Visit a few home theater forums online and one of the things you'll often hear is the importance of having a good center channel. Over 50% of the home theater experience is delivered through the center channel. What this means for the home consumer is that haviing a strong center channel is pivotal to achieving a strong and balanced surround sound system. In enters the Polk Audio CS2 center channel speaker. Designed from the ground up for superior performance this is one center speaker to contend with. Featuring dual 6.5" woofers and a healthy 175 watt maximum rating, this is a large center channel meant to deliver all the booming highs and lows you come to expect from a high end system at a price that won't break the bank.

techhappy

Morgan Hill, CA

The importance of the center channel is sometimes debated, but given that the center channel is responsible for playing a majority of the dialogue in a movie, I'd say it's quite important. The Polk CS2, however, shouldn't be underestimated. This thing is a huge monster (7-3/4" H x 21-1/4" W x 11-1/8" D); this thing makes a 32" TV look way too small and should be placed with a 42" TV in order to look not too imposing. It's not the biggest center channel ever, but for slightly over 100, this thing is fantastic in both physical appearances and in audio. The front, as with all the Series II line up (Newegg only), is sexy black and much more preferable than it's Series I brethren. Sound quality? There's not really any issue here - the sound is crisp, the mids are detailed, and the highs aren't too bright for me. The lows reach in much lower due to the bigger 6.5" drivers, though with my subwoofer crossed in at 80 Hz, it's much more difficult to tell.  

FatPigs

Arcadia, CA

I purchased this center speaker to go along with the Monitor 70 speakers I purchased.  So many of the past center speakers I've had in the past had to be turned up so loud to be able to understand speach as it was being played.  However, the CS2 has performed very well.  Rather than being drowned by the Monitor 70s, it complemented it.  I was able to have it at a moderate level without problems.  The bass level wasn't really spectular, but I don't think of the center speaker as the primary source of bass.  It comes with 2 6 1/2" drivers and a tweeter, so it's able to play most frequencies a center speaker is able to play, and at good volumes.  It is a very large speaker, so you do need to account for that when calculating placement.  It is not something you will be able to easily fit in small spaces.  You will have to have a shelf that's 10 - 12 inches and around 20 inches wide to comfortably fit it.

CGRemakes

Salt Lake City, UT