Center channel speaker for KEF iQ series speakers

Hi all,

I was looking for KEF iQ30 or iQ70 as my L/R speakers. The matching center channel speaker is supposed to be iQ60C, but that is a bit difficult to get. The only two places I could get in over the net was Amazon marketplace (seller: Premier Audio Video) & eBay (seller: priority*audio*video), looking at the price and location my guess was that it is the same seller. However, not being one of the KEF recognized dealers I beleive KEF would not honor the factory (5-yr) warranty. This leaves me with a couple of options and would want to know from you gurus, what seems the best bet.

Option#1: Buy it from one of these sellers and forget about warranty

Option#2: Buy a different center channel from one of the other leading brands [if this is your suggestion, please suggest some alternative brands / models within $300-$400 range]

Option#3: Use one iQ30 as the center channel. If the L/R is iQ30 only this would give you the best timbre match - if the L/R is iQ70, still it would be a good enough match because both of them share the same UniQ set-up

Option#4: Problem with #3 is that iQ30s are available only in pairs, which leaves one iQ30 to be wasted or redundant. Alternate option is to go for 6.1 set up with this 2nd one of the pair as the rear speaker. However, the receiver that I am planning to buy (Marantz SR5007) is a 7.2 receiver and I am not sure if I could stright away connect a 6.1 channel out of it. Sometime back I had seen an interesting set-up on the HSU site on their VT-12 Ventriloquist system [how 6.1 system could be set-up from a 5.1 receiver]

I do not know if this setup works only for this specific sats [HSU VT-12] or will it be a generic system, which should work fine with any speaker like iQ30 for example [ref: attached diagram screen painted and copy-pasted from HSU website: http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vt-12.pdf]

I am feeling very awkward to put forward my thought ... especially option#4 , because I am going through this forum for the last 4-5 months and I did not see any post in the same lines. If you feel it is a ridiculous thought I sincerely apologize.

Please suggest me which option I should go with.

Thanks,
- AniBan
Edited by aniban - 10/1/12 at 1:07am

Afro GT,

Thanks for your suggestion, but the iQ60c page on the kefdirect website has been taken off - I tried calling them also but did not get a response

Also I had pm'd the KEFAmerica user in the avsforum and he mentioned that they have stopped all production of iQ60c

Search keeps on ...

Afro GT, Thanks for the newegg info - yes I am following their site for last 1-2 months and this $199/each deal for the iQ70s is coming back over and over again. So, I will take my chances till I confirm the center channel ... am I thinking too much on the center channel before I pull the trigger on the iQ70s?

Commysman, thanks for your response - I would probably wait a bit more if some more people could give their inputs.

Any feedback on some other similar priced highly popular center channels on amazon: Polk CS10, Infinity Primus CS351, Mirage OS3-CC or OMDC1, JBL ES25CBK?

Thanks again for your time and opinion.

Alright - a bit of updates from my end. I spoke to the KEF Direct guys yesterday ... I am sorry I could not get this guys name even after several times of asking him ... I believe it was Dippin or something similar, but the experience was awesome. Let me explain in detail.

He confirmed that iQ60Cs are not being manufactured anymore. So when I asked him, what should be used as alternate he suggested the Q200C - both have the exactly same driver configuration [130mm (5.25in.) aluminium Uni-Q 25mm (1in.) vented aluminium dome HF 130mm (5.25in.) aluminium LF 130mm (5.25in.)] as the iQ60C, but constructed with better (he claimed) materials.

After hearing my room configuration and settings he further suggested to stick to iQ70s over the Q300s

For the rear speakers he said Q800DS is going to be a overkill and I should go for iQ10 or iQ30s - he was pretty confident that iQ10s is what I need, but at the very last he said - well for $50 more you get the iQ30s, give them a try

Best part of this entire conversation was that he did not try to sell me more expensive speakers - he tried to understand my requirement and taste and was giving me suggestions based on that

Net net - he convinced me of the following configuration: iQ70 as fronts, Q200C as center, iQ30 surround. Sub: HSU MK3-VT2. Powered with Marantz SR5007

Already ordered the iQ70 pairs from newegg

Thanks to all who have helped me in this quest of last 6 months for finalizing my first "true" 5.1 set-up