here's the deal...with this kind of system, and those specific speakers, you have only three basic options, if you plan on committing to your Avantgardes for HT double duty. You either bypass the center speaker altogether, or get the Solo center, or you get some other full range Uno, or whatever. That is it! You CANNOT mix another speaker in the center!! You will most definitely compromise the cohesion of the sound stage, by having different coloration across the sound stage. There is no mixing another brand. No! In fact, before Id considered another brand in the middle, I'd completely do a separate multi ch speaker system for HT, leaving the Avantgardes for music only. You simply must not mix and match the main 3 speakers if you value a quality seamless sound stage up front.
And, the thing really with those speakers is, that they are SOOOOO directional and beemy anyway, you cannot sit very much off axis from them as it is, and not have the sound from the mids/highs roll WAY OFF anyway! So, in that respect, I feel those speakers are really meant to have a listener or two in front of them, not multiple people off to the sides. Thus, I think, in a small setup, you'd be just as fine and effective, mostly, with just doing stereo 2 ch, and nixing the center option. But that's just me. Yes, to do the full HT as effective as possible, and in a dedicated HT system, I'd probably also find a Solo in the system, sure. But then again, I'd not be using the Avantgardes, because they are TOO DIRECTIONAL, sound propagation wise, for multiple seating arrangements. Heard em too many times...I know. (in fact, you'll notice that theater horn speakers are better off axis if you go to the local cinema.
While I Personally very much appreciate the detail, refinement, and TREMENDOUS DYNAMICS the Avantgardes offer (also, to be fair, their extreme directional nature is very acoustics friendly, needing very little sidewall treatments, comparatively..so that IS a plus) they simply are a "sit down in between them" kind of loudspeaker. I , myself, would chose some other active multi-driver, more off-axis, wide dispersion type of speaker before I chose those, for HT duties, myself. Otherwise, maybe some other more reasonably priced home theater horn loaded speakers for dynamics and efficiency otherwise.
And, the thing really with those speakers is, that they are SOOOOO directional and beemy anyway, you cannot sit very much off axis from them as it is, and not have the sound from the mids/highs roll WAY OFF anyway! So, in that respect, I feel those speakers are really meant to have a listener or two in front of them, not multiple people off to the sides. Thus, I think, in a small setup, you'd be just as fine and effective, mostly, with just doing stereo 2 ch, and nixing the center option. But that's just me. Yes, to do the full HT as effective as possible, and in a dedicated HT system, I'd probably also find a Solo in the system, sure. But then again, I'd not be using the Avantgardes, because they are TOO DIRECTIONAL, sound propagation wise, for multiple seating arrangements. Heard em too many times...I know. (in fact, you'll notice that theater horn speakers are better off axis if you go to the local cinema.
While I Personally very much appreciate the detail, refinement, and TREMENDOUS DYNAMICS the Avantgardes offer (also, to be fair, their extreme directional nature is very acoustics friendly, needing very little sidewall treatments, comparatively..so that IS a plus) they simply are a "sit down in between them" kind of loudspeaker. I , myself, would chose some other active multi-driver, more off-axis, wide dispersion type of speaker before I chose those, for HT duties, myself. Otherwise, maybe some other more reasonably priced home theater horn loaded speakers for dynamics and efficiency otherwise.