Center Channel Speakers

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Center channel speakers anchor the front stage of a home theater surround sound system with crystal clear dialogue and vocals, a broad soundstage and pinpoint imaging. The SVS Prime and Ultra Center speakers feature 3-way designs with two ported bass drivers and a dedicated midrange driver below the tweeter in its own acoustically sealed chamber. 3-way designs are ideal because they perform closer to a full range speaker and ensure accurate frequency response to the widest possible listening area, while enabling the acoustic image to track accurately across the front stage.

Center channel speakers are critical to a home theater surround sound system because nearly 70% of audio playback comes through the center channel at any given moment. SVS center channel speakers render vocals and dialogue with pristine clarity for music, movies and TV, while tying all the action together across the front stage for a convincing sense of realism. The horizontal driver array of the SVS Prime and Ultra Center channel speakers are optimized for placement on speaker stands, mounts and/or furniture above or below HD displays and projector screens. With proper SVS center speaker placement, vocals and sound effects are attached to the screen and flow from left to right without breaks creating an immersive, “like-being-there” suspension of belief.

User Reviews

MOTOWN Reviews the Ultra Center

"After adding this center to my home theater setup im amazed at how much detail and clarity im hearing for the first time voices breathing all the things tha...

Robert B. Reviews the Prime Center

"I should have made the move years ago this speaker is fantastic"- Robert B.

View all User Reviews

Press Reviews

YouTuber ‘Classy Tech Calibrations’ Reviews Ultra Center Speaker

“Elegant design and finish for a true 3-range center channel that definitely performs well above it’s price. They were exceptional when demoing my favorite ...

Widescreen Review, Ultra Tower Surround System

"While I enjoyed the performance of the Ultra system, I’m having a hard time grappling with how a $3700 loudspeaker system (not including subwoofer) could c...

HiRes Audio Central Reviews the Ultra Center Loudspeaker

"Without question the Ultra Center is a monster home theater speaker overall; in fact, it’s one of the most muscular centers I’ve heard…It delivers clean di...

Marshall Guthrie - Audioholics, Reviews the Ultra Center Loudspeaker

"Mid frequencies were clear and natural. A beautiful and capable center channel home theater speaker that is also a terrific value. Their performance stands...

Home Theater Forum - Sam Chandler Reviews the Ultra Center Loudspeaker

"The center is more than up to the task at all times, with any drive level. Everything images where it should and its clarity is pristine. Highly Recommended."

The Ultra Center receives Sound & Vision’s 2013 Top Pick of the Year Award.

"Dialogue at every possible level came through with a natural feeling. Voices remained intelligible as I moved off axis and the system handled the multichan...

High Def Digest Reviews the Prime Bookshelf and Prime Center Loudspeakers

"A marvel of sound design. These loudspeakers uncoil the sound, and reach well above their price point dynamically. Easy recommendations for the aspiring bu...

The Missing Remote Reviews Prime Center and Prime Tower 5.0 System

"The Prime Center is clear and crisp, and able to handle everything…it made the biggest performance difference from my usual setup."

Audioholics - Tarunvir Bains Reviews the Prime Tower and Prime Center Speakers

"I highly recommend the SVS Prime speakers for anyone looking to break into the first true threshold of fidelity-driven sound reproduction without breaking ...

AVTechReviews - Chris Murray Reviews the Prime Series Speakers

"… have a surprisingly big sound… flawless in its performance…get a audiophile grade home theater system at a fraction of the cost."

The Poor Audiophile - SVS Launches Prime Series Speaker Family: An Array of Speakers From Tower to Satellite

"The Prime Center is a three-way design. I was happy to hear that SVS went with this design choice as it addresses the off-axis issues that are common to th...

Widescreen Review Magazine - Gary Reber Reviews the SVS Ultra Series Loudspeakers

"… an exceptional multichannel loudspeaker system that is true to SVS’ tradition of offering higher performance for the money through R&D and design…the...

View all Press Reviews
Ultra Center
Reference 3-way center channel speaker delivers pristine clarity and broad soundstage for the finest home theaters.

$ 799.99

each speaker

  • Tweeter | 1"
  • Midrange | 4"
  • Woofer | Dual 6.5"
  • Freq. Response | 45 Hz-32 kHz (±3 dB)
  • Dimension | 8.2” (H) 22” (W) 10.9” (D)

$ 799.99 each speaker

Prime Center
True 3-way center channel delivers crystal clear, natural sound with broad dispersion.

$ 399.99

each speaker

  • Tweeter | 1"
  • Midrange | 3.5"
  • Woofer | Dual 5.25"
  • Freq. Response | 48 Hz-25 kHz (±3 dB)
  • Dimension | 7.7" (H) 18.6" (W) 9.2" (D)

$ 399.99 each speaker

FAQ

Yes. Center channel speakers carry roughly 70% of the entire soundtrack at any given time, including nearly all dialog and musical vocals. They also support a seamless soundstage with the front left and right main speakers, allowing sounds to flow precisely from any point between them while conveying sonic transitions smoothly and accurately. It’s definitely not the speaker you want to skimp on. For more information on the importance of center channel speakers, read more here: Why the Center Channel is the Most Important Home Theater Speaker

Yes. If you are running a multichannel home theater like a 5.1 system, the center channel speakers handle nearly all the dialog and vocals and form the center point for all front stage action. It’s what anchors the sound to the action happening onscreen in a convincing way when watching movies or television. For more information on the importance of center channel speakers, visit this page: For more information on the importance of center channel speakers, read more here: Why the Center Channel is the Most Important Home Theater Speaker

Center channel speakers are great for dialog and musical vocals in a multichannel surround sound application. For music listening in a 2-channel stereo application, instrumentals and vocals are layered at different output levels to the left and right channels and not to the center channel, thus the center speaker is not as important.. For more information on best uses for center channel speakers, check out: Why the Center Channel is the Most Important Home Theater Speaker

The best center channel speakers utilize a 3-way driver design with a vertically aligned midrange and tweeter in the middle flanked by a bass woofer on both sides that allows it to perform more like a full-range loudspeaker. This design minimizes off-axis lobing and offers a larger “Sweet spot” and better reproduction of the vocal frequency range. For more information on center (or centre speakers) and which model is best for you, visit this page: SVS Center Channel Speakers

3-way center channel speakers because they deliver a broader sweet spot with clearer dialog and better dispersion characteristics across the front stage. 2-way center channel speakers are susceptible to signal lobing which creates a beaming effect with the sound. This results in more directional output and a smaller sweet spot. For center channel speaker placement tips, visit here.

SVS Speaker Design Philosophy

When designing high performance loudspeakers, even the smallest details have acoustic consequences. Our engineers scrutinize every build material, cabinet angle, engineering process and measurement to achieve a level of audio excellence that is unmistakably SVS.

In this two-part “Understanding Speakers” video series, SVS President Gary Yacoubian explores how an idea becomes an SVS speaker in Part One and offers tips for choosing your perfect speaker in Part Two.

Additional Resources

Placement Tips for a Center Channel Speaker

Simple positioning tips to optimize center channel performance.

SVS Prime and Ultra Series Speakers: A Comparison

Understanding the differences between the two SVS speaker lines.

Choosing Between Bookshelf and Tower Speakers

Important things to know about sound quality, room set-up, budget and more.

The Art of Speaker Placement

Tips for optimizing speaker placement when setting up a two-channel stereo or surround sound home theater speaker system.

Getting Started with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Auro-3D

Learn about the emerging audio formats and how height effects speakers can elevate your listening experience.

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