Need for high quality powered center

It looks great!

Thanks @soix

I love that you use a tweeter over a dedicated midrange as almost all the best centers do IMHO. I’m no speaker designer, but the best center speakers I’ve ever heard have used that configuration.

There are some physical realities about using a dedicated midrange that is nearly impossible to overcome any other way. A super wide listening angle, low distortion and wide dynamic range are all made possible thanks to the mid. True for all speakers really. What we have to have though is speaker height to make it work.

If you design a passive version you’ll likely expand your potential market quite a bit. Just a thought FWIW.

The market is saturated with good passive 3-way center channels. This design is not translatable to a passive system in the same box. The VPS (virtual point-source) magic won’t work without an excess number of passive components, or a different cabinet altogether.

I could put these components into the same box with a passive crossover but it won’t be excellent, it will be merely good.

Comparable active designs would be from ATC and Legacy, around $12,000 to $20,000 each.

Where I have diverged significantly from their intended use is I never attempted to make a full-range center. My center has always been intended for use with a subwoofer and that lets me build a much smaller cabinet, with plenty of dynamicrange, around 118 dB at 1 meter, and with less distortion in the intended range, and the ability to fix the usual speaker-on-a-shelf bass issues in the amp.

I’m pretty sure ATC and Legacy are making their active centers for those with dedicated home theaters or studios, a luxury I don’t have. I may not have the floor space but I want the same or better level of performance. That’s why I feel like my design is a bespoke answer for me.

It’s all a package deal with VPS, including much lower distortion than you’d get from a 2-way or co-axial designs.

My center has always been intended for use with a subwoofer and that lets me build a much smaller cabinet,

Mine has a high pass filter switch in the back if I am using a sub.

Mine has a high pass filter switch in the back if I am using a sub.

@kota1

Great, a lot of them do. That’s not what I was trying to say. I meant to say that if I designed this center as a full-range speaker the box volume would be 3x larger. By starting from the premise that this will be working no lower than 80 Hz I can get a lot more shelf real estate back, not to mention increased dynamic range and lower distortion.

That’s something you can’t get with a switch. :)

@kota1 

I was trying to explain my design choices, not really trying to debate whether your center channel is better than the one I'm making.

Best,

Erik

@erik_squires

I am not debating my CC, I am simply cheering you on that you are making the right choice going active. The features I am sharing are simply ideas you might want to use for your design. You can’t buy a CC like mine from Paradigm any more, I think you hit on a splendid idea, ok?