ace5000

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
This is an amazing center channel that is warm and smooth yet detailed - a rare find. If you are like me and hate scratchy, hissey tweeters and an overall thin and raspy sound, this center is for you. The trick is properly mating this center with front and rear speakers as Cambridge does not have a system that matches this center! They have fronts that "sound like" the Centerstage but has different woofers and tweeters... I'm going to try to mate this thing with the Model Six up front and "The Surrounds 5.1" in the rear.

Strengths:
Very smooth yet detailed. Deep, natural voice tone. Sound great at low volume levels. Great bargain if you can match it up correctly.

Weaknesses:
Cambridge does not have sats or floor standing speakers that are a perfect timbre match for these things! You have to mix and match different speakers with different woofers and tweeters and hope for the best. Also, I got a different answer from everyone I spoke to there.

Similar Products Used:
Kef, JBL THX HT series, Definitive tech.

Price Paid:  $69.00 from Ebay

Summary:
I really like this speaker. It has real warmth in this range, maybe a little more than necessary in female voices, but overall wholesomeness. The dual ports add to this. This is a big speaker(wife doesn't like that),25x6x8, but the 5 1/4's make the size worth it! I have the Ensembles(which may be a little weak in the midrange)as mains, but the CenterStage completely makes up for this in surround, and 5(?) channel stereo.

Strengths:
Great natural sound, especially for the money.

Weaknesses:
A tad warm in female voices, but is that necessarily a bad thing?

Similar Products Used:
CSW Center Channel Plus(boo-hiss, a real weakling)

Price Paid:  $98.00 from ebay

Summary:
What can I say? LOVE IT! Great bargain for the money! Nice clean crisp sound! Lots of power too!

Strengths:
Lots of sound.

Weaknesses:
none.

Similar Products Used:
KENWOOD VR-6050 RECEIVER, BOSE 161 SPEAKERS FOR REAR, SONY SSM-F600H FLOORSTANDING FOR FRONT L AND R. JBL PB10 POWERED SUB. PANASONIC DVD.

Price Paid:  $115.00 from HiFi.Com/Ebay Store

Summary:
I have just upgraded to the CenterStage from the Center Channel Plus.....What a difference 115 dollars can make!! This speaker sounds like a million bucks! I can't believe I was missing so much. I configured it as a "large" speaker with my Denon AVR 2700, and I hear no evidence of straining or harshness. This is the final touch for my home theater speaker suite. All CSW of course (and all Henry Kloss designs).Thinking of buying some fancy name speaker???? People, repeat after me: A FOOL AND HIS MONEY SOON GO SEPERATE WAYS. These speakers ROCK!! And with the pricing these days they are literally a steal!!! Sweet Sweet Sound for pennies......... Give it a try. You WILL NOT be dissapointed

Strengths:
Rock Solid HiFi Sound in all modes... Rock Bottom pricing

Weaknesses:
Made in China??? What's up with that???

Similar Products Used:
Center Channel Plus configured as "small" speaker

Price Paid:  $102.00 from Ebay

Summary:
I purchased this to go with my ensemble II speaker system and Harman Kardon AR25 amp. I could not be more pleased. Sound is crisp, Bass response is excellent, and voices sound clear and natural. I would recommend this speaker to anyone wishing clear sound.

Strengths:
Accurate sound reproduction, good bass response, great value, especially the refurbished units on Ebay.

Weaknesses:
It requires alot of space, but the trade off for sound makes it worth it !

Similar Products Used:
CSW ensemble II center