I'm looking for a 5.25" center. This seems to be an ok compromise between reaching low enough and actually fitting. It has to have a tweeter and the shallower the better. It will be powered off the MS8's internal amp so sensitivity is pretty important. FWIW I like laid back highs. The option to buy just one would be nice. I would like to keep it around $200 if possible but I'll go higher if its worth it. Thanks for any help.

 

Just curious here... the area is made for a smaller 3.5" speaker so are you planning on doing some cutting there?

 

From what i remember from diyma, your center should be the same size as your L & R

 

For proper sound imaging in home theaters, for sure or, at least matching timbre.

 

A trick that Jerry showed me is a much larger center can be slid in under the dash if you remove the display area with minimal to no cutting. I'll fire it through the stock grill but I figure the larger speaker should still be an advantage. I doubt I'm going to find a 6.5" with the depth requirements.

Ideally you want the center the same size but Andy says it's not that big of a deal. The bigger deal is to cross it over at something it can play cleanly. Any bass lower than the crossover point will go to the doors.

 

I too am looking for a center speaker, but will find a small amp to power it, maybe 50 watts or so.

 

I replaced mine with a 3.5" Kicker and powered by a Blaupunkt 65w amp.

 

Focals are nearly always sensitive. This one is at 91. The 6.5" version is at 92.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Focal-130CA1-5-2...item256124fc4e

I put a Boston GS 3.5 in mine, but it stays above 350, much like the stock. If you have to buy 2 of something, PM me and I might buy the other one and try it out with a lower frequency.

 

That's 91 @ 2v, not 1v

Still pretty efficient for a 5.25, though.

 

I talked to Niebur today and there's a possibility of using the Dyn Esotar 430 along with a tweeter for the center. Got to figure out if its worth it. This center alone cost as much as my 12W6, ID comps, and one amp. On the plus side it would be the last center I ever buy.

 

I got a good deal on a hat l4 with clarus xover and clarus tweeter from hat directly, it was all about 200. I'm excited to get it installed. I found a cheap old school linear power to power it. Just a suggestion, if you are looking to run a 5.25 coax or that dyn with a tweeter, the ms8 amp is going to really limit you because it will cut your comps and sub to match the center output at whatever volume level you run auto tune

 

I'm going to hook up my my Infinity 3.5" that's already there. I know it will sound terrible but I just want to get a feel for how much emphasis the MS8 puts on the center. From what I've been told, the center might be the most important speaker for clarity and SQ.

I'm all out of channels on my 6 channel but since I'm going with rears also, I'm going to run my mids and tweets off of a common channel with the Dyn passives which will free up two channels. I may use one of them to power the center for now. Still have to eventually buy another amp to use the rears. It really sucks because I'm only one channel short with 2 amps.

I'm interested to hear how your HAT sounds once you get it hooked up. I want something I'm not giong to want to upgrade for a very long time. Dyns that cost $1,500 (retail) made me feel guilty, spending $900 on a center makes me feel even more guilty. I've managed to hide the MS8 so far from the GF lol.

 

How about a cdt 5.25"? I used one in conjunction with dyn 3 ways and it blended pretty well, considering. Silk tweeter, carbon cone, and shallow mount. I bought a pair, but am only using one. You can have the new one for $30 shipped. If you don't like it, I'll buy it back.

You need to seal it to dash, though, and this can be a bit tricky. It will provide great results if done well, though.

 

Wow, definitely. For that price I can't go wrong. Paypal?

 

Pm sent. Should've asked a lot more for it. jk

 

PM replied. I would have paid one million dollars for it lol.

Is the display as easy to take out as it looks... It looks like it just pries out and is held in with metal clips???