Build around rt5's?

For surrounds, I would suggest another pair of RT5s I also have this speaker and LOVE them. I am not so sure about which center to get though

RT3's would work for surrounds with your RT5's. They're a little smaller.. If you could find an older center, used -- I think maybe a CS250S is the match-- that might be better than mixing the newer models with the old. For a sub, I wouldn't necessarily try to talk you out of a Polk subwoofer, though there are many that feel like subs are the weak point in Polk's line.

Jason

Here's another thread on a similar set up...

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36053

Actually, polk lists the csi1 etc. as the center for the r15s only because they don't officially make a timbre matched center for the series anymore. However, this center comes on sale from frys every now and then. Don't know why, but you can't get this center anywhere else I've seen, and it is the timbre matched center channel for the r15, r30 etc...

Although you won't find the csi25 on the polk product pages, it is basically the two midrange driver version of the csi20.

http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4463996

If you're looking for a perfect match for the r15s, get the csi25 and send the csi3 back. Maybe too much trouble at this point, but it's also $100 cheaper for the trouble. The csi25 is also a better match for your rt5s.

Well, polk is recommending currently available centers to match vintage speakers. The csi25 is a "vintage" center that frys seems to sell every now and then brand new. From what I can gather, the csi25 was sold in markets like south america because people there thought the csi20 was underwhelming with only one midrange driver. So they put two in the csi25 and solved the problem.

So for some reason, polk has an arrangement with frys and they get good deals on rare shipments of polk speakers. They had lsi7s refurbed for only $199 awhile back and they keep getting shipments of csi25s every few months. But they don't last.

Now the csi20 and its international brother the csi25 use the same drivers as the r15, r30, r50 series and was a recommended center. But they discontinued the csi20 and don't "officially" make the csi25. However, you seem to have picked the r15s because they are a close vintage match to the drivers used in the rt5s. A logical choice since the technology in the r15s and rt5s is closer than the newer and more expensive csi3s. I haven't listened to your particular combination, but the csi25 and the r15s are an exact timbre match. So if the r15s sound good with the rt5s, the csi25 should as well. At least it's a better timbre match than having different tweeters on all your sets of speakers. And I believe the csi3 is a different beast entirely.

I noticed your head is spinnning a little from all the choices on your other threads. Stick with it though. You've got some good equipment forming up and the chance to put together a very affordable system that will amaze people who went the bose route.

uhhhhh..........the cs250s is the cheapest and best match. only match. and would be the best sounding for the rt5's. period.....and cheapest.........with the emphasisisisisisisit on cheapeast. Only in my opinion of course.