This is a phenomanol center speaker, I was in the market for a new center and I listened to the JBL and infiniti's and they sounded good but I wasn't sure what I wanted, stopped into radio shack to pick up some wire and gave a listen to thisspeaker, the new linaeum tweeters are awesome, this cent has great imaging and s imply sounds better than my friends JBL or Nuance centers

Sounds clear ,has lots of bass ,and for the 49.99 Price you can hardly beat it.The new PRO-CS5II is basically the same but with the power handiling boosted from 80 watts RMS/160 PEAK to 100 watts RMS/200 PEAK.wITH 100 watts it has no distortion even at extremely high volumes.

None other thane mine was the display model and someone had put a ripple on the Lineam wide angle 180 degree tweeter.

Sounds great ,in movies and music.In music with a JVC RX-554V recievier it produces voice and mid-range like gutars.Sounds well matched with my KLH 9154 (some people dont like KLH but for 99.99 apice for the 9154s and good overall sound as well as good low bass all the way down to 20 Hz they are worth looking at so dont get scared into the price is low it must be bad thinking .At Best Buy which I like but they turn the bass all the way down and treble all the way up to make the morer expensive Cerwin-Vegas sound better.The same goes with OPTIMUS audio components.)floor standing loudspeakers in the front speakers with 15 inch woofers,and klh 600b large bookshelfs in the rear.Very good.Fit and finish is decent and quality is top notch as well as sound output.Next to others like KLH and BOSE centers I have heard it certainly has a trmedus amount of Bass and a little too much in some cases such as in vocals but that is't necacarily bad.And although I only paid 49.99 for it its still a good value at 149.99.So go ahead dont be afraid to get KLH or OPTIMUS audio components just because your neighbor or friend might criticise you.

Similar Products Used:

KLH,Cewrin Vega,BOSE

I must say that I am quite impress with this center channel. My setup includes Infinity speakers up front and back, but I change the center to the ProCS5 after listening to it at Radio Shack. It play much better than the Infinity center I had. I brought it at 99.00 on sale. Puts to shame many centers I have heard in the past from well respected dealers. Radio Shack should not be taken lightly. They will surprise you.

Well, since I am using Pro LX-10's for the front, I figured I might just as well purchase the Pro CS-5 center. I performed the same mods that I did on the LX-10's (see Pro LX-10 section) and set the center for WIDE. Incredible! I could not be happier. In fact, I usually leave my reciever in Pro Logic mode when watching TV, just because the CS-5 is so clear, it just sounds better....

I normally don't buy anything at Radio Shack, but I stopped by the store at the mall and they had the CS-5 for $99.00. I stopped to look and and it looked like a well made unit, with 2, 5 inch woofers and a ribbon tweeter. The salesman hooked it up and wow, I was impressed. So at that price I took one home. Have been using it for a month now with Polk mains, and am still very impressed with this. It's not a perfect match sonically for my Polks but it is close enough, and has plenty of clean audio.

On low volumn a friend of mine thought it was coming from my TV and said that he thought it was the clearest TV speaker he ever heard. I also had people say they thought they were in the sweet spot and didn't realize that the center was on. I thought those were the type of compliments that you want to hear about a center channel in those circumstances. Great job Radio Shack, but why discontinue such a great product line and just resign with Aura? Please setup a hometheatre area and stop pushing Sprint and maybe you'll more crystal sound of money. For the $89 I paid it is awesome. I can give you five stars for performance and zero stars for pushing the wrong type of sale.

I chose this speaker based mainly on the reviews on this site. To put it short. I bought this center channel w/ 4 LX5 II and a sub for my home theater. I have a Yamaha 795 and Tosh 2109 DVD. At first, I was somewhat pleased with this system......until I heard my friends B&W's. Someone mentioned that the male voices seemed "Barry Whitish". After reading that, I could not stop noticing the annoying deep tones in male voices which consequently effected the female voices as well. Thank god for the 30 day returns!! I ended up w/ the B&W dm302's (4) and the CC3 center (had a sub) All for $150 more than the Radio Shacks. Sound quality is unbelievable w/ the B&W's. Just my humble opinion, but dont fall for "these are the best speakers for the money". Do yourself a favor and listen to any and all you have time to before making your decision.
I spent a LOT of time listening to different home theater setups and please dont overlook paradigm and PSB. If your really on a budget the klipsh quintets or energy take5's are good options as well. Thanks to everyone who uses these sites to post reviews. They are very helpful on helping newbies make educated choices.

