The Best-Reviewed Center Speakers on Amazon
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.
The Most Important Speaker
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.
Micca MB42X-C Center-Channel Speaker
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: 4.5Fakespot: A
Credit: Micca
BIC America DV-62CLRS 2-Way Center-Channel Speaker
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: 4.5Fakespot: B
Credit: BIC
Polk Audio CS10 Center-Channel Speaker
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: 4.8Fakespot: A
Credit: Polk
Sony SSCS8 2-Way 3-Driver Center Channel Speaker
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: 4.6Fakespot: A
Credit: Sony
Fluance Signature Series Hi-Fi Center-Channel Speaker
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: 4.7Fakespot: A
Credit: Fluance
ELAC C5 Debut Series 5.25-Inch Center Speaker by Andrew Jones
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: 4.6Fakespot: B
Credit: ELAC
Yamaha NS-C444 2-Way Center-Channel Speaker
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: 4.7Fakespot: B
Credit: Yamaha
Cerwin-Vega XLS-6C 2-Way Center Channel Speaker
This Cerwin-Vega center speaker delivers big, balanced sound from its two 6.5-inch woofers and single 1-inch tweeter. The large, 26 x 14 x 11-inch unit produces clear dialog and warm midtones. Match it with other speakers in the XLS line to fill out your home theater.
Amazon rating: 4.9Fakespot: A
Credit: Cerwin-Vega
Definitive Technology ProCenter 1000 Compact Center Speaker
When you've got little space but want a big sound, check out Definitive's 10.5 x 5 x 5-inch ProCenter. It packs two 4.5-inch woofers and a 1-inch tweeter into a compact unit and produces clear dialog. Definitive has as good a pedigree in speakers, as you'll find, and this would make a great starter for a killer small home-theater speaker system.
Amazon rating: 4.6Fakespot:B
Credit: Definitive Technology
Klipsch RC-42 II Reference Series Center-Channel Loudspeaker
If you've got just a little space to work with and you don't mind paying for quality, the 16 x 9.1 x 5.4-inch RC-42 II will surprise you with the amount of sound it puts out. Its 1-inch tweeter helps it produce crisp audio, while the small dual woofers — just 4 inches each — punch above their weight class in the low end.
Amazon rating: 4.9Fakespot: A
Credit: Klipsch
Michael Gowan is a freelance technology journalist covering soundbars, TVs, and wireless speakers of all kinds of shapes and sizes for Tom’s Guide. He has written hundreds of product reviews, focusing on sound quality and value to help shoppers make informed buying decisions. Micheal has written about music and consumer technology for more than 25 years. His work has appeared in publications including CNN, Wired, Men’s Journal, PC World and Macworld. When Michael’s not reviewing speakers, he’s probably listening to one anyway.