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Anyone using Powered center/surround speaker??

Getting ready to set up my home theater system. I alrady got the Anthem AVM-20 for the pre/pro. Right now I am looking into center and surround speakers. Unfortunately, there is no matched surround speakers for my front speakers. So I am thinking about powered center/surround and drive them directly from the Anthem AVM-20's XLR output.

Any suggestions?

The first possibilites are:
1) Paradigm powered speakers (do they still make them?)
2) Dynaudio BM-5A
3) pro speakers like Tannoy or ???

Budget: < $2000 for center and 2 surround speakers.
Room size: a medium size family room
50% TV/ 30% music/ 20% movies.
Source: DVD, Sat dish, and LPs
Front L+R speakers: Avalon Radian HC
Front L+R Amp: Aragon 8008 BB mk2.
ejliu
john_z
178 posts
 
Genelec makes some very high quality active speakers for home theater use. Find a local dealer that carries the line and check them out. They rock.

You may want to try adding just the surrounds to your system first and see how it sounds on movies without a center. A mismatched (timbre) center speaker relative to your mains may sound worse than running your system in "phantom" center mode. You can always add a matching Avalon center speaker and amplification later as funds permit.

Cheers!





ejliu OP
109 posts
 
Thanks for the suggestion on the Genelec. I will definitely check it out. I was also considering Tannoy as well. Perhaps I need to go to a pro shop and look around.

Avalon no longer makes Avalon Radian HC speakers and their current center speaker solution is closer sounding to the newer speakers than Radian HC. The only choise is Avalon Monitor speaker, but they only come in a pair and they are also fairly large.
distortion
571 posts
 
I am not using any but there are quite a few makes on the market. As far a pro gear, Genelec are pretty good. Give Mackie a listen as well. JBL, Event, Tannoy, Alesis, Plus many others.

I have bought gear from B and H with good results, low prices and tone of stuff. Webpage gives links and stats.
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