Customer Reviews

BIC America FH6-LCR Dual 6.5-Inch 175-Watt LCR Speaker with Mid/High Frequency Horn

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Don't be fooled by the price of this center channel speaker. I don't know how they offer this kind of sound quality and sheer power for this price. It is a mystery to me why most speaker companies use such small drivers in the center channel of their speaker lines. I consider myself an audiophile,but anyone with a 5.1 home theater system knows that between 70 and 95% of a movies sound is channeled through the center channel; that's most of your movie! Why speaker companies skemp in this area in quality or size of drivers is beyond me. The exception to this small LCR model may be Paradigme,Def.Tech, and in some instances, Klipch and Martin Logan. These companies utilize either powered centers (built in amps.), larger bass drivers in the center or a wide array of mid woofers. You have to understand that there are frequencies and nuances of midbass that the Pre-Amp./Receiver will only send to the center speaker. That is why Center Channel speakers with powered, large, or an array of midwoofers sounds so good to most people, and that is also why so many people miss or strain to hear dialogue in an otherwise nice sounding set-up! Enter the BIC America FH6-LCR; It misses nothing and in fact sounds so rich, powerful and clear that you would swear it was an active/powered, high end center channel! I thought that other reviewers were off their Med.s when they said that this brand could compare with speakers costing 6 times as much, but I am now a believer. It amazes me that this speaker sounds almost as good as my $1,000 B&W Center and matches up with my B&W 703s and Pioneer Elite SC-05 fairly well. Don't pass this one up. Amazon has the best price on this center, but can you believe they sale a speaker this nice at Wal****! Yes, I said, Wally World.... Go figure!

OK - I first bought the other Bic DV-62CLRS center channel - then the Bic DV-64 tower speakers - and kept on looking at this FH6-LCR center - but there weren't any reviews - so I just sat on the fence until the first glowing review from Marc Jordan showed up - then I pounced and bought this guy.

What a correct decision that was - don't get me wrong - the DV-62CLRS is an extremely capable center - but this FH6-LCR center is simply outstanding. You can hear very soft whispers in the dialog without driving your system at insane levels (even our neighbors complemented us on the changes).

I ordered another DV-62CLRS and will use them as the side speakers. I am tempted to order two more FH6-LCR's as replacements for my Mission rear speakers because of the 'amplified' characteristics of this speaker. (Have to let the dear wife get used to the changes first-eh).

Bottom line = this FH6-LCR's is a GREAT center channel - it blends in with and complements the other speakers perfectly - and at a ridiculously low price - you will NOT be disappointed-eh!!

(btw - if you do some research - you will find that this exact same design with the center horn - is used on BIC's top of the line speaker system - and now I know why-eh)

Edit 08/22/2009

Ok - I've been listening to this FH6-LCR center for the past six weeks - and have just bought TWO MORE to use as my rear surround speakers - as the sound (now 'broken in') is just getting better with time. Again an OUTSTANDING speaker for an OUTSTANDINGLY LOW PRICE price-eh!!!

Just installed 2 Yamaha in-wall 960 speakers and realized that my outdated Infinity center channel was no longer a good match. The Yamahas have dual 6.5s so I needed to step up from the 4-inch drivers on the Infinity and started searching. I found that most LCRs in the sub-$300 range had anything from 3.5-inch to 5.25-inch woofers; I had recently added a BIC sub to my system so I checked their website and saw the FH6 that sports dual 6.5s as well as the horn tweeter, which would be a nice match with my Yammys. Unfortunately, I didn't want to spend the $329 price tag so I checked Amazon and found a listing for $107. Are you kidding me?!? Took me all of 2 seconds to order one.

If you are looking for some sleek, updated look and an elaborate company logo, do not purchase this speaker. BUT if you are wanting to get a huge bang for your buck with a powerful center channel, I don't think you can do any better than the FH6. It can handle a range down to 40Hz (most other centers I saw were in the 50-65 range), sports 175 watts, and the performance of the horn tweeter vs. the dome is evident on the dialogue signals of 5.1 dvds. It's not a bass reflex design but rather a suspension (meaning there are no ports on the enclosure) so that gives you nice flexibility when positioning the speaker - you can hang it if you want and not worry about compromising any rear ports. Just to break this speaker in, I set my receiver to all-channel stereo and let me tell you, this speaker is very capable of serving as a left or right channel as well. Played some live Allman Brothers and some live Dave Matthews and it produced a nice crisp, warm stage which I'm sure will only get better as they loosen up; the highs are clean but not overly bright, and the woofers play low enough bass frequencies to blend in very nicely with the sub without having to set the crossover too high. The FH6 is virtually the same speaker as BIC's top-of-the-line Acoustec Series minus the lacquer finish.

Great buy, whether you get one for a center or three for a matched front line on your home theater. BIC doesn't advertise or have a catchy slogan, but they do build very solid and powerful speakers that will not break your wallet...

