Pioneer Andrew Jones Center Channel Speaker (Open Box)

The first time I heard the now legendary Pioneer BS-21 speakers by Andrew Jones, I fell in love with them. A nice laid-back midrange centered "British sound" speaker for a bargain price. I loved them so much that I built a 7.1 surround system based on them. I never ended up buying the matching center channel as I had a similarly voiced Boston Acoustics center that worked perfectly. Fast-forward to now, and I wanted to build out a modest surround setup for my new home. Nothing crazy: just a good sounding 5.2.1 Atmos system powered by a mid-range Denon. I took this as the opportunity to finally go all-in on the sound I loved so much in the BS-21 speakers. My current setup is using SP-FS52 towers for the front, a set of BS-21s for surrounds, the SP-T22A Atmos modules, and this center channel. I skipped the Jones designed subwoofer, as I already owned a Dayton Audio Sub-1200 that is a better match for the room this setup resides in. The voicing of this speaker is everything I loved in the old BS-21s, but in a well-balanced center speaker format. Dialogue is clear, with a nice full range. While this center channel doesn't have the 'sparkle' in the high-end that many prefer, this is true of the entire Andrew Jones line. Again the sound is very midrange driven. Some describe it as 'veiled', which is a fair assessment. You either love it, or you don't. For me: it's the perfect tonal balance that I enjoy. Especially as I move further into middle age, and much of the higher frequency sound from other speaker makers is lost to me. For what this speaker costs, it punches well above its weight class. Just to be clear: this isn't 'audiophile' level stuff. But that's not a bad thing. What this speaker offers is sound that gives you a solid taste of what high-end audio solutions in your home can do. It shows your average consumer that speakers can do more than 'make things louder'. They can add voice, tone, color... It's hi-fi for the rest of us, designed by one of the greatest audio engineers out there today. If you're looking for 'sounds great, looks good' home theater solution - this is an amazing choice. If you're an audiophile that insists that you can do better for more money: you're right. You can. But consider that in this case maybe this speaker just isn't meant for you. Instead it's an entry point to bring more people into the fold, and help them appreciate quality audio solutions.