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I have placed an order for the 20-39CS+. I wanted the Ultra but could not justify the additional cost. I have a 20'x20' room with LaScala mains. I went with the passive just to allow myself to play with amp options. Plus the last powered sub I had rattled inside. Don't ask who made it, the owners of this site would not be happy. PS Know of a good, low priced ($300) amp for a sub?

Must have seen them at the Flint Center? A nice venue for a show like that. I wanted to go but couldn't spark an interest from the wife. A good thing though, we just flew in on the red-eye from Honolulu to SF and were dead tired. I'm glad you posted comments from the show, I'll be looking for them the next time they come to town.

Looks great! However, you never answered the question. Who made the rack? I want one too.

Nice! Looks like you could use a longer wall on the left. Are you going to make a false corner too?

Not to set fire to this thread, but... I was in the gym today and saw an Audiopile magazine. Now normally I don't read at the gym but today I did. Anyway, I found a write up on a $2,000 1 meter audio cable and after seeing Al's cracked pcb it got me to think out loud. Why are people willing to pay so much for cable when inside the best equipment is inexpensive thin copper traces on single layer fiberglass boards and cheap solder blobs? No gold plating or fancy wires on the inside. Just makes me go hmmm.

Academy, if you can find one. The Belle if you have the space. Or like I did, make your own. See "Another DIY Center." Definitely stay with Heritage horns for the best match. Best of luck!

I am not impressed with plasma TVs. They seem too slow to produce a sharp image during fast action. Here is some interesting information. I'm not pushing the company, just the info. Good Luck! http://www.sharpusa.com/products/lcd_vs_plasma/0,2340,,00.html

I'm not much of a fan but I must say it was an exciting game. Congrats to the Pats fans!

I have a ksw also and it rattles too. Many have had good things to say about the RSW. I have also seen posts about the SVS subs (not Klipsch). Search the forum for more info. In your next post it might help to include your room size. Good luck!

The stand is also a DIY. I used 1/2in and 3/4in cabinet grade birch plywood and threaded rod (from HD) sprayed black. There is a center back rod (not visible) to add extra support for the TV. I also just added a 14ga. steel plate under the top center shelf and a rotating TV stand (~4" tall) to provide extra shielding and distance from the all the center magnets. This center project has now topped $500. With the completion of the grill yesterday, this project is complete!

sorry so late: P=Positive N=Negative <=Speaker --- = wire P ---- 4ohm 10W resistor ------(P)----(P) / / < < 8ohm Woofers / / (Parallel) N -----------------------------------(N)----(N) I'm not sure if there is a noticeable loss across the 4ohm resistor, but it seems to work.

JM, I wanted to use a K77 and K55 but I could never win the bids on eBay. As for the sub, that might be a project for next year! Thanks again for the comments. I didn't know there was a DIY Center club. Is there a separate post for them?

If you live in the SF bay area, The Analog Room is a good place to visit for 2-Channel Audio. Good luck finding it, if you blink you'll miss it. I think it's an old house. email: hifi@theanalogroom.com Good Luck!

The Last Waltz - The Band, Martin Scorsese does a great job at capturing the emotion of this event. I've been listening to this DVD now for a few days with my new DIY center and I can't seem to get enough. This is a great collection of old school rock, even Niel Diamond jams! Black & White Night - Roy Orbison, This is another great collection of artists. Although I only have the VHS it is a great production. My next purchase will be Hell Freezes Over - The Eagles. I can hardly wait!

I have enjoyed all my Yamaha products with my 1986 LaScalas. I just finished my center, see Another DIY Center in Odds and Mods. I was first considering an Academy but I could not wait to find a good price for one, eBay gets the highest price for these. I think a Belle looks good for a center and would offer a great match for the LaSacala. Another LaScala is also good. Going down in price and size would be a Heresy. Good Luck!

mbajner, I put the woofers (8ohm ea.) in parallel with a 4ohm 10w resistor in series to keep the network at 8ohms. Thanks everyone for your comments. I would also like to thank HWATKINS, his design and comments many months ago inspired my design.

Here is a view of the room with LaScala. I built the AV stand, my wife does the decorating. She was kind enough this year to have two custom glass tops made for the LaScalas. Very nice! plants are still forbbiden.

Well I finally finished this center speaker project, less the grill. I'm no professional but it sure was fun. At $430 including a few new tools, I love the sound even if it's not perfect. In case you're wondering: Dimensions: 31.5W X 10.5H X 16D Tweeter: K-76 Heresy II Squawker: K-53 Heresy II Woofer: Fostex FE206E (Full Range) each isolated in ~0.74cu. ft., 2.5in ports at ~4.75in length Crossover: Heresy II, replaced Caps with Solen & Kimber I will probably replace the coils in the next few months. But for now the spending is on hold. For the experts out there, let me know what you think. I know you'll be honest before being kind. By the way my Mains are '86 LaScalas and my room size is 20'x20'. One thing I will do next time is use shielded drivers. I'm still battling the color distortion. Actually, I am hoping that my TV craps out and I can tempt my wife into a projection or plasma monitor. My wife gave me The Last Waltz DVD for Christmas and it was a great first experience.

I am building a center channel also. Although I don't have pictures yet, it will look similar to scooterdog's. Mine is 3/4MDF with Heresy II mid and tweeter and two 8" Fostex full range. I'm not sure the Fostex was the best choice but so far they sound better than what I had (don't ask). Drivers are readily available on ebay, these will be your biggest cost. The next highest cost will be the crossover parts. If you buy quality caps (auricap, hovland...) then expect to pay >$100 for the complete crossover. The wood will be the least expensive. If you have a good lumber yard in your area with a mill, get them to do the cuts. I paid an extra $10 for all the cuts, less the circles and it was worth every penny. I plan to cover the MDF on the sides and top with real wood birch laminate, this will cost an extra $40 for the roll. I've used it before to repair a water stain on my LaScala. It goes on easy and looks close to the original. Another $50 could be spent on screws, ports, terminals, wire, solder, polyfill/fiberglass... Lastly, if you don't have all the tools (drills, hole cutter, soldering iron...) then add another $50-100 into your budget. One thing I like about DIY projects is I always have more tools when I'm done. It's important to have the right tool for the job. One piece of advice, buy only shielded drivers, unless your speaker will be several feet away from your TV. I am having trouble getting rid of the megnetic discoloration on my picture tube. I have found that bucking magnets and DIY steel shielding is more time and money than the extra cost of shielded drivers. Look back in a few days and I will post pics and cost sheet. Good Luck!

I'm no expert but try unplugging a few other AC devices (lights, things with motors like a refrigerator...) Maybe the noise is caused by another source. Also, don't run speaker cables parallel to power cords. Signal should cross power at 90deg., in theory anyway.

For those DIY center projects, how are you shielding? I found layering the magnet with steel and cardboard works better than bucking magnets. I am working on a center this weekend. I'll post pics in HT in a few days.

Henry - Thanks for the info. LOL! Please post a picture when you're finished.

I'm mostly a reader. But now I'm pray'n. Godspeed Justin! Eric

Great idea! Beats waiting for an Academy to come around and costs less too! How did you do the shielding?

I can't see the through holes for mounting. It might be best to have those drilled before you place the parts! LOL. I'm starting to build some as well to replace my ALs. After measuring, I didn't see the need for the notch. Squawker bracket and Woofer t-block is clearly out of the way. How will you mount/secure the caps and inductors? Epoxy, glue, RTV, tie wrap mounts? So many options! I've assembled many PCB's with thru holes but never on top of wood.