I've enjoyed the Pro CS-5 for several months now in combination with Pro LX-5 speakers in the rear, and DCM TimeWindow speakers up front. The sound on surround encoded movies is excellent: dialogue, soundtracks, explosions are all convincing and natural. The bass is deep enough for use with tower speakers and, of course, the tweeter is now legendary. Recently, I listened to surround encoded music CD's and was just as impressed at how well this speaker performed. The clarity of the tweeter really brings out horns and strings while the twin mid-/woofers providing enough of the low-frequencies to keep up with the L/R speakers. This speaker is one of the best kept secrets on the market. I would have no trouble recommending this speaker to anyone in the market for a good performer at a budget price point.

Good clarity for DTS CD's or music

Lack of bass, can't handle much power

This speaker works very nicely with my LX-10 front speakers and LX-5 rears. The sound is fabulous for all applications. I wish the midbass was a little better on DTS CD's. I sometimes replace it with an LX-8 from my brother's room. For movies, the Pro CS-5 does a great job. Voices are clear and sound effects are nice too. I have the receiver's center channel setting at small and that sounds best to me. A friend of mine has used the Pro CS-5 with other speakers and it does well there too. I paid $55 for my CS-5 and for the price you can't beat it. I hear the Pro CS-5 II is even better. Check it out.

High level of detail and clarity. Provides spacious yet focused voice. Excellent mid-bass response for a center channel.

Unit is too deep for proper placement on top of many monitors.

I first became familiar with Linaeum loudspeakers based on many positive reviews in audio magazines and the Oregonian back in 1995. Linaeum, who designed the monopole and dipole tweeter drivers used in Optimus speakers, was originally based in Portland, Oregon and locally was well known for its hi-end loudspeakers. The biggest problem was the price tag, with a few models available for "audiophile" prices (some over $10,000/pair) The reason I am providing this lengthy background is to showing how much of a bargain for the consumer the partnership between Linaeum and Radio Shack represents. The Optimus speakers contain the identical tweeter drivers that were used in some of Linaeum's own speakers.

I purchased a pair of Optimus Pro LX-5s in 1996, because it was my first opportunity to own Linaeum designed dipole speakers. If you haven't done so already, check out the reviews on this site to see how great the detail and transparency is on those "budget" standmount speakers. They create a tremendous soundstage that is very musical.

Anyway, I purchased the Pro CS-5 center channel, because it carries the Lineaum designed monopole tweeter and is timbre matched to the Pro LX-5s. I found it on close-out for $49.95, so needless to say it was a bargain. For home theater use it provides a seamless blend with the LX-5s in the front, and the soundstage is big, transparent, and carries pinpoint movement of sound between channels.

I have noticed that many people have commented on a deep bass being present in both male and female vocals. I can say that I have looked for it but haven't encountered it so far. Speakers with Linaeum monopole or dipole tweeters are sensitive as to their physical placement, and that may be the cause of the problem. Also, there would be definite problems if your center channel is not timbre matched to your left and right channels, and this would cause a noticable change as sound travels between channels.

If you would like to audition these speakers, DO NOT DO IT IN RADIO SHACK! Unfortunately they are not trained or equipped for even a mediocre audtion in the store. Take advantage of their unconditional 30 day return policy and listen to them on your own equipment, in your own listening room. You have to ultimately make your decision based on what your own ears like. That is the only way to properly audition and purchase electronic gear.

I would recommend the Pro CS-5 and Pro-LX 5 speakers to anyone who is budget minded but wants to create a wonderful soundstage that is excellent for both music and movies. With the addition of an excellent subwoofer (tight and defined sound- not boomy and muddy), you will have a loudspeaker setup that will rival many costing hundreds more.