The 8 Best Center Channel Speakers to Buy in 2018

Klipsch is a long-standing household name, so its appearance in the top spot shouldn’t be any surprise. The RP-250C center channel speaker pairs two 5.25-inch cerametallic woofers and a 90 x 90 hybrid tractix horn with a one-inch titanium tweeter and creates a sound that everyone loves. The mid-range result is crystal clear, the bass is responsive without any distortion and the highs offer the same level of near perfection as the mid-range result. The 18.5 x 9.96 x 6.81-inch espresso design places all this audio power into a premium wood-grain polymer veneer package that ultimately delivers a theater-quality result and blends into most room décor. Add in Dolby Atmos sound and multimedia viewers and listeners will feel completely engulfed in the sound, with clear dialogue and music lyrics that sound phenomenal. If you want to tuck the Klipsch away, you can put the magnetically attachable removable grille back on the speaker for a more discreet looking performer.

Measuring 5 x 13 x 4 inches, the Yamaha NS-C210BL is a center channel speaker that fits horizontally on any bookshelf, thanks to its unique design. The design is both elegant and slim, but still sports a 7/8-inch balanced dome tweeter, two-way bass-reflect center speaker and light aluminum cone-based woofers for an extra-fast audio response. The slim design is the result of Yamaha not wanting to take attention away from flat-panel TVs, so the sound is heard but not seen. Ultimately, the NS-C210BL is specifically attentive to reproducing the fuller, dynamic sound of high-definition sources, including Blu-ray discs.

The JBL Arena 125C has a one-inch soft dome tweeter with high-definition imaging (HDI) that offers wave guiding technology for exceptionally detailed sound across a room. The two 5.5-inch poly cellulose mid-woofers add a fantastic bass-heavy sound that takes gaming, music, movies, shows and regular television programming to another level with a response ranging from 90 to 40,000Hz. Additionally, the computer-optimized hardware works to position the drivers for the best overall sound performance resonating from the JBL’s modern-looking hardware.

The ProCenter 1000 is supported by two 4.5-inch cast basket drivers, two 4.5-inch pressure-driven low-frequency radiators, as well as a one-inch pure aluminum dome tweeter, which creates a punch in the sound that you’d only expect to find in a larger speaker. Measuring 10.5 x 5 x 5 inches, the ProCenter 1000 is traditionally compact compared to alternative center speaker options, but performs even better. Fortunately, the size won’t fool you as this speaker incorporates the same various technologies as more expensive and larger Definitive Technology products. Case in point: The two added bass radiators on either side of the case help push out a bass sound that will have you thinking the ProCenter 1000 is hiding some mystical technology inside its compact form factor.

Another highly acclaimed name, the Pioneer SP-C22 Andrew Jones-designed center channel speaker produces a sound you’ll quickly fall in love with. Measuring 18.12 x 8.45 x 7.12 inches, the SP-C22 is designed to look both modern and conventional. It has two four-inch surface woofers, one-inch high-efficiency soft dome tweeter and six element crossovers. The latter assists with blending the audio between the woofer and the tweeter for greater range of different frequencies. The curved shape of the wooden cabinet casing also aids the SP-C22 in standing wave reduction that pairs with all other auditory features to result in one high-quality sound system. With 50 percent of a movie’s soundtrack coming from a center speaker, the SP-C22 allows car crashes to sound a little crunchier and explosions to sound a little louder, which adds a level of authenticity that’s hard to pass up.

Finding a budget priced center channel speaker with outstanding audio quality isn’t always easy, but the Micca MB42-C nails the combination. Backed by a well-known reputation, the two four-inch woven carbon fiber woofers help minimize midrange distortion, which allows for clear dialogue and voices to come through, plus outstanding musical sound. The high-performance .75-inch silk dome tweeter adds a smooth treble that combines with the woofers for great sound quality and impactful bass. Capable of handling an impedance of four ohms and up to 100 watts, there’s a sound experience here that punches well above its budget-friendly price tag. The speaker has a utilitarian-looking black design, but adds rounded corners and a classically styled cloth cover for a look that never fades. The overall size is 9.5 x 5.8 x 6.5 inches.

The MartinLogan Motion 30 features a folded motion tweeter that delivers almost eight times the surface area of a one-inch dome tweeter, so the result is a dynamic sound that’s close to perfect. The folded motion assists the tweeter by pushing the air out while adding lightning fast response time for a high-quality sound that’s hard to reproduce on less expensive competitors. Add in the 6.5-inch rear-facing bass drivers and a 5.5-inch cone mid-range woofer for high-quality bass and you'll have a frequency response between 65 to 25,000Hz (with peak power nearing 200 watts per channel). There’s no question the resulting sound is incredible, but it would be remiss to ignore the high-gloss design of the speaker box (it has a finish that will blend in with any room decor.) It measures 16.5 x 10.5 x 6.9 inches.