BIC America makes many high quality speakers for affordable prices, but this could be the best value of the bunch. While not a part of the slightly higher end Acoustech series (for example this slightly larger BIC Acoustech PL-28 Center Speaker - Black), this speaker shares many of the components you'll see there (more than other BIC America speakers). These welcome upgrades include a horn loaded tweeter similar to what one finds on Klipsch speakers (supposedly BIC was forced to forgo their orange drivers in favor of the new platinum ones on Acoustech speakers as they looked too much like Klipsch's reference series), attractive cabinets, broad range (40Hz-23kHz), and high levels of sensitivity (95dB). One bonus this speaker adds over the similar Acoustechs is the ability to mount the speaker vertically on a wall (thus allowing it to operate more easily as a left or right speaker). The included wall mounts work very well, which they need to, as this is a hefty speaker (16lbs).

Look around for a similarly priced speaker that offers most of these features, and you'll start running out of luck. Try finding them all, and you'll either be looking at a 2nd hand Klipsch (if you're lucky) or this one. Others may seem similar, but lack the sensitivity (require more wattage for a given level of sound) or the range (you won't need to rely as much on a sub as with other speakers). Pair three of these (left, center, and right--what the LCR stands for in the name) with BIC America F12 12-Inch 450-Watt Front Firing Powered Subwoofer and some nice surrounds (BIC offers nice Acoustech PL-66 surrounds) or these sweet Klipsch S-3 Synergy Surround Speaker (Pair, Black) (my setup), and you're good to go!

We bought this speaker primarily to improve the clarity of dialog of our 6.1 AV system. Our previous center channel speaker was pretty good but slightly depressed in mid-range. This speaker definitely improves the entire frequency spectrum, including lucidity of dialog. However, although a minor criticism, it is a bit non-linear and slightly accents frequencies in the vocal range. (Someone less critical might not notice.)I verified this non-linearity with the audio section of the Avia II test DVD.

This evaluation is no-doubt overly critical, judging the BIC as if it were a much more expensive speaker, because it is that good. It appears well constructed of high quality components.

I'm using this speaker in conjunction with BIC RtR 1530 tower speakers for the front L. R. speakers in a 6.1 AV system. They work very well together. I wish it could all be done in the U.S. but these BIC speakers are exemplary examples of United States engineering and Chinese manufacturing. Just look at the specs, it would take a bunch of bucks to buy speaker systems with better performance than these.

I have this hooked up to a $129 Yamaha V-365 (newer model is the 367). 100 Watts per channel.

I am using this speaker as a center channel for movies, not music. I always thought of BIC as a cheap off brand but that was my uneducated opinion. After seeing how lovely the speaker was in the picture, the size of the woofers, the horn tweeter, and reading AN AWFUL LOT about BIC in forums I decided to try this speaker at the mere price of $111. Right after I bought this I noticed the BIC flagship PL-26, and PL-28 center. I wish I would have noticed them before I bought this as the PL-26 is not very much $ more.

The FH6 dialogue is crystal clear, loud, clean, and I have to say clear again. I cannot believe how clear it is. The dynamic range is impressive. I've turned the volume up quite loud and the sound of the dialogue left me with a silly grin on my face. I do not think the tweeter is overly bright as some say with Klipsch. I do not have to turn the volume up very loud to hear dialogue, but this speaker sounds amazing at high volumes.

The bass seems to be lacking (not bad at all though) for the size of the drivers. I have not done any tuning on my receiver though so this may be on my side.

I've had a few center channels to compare this to:
* Polk CS-1 - To me, the BIC is much is much clearer, cleaner, and crisp when it comes to dialogue. The Polk definitely has more bass than the BIC. The Polk is fully broken in which may be the reason it produces more bass. Plus I had the receiver tuned in.
* Martin Logan Encore TF - The ML used to be my favorite. I'm slowly coming around to the BIC. The BIC produces an awful lot more bass than the ML, and the BIC's highs and dialogue started sounding more realistic and cleaner after a couple weeks. I switched back and forth between the ML and the BIC repeatedly for the past couple weeks, many times in one day playing the same movies to compare the dialogue. Week 1 was all Martin Logan. Week 2 and beyond was surprisingly all about the BIC. The Martin Logan is sitting on the sidelines now. It's a great speaker though.
* Yamaha HTIB - No comparison at all. The BIC wins, period.
* Klipsch Synergy C1 - Again, no comparison for me. The BIC wins hands down in all categories
* BIC PL-28 Center - This FH6 speaker sounds so good I bought BIC's shiny black piano finish flagship center. I was not home when UPS came today so unfortunately I have to will call tomorrow. I'm curious to see if the horn tweeter on each sounds the same in the PL-28 as it does in the FH6. I will update once I break in the PL-28.

