Front Stage Advise

My home theater is smaller, however there are two important considerations for the front speakers.

1. CENTER DIALOG HEIGHT. very good center, very close to the image, to anchor the dialog/center sounds to the screen not the speaker’s height if too far above or below.

Your mains do not do these sounds in surround modes, the coding strips those frequencies, takes signals out of the mains as the director intended,

Thus the mains do NOT always make a phantom center image as they always do in 2 channel mode.

2. WIDE center image from mains, especially when full range is sent to them and they do make both distinct l/r and create phantom center/slightly l/r.

This is important for both 5.1 and very important in 2 channel mode. A lot of programs are still 2 channel, the cable box and/or your AVR inadvertently make pseudo surround. I often go to 2 channel and find improvement, thus pseudo center more important.

I do not know what is out there, I got these way back when, I suggest you read about their method of achieving a wide center image, then ask questions about current front wide imaging.

http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/dbx-soundfield-100-135.html

Center IS most important for HT.
A perfect center is the Ascend Horizon.
If you want to reduce cost go with a single Ascend Sierra-2. The ribbon can be in either orientation. Done by them or you, 4 screws.
3 Sierra-2’s will get a fine "stage" but you’ll want a big amp as they are 86db speakers.

Thanks for the input. Ascends look very interesting.
I have been looking at Goldenear, can't figure out how there speakers have subs. Wondering if they would work in concert with the other independent subs or conflict.
I have been attempting to study up on what elliottbnewcombjr posted, gonna take me a while.
Thanks.