[gazingupward]

Looking for recommendations as the subject suggests.

[Phil A]

What main speakers do you use?

[Theronbo]

Personal opinion/experience…

Unless you have a really garbage center speaker… the issues with intelligibility have to do with speaker balance…

Thus, first question being: “what are you main speakers?”

When I first completed my X-Statiks I had them paired with lowest end pioneer center speaker… quickly decided I needed to build X-voce center speaker to match the mains…

I’d should have simply removed the center speaker & used the X-Statiks to carry all the weight till the X-Voce was completed. This because the center was so out of balance vs the mains.

Assuming you have a surround amp with speaker balancing software & microphone… use it. (Ie Audessy or other).

My hearing is dropping off in the midrange… so, I up the center speaker a db .5 or 1.0 …

[artur9]

above questions notwithstanding....

I have a Totem Tribe I (or II?) that I'm using as a center that is working very nicely.  I got it used for far less than your budget.

[VinceT]

I also run GR speakers (encores and LS9) and do not feel the need for a center, even with my Encores. With proper speakerr placement I prefer stereo mains over a center channel with the left and right not doing much in comparison. It sounds much more full and dynamic in my room having the left and right do the work over a center channel. Just my .02. Whatever center you use best if it in the same manufacturer as the mains.

[kenreau]

You didn't mention if this was a TV monitor, or projection set up.  Each will have their challenges with different solutions.

I suggest the listening position intelligibility has more to do with the Center channel design and room acoustics.  The industry standard horizontal array / sound bars have poor horizontal dispersion and inferior sound quality.  Use a vertical oriented (traditional design) speaker if possible and ideally that matches your front left & right speakers.  The best sq will typically be when all three front speakers are identical and placed symetrically in the room.

Imho, the room acoustics cause the majority of intelligibility issues.  Speakers in a cabinet, shelf, hard surfaces, TV screen, adjacent windows, coffee tables, etc all cause bad reflections and time spearing that cause the dialog intelligibility issues. You need to use acoustical room treatments at the first reflection points and ideally secondary if possible. 

Check out youtube home theater gurus https://www.youtube.com/@hometheatergurus

[WGH]

The best sq will typically be when all three front speakers are identical and placed symetrically in the room.

Agreed, as close to identical as possible which means the three front speakers should be from the same manufacturer otherwise the tonality will be weird and distracting. When all three front speakers are close to the same then the front soundstage will be seamless and dialog can move left to right without changing timbre although most of the time dialog is locked front and center.

My center speaker and L&R speakers use separate amps, sometimes I forget to turn on the L&R amp and watch an entire movie with just the center speaker and never notice. I have a 7.1.4 setup so there is a lot of sound in the room. The importance of a center speaker that can handle both dialog and soundtrack at theater level volume can't be overstated.


Back to your question: Best Center Speaker?

I use a Salk HT2C. The Seas W18 with the magnesium cone is fast with zero distortion and will go louder than you will ever listen. The RAAL tweeter is a perfect match with unsurpassed clarity without any harshness. The cabinet is sealed so the speaker doesn't have any male voice chestyness that can happen with a poorly designed ported speaker. A port is unnecessary because center speakers are rolled off at 100 Hz, deep bass can be more of a hindrance than an asset. The downside of all this perfection is the HT2C's sensitivity is 88dB, a high powered amp is a necessity. I use a rare 3-channel Van Alstine amp that has 120 watts per channel, the other two channels are used for the surrounds.
https://www.salksound.com/model.php?model=Veracity+HT2C
$1995.00




My L&R speakers are the Salk HT2-TL that use the exact same Seas and RAAL drivers.

Salk has other center speakers both above and below your budget. Best to call them and to talk about your goals, room size, and current speakers so you get the best match.