matching center channel to mains/rears

I’d be curious to learn how many guys & gals that don’t have separate 2 channel and home theater systems change the center speaker when they change the front speakers. My center speaker is a Monitor Audio Silver, and on my journey to TAS, I’ve paired that with Monitor Audio 10’s, ProAc’s, Acoustic Zen Adagio’s, Usher BE 718’s, and now Focal BE Micro Utopia’s. With my Theta Casablanca II, I’ve never had a problem matching the new fronts to the old center.

Two more considerations:

1. Room correction software can aid a bit in speaker matching, making a non identical center blend better.

2. If you do get matching pieces, they might be easier to sell as such later, but in reality the matching may hold you back from spending more elsewhere in your system now. i.e. putting the money saved from "lesser" center into better mains, cables or just movies.

The most important speakers to match are the 3 on the front. In order to be matched correctly, the drivers should have the same size and made of same materials.

I think your best sound will come from matching brands

FWIW, I had Paradigm Studio 60 v4 fronts and a CC-590 v4 center. I then sold the Studio 60's, kept the CC-590 center, and moved in Dali Helicon 400's MkI for the fronts. Based on all that I had heard and read, I was expecting to be dissapointed with the mismatched fronts/center, but I really wasn't at all. Is it ideal? Probably not but don't automatically assume just because you "upgrade" your fronts you automatically have to plan on a new center channel also. Try it first, and you may be perfectly satisfied with mismatched fronts/center. I would like to eventually get a Helicon 200 center, but I have to say, that the Dali's mate quite will with the Paradigm center.

IMHO, matching the fronts to the center is not nearly as big of an issue as it is constantly made out to be on the forums.