Overall I'm impressed with BIC. I can't believe the value for what you get. I agree with others that this may be the best center I've heard for less than $500 (again, waiting to audition the PL-28 that cost a mere $177).

Give it a week or more to break in before you judge it. I was actually somewhat disappointed at first but it impressed in time. Of course, from everything I've read you should buy the BIC PL-26 or PL-28 instead of this one. I'll confirm though... The PL's have more sensitivity and can be driven with less watts to louder clearer levels. A PL and 75 watt/channel receiver is supposed to be a potent combination (so i've heard).

I have an Onkyo TX-NR1007 135 watt/channel THX Ultra certified receiver sitting in the box now waiting for the theater to be completed. I'm sure this speaker will sound amazing hooked up to that.

Optimus Primes voice in Transformers is unbelievably powerful and clear with the BIC FH6. If you get this speaker, watch Transformers for the dialogue.

I'm tempted to buy Klipsch RC-62 to see if there is any comparison. People seem to say a lot of good things about BIC. I would like to review and give an opinion that is not biased. No offense but sometimes I think people just want to mentally think there speaker is better than everything else for their own personal justification. I'm honest and would like to give an honest review.

Closing statement - After a week of break in, there is no way you will be disappointed by the BIC as a center.

2/17/11 Edit: I just picked up my BIC PL-28 Center from UPS will call. All I can say is wow. I paused a TV show, unplugged the FH6-LCR and plugged in the PL-28. The receiver was at the same volume. Unpaused the show. The PL-28 was easily 50% louder at the same receiver volume. This is a very efficient speaker. The PL-28 seems to spread the sound out more. Otherwise, the dialogue sounds very similar between the PL-28 and the FH6. The PL-28 is near twice as big as the FH6 but the horn tweeters look identical in the two speakers. I really think they are the same.

I can't wait till the PL-28 is broken in. I would be hard pressed to buy the FH6 again when the PL-26 is very close in price from some online retailers. I haven't heard the PL-26 in action yet.

Just bought the FH6-LCR after purchasing the PL-28 and being astounded by the sound quality from the6.5" horn tweeter. The FH6-LCR was purchased for a smaller room and I am no less astounded by the audio quality. The price I paid was unreal and considering the free shipping to Hawaii, I couldn't be happier. I compared this next to a Definitive Technology ProCenter 2000 and it blew it away. I would recommend this speaker to all of my friends and family. You can't go wrong with purchasing this item.

Got very little bass at first, freaked out a little. After some use they are now very flat down to the low 40hz range. I hear better separation in mid to mid-high to high frequencies than even in my great studio monitors. It sounds like many layers of individual instruments rather than a messy blend of sound is how I would describe the difference in some songs. Very happy about these speakers and only wish my amplifier was more powerful now. I don't write many reviews but the quality of the sound in these have me excited for my future with them and wanted to spread the joy.

I'll start by saying I'm not an audiophile. For the past few years I've been using an Onkyo HTIB because I couldn't afford to spend any more on a sound system. I upgraded to the this product and two Bic America FT-6T 400-Watt 6.5" 2-Way Tower Speakers for my left and right channels. I purchased these because they seemed like the best quality I could get on a small budget. The FH-6LCR is a huge step up from the center channel I had before. The sound stage feels a lot more broad, like my whole room is being filled with music, rather than just audio coming in a single direction. This speaker responds to a lot lower frequencies than my old one did, and it makes a big difference. This speaker sounds good loud, quiet, or however you like to listen to it. I don't doubt that more expensive center channels will somehow sound better, but I can guarantee you that for the price amazon sells this center channel, you will NOT be disappointed. I'm very satisfied with this product.

In the last few years I've been constructing a top of the line home theatre system for an affordable price. After careful research on the web and being disgusted with Best Buys over priced, junk speakers that they have in the store(not the Magnolia items) I came across a review on the web about a company called BIC America. They said they have been around since the 1970's but in my 34 years of buying and selling audio components I have never came across this brand. At first I notice that the price of these assorted speakers was to low to be true. I learned as a teenager when you buy low price electronics you usually get stuck with garbage. The cheap stuff always was distorted. Normally the brands like audiovox, and pyramid destroyed the way music and movies were suposed to sound. After having my SONY center channel speaker start smoking and blew to the point where no sound was produced at all I decided to try this center channel speaker. When I played a blu ray for the first time I couldn't believe how much of the sound track i've been missing with a poorly made center channel. I always thought that the front left & right were the speakers to dominate the sound. For the first time I really saw how all the 7.1 channels were suposed to sound together. The center channel was so good I replaced all my speaker channels with products from BIC America. I'm now a BIC customer for life and every time I walk into a store and I see someone looking at the 1000 dollar BOSE or Kilispsch, I always let them know about this wonderful company and if they want the high end stuff they can get a speaker that can stop a bullet!. I'm only kidding but there top of the line is made out of kevlar which is the material that body armor and bullet proof vests are made out of.