Pioneer SP-C22 Andrew Jones Home Audio Center Channel Speaker

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.

Did quite a bit of research before deciding on this speaker. I wanted to upgrade the center channel on my boxed surround sound speaker set (Monoprice). Wanted to keep the price around $100 and there were quite a few to choose from. I mainly wanted a speaker that had a bit more oomph plus voices sounded clear and natural.After considering a number of speakers and manufacturers I decided on the Pioneer. It had good reviews both from purchasers and a couple of professional reviews I found. I would have preferred an acoustic type speaker vs a ported cabinet but those were difficult to find. I just find ported speakers sometimes have a more hollow, boxy sound.After receiving the speaker I set it on top of the fireplace mantle below the TV and hooked it up. The unusual curved cabinet comes with rubber cradles to set the speaker in which keeps it stable and allows you to tilt the speaker up or down for the best angle for listening.I was immediate happy with the sound of the speaker but it still had a bit of that “boxy” or not completely natural sound for voices. It was better in this regard than the speaker I was replacing and the sound was fuller and offered more range and “punch”. After a good bit of tweaking the equalizer for the center channel I was able to improve on the sound of voices. They are clear and easy to understand. The speaker definitely has quite a bit of punch and much more low end. That really adds to louder action scenes.Do look at the measurements and weight if this speaker. It’s large and hefty. Make sure you have the space you need. I think the well made cabinet adds to sound of this speaker. It definitely seems like more bang for the buck than many of the speakers in this price range.To wall mount this speaker you’ll need some hefty mounts. There’s no built in attachments on the speakers for mounting. I went with a WALI center channel dual bracket mount which worked well.