2 channel setup - Should I add a center channel or $1500 subwoofer?

I'd recommend a center channel over the subwoofer if you're going to have more than one person watching movies/TV and if your main left and right speakers are far enough apart (i.e. your display is large, or you are sitting close to it) that the people watching will hear things coming from the left or right instead of center of the screen. This is usually more distracting than a lack of bass output.

A center channel won't necessarily improve the clarity of dialogue or other sounds, especially if the room is very echoey or if the center channel ends up needing to be placed inside of a cabinet or in some other way that creates additional reflections or increases distortion. Room treatments, or at least filling up the room with stuff, is the best way to improve clarity.

Better off with four $350 subs. IF you have the space. Unless you prefer lower Hz in one listening spot.

sub!

it is the single biggest bhang for your buck in HT, all else being equal.

the sounds a sub, or if more are applied appropriately, can and will introduce an effect unlike anything adding a center ch loud speaker can elicit.

as important as the size of sub to room, or subs to room is key subs are after all an extension of the loudspeakers bringing the face and force of the event to life.

a month or so ago I began once more to trod down the audio land trail that never seems to have an end and chose to add sVS subs to my latest purchase of Joseph Audio Pulsar Grphine two ways.

after some talk with SVS sup and my plans presently and going forward I chose to drop down from the 4000 to the 3000 and go with a pair of them instead of the single larger 4000 standing alone.

My context is slanted highly towards music, though TV & Film will inevitably get their due as well as it is not difficult to blend the audio and video together these days.

as for the import of a dedicated center ch i’ve lived with and thru many arrangements of with center ch and without. as well with sub and without. for my money, the sugb or subs have no peer in what they bring to the table in HT and depending on the range of the mains, once addressed adequately, the lower two octaves seem to set the table for the mids and above more than a little bit. albeit a more pricey path of running a pair of subs , certainly is, they appear to be able to fix more issues than they develop.

i’m curious still on the sVS line of woofers having only used Velodyne and one or two other loud speaker brand subs, I am looking forward to this experiement.

IMHO
Subg first. then surrounds, then another sub, and THEn add a center ch.
good luck!!!  

Better off with four $350 subs. IF you have the space. Unless you prefer lower Hz in one listening spot.

^^^^THIS!^^^^

Nothing beats 4 subs! Other than of course four even better subs! But four small ones is WAY better than one of ANY price or power!

Unless you have people sitting well off center (in front of one of your L/R speakers and beyond) I’d definitely go with a sub as it adds so much more to involvement and the whole movie experience.  SVS is fine and offer good service and value.  Enjoy, and best of luck.