[Gidon]

Hello all,


We recently purchased a new TV stand and our center channel no longer "works" (i.e. I can't find a place to put it). So I figured I'd take this opportunity to upgrade/change my speakers. Currently I have:


JBL S26IIs as fronts

JBL s-center as a center channel

B&W 601 rears (cast off from relatives)

Klipsch sub (works well)


So as you can see it's a little frankenstein. I need to go with three bookshelfs up front and ditch the traditional center channel. So my questions are:


1) Should I opt for 3 Polk A3s, 3 Polk RTi4s, or try to find a third 601 or s26II to fill in (my preliminary search seems to indicate it will be tough to find either of those speakers)?


2) What happens in the rear? I'm not looking to spend more than about $500 so what should I keep in back the JBLs or the B&Ws?


Like I said budget is around $500 or $600 and we watch TV and Movies 80% of the time, game 19%, and music 1%. My initial thought is to try for the polk rti4s and keep the 601s in the back. Am I being too hard on the JBLs though? Are the A3s that much better than the RTi4s given my like of JBL? I think the polks are better and I might just be holding onto the JBLs for sentimental reasons or something. So let me know what you all would do in my situation given my budget, scenario, and previous experience with the JBLs (which I thought were pretty good speakers).


P.S.

Receiver driving the whole thing is soon to be a V-663. Feel free to suggest models/brands outside of my recommendations.


Thanks in advance.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Three matched across the front is, actually, superior to L/C/R since the matching is better. Just keep them all oriented vertically.

 

[Knucklehead90]

Your front three speakers are in fact a match for each other from JBL's Studio series. You may want to figure out some way of making the S Center work in your new arraignment, the Studio series are a very good sounding speaker. For the budget you cited, you may well be going sideways unless you find a very good deal. Most center channel speakers will be as big or bigger than what you have now unless lower sound quality isn't a concern.


If you've never read the reviews on the Studio series, here is a link where you can read on the S26 and the S Center. I've always considered any ratings over 4.0 to be an endorsement in favor of buying the reviewed product.

http://www.audioreview.com/mfr/jbl/b...8_4290CRX.ASPX

 

[Kal Rubinson]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Knucklehead90 /forum/post/15475153


Your front three speakers are in fact a match for each other from JBL's Studio series.

Are you sure? The S26 is a vertical, 2way, 2driver speaker and the S-Center is a horizontal, 3way, 4driver system. Giving them similar numbers should indicate a close relationship but there's no way these can match up as well as having 3 S26 (or similar) for L/C/R.

 

[Knucklehead90]

They are both listed as being from the Studio series. They should be a match unless I'm missing something. I have the S Center ll and it is listed as a Studio Series speaker. The only difference I can tell from the original is the difference in the cone colors. All specs are the same. Crossover freqs, FR, impedance, etc, its all a match between the two. If there are other differences, I don't know of them. Build quality?


The studio ll series were a variant of the original Studio series, with virtually the same specs as the original series. So his S26ll and center speaker are from a different 'series' but are a match according to the specs.


The original Studio series were a huge hit and JBL must have thought to continue the success of that by introducing the ll series, albeit, with somewhat less success. Kind of like changing the hood ornament on a car and calling it all new.


I think he has a matched set.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I guess it depends on who you trust and what your criteria are. Nonetheless, anything different (and this center is certainly different from the S-26 in so many ways) can be as well matched as an identical copy. My ears tell me that, too.

 

[Knucklehead90]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Kal Rubinson /forum/post/15475614


I guess it depends on who you trust and what your criteria are. Nonetheless, anything different (and this center is certainly different from the S-26 in so many ways) can be as well matched as an identical copy. My ears tell me that, too.

*

Well, there is no better choice than using 3 identical speakers up front.


There are differences with the OP's fronts, but they both use the same tweeter. Isn't the tweeters most important when matching up center and front speakers?


I'm using the S Center with a pair of Infinity IL40s for LCR. Other than they all use a 1" tweeter, there are no other commonalities. Timbre match is very close. There are no distracting mismatches when sound traverses the front 3. But then, I have 61 year old ears.