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Reviews 1 - 5 (24 Reviews Total)
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Submitted by
st0ney71
a Audio EnthusiastDate Reviewed: October 23, 2003
Bottom Line: I bought this center channel a while back to complement my then 4 speaker setup. I actually didn't know which one to get til I clicked on the reviews for center speakers and decided to get the ar4c. This fits my sony 27" wega perfectly. The top of my tv slants downward and with the center speaker I automatically have it aimed directly at hearing position. I currently have these paired up with a pair of wharfedale emerald 97s, two polk audio dipole/bipole rears, and a sony modified 12" sub (driver replaced with a rockford fosgate He sub at 8ohms) I also took the time to spike the mains and the subs just for the heck of it. everything is powered by a harman kardon avr225 and the sound is great. the performance of the center speaker is fantastic for either movie or music! I had to lower the output to the center -3dB to match them to the wharfedales. Music sounds much better when using the hk logic7 dsp mode, guitars and saxaphones become life-life and vocals are clear, not too bright not to broad. Movies become more interesting to watch now because the dialog is so clear and I can actually understand the plot better. Before when I saw LOTR using a cheap center it always seemed like "Lord Selron" was mumbling or groaning whenever frodo sees the big red eye. But with the AR4C I realized that what he was groaning about were actually words! This center channel was worth every penny and I'm glad I bought it otherwise I don't think I would be satisfied with other centers at this price range! If your in the market for speakers, use the reviews posted here because they help a lot, it's the second best thing to auditioning speakers for yourselves. As for me there was only a best buy near and they mostly carry JBL products which I passed on after listening to a few, plus they were pretty expensive!
Used product for: 3 Months to 1 year
Duration Product Used: Audio Enthusiast
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At: eBay
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Submitted by
Vestige
a AudioPhileDate Reviewed: July 4, 2003
Bottom Line: By far, this is the best performing center channel for the money. Much like its' big brother, the AR2C, this speaker has rich bass and very crisp highs. The mid-range speakers perform very well. This speaker is perfectly matched with other High Res speakers. I use if primarily for the rear center surround speaker. It delivers!
Used product for: More than 1 year
Duration Product Used: AudioPhile
Product model year: 1999
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At: Soundpros.com
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Submitted by
Robert
a Audio EnthusiastDate Reviewed: February 8, 2003
Bottom Line: I don't think it gets much better than this for a center channel speaker considering price/quality. Exceptionally clear for dialogue and loud enough so you don't need to reduce the amount of sound coming out of the other speakers. This was certainly a worthwhile upgrade for me and I have a perfect match with my AR hi-res fronts.
Used product for: 1 to 3 months
Duration Product Used: Audio Enthusiast
Product model year: 2002
Price Paid:
$139.00
Purchased At: Accessories For Less
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Submitted by
Thanh Nguyen
a Audio EnthusiastDate Reviewed: February 8, 2003
Bottom Line: Just had this centre speaker for few days.Love it - music is so tight and movies dialog is very clear/warm.
I bought it to bring my current Bose (dual cube) to centre rear.
AR4C is more sentive than Bose centre I found
Used product for: Less than 1 month
Duration Product Used: Audio Enthusiast
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
bgsms
a Audio EnthusiastDate Reviewed: November 19, 2002
Bottom Line: The AR4C is my first center channel speaker so I didn't have anything to compare it to. I went to several friends homes who had surround systems to get an idea of what worked and what didn't. I quickly concluded that the HTIB systems weren't very good (just barely better than the TV speaker) and that most of the smaller MTM centers were lacking. The best one close to my price range was a row of 3 NHT Super 2s that blended VERY well, but they don't make those anymore.
I had read a good review about using 3 B&W DM303s and liked that combination until I ran across the AR15 + AR4C combo. The ARs sounded a little crisper and a little more forward than the B&Ws. I also tried the AR2C, but I didn't feel it was worth the extra money as I wasn't feeling the little extra bass it offers.
When I hooked them up at home, the AR4C was a little harsh and it overpowered the AR15s (it is more efficient and therefore plays louder). After breaking in all the speakers, I played with placement and adjusted the levels in the receiver. This step is critical because the center was 2.5 dB louder than the left or right speaker. The center also likes to be slightly over the edge of the TV. Once the adjustments were made, the speakers were now a team! WOW! I was truely amazed at how good the AR4C was, especially since is cost less than $200.
DVDs really give a center channel speaker a workout, and the wider the bandwidth it has, the better. The 4C does very well with dialog. It just blows away all the little dinky speakers. It is well built and heaver than I expected. The large gold binding posts are solid and held my 16 AWG wire securely. They also have a richness to them that competing units under $200 lack.
I don't usually use these with music, but the few times I tried it, they blended very well with the AR15 main speakers. I don't use a sub since I am in a small apartment, but I don't miss it except some action movies with lots of explosions (such as U571, Pearl Harbor).
I have had these speakers for 6 months and recommend them highly. They do need a break in period, the positioning tweaked, and the levels adjusted to get the most out of them. Do it, and you won't be disappointed, especially at this price point.
My equipment list:
Main speakers: AR15
Center channel: AR4C
Surround speakers: Cambridge Soundworks 17
A/V Receiver: Yamaha RX-V630
DVD/CD player: Yamaha DVD-920
Used product for: 3 Months to 1 year
Duration Product Used: Audio Enthusiast
Product model year: 2001
Price Paid:
$157.00
Purchased At: Consumer Direct
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