TOP 5 centre speakers for home theater

Theoretically, front speakers can also voice dialogues in movies. But if you add even an inexpensive central channel like NS-C444 to an already existing system, the difference will be truly gigantic. With their low-cost, these kids make a difference and sound at the level of "centraloc" one and a half, or even two times more expensive.

The Yamaha NS-C444 is modest in size (19x51x21 cm) and weighs 7.3 kg. By the standards of the central channels, this is a fairly compact column that minimizes problems with the location — it can be mounted on a wall, put on a stand or hidden underTV panel. At the same time, it gives out 100 watts of power, which allows you to provide a sufficient volume level for a room of 30-40 square metres.

The Yamaha NS-C444 is designed according to a 2-way scheme with three speakers and a crossover at a frequency of 3 kHz. According to the passport— the column covers a frequency range of 55-35000 Hz. A pair of 5-inch woofers with a PMD membrane are responsible for the reproduction of low and medium frequencies. They are separated by an aluminium dome RF tweeter, which is hidden in a special waveguide. This invention of Yamaha engineers allows you to concentrate the sound at a central point, not allowing it to disperse around the room. As a result, the speech will be more legible, even if Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is hitting a giant gorilla on the screen.

As befits a central channel, the Yamaha NS-C444 does the best job of playing vocals and dialogues. Even on low-quality recordings, speech is heard cleanly, without wheezing and sounds. The midrange frequencies are dense and focused, and the "tops" sound sensitive and refined. The diameter of the woofers allows the system to produce a good bass, although for the central channel it is rather a bonus.

Summing up, the Yamaha NS-C444 is an extremely successful option for those who are slowly assembling their first home theater, but are not sure about the need to pay a round sum for the central channel.

Spektor is a new line of entry—level acoustics, with which the Danish manufacturer Dali pushes wedges to a young audience that is not ready to give a kidney for a good sound. And they have something to offer, because many developments from more expensive models like the "purebred" crossover and speakers of their own production from wood pulp are used here.

The desire of acoustics to meet higher standards immediately catches the eye. For example, the side curves of the front panel cleverly mask the fact that the speaker is decorated with vinyl film, and not made of solid wood. The front shield is cleverly trimmed "under the skin", although it is an ordinary plastic. And the tweeter in the reflexed mouthpiece seemed to have accidentally got here from acoustics for a couple of thousand dollars.

However, compliments of appearance mostly relate to the model with the "walnut" coloring, while the spirit of Chinese speakers is imperceptibly hovering over the pure black version.

Spektor Vokal has a classic front with a pair of "basses" and a high-frequency tweeter in between. A tweeter with a fabric dome is mounted on a chassis that plays the role of a sound guide. This design, coupled with a light weight, allowed to reduce distortion and expand the frequency range. Translated into human, this means that the sound will be more collected and homogeneous.

As for the LF/If there are speakers, then Spektor inherited them from older Dali models: the speakers are made of cellulose reinforced with finely split wood fibers. Due to the structural heterogeneity of such an unusual material, this allows the speakers to avoid parasitic resonances of the membrane.

Thanks to a precisely tuned separation filter, Spektor Vokal meticulously reproduces every mid-frequency harmonic and all microdynamic nuances. This is very, very important for the clear reproduction of dialogues. There is a certain softness in the entire sound range, and the sound does not lose balance even with sudden changes in dynamics.

In general, even though Spektor Vokal lags behind the flagship Dali models like Dali Opticon Vokal Price from 21 182 up to 33 494 ₴ or Dali Rubicon Vokal Price from 73 508 up to 74 925 ₴, this lag no longer feels like an abyss.

The Bronze series from the British company Monitor Audio was loved by critics and buyers back in the late 90s. Since then, the company has been regularly making technical improvements to the line, updating the series. In 2015, they heard the requests of movie lovers and added a subwoofer and a central channel to the Bronze family. Let's talk about the latter.

Bronze Centre is made of dense MDF boards with a thickness of 1.8 cm and is quite compact as for the central channel dimensions — 16.5x46x16.5 cm with a weight of 5.6 kg. Like other Bronze series speakers, this central channel is distinguished by a well-thought-out design, in which internal stiffeners help to dampen resonating frequencies, and fastening with a bolt-through steel rod reduces body vibrations. A nice bonus of this design is the neat appearance of the front panel, on which there are no bolts.

Monitor Audio Bronze Centre is equipped with two high-frequency speakers and one tweeter, as well as high-quality crossovers with high-capacity capacitors. The speakers are made of aluminium-magnesium alloy with ceramic coating, which they inherited from the previous models of the series. However, in the new modification, Monitor Audio engineers managed to "solder" the sound coil of a magnet with a diffuser into one and make the speaker surface perfectly smooth. Thanks to this, the construction has added rigidity and improved the uniformity of the frequency range.

