Have Theos Speakers, looking for Center channel

[NickTheMajin]

I have a pair of Theos speakers and I’m looking at a matching Center channel. There are two that I’m between. The Focus ESL and the EM Esl C. Within the year I will likely be upgrading my Theos speakers to impressions.

The issue with the focus is it’s size. I can’t find a cabinet with enough room to fit it that looks nice. Will I be missing out with the esl C?

 

[JonFo]

Hi Nick, as with any brand of speakers, the center needs to be as capable as the L/R speakers for best soundstage. So I'd say the Focus is your best bet, especially if stepping up to Impressions later.

The Focus is wall-mountable and less deep than the ESL C, so it should give more options if you wall-mount the TV and the Center. Ideally, the center should be as high on the wall as possible, just under the screen. Placing centers to low is a common problem in many systems, and leads to problems with dialog inteligibility and soundstage smoothness.

I take the importance of a good center seriously enough I built my own. This thread has some of the reasoning.

 

[Northy]

I use a Matinee with my Theos and they match perfectly. Go with the Focus. You will not regret it in the long run.