We have a Pioneer VSX1020 receiver and the Cambridge IV ensemble which consist of 5 satelitte speakers and a subwoofer and we also have 2 tower speakers that are set up as the main speakers.

We are toying around with the idea of upgrading out the center speaker. Space is limited. Anything you would sugest? ...

How limited is the space (l x w x h) for a CC speaker?
What's your budget for a CC speaker?

 

under 6 inched in depth under 5 inches height and less than 14A" long
Budget under $500 but its a workable # depending on

 

We also have a Samsing S90C tv if that helps

It doesn't.

Providing the basic info in the 2 questions in Post #2 however, would.

 

We have a Pioneer VSX1020 receiver and the Cambridge IV ensemble which consist of 5 satelitte speakers and a subwoofer and we also have 2 tower speakers that are set up as the main speakers.

We are toying around with the idea of upgrading out the center speaker. Space is limited. Anything you would sugest? I am sure it will be an improvement.

We also have a Samsing S90C tv if that helps

any pics?
Which tower speakers your using those as mains and a satelitte speaker as a center speaker?
with your size limits I’d try phantom mode.

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/anyone-else-went-phantom.3281012/

Phantom Center vs Real Center for main listening position

Continuing this discussion from another thread. My premise is that for the main listening position, a phantom center is the optimal solution in the right conditions - better than a real center. I had fairly high end B&W 802D3 + B&W HTM1D3 and recently sold off my HTM1D3 and have no center. And...

www.avsforum.com

 

We have a Pioneer VSX1020 receiver and the Cambridge IV ensemble which consist of 5 satelitte speakers and a subwoofer and we also have 2 tower speakers that are set up as the main speakers.

We are toying around with the idea of upgrading out the center speaker. Space is limited. Anything you would sugest? I am sure it will be an improvement.

That subwoofer only accepts high-level inputs: Cambridge SoundWorks Ensemble IV Speaker System Review price specs - Hi-Fi Classic

How are you connecting that to the receiver, which has an RCA preout (unamplified) like all receivers do? Does it come with a separate amp module?

Pioneer VSX1020 receiver

Edit: I get it. The AVR is wired to the "sub", and the "sub" outputs to the speakers and does the filtering. The AVR is set to no sub and all speakers to Large. In that sense it's not really a subwoofer, but a bass module for the satellites.

This isn't really compatible with the LFE track in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.

Plus, you have no control over the bass cutoff, which is only designed for the Kloss speakers and is not conducive to mixing and matching your own speakers with different capabilities into the system. Any normal speaker would be directly connected to the AVR and would bypass the bass module. That must be how your towers are wired?

I would consider updating everything and retire the Cambridge. It sounds like you got many years of service out of them, but it's probably time to move on. A real subwoofer will be the most impactful upgrade you ever make to the system.

 

Look at some way to get a center speaker that is taller than "less than 5" ... there is almost nothing to choose from in that category. That said, Cambridge Soundworks center speakers are not known for their sound quality, so almost anything would be an improvement.

One option would be this:

MilleniaOne 1.0

Specs show it to be 4.5" in width. This will perform reasonably well, with good dynamics and clear sound, but you'll need to figure out some sort of footing arrangement, as the stand will make the speaker too tall, even on it's side.

..........

This is less expensive, and will not perform well at very high volumes. You will need to tell the receiver to use a 120Hz crossover. You don't want to send a full range signal to this tiny tike:

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_779MIN22B/Cambridge-Audio-Minx-Min-22-Black.html?tp=186

That's about it for decent performance in your size and price range.

EDIT: This will fit, and it's cheap. What it will give you for sound quality ... who knows? You can try it first and always send it back if not satisifed.

Dayton Audio CCS-33B 3-3/4" 3-Way Center Channel Speaker Black

 

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-cp45sbjLXJg/p_893R225PB/Monitor-Audio-Radius-225-High-gloss-Black.html?XVINQ=GZ0&XVVer=URI&awcr=628635633965&awdv=t&awnw=g&awug=9009718&awkw=pla-1837393188846&awmt=&awat=pla&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18590063256&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9JLHBhC-ARIsAK4PhcohUNb5IQF9c8CZjEaLu8KITqQQ1W3CqZPIAsLFZdp5gzz5FuPK3UgaAuM1EALw_wcB

I installed one of these as center. Happy with the sound. It’s paired with in wall Jbl studio 6 speakers for LR. I’ve attached it to the tv wall mount as if it was a soundbar. Can also be wall mounted.

 

Its probably better to go phantom Center than severely compromise on a mediocre/crappy one. My 2 cents.

 

+1 for retiring the Cambridge IV ensemble sub/sat system. Keep the towers (what are they?) and receiver and build from that. Need to up the budget too.