center channel and sub question

67jason

Hey all, newbie here with a quick question regarding which center channel and sub I should get.

I am putting together a complete 5.1 system and right now my set up consists of a denon 1611 and a pair of monitor 70's up front. My next step is to get a center and am a bit confused on which center best matches the 70's, be it the cs1, cs10, cs2 or cs20. In my research it seems the likely candidates would be the cs2 or cs20, but not sure which is the best.

Also, due to the layout of my room, I am planning on using towers as the rear surrounds and am most likely going to use monitor 50's, which sub is recommended to go with this? I am leaning toward the psw505, but would like some recommendations. Keep in my my area is only about 22x14 with 9ft ceilings.

stangjason

I know this is a Polk forum but I know nothing about the psw505 so I'm going to suggest a sub from a maker I do know. I own the VTF-1 and it's claimed to be for a medium sized room but all I can say is that I can barely turn the volume up before it overpowers the rest of my system including when I had my H/K 635 receiver hooked up.

From what I've read the CS2 and CS1 are timbre matches for the Monitor 70.

mdaudioguy

What stangjason is getting at is that it's not terribly important to brand-match between speakers and subs. Some people prefer it though, and the 505 would probably be a decent choice, from all I've read about it in here. It really depends a lot, though, on the size (volume) of your room. Tell us more about it.

Welcome to Club Polk!

Edit: Never mind - just read your last sentence... The 505 should be fine! But, a bigger, more powerful sub wouldn't hurt anything!

EndersShadow

67jason wrote: »

I am leaning toward the psw505, but would like some recommendations.

That sub would be good for your setup and recommend the CS2 for the center....

stangjason

mdaudioguy wrote: »

Edit: Never mind - just read your last sentence... The 505 should be fine! But, a bigger, more powerful sub wouldn't hurt anything!

I just noticed the that last sentence also...so do consider the STF-1.

67jason

Thanks for the replies. I checked out the VTF-1 and it is out of my price range, the STF-1 on the other hand...tempting, and appears to be similar to the 505. I know sound performance is subjective and is related to the build quality and the listeners ear, but what if any difference would there be noticed on a 10in vs 12in sub...or how much difference is there between the STF-1 and the 505? I am on a budget, but do have some flexibility in prices. Then there is the wife to think about....

A little background...growing up, my father always had decent a/v equipment, and thusly I have been exposed to some really great stuff (NAD amplifiers, Nakamichi receivers and tape deck and CD player, Polk bookshelf speakers, Kef and KLH floor standers, NEC and old school mitsubishi TV's monitors, Pioneer laser disk players, Denon and Marantz receivers) and this is my first "big-boy" set up for myself and while there will be room for some upgrades, I plan on keeping what I build now for quite some time (10 years give or take, especially the speakers). I know I am far from really hi-fi high end equipment with what I am putting together, but it is about time for me to have some decent appreciable gear.

Libertyc

You can get the PSW505 at Newegg for $199.00 shipped.

Use promo code EMCKJJF22

Also try Polkdirect on eBay.

polkfan38

CS2 or the 20. Do NOT get the CS1 or 10 with the 70s unless you plan on putting it in yor lap to balance the sound out!

ashburndad

I went ahead and got the cs1 to go with my monitor 70s and do not have any issues. I was upgrading my center from an smaller Cambridge Soundworks unit, so it was a big improvement. I got the cs1 instead of cs2 because of a space issue. The cs1 is only 18" wide and fit perfectly in my cabinet. It was also on sale at newegg. I did adjust the level of the center up a bit, but it can handle it without problem. I do admit that I would have got the cs2 if I had the room, but the cs1 is still huge and a nice match with my 70s.

I do not think I would use 70s (instead of the 50s) as surround speakers as the OP is, but I guess someone else could comment on that.

I went with the BIC F12 instead of the PSW505, although I debated for some time between the two. Someone sent me a message asking why, but I cannot send private messages yet due to my lack of posts. My BIC has not arrived, so I cannot comment on the performance. I looked at tons of avsforum (and club polk) posts and reviews to make my decision. I am sure that either unit would have been sufficient for my needs.

polkfan38

I understand the space issue. Some center channel speakers are huge! Same goes with the surrounds. If you have the space, some people use towers as surrounds. There are many combinations you can go with. It is all a matter of space and cost and what you want to get out of your system.