I agree with the prevailing wisdom so far that matching your center to your mains is ideal. Having said that, my center does not match my mains, and it has not bothered me at all. I think part of the reason for that is that, as a generalization, the program material is different in the center than it is in the mains. Yes, sound effects that pan across all three channels will have greater discontinuity if you use a non-matching center. But what are those effects? Car drive by's and the like. How important is that to you? For me, not very.
matching center channel to mains/rears
I am getting a new HDTV, been out of home theatre for a long time. I need to pick up a center channel. My mains are Martin Logan Summitt's. I am looking to find an adequate center, as the "best" seems a tad pricey. Is there any loss in switching to a different brand of center, say going to a B&W? Also I'm using an old set of Vandersteen 2ci's for rears.