I wanted to build an efficient, natural-sounding center channel speaker for less than $100. This design goal was driven by my large living room, a modest budget, and my even more modest woodworking skills. I had an entry-level center channel speaker that sounded pinched and didn't match my right and left speakers at all.

My main advantage in tackling this impossible-sounding task was that the layout of my living room naturally places the front speakers in a plane several feet behind the video monitor. Therefore, I didn't need to worry about using shielded drivers, and I could allow form to follow function (up to the level of spousal tolerance) for the center channel enclosure shape and size.