pjonall

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $240.00 from Cambridge Outlet in

Summary:
I bought this mainly for the low profile, good looks, and ability to get the stand and stick everything under my 27" Proscan. It looks great, works great. However, it definitely needs to be equalized. Has a big hump spreading from 200Hz to almost 2kHz, centered at about 700Hz. This explains a lot of the nazal, tin-can sound everyone else has been noticing. Of course, a good speaker shouldn't need EQ... Once set up and dialed in properly, this speaker is fine for small to medium home theaters. I thought it may have been a little bit high priced 10 years ago, but considering it's competition at the time, was not a bad deal. Definitely not worth more than $100 today with all the excellent centers you can buy between $250-400...

Strengths:
Low profile fits like a glove under 27" tv with optional stand. Much better than the generic mass-market speakers available at CC/BestBUY - especially for under $100

Weaknesses:
Needs equalization for best sound reproduction. Very power hungry - rated at 100W and practically requires that much to get decent volume out of it.

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Ebay

Summary:
I bought a set of Ensembles on Ebay, and the seller threw in the Center Channel Plus, and I can tell why. I have owned a couple sets of CSW speakers, and really like them, especially for the price. In my opinion, the CenterChannel Plus is just "a little" better than my TV speakers, in an A/B comparison. Voices don't have a natural sound, too tinny, brassy, etc. Upgraded to the CSW CenterStage(maybe a tad warm on female voices, but "much" fuller, more natural sound for a center channel).

Strengths:
Doesn't look too bad.

Weaknesses:
Tinny, Brassy, lacking warmth. Sounds like 2"x4" TV speakers.

Similar Products Used:
CSW CenterStage

Price Paid:  $249.00 from hifi.com

Summary:
For the rest of the people writing good reviews about this speaker I say; YOU HAVENT A CLUE! I owned this center for several years and never realized the amount of low end needed for a center when using pro logic. You absolutely need one that reaches down to 60hz or lower. I upgraded to an mc500 with 6.5" drivers and rediscovered all of my music.

Strengths:
it has a cool factor in its size and qty of drivers.

Weaknesses:
extremely limited range.

Similar Products Used:
csw mc500 center,polk cs245i.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Even though it''s too late, I''d like to thank all of you for sharing experiences with the Cambridge Soundworks Center Channel Plus. Not that I''m researching for the purchase of this product . . .just thought it would be interesting to hear comments about something I''ve lived with since the early 90''s. I agree with all negative posts about the Center Channel Plus. This has been one of the worse mistakes I ever made. The other mistake was getting the rest of the same company product line. After break-in time of over ten years, I can still say that the sound is like the day I received them. The voices sound like people talking with a clothes-pin on their nose. They don''t even sound close to their mates, the Ensembles, not that the Ensembles ever had a great sound, either. Take my word: DON''T BUY THEM. If you''re on a budget, hold on to your money and get something better. Think. You''re getting a supplementary system for improvement. Why would you want these if you''re better-off with the TV sound? I usually give away used equipment to my friends whenever I upgrade. In this case, the Cambridge Soundworks product will be dumped. I fear my friends would never speak to me again, or worse, these speakers might be given back to me. I can remember the day I received my Surrounds (they suck, too!), the Center Ch. Plus ("plus" crap), and four Ensembles (sheilded and regular). A comparison of the regular Ensembles and sheilded Ensembles have a different tone. I was unhappy then (as an entry level) and I''m still unhappy today. What a waste. Two good things to say. 1. I''ve learned a lesson in the importance of research before you buy. Send it back if no good. 2. In reading the majority of posts about this product on this site, I have established a greater level of confidence and respect for the people who take the time to write their thoughts. Thank you. Mike Aspras

Strengths:
The strength is really a weakness: Don''t just shop for price.

Weaknesses:
The weakness is my own: I should have sent them back.

Price Paid:  $99.00 from CSW Outlet

Summary:
I bought the Center Channel Plus to upgrade my Ensemble IV center, hoping for another CSW value home run. I have an excellent A/V reciever (see the Technics SADA-10 reviews)and a tight, musical Pinnacle CT-80 sub, so I figured this would complete my HT high-value "clean sweep." Best laid plans. I find another reviewer has characterized my experience thus far with the Center Channel Plus - mildly frustrating. At its best (with voice passages, most DTS, nightly news!) it reproduces quite natural human voices, and good, wide, mid-range non-music passages. It HAS taken a long time to find the balance point between L/C/R/Sub, and I still tweak it constantly, sensing it could be a little bit better. It looks way modern and hip on my Mitsu 32" TV, and the price was right. It sounds noticeably better at higher volume levels. However, I find it''s quite limited in musical reproduction (the original Ensemble IV center actually sounds better with music). With certain passages, it does sound rather boxy and dull. I''d guess this stems from the tweeter having a particularly narrow soundfield, plus its limited top end (17khz). As I move my ear over the face of the speaker, I find it sounds best - quite good - right in front of the tweeter, but immediately off-axis the response drops off dramatically, to "wooden". All told, the Center Channel Plus is an good value (due to its incredibly low price), and it does some things well. It''s just not the high value purchase I was expecting from CSW, and that I strive for. I''m keepin'' my eye out for a better value out there.

Strengths:
Natural voice, wide soundstage, looks fabulous on my TV, great price.

Weaknesses:
Weak music reproduction, weak off-axis for highs, sounds wooden with some inputs

Similar Products Used:
CSW Ensemble IV center