A nice center channel by AR
Written: Aug 13 '00 (Updated Jan 23 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Clear and detailed sound, relatively small size, solid build
Cons: Slightly lacs bass due to design (sealed enclosure and small drivers)
The Bottom Line: A good sounding center to match up with AR's larger PS series speakers.
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| livingplasma's Full Review: Acoustic Research AR C225PS Center Speaker |
Got this speaker recently to compliment the home theater setup which currently has the AR 216PS as the mains. Because tonal blending with the mains was a concern as was price, the AR C 225PS on sale for $85 looked like they would fit the bill nicely. The speaker is an acoustic suspension design (sealed) with two 5.25" mid/woofers and a 1" tweeter.
One of the first things I noticed as I listened to them was the clarity in the midrange and treble extension compared to the cheap Technic's it had replaced. The sound was clear and distinct and sounded pretty much free of any strange resonance or muddiness, most likely due to the enclosure type. Female voices were especially nice to listen to with this center channel and male voices were done well too. Overall, the sound coming from this speaker is tight and clean. Because the tweeter in this speaker is the same one used as the mains and the woofer drivers are of similar build, tonal balance when panning left-center-right was good although the midrange was a bit more forward in the center (which is in my view a good thing for most home theater setups). The center had an ok sound spread, mainly because it does not use the horn loaded array of it's larger left and right cousins, but a dispersion lense instead.
These speakers are built very well. It is a nice, solidly built enclosure covered with black wood grained vinyl (I think, but definitely not veneer). The end panels on each side of the speaker are fitted quite nicely, I cannot really describe it, you have to look at it yourself. The connection is through gold plated 5-way binding posts with plastic knobs, much like the AR 216 PS'. They have an angled back which allow more varied positioning of the speakers, such as below the TV and aimed up etc.
I have noticed only one problem with this speaker. Because it is a sealed enclosure that is rather small with smallish drivers, there is very little bass although the bass it can play is tight. Because of this, some deeper male voices will not have the extra body they posses, although most male voices sound fine through it. This problem was mainly noted when listening to music, but was not very apparent when watching movies.
EDIT UPDATE 9/13/00: It seems as if the drivers have broken in now because the bass is much fuller and richer that before. Most deep male voices do not sound as lacking as before. Female voices sound a tad warmer as well.
Overall, I think this is a very good sounding, affordable speaker. If you have any of the AR PS series as your other speakers, these will blend nicely and will work good in a home theater setup.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
livingplasma
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Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Opinions, like people, will change and evolve. Expect updates with many of my reviews.
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