two 170-se's vs 1 340-se as center channel

[scape]

Hi all,

I'm looking for an affordable center channel to hold me over for 1-2 years until I lose my mind and spend more money! fyi: I just bought two b-stock 170-se's up front (from jbl82's) b/c on paper they look fantastic and in a few years I'll be possibly shooting for some bigger mains (maybe the next gen sierra's when that time comes) and can put these in the back to fill in my surround nicely (currently little tiny htib sats i got for free). btw: these are still in shipping... Aside from the 170's mostly boxy look, they seem fantastic, time will tell though!
to come back to what the topic is really about, I was hoping to spend around 200$ for a center channel, but it looks like it might be closer 300$, which brings me to a crossroads: should I find a good way to pair two more 170-se's as a single center, or go for the 340-se center? both are priced similarly, and I think i might get more use from them(170's) later on with a 7 channel setup than a 6 channel if I go with the 340c (assuming I ever replace the center). I like the slimmer profile of the 340 but am struggling to justify it's almost doubled price, especially if there may be more b-stock 170s; though I remember dave saying in another thread that is currently it. it's a shame their isn't a 170 in a slimmer configuration, or even a smaller and cheaper 340 (say two 4.5" with a tweeter). anyways, does anyone have any suggestions? as I've read, it's not good to mismatch brands, and sticking with ascend up front sounds like a good plan for now

more info:
denon avr-1909 (90wxch(7))
good share between home theater as well as music listening.
current th living room is roughly 13x13x8h or about 1400sq.ft with 11ft of one wall (where couch currently is) facing the rest of the floor (15x20x8) plus opening to a kitchen and small hallway- my jbl82's sound barely even escapes the area into the rest of the floor, but I'm pretty sure they are terrible compared to anything made in the last 10 years
I plan on getting a sub, currently looking at the rythmik 12" sealed but I'm a little worried about the life-time of the amp, tbh.

like many home theaters, this is becoming a piecemeal project, so I'm trying to do this with as much forsight as possible ;D
thanks in advance for any advice!

[ebh]

just get 1 170 for your center. Dave should be able to provide a single 170 and rotate the tweeter if you want to put it sideways. I'm not sure how or why you would use two 170s for a center. the 170 will be a great center no doubt about it. IMO, there's no need to get a 340.

[chas]

I would agree with the suggestion to go with a single 170 as a center if you don't want to spring for the 340. A single 170SE center will run you $188 plus shipping.

[curtis]

Dave should be able to provide a single 170 and rotate the tweeter if you want to put it sideways.

The tweeter in the 170SE does not require rotating when placed horizontally.

[scape]

thanks for the fast replies. and thanks for the reality check
i think i was getting carried a way a bit. i remember someone stating that more than half of the dialog in dvd's was on the center channel, blah blah. That is probably true, but I agree the 340 does not seem like such a great a leap over the 170, but it is expensive so you begin to wonder...
I read that using two centers is not a bad idea, running them in series; and I think the shape of the 170 is a little more difficult to get away with for a center channel so i was curious, its also good to know someone agrees on the 340. i really like the linearity of the 170, would probably be good for staging, and paired with great sub the shape and depth would be filled in well.
Has anyone heard of using two centers before? i think it may be too subjective

[scape]

The tweeter in the 170SE does not require rotating when placed horizontally.

i was wondering about that. is there a reason why there is a waveguide on the sierra when the tweeter on the 170 seems high quality as is?

[curtis]

i was wondering about that. is there a reason why there is a waveguide on the sierra when the tweeter on the 170 seems high quality as is?

Just two different designs/speakers.

[etmydst]

Since the topic of the 170 se as a center chaannel has come up, I have been wondering if there is a difference in a regular 170 se and the 170 se C that is shown on the "System Advisor" under the center speaker tab.

[scape]

i was curious if the off-axis measurements on the 170 were taken at vertical stance, and would laying it horizontally for a center channel placement have any different off-axis responses?

[davef]

Since the topic of the 170 se as a center chaannel has come up, I have been wondering if there is a difference in a regular 170 se and the 170 se C that is shown on the "System Advisor" under the center speaker tab.

The only difference between a left/right CBM-170 SE and the CBM-170 SE center is that for the center version, we configure the logo and labels for horizontal placement.

i was curious if the off-axis measurements on the 170 were taken at vertical stance, and would laying it horizontally for a center channel placement have any different off-axis responses?

If using the speaker horizontally, the appropriate off-axis response measurements to reference for horizontal dispersion would be the vertical response measurements.

Hope this helps!