The center channel in a surround sound system is a critical component to deliver dialogue, music, and special effects with such accuracy you will hear every nuance no matter what the source. Our new 8600eC center channel speaker employs a set of seven drivers, crossover, bi-wire capability and acoustic optimization controls matched to our 8600eLR floor-standing LR speakers, so sounds move seamlessly across the front channels.

The 8600eC can be placed above, below or behind an acoustically transparent projection screen. It incorporates the trademark Atlantic pivoting base which tilts the 8600eC up or down so its sound is optimized to the listener's seating position. Built-in compensation controls* further optimize the system for any placement and room acoustics for the ultimate in flexibility and performance for today's high-end installations.

With the design of the 8600e series, Atlantic Technology set new standards for performance. By implementing new driver technology in an all-new configuration, we have developed a no-compromise surround sound speaker system able to deliver superb performance in a wide variety of acoustic settings.

This all-new speaker design of the 8600eC features internally braced .75-inch thick non-resonant MDF cabinets housing seven new state-of-the art Atlantic Technology drivers configured in a D'Appolito/M-T-M array; four 6.5-inch fiberglass woofers, two 5.25-inch fiberglass mid-drivers, and an advanced 1-inch aluminum/magnesium dome tweeter with a powerful neodymium magnet structure. The midrange and tweeter drivers are internally isolated within their own airtight sub-enclosure.

Critical to a center channel's performance is dialog intelligibility. Loudspeaker brands employing a D'Appolito/M-T-M array in a system will often arrange the center channel M-T-M speakers in a symmetrical or horizontal arrangement rather than matching the correct vertical D'Appolito/M-T-M array of the L/R speakers. Unfortunately, the symmetrical arrangement creates undesirable audible comb-filtering effects which cause the dialog intelligibility to change across listener seating positions. The 8600eC D'Appolito/M-T-M array retains the same critical vertical alignment as the 8600eLR L/R channels so that listeners in all positions get the clearest, best un-compromised sound quality.

Like the 8600e LR's, the cross-over is a 4th order Butterworth asymmetrical time-aligned Linkwitz-Riley design with bi-wire inputs to maximize efficient power transfer and maintain optimum amplifier damping factor for the best bass control. 24K gold-plated terminals accept and tightly secure very large gauge speaker cable and also accept banana plugs. 24K gold-plated terminal jumper links are used when bi-wiring is not employed. A high-sensitivity spec of 93 dB with power handling of up to 300-watts makes the 8600eC perfect for very high-performance, large-room home theater systems.