was still missing it. I tried a TSX-250C, still no dice. I wound up getting a CSI-A6 off CL for cheap, It's not going anywhere.

    Bottom line is, try to make space for your CSi5. You will be glad you did.
    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
    Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
    Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
  • reubenray
    reubenray Posts: 91
    edited September 2018
    Without getting my TV raised up to much I cannot see how my CSi5 will work. I have to find something smaller. My options are to replace everything with a passive soundbar or just replace the center speaker. Another issue is the CSi5 is to deep. My TV plus it will not fit on my stand. Polk's S35 is one that I am looking at.


    Onkyo TX-NR709 A/V Receiver
    Polk RTi8's Front
    In-Walls for Rears
    CSi5 Center
    SVS 20-39PCI Subwoofer

  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,454
    If it's all you can do then go for it. S35 is still a nice center speaker.
    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
    Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
    Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
  • I have decided to mount my TV to the wall and sit the CSi5 on top of the stand. It will be a lot of hard work, but it will be the best thing. I bought this speaker setup back in 2005 and they have given me a lot of good audio. I don't believe I could sell them for what I think they are worth.


    Onkyo TX-NR709 A/V Receiver
    Polk RTi8's Front
    In-Walls for Rears
    CSi5 Center
    SVS 20-39PCI Subwoofer

  • Airplay355
    Airplay355 Posts: 4,298
    I’ve thought about doing that as well. My lsic doesn’t fit in my tv stand. So I had a friend grab me a piece of plate aluminum from his shop and put that in the tv stand with my amp on top. The weight of the amp let’s me cantilever the lsic our in front of the tv stand. Works pretty well and doesn’t look bad. I think the lsic might be smaller than the csi5 though.