I am noticing that those who are sharing less than grand info about the CS245i have problems with the color, or the size, or the lack of bass, or the lack of sound, being overpowered, etc. With color, deal with it; if you don't like black you know that coming in the door, don't buy it. Size?? I would apologize but if the speaker is 5.25" tall . . . it is going to be at least that high. If you want something smaller . . . you want a smaller speaker, eh? Simple logic. With the lack of bass . . . well, I disregard those comments immediately; they obviously don't know that the center channel is not responsible for bass. If they don't know that I disregard their comments as unintelligent ramblings. Get a subwoofer and call it a day or deal with the fact that low frequencies will not be replicated in their system. With lack of sound . . . I can only say that either the receiver is substandard or the power to the center channel is inadequate to power an outstanding speaker. Spend a few bucks and get a receiver with guts. Overpowered??? well, maybe those huge surround speakers are not really surround speakers --> Maybe they are stereo loudspeakers that are forced to do double duty. If you want party sound in a cinema system you are going to have to pay thousands. Hook those monster speakers to the "B" channel and put the proper surround speakers on your "A" channel for theater use. Knowledge of your equipment and its capabilites, what it is supposed to do, etc is important before dragging the reputation of an innocent through the mud. It grates on me when a forum to access the qualities of a piece of equipment is used to voice a personal agenda or by those who don't know squat.

I install theater systems. I have done it for a long time. I have installed many different speaker systems - speaker combinations; I don't have a favorite. To be blunt, if someone bad mouths this speaker their head must be in a bucket of water or up an orifice south of their beltline. In short, this speaker perfectly produces the frequency ranges it is supposed to. If you ask it to do something it is not designed to do and it doesn't do it . . . don't be dissappointed; a plummer wasn't trained to pilot a jet either. I use this speaker in my home setup, not because it is the best but because for the value and its capabilities, it can't be beat and I don't believe in overkill. I have six KLH 6.5 flush mount surround speakers and a Yamaha 6.5" sub. All this is being pushed by a Denon 7.1 AVR receiver. The entire system cost less than $750 and it matches the sound quality of several $2000 - $3000 systems I have installed. Remember I am speaking sound quality, not amplitude. In all this, I will say that this Polk center channel is the focal point and it does double duty in music quality and theather sound reproduction. Voices are heard clearly; music highs and mids, what this speaker was designed to do, splits your skull. It is unbelievable. The tight bass from the Yamaha and this center give a one - two punch that covers the entire spectrum of human listening capability. I can't ask a speaker to do anything else. I will not say that this center is the best I have ever seen. What I will say is that in this price range, wearing a blindfold, you can find its equal but nothing better.

its ok

only if you demand realism

for a starter h/t this is an o k center.fair deal at discount,average to good product

- great value - strong presence - powerful bass - incredible detail - excellent soundstage imaging via a Dynamic Balance Tri-laminate tweeter

absolutely none.

I'm selling my beloved Polk CS245i Center Channel! I've recently built a large home theatre and upgraded to Polk's largest center channel. I have monster tower speakers which did not match exactly with my CS245i. That said, I must say that this a very adequate and powerful center channel for the large majority of home theater systems. I've used it for a year and a half for occassional DVD movies only. I do not use the center to listen to music. It is in mint condition. Polk is an amazing company that delivers extremely high end products for great value. All of my speakers are Polk. I have demoed many costly high end speakers over the years and have found that Polk products equal or surpass many of them. It is my opinion that for the majority of receivers or amps under $1000, spending extra money on super high end speakers will not produce any perceived improvements in sound. I can best describe this speaker as powerful yet not overwhelming - it blends in perfectly. It has excellent presence that seems to articulate every nuance and detail in a dvd soundtrack. This model has been replace by the CSi30 which is identical in speaker and tweeter design. This is a great chance to own a well cared for, like new speaker at less than half price. I will sell for a great price plus S&H and absolutely guarantee that it arrives without a single scratch via purolator. Comes with a 3 year warranty. Enjoy!

