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Finding a matching center channel

Hi guys! I'm building a home theater and bought a pair of Focal Cobalt 816S speakers to be my front left and right. I'm having a lot of trouble finding a matching center channel (The cobalt CC800s), which is understandable given the age of these speakers.

I understand that the Cobalt line has been replaced with the Chorus line. Would a CC700V or CC900 sound comparable? I just don't want my front stage to sound worse because of a non-matching center. the speakers are far enough apart that the 'phantom center' has left me wanting...

Thanks for any advice!
wdouglass
auxinput
2,920 posts
 
It will probably lower the resale value, if you decide you ever want to sell it.  But there is no technical or performance reason why you couldn't paint it.  It's just wood finish.  As long as you don't touch the speaker cones/drivers, you are good.
wdouglass OP
8 posts
 
I probably won't paint it. It doesn't match my fronts, but it kinda matches the furniture, so it'll just be a quirk of my theater room...
wdouglass OP
8 posts
 
The center arrived, and it sounds fantastic. Thanks again for the advice guys!
waterzlife
139 posts
 
Is the center channel quality- size-type of driver that important? It's only for dialog.
auxinput
2,920 posts
 
For Home Theater and movies, the center channel is probably the most important speaker, in my opinion.  Yes, it is mostly dialog, but that is most of the audio that is tracked in movies.  The size of the driver can have a little bit of influence on quality.  Low frequency dialog, such as men's voices, can have a little more substance/solidness if you play them from the center channel (using center as a LARGE full range).  If you crossover the center and send low frequencies to left/right or the subwoofer, it can be a little less solid.
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