[didymus]

I'm a newbie so please bear with me.  I'm not sure if this is the right circle for my questions.  Here goes...

I have two sets of front speakers (not used at the same time) each of which have 7" woofers.  Now I
wouldn't know the size of these woofers if I hadn't read a reference to them on the Internet.
                      How do you measure the size of a woofer?
                          Diameter of the outside frame which I can't see?
                          Center-to-center of the frame mounting holes which I also can't see?
                          Outside diameter of the surround which I can see?
                          Outside diameter of the cone which I can see?

                      Is there a standard for measurement, and, if so, what is it?


One pair of the speakers has two 7" woofers per speaker.  The other pair has a single 7" woofer per speaker.
                      What criteria do I use to properly match a center channel speaker to the two fronts?
                           Do I use the size of the woofers?  Are there very many center channel speakers
                                with 7" woofers?
                           Do I match on brand names?  This is probably not viable since the speaker pairs are
                                different brands.
                           Is center channel speaker matching different when the fronts have two woofers
                                per speaker vs one woofer per speaker?
                           Do I use some other criteria which might be difficult for me to ascertain?


I've read statements regarding the matching of certain brand name speakers to certain receiver brands.
(Ex. Don't use Klipsch with a Yamaha receiver.  Rather use a Paradigm or Polk Audio with the Yamaha.)
Is there any validity in statements like this?  I'm currently using a Yamaha RX-V1200 receiver.

Many thanks for your replies.

[Al Garay]

Did you buy the speakers from a white van? Is there manufacturer information? If you can't find any information, then it probably does not matter what you choose for the center channel.  You might want to choose one that can be the start of a good system.

If you are curious to learn DIY, there are many good options including Rick Craig's (Selah Audio) new series built off the Dayton RS woofers.

[didymus]

Dear Al,

Thanks for your reply.

I have a set of Optimus Pro LX-10 (2 7"woofers per speaker) and a set of ACI Sapphire IIti (1 7" woofer
per speaker).  I certainly don't use them at the same time.  Perhaps use one set to listen to audio CDs and the other set to watch movies on DVD.  And neither set was purchased off a "white van."  They both sound great and look great, especially the Sapphire IIti.

My three basic questions still remain.  So...

     How do I choose a center channel speaker to be used with two sets of differing brand speakers?   
     Must the center speaker have the same size woofer(s) as the mains or can it be slightly less.
     Is it possible for the Optimus mains to drown out a center speaker if the center speaker only has one
          woofer?  And let's reverse that scenario.  Is it possible for a center speaker with two woofers to
          drown out the Sapphires which have only one woofer per speaker?

Of course, I can go out and buy any brand of center speaker with one woofer regardless of size.  But that's not the solution and I don't want to do that!  There must be a better way of choosing an appropriate center speaker to be used with two sets of mains with different brand names.

[Al Garay]

The ACI Sapphires are substantial speakers even if they only have 1 woofer.

The ideal for home theater is to have matching front three channels. You will have an easier time matching the ACI's. And you will get more help posting in their forum located in the Manufacturer's section.