Seventy per cent of a film comes out of this one
Dialogue lives in the centre channel, which is why an unbalanced system with a weak centre sounds worse than a good pair of stereo speakers. Two published numbers matter more here than anywhere: sensitivity, in dB at 1 W and 1 m, which says how loud the speaker plays for a given amplifier, and impedance, whose nominal figure hides a minimum that some receivers dislike. The third consideration is not a number at all — timbre matching. A centre from the same range as the front pair shares its drivers and crossover, and a voice moving across the screen stays the same voice. Last, the practical constraint that decides most purchases: cabinet depth and height, because the speaker has to fit under a television without blocking its infrared window. We compare stated sensitivity and impedance, driver layout, published frequency response, cabinet dimensions, and range compatibility.
Passive · two-way · woven carbon fibre woofer · silk dome tweeter · ported enclosure
The accessible centre channel: a two-way passive speaker with its driver materials named, at a fraction of the price of the rest of this shelf.
Best for: A first centre channel, added to a stereo pair to fix dialogue at the lowest possible cost.
≈ £69 / 79 €
80/140 W · 8x dB sensitivity stated · 30–30 000 Hz · crossover 400/3 000 Hz · 160 mm woofer
The only speaker in this catalogue with a complete published specification — sensitivity, frequency range, crossover points and driver diameters, all stated.
Best for: A system built from components where the centre has to be chosen on published figures rather than on a brand.
≈ 217 €
Passive centre · FSC-certified wood cabinet · designed to extend Ultima stereo sets · revised crossover
A centre speaker designed to be added to an existing stereo pair from the same range — which is how most surround systems actually grow.
Best for: Someone who already owns Teufel Ultima stereo speakers and wants to add a centre without changing anything else.
≈ 190 €
Centre channel · Hi-Res certified · four 3-inch woofers with Dynamic Balance · Terylene tweeter
A four-woofer centre from a range that also makes matching floorstanders, surrounds and height modules — which is what makes a system out of a speaker.
Best for: The centre of a Polk system, where the front three come from one range and behave as one.
≈ $249 / £219 / 250 €