Between the two main speakers is a golden tweeter dome made of a secret Monitor Audio alloy (aluminium, magnesium and some gold). Its main feature is the ability to reproduce frequencies in the range up to 30 kHz, which at first glance may seem meaningless. In fact, this is very logical — the higher its maximum operating frequency, the less distortion it will give in the sound spectrum that the human ear perceives.

In general, Monitor Audio Bronze Centre has a balanced sound with a wide dynamic range (60 — 30,000 Hz), which is enough to accurately convey all the nuances of the audio track of the film. If we consider the sound from the musical side, then the speaker densely and evenly fills the room with a sound that simultaneously seems large-scale and somewhat relaxed. At the same time, they reproduce exactly what the musicians wanted to show, without unnecessary coloring.

As with the entire line of Monitor Audio Bronze 5 5.1 Set , the central channel has practically no flaws and weaknesses, thanks to which this series continues to collect awards from Hi-Fi magazines.

In the case of the new Chorus line, the French company Focal has set itself the goal of overcoming the limitations of a conventional 2-way central speaker and achieving a full-fledged three-dimensional sound.

The case with non-parallel inner walls is assembled from MDF slabs up to 25 mm thick and has the necessary rigidity to reduce vibrations and resonances harmful to the sound. Taking into account the large 16.5-cm woofer/midrange speakers, the Chorus CC 700 case can be considered quite compact (18.5x49x19.5 cm).

The CC 700 uses an exclusive development of the company — a tweeter made of aluminium-magnesium alloy with an inverted dome. Such a high-frequency receiver bypasses titanium tweeters in terms of the degree of elasticity and the coefficient of internal damping. Simply put, high frequencies are cleaner and more expressive, without parasitic resonances.

On the sides of the tweeter is a pair of midrange/woofer speakers, which are made of Polyglass paper coated with silicon microgranules. Such speakers have deep low frequencies and a reduced level of distortion. The maximum 200 watts of power provides a sufficient volume level for a room of 50 square metres.

If we talk about the nature of the sound, the combination of a silky "top" with a transparent and detailed middle is remembered most of all by Chorus. The timbral colour can be described as light, but it differs in a certain coolness branded for Focal, which is not liked by everyone. In contrast to the medium frequencies, the bass seems warm and soft (but not sluggish), which greatly emphasizes the French flavor woven from contradictions.

This system does not sacrifice musical sophistication or the dynamics of a home theater. Therefore, JMlab Chorus CC 700 is suitable for those who want to hear all the nuances of sound, and not just to voice dialogues.

In 2015, the American company Klipsch released a new line of Klipsch Reference Premiere acoustics (3 floor, 2 shelf, 3 central), which closes any positions in the multi-channel system. The manufacturer itself positions it as a reinterpretation of the classics and a tolerable burden for the low-cost, which 5 – 7 years ago would have seemed fantastic.

The first thing that catches your eye when looking at the RP-440C is its unusual design and dimensions. It is large and heavy: 13 kg of mass against the standard 7 – 8 kg for the central channel. The second point is that instead of the usual pair of low—frequency speakers, there are 4 of them at once. Again, this design is not often found in acoustics of this price category. However, due to the compact horizontal arrangement of the speakers, the RP-440C turned out to be lower than its fellow tribesmen, which simplifies installation in a niche under the screen.

As in the entire line, the RP-440C has a high-frequency speaker with a titanium dome in a Tractrix horn made of pressure-molded silicone. Compared to the old Klipsch horns made of ABS plastic, it resonates significantly less at ear-sensitive frequencies of 8-10 kHz. The ceramic coating of the woofer drivers provides increased rigidity of the diaphragm and gives them the traditional Klipsch "copper" colour.

The RP-440C sounds loud and powerful. If the majority of "centralok" is limited to a power reserve of 80-100 watts, then it outputs 125 watts. Therefore, the system is perfect for a large room. But the frequency range covers quite a standard range for "centralok" from 59 to 25000 Hz. Anyway, the central channel is not designed to sound the thunder and raise the diaphragm with a pulsating bass.

It is curious that when evaluating Western observers focused on music. The logic here is simple — speakers that skillfully work with musical material will not let you down in a home theater. If you try to find suitable epithets, then the sound of the RP-440C surprises with its structurality. The whole spectrum transmits maximum information without merging into a mess, even at high volume. Each sound is easily highlighted, as if you pointed a magnifying glass at it. Such articulation in a high-power compartment gives a rather unusual listening experience.