PYLE PLVWCRK5 1/2-Inch DIN Center Channel Amplified Speaker System

• High Power 50W Maximum Power Amplifier - 5.1 Surround Sound Audio Speaker - Power Supple Voltage: 10.8V To 15.6V - Five (5) 3/4" FowardMount Full Range Audio
• Five (5) 3/4" Forward Mount Full Range Audio - Amplifier Specs: - Current Consumption: 3A - Two (2) 1" Rear Mount Mid-Bass Response
• Two (2) 1" Rear Mount Mid-Bass Response - Continuous Power Output: 25W - Dimensions: 1.75'' (H) X 3.5''(W) X 5.75'' (L) - Dimensions: 1.125'' (H) X 6.75''(W) X 6.5'' (L)
• Mounting Brackets Hardware Included - Peak Power Output: 50W - Weight: 1Lb - Weight: 0.55Lb
• The Compact 1/2 Din Design Allows For Indash Mounting - Frequency Response: 200 Hz To 28K Hz. - Speaker Box Specs:

First of all let me say I bought these at 40$ + shipping. For the "retail" price you can find the Apline unit which is bigger and has a bigger sound or build your own (I did one with the Aura 2" full range speakers that came out very nice). Of course you will need a separate amplifier.

Bought this for a friend who is doing a budget 5.1 install in his hyundai accent. Considering the price of other center channel solutions (for which you would need to purchase an auxiliary amplifier AND wiring) it's a great buy. The amplifier included is adequate to fully power the small speakers to realistic vocal levels and was very easy to hook up and had some fair mounting options. You will need a single channel RCA cable for input.

Mounting the speaker itself took a bit of re-working the pocked beneth the head unit but with a dremmel, utility knife, and some patience we made it happen. The speakers themselves are angled at about 45 degrees upwards so perhaps designed for cars with the head unit a bit lower on the dash, but they still do fairly well off-axis. If you have a FULL din size iso mount hole the Alpine (full DIN size) is super easy to mount and is supperior sounding.

I'm completely against "center" channel for music listening. If you have a good left and right it should naturally form a central soundstage. If you don't have this, adding another speaker (particularly a tiny one without advanced processing) will become an accoustic disaster and will not fix an allready poor or cluttered soundstage. THIS IS NOT DESIGNED FOR MUSIC!!!!!

Movies recorded in 5.1 surround have an audio track which is designed to play through a center speaker. It's primarily dialog and for that purpose this center channel is quite adequate to keep up with 50W X4 on the fronts and rears. If you have a head unit that plays movies in 5.1 surround, this is a very inexpensive solution to fix weak dialog from downmixing 5.1 to 4.1 or simple stereo signal or just add that next level to your mobile multimedia.

Anyway, I had a feeling they'd be decent for the money so I bought a spare that I might use down the road. I'd say worth more than I paid for mine and a solid little unit provided you understand what it can and cannot do. Really my only beef with this was that it was an odd size and needed some customization to mount into the dash kit (I'm sure much of this is vehicle specific though)

Buy PYLE PLVWCRK5 1/2-Inch DIN Center Channel Amplified Speaker System Now

Note: This unit was also sold as a Clarion at one time (identical unit).

I found the CRK5 to be moderate in performance, but quite good in SOME installation situations. For example, those who cannot install a self-enclosed center channel on top of the dashboard may very well take advantage of unused 1/2 DIN stereo spacing in the dash to find a place for this. Otherwise, it might not be of much use to those without a flat area on the dashboard or spare spacing.

I say this because (generally) it is optimal to have the center channel high up along with the L & R speakers.

The CRK5 audio was ok for its size, but you must realize these are mini-woofers and the sound is best described as ok, but not great. Bass response is about what you'd expect: decent midrange, but lower bass is not possible. Treble/high frequency sounds need adjustment on your equalizer as they weren't that great

The CRK5 uses tiny speakers found in many miniature speaker docks for iPods and etc. The included amplifier is useful if you don't have a spare powered center channel output from an amplifier, but sound quality is average (should be ok for center channel signals, however).

I did like the metal grill on the front of the unit, and that the speakers were aimed upward slightly, but overall the quality could have been better. Multiple times I could hear the center channel enclosure resonating during certain audio passages.

If you are restricted in terms of space and don't have audiophile-level requirements, I think you'll find the CRK5 helpful. However, if you require optimal clarity and sound response (as much as you can fit into a tiny space!) I think you'll need to keep on looking.

Basically I wish to say you cannot get the same volume or sound quality that you can from other center channel speakers or custom units, but it can fit where others can't.

Personally I thought the unit was fair, but originally overpriced at $100+ (but at least you can find it for less on Amazon!)

(Reference (audio source): 5.1 audio system with 31-band EQ for each channel (Alpine signal processor).