Need HELP with center channel choice

Everyone you ask will tell you something different.

No doubt this is a true statement, however I do not agree with this statement,

In the end you will still have to make a best guess judgement.

As far as voicing, timbre matching, or whatever name you give to it, here is a good read about matching front and rear, and the same is true matching front and center.

http://www.soundandvision.com/content/matching-front-and-surround-speakers

The best matching center to your original 683's would be the original HTM61, as it was designed by B&W to be used with the 683's, if you can find one and don't mind buying used. Next would be the current HTM61, and then last, a HTM62.

As previously stated, output will be balanced using the calibration function of your processor.

"What I can tell you though is that typically the center channel is something like 13db down from the LR fronts."

Hopefully, this is a typo. There is NO way the center channel is 13db down from the mains. So, I'm gonna assume you meant to type "3db down".

Even so, Mtrot is absolutely correct in stating that the calibration will equalize the output between the mains and the center.

And you are correct that the center channel is not tasked with supplying much bass content. Its main job is to anchor the voice track to the center of the soundstage. Nonetheless, you definitely want a center channel speaker that is voiced as closely as possible to the mains from approx. 60 Hz on up. This will aid in maintaining a seamless image across the front of the soundstage.

Also, having properly voiced rear channel speakers helps to provide a seamless soundfield when sounds are panned from left to right and from front to back.

-RW-

I agree, the part about overpowering is nonsense. A perfect match would be another 683 but the HTM61 will be as close as you can get in a conventional center. The HTM61 will be a better match to your 683s than the HTM62.

Everyone you ask will tell you something different. In the end you will still have to make a best guess judgement. What I can tell you though is that typically the center channel is something like 13db down from the LR fronts. That means that it is only getting a small fraction of the power that the fronts are receiving. In this scenario Mtrot's statement is incorrect. -3db is half the power and +3db is double the power. Also, in theater configuration the center channel has no requirement for any real bass so typically you don't need anything large.

Overpowering? Sounds like nonsense to me, since you will calibrate the front three speakers to the same level anyway. Furthermore, as you may know, the center channel is the most important for home theater, so you want the best center speaker you can get.