Home theater upgrade: TOP 5 centre channel speakers

For more than 50 years, the French brand Cabasse has been working on creating acoustic systems with the most lively and realistic sound. A worthy place among the company's products is occupied by the Socoa MC170 central channel model.

The body of the traditional rectangular shape with slightly rounded sides turned out to be quite deep (38 cm) and weighty — 10 kg, but stable. Two colour solutions — ebony and white oak — are quite enough to fit the system into the interior of any style. The front panel is protected by a translucent fabric grill, through which the contours of the three speakers are clearly visible. However, in fact there are four of them, since the central account/The RF loudspeaker is coaxial.

The sound of the system pleases no less than the appearance, and here the manufacturer especially tried. The already mentioned mid- and high-frequency speaker provides accurate reproduction of timbres and builds a sound scene with maximum realism and depth. and the special shape of the block of 13-centimeter woofers allows you to get deeper basses without additional coloring.

The HDSE filter, responsible for the uniform distribution of sound energy, provides an perfect acoustic alignment between the speakers to create a live three-dimensional sound. Due to this, the scene is stable, and the signal is homogeneous, both direct and reflected.

Socoa MC170 is an excellent upgrade of the home theater, which will definitely raise watching movies, listening to music and concerts to a qualitatively new level. The effect will be even stronger if you add Socoa to the existing set of Cabasse frontends.

The German manufacturer Magnat has been creating acoustics since 1978 and has managed to win a wide audience of fans. The release of the Tempus Centre 22 model has become a new round of brand development. For just $ 140, you can become the owner of a good-quality central channel speaker system that will literally breathe new life into your home theater.

The model is presented in two colours: black and ash mocha. The first one is more suitable for fans of a strict interior in cold colours: the black case is effectively emphasized by the silver edging of the speakers. But for lovers of cozy interiors, mocha is perfect — a rich brown colour with an ash texture.

In both versions, the front part is closed with a removable fabric grill in black. The design of the case is aimed at reducing resonance, and the use of FIBERBOARD instead of MDF allowed saving on weight. The weight of the system is only 6 kg, so it will not cause problems with moving and installation.

Tempus Centre 22 is literally created for speech reproduction. Clarity and realism are implemented with German precision at a high level, so you can easily make out even the most muffled whispers or sounds of movie effects.

The fmax inch tweeter with a powerful neodymium magnet is responsible for the accurate response of the high ones, and the 130 mm FE Dynamics series speakers with paper diffusers are responsible for the woofer. The sound is dynamic, stable at any volume over the entire range of 34-45,000 Hz, especially considering the cost of the system, which, without exaggeration, is the lowest among competitors. And this is another plus in the Tempus Centre 22 piggy bank, making it worthy of attention.

The Polk Audio company has been engaged in the production of acoustic systems for home and cars for more than a dozen years, so like no one knows what users need. And this is perfectly demonstrated by the T30 speaker system, which will be discussed further.

The system measures 17x48x22 cm and weighs 5 kg and has a classic rectangular shape and black colour. Stylish and at the same time restrained design will be appreciated by those who love harmony and strict lines in the interior.

The front part with three speakers is protected by a removable fabric grill, and the rigidly damped MDF housing with the rear port of the phase inverter is covered with a vinyl film imitating a woody texture. Self—adhesive rubber supports are provided for anti-slip protection, and a pair of gold-plated screw terminals on the back panel are provided for connecting the amplifier.

The acoustics are perfect for forming an entry-level home theater system. It is optimized to work with modern Dolby, DTS formats and perfectly combines with most modern AV receivers, processors and amplifiers with a power of up to 100 watts. The proprietary technology of Dynamic Balance emitters guarantees voluminous detailed sound in the range of 38 – 24000 Hz with a minimum level of distortion.

In addition, all speakers (inch tweeter and 2 5.25-inch woofers/MF drivers) have a wide directional pattern, due to which the sound easily spreads over a large area, evenly covering it. This means that no matter what part of the room you are in, the sound will be equally voluminous and open.

Polk Audio T30 will pleasantly surprise the inexperienced user with its precise articulated sound. Dialogues with him will literally come to life and become as realistic as possible for, in general, a low-cost model for $ 200. For perfectionists and brand lovers, we recommend buying a system complete with native "fronts" Polk Audio T50 .

The German company HECO started its journey back in 1949 with the development of speakers. In the future, the brand also succeeded in creating acoustic systems. One of the best in the line of central channels is Aurora Centre 30, which forms a full—fledged home theater sound.

Looking at the acoustics, it's hard to believe that it costs only $ 200. The anti-resonant MDF case, dense black fabric grill and wood embossing under a silky matte varnish give the Aurora Centre 30 a special charm. In addition to the classic black version, an option is available in a white case with a dark grey grill. Despite the considerable weight of 9.4 kg, the manufacturer additionally provided rubberized ebony spikes in the kit to increase stability.

Note that the system is designed in the general style of the Aurora series, so if you are prone to perfectionism, then this is an perfect choice for front-end HECO Aurora 300 , so that all elements are perfectly combined with each other not only in sound, but also visually.

The 28-millimetre tweeter of the new generation of Fluctuus with a silk dome is responsible for the sound detail in the system. Thanks to it, acoustics perfectly conveys human speech, making dialogues as legible and realistic as possible. Two 125mm woofers/The midrange dynamics on the sides form a powerful and at the same time dynamic scene with high dispersion. As a result, the sound spreads through the room without noticeable distortion and is clearly audible at any point. The system will please with a good sensitivity of 90 dB, a record–wide frequency range of 34 – 42500 Hz for the central channel, and convenient gold-plated screw terminals for connecting an amplifier with a power of up to 150 watts.

All this together makes HECO Aurora Centre 30 a top seller for more than a year, which allows us to recommend this product to you with full confidence.

The philosophy of the Danish company DALI Audio lies in the desire to offer in its products the perfect combination of size, shape, sound quality and price. The Hi-Fi system demonstrates an excellent result of this approach Oberon Vokal.

In the design of acoustics, there is a sense of modernity. Rounded edges and textured fabric of the grill form a special style and elegance, removable rubber feet add reliability, and a variety of colours with a wood texture design: dark walnut, black ash, light oak, white, and different colours of grills — allow you to fit the system into almost any interior.

The special geometry of the housing creates the most effective sound dispersion. The flow is evenly distributed throughout the room, remaining distinct even in the most remote corner. At the same time, harmonic distortion is reduced to a minimum. As a result, there is no need to look for the optimal location of the column, especially since it is already known — under the TV.

133 mm woofers with paper pulp diffusers transmit even the most subtle nuances of sound. In addition, they have an iron pole tip with a soft compound designed to reduce mechanical distortion. Special attention should be paid to the 29-mm tweeter with a fabric diffuser, optimized for optimal intersection of the midrange speaker and tweeter bands. This allows you to create a perfectly balanced and uniform sound of the upper midrange.

Oberon Vokal has undoubtedly gathered the best that the Dali brand offers. Appearance, sound, ergonomics — everything is at the highest level. However, you will have to pay a lot for this level – $ 350. But can a good sound be measured with money?