BIC America Venturi DV32CLR Centre Channel Speaker

BIC America Venturi DV32CLR Centre Channel Speaker

The BIC America Venturi DV32CLR is a compact passive centre channel speaker, supplied as a single unit. In a surround system the centre channel carries the dialogue and most of the on-screen action, so it is the speaker that decides whether films are easy to follow. The DV32CLR does that job in a cabinet small enough to sit on a shelf, a TV stand or directly above or below the screen: two 3.5-inch woofers flank a central dome tweeter in a two-way, three-driver layout that keeps speech focused at the centre of the picture, where it belongs.

Key features

• Two-way, three-driver centre channel design
• Two 3.5-inch woofers with a 0.5-inch dome tweeter
• Frequency response of 75 Hz to 20 kHz
• 90 dB sensitivity at 1 watt and 1 metre
• Recommended amplifier power of 5 to 125 watts
• Compact cabinet, 10 3/4 inches wide
• Passive design for any AV receiver’s centre output

Built for dialogue

The centre channel is not a smaller version of the front speakers; it has a specific job. Film and television mixes put voices in the centre, and the DV32CLR’s twin-woofer, central-tweeter arrangement is built around that. The two 3.5-inch woofers share the work of the midrange and upper bass, giving voices body and keeping them clear at both low evening levels and full cinema volume, while the dome tweeter handles the consonants and fine detail that make speech intelligible. BIC fits a tweeter protection device in the DV32 family, which reduces power to the tweeter at very high levels rather than letting it fail during loud effects passages.

Sensitivity and amplifier matching

At 90 dB sensitivity measured at 1 watt and 1 metre, the DV32CLR is an efficient speaker that reaches realistic centre-channel levels from modest receiver power. Its nominal impedance is 8 ohms and BIC rates it for amplifiers from 5 to 125 watts, which covers effectively every AV receiver and stereo amplifier it might be paired with. In the receiver setup, the centre is normally run as a small speaker with the system crossover handing the lowest bass to a subwoofer; the DV32CLR’s response, rated from 75 Hz, suits that standard configuration exactly.

Placement

BIC’s guidance is simple: place the centre channel as close to the television as possible, preferably directly above or below it, so dialogue stays anchored to the picture. The cabinet measures 10 3/4 inches wide, 4 3/4 inches high and 6 inches deep, a footprint that fits the shelves and stands most screens sit on, and at around 4 lbs shipping weight it is easy to position. Aim it toward ear height at the main seats where the cabinet allows, keep the front clear of ornaments and edges that block the drivers, and set the centre level in the receiver so voices sit naturally against the left and right channels.

Part of the Venturi DV32 system

The DV32CLR is the matched centre for BIC’s Venturi DV32 speakers, which BIC recommends for front and rear channels, so a complete 5.1 system can be built from one family with consistent voicing across the front stage. It connects with ordinary speaker cable to the centre output of an AV receiver; it has no built-in amplification and needs no power supply. Construction is backed by BIC America’s speaker warranty, and the grille and enclosure clean with a damp cloth and a small hand vacuum respectively.

For a home theatre that needs clear, centred dialogue from a genuinely compact cabinet, the Venturi DV32CLR is the straightforward answer: an efficient, easy-to-drive centre speaker sized for real TV furniture and matched to the DV32 family.