The Best-Reviewed Center Speakers on Amazon

Soundbars are simple to use, but the great ones aren't cheap. For example, the Sonos Playbase sounds amazing, but costs $699. Alternatively, you can buy a home-theater receiver like the Denon AVR-X1300W for $399 and a center-channel speaker for less than that. Why might you? Flexibility.

Building a home theater is a project (and not always a simple one), but you can go one speaker at a time, and the center channel is where to start. We've rounded up the best-reviewed center speakers on Amazon, each selling for less than $250. Each of these speakers earned a B-rating or better on Fakespot, a tool that measures the trustworthiness of reviews, so you can shop with confidence.

For the price, you can't beat this Micca center-channel speaker. The 15 x 7.1 x 5.3-inch unit includes two 4-inch woofers and a 0.75-inch tweeter. Don't like what you hear? Micca offers free returns.

Amazon rating: 4.5
Fakespot: A

Credit: Micca

BIC's large, 23 x 13.6 x 11.4-inch center speaker adds resonance to dialog thanks to its two 6.5-inch woofers, the biggest in this roundup. The tweeter is only 0.75 inches, but it still produces clear dialog.

Amazon rating: 4.5
Fakespot: B

Credit: BIC

The CS10 excels at dialog, producing clear vocals. The 20 x 9.8 x 6.5-inch speaker has an angled top, so it can be placed on the floor to project sound upward. The unit includes a 1-inch tweeter and two 5.25-inch woofers.

Amazon rating: 4.8
Fakespot: A

Credit: Polk

Sony's affordable center channel makes dialog clearer and easier to understand. The 10.65 x 19.62 x 8.62-inch speaker includes two 4-inch woofers and a 1-inch tweeter.

Amazon rating: 4.6
Fakespot: A

Credit: Sony

This Fluance center speaker looks as good as it sounds. Inside the 18.9 x 10.6 x 7.28-inch,  wood-grain enclosure, two 5-inch woofers and a 1-inch tweeter deliver warm, rich overall sound and clear dialog.

Amazon rating: 4.7
Fakespot: A

Credit: Fluance

Audio-engineering legend Andrew Jones brings his design expertise to ELAC's center speaker. The 18.75 x 8.75 x 7.87-inch unit includes two 5.25-inch woofers and a 1-inch tweeter, which helps it produce full, balanced sound and clear dialog. Add some ELAC Debut B5 bookshelf speakers for an affordable left-right-center system.  

Amazon rating: 4.6
Fakespot: B

Credit: ELAC

This medium-size, 20.3 x 8.4 x 7.5-inch center speaker is well-balanced, producing clear dialog and enough bass to provide resonance. It includes two 5-inch woofers and a 1-inch tweeter. It's fairly tall for its width, so make sure it fits your space.

Amazon rating: 4.7
Fakespot: B

Credit: Yamaha