Similar Products Used:

own only Polk!

Great smooth highs, mids, and a very respectable bottom end. Images very well and adds detail and excitement to your movies.

None at this price, can't be beat.

This is an excellent center channel speaker that holds up to many more expensive ones from other brands. The sound is warm and never tiring. They blend perfectly my other Polk speakers and are also surprisingly good with other brands that have a full/warm sound as well. I Used this speaker for about 5 months now with my RT25i's as my mains and have enjoyed the sound very much. However, I've decided to upgrade to the CS400i or CSi40. Chances are if you're reading this review you are interested in it... **SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THIS GEM OF A SPEAKER THAT HAS BEEN BARELY USED (only 18 or so hours), please email me at asap2006@yahoo.com ** I've never stressed the speaker and haven't played more than 10 movies/20 hours on it. It's connected to my Yamaha RX-V595a and the volume level on that receiver was never even turned past 9 o'clock.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Atom, Polk RT25i, Polk R10, Infinity speakers, Bose speakers.

Price, decent sound.

They hide the fact that they are no longer made in the USA anymore, no "Made in" sticker to be found. MADE IN MEXICO!

The CS245 sounded better than most other center channel speakers I tried at local stores. I bought it because I could not afford the B & W center that I wanted. Was very disapointed to find that no Polk speakers are made in the USA anymore. All are made in their new factory in Mexico!

Reference clarity and plenty of power when needed.

Doesn't share the PowerPort feature, but for the price its a small complaint.

I was tired of my mains overpowering my weaker center channels of the past so I decided to match my Polk fronts witht he CS245i....amazing sound and excellent clarity. Makes music and movies come alive. Highly recommended. Especially if u can do a Circuit City trade in like I did on my old DCM. Polk CS245i (Center) Polk RT25i (Mains) KLH HT-9930 (Rears) KLH PSW8-100 (Sub) APEX AD-500W (DVD) Yamaha RX-V496 (Reciever) [the only component worthy or being paired with the Polks]

Similar Products Used:

KLH, DCM

Reference clarity and plenty of power when needed.

Doesn't share the PowerPort feature, but for the price its a small complaint.

I was tired of my mains overpowering my weaker center channels of the past so I decided to match my Polk fronts witht he CS245i....amazing sound and excellent clarity. Makes music and movies come alive. Highly recommended. Especially if u can do a Circuit City trade in like I did on my old DCM. Polk CS245i (Center) Polk RT25i (Mains) KLH HT-9930 (Rears) KLH PSW8-100 (Sub) APEX AD-500W (DVD) Yamaha RX-V496 (Reciever) [the only component worthy or being paired with the Polks]

Similar Products Used:

KLH, DCM

none

most sound better

I had the cs400i and did not like it i hope the cheaper one is better for your sake,polk is not musical

clear precise sound

none

was lookin at the cs400i but found it to be to big for my needs.Took a listen to this model and was blown away.Clear crisp and precise are the words to describe this center channel.Teamed up with the Polk 12"subwoofer and Klispch Quintets it truly makes DvD movies come alive.Would definetly buy again!!!

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psb-bose-nht

Well constructed, accurate sound during DVD play.

None

I really wanted to by the Polk CS400i. But one thing held me back, and it was the 400i''s size. I could have picked it up for $350 but the size was just an issue with me. So then I looked at a the 245i and was amazed at how great it sounded. It does not compare to the 400i but if you are using this in a smaller room (like I am) then this unit will be more than enough. Very accurate voice production while watching DVD''s. The Fast and the Furious put it through a serious workout with no distortion at all. My System: Yamaha RX-V620 Polk Audio Lsi7 (main speakers) Polk RT 25i (Rear) Polk CS245i (Center) Polk PSW350 Yamaha CDC-685 (CD Player)