I'm getting ready to buy speakers for my new 6.1 receiver that I'm getting for Christmas. Here is what I'm thinking:

JBL S-CENTERII - Front Center and Rear Center
JBL S38II - Front Left and Right
JBL S36II - Rear Left and Right
JBL PB10 - Sub


Are these speakers overkill?

Does the rear center need to be a Center Channel Speaker? If not, how do I buy just one speaker?

Are there any other suggestions or reccomendations?

Thanks for all your help!!

It is often recommended that the rear center channel be divided among two speakers to better fill the listening space in the back of the room. In that case, just buy an extra pair of surround speakers.

I don't think you need a center channel speaker for this application. The rear center is going to be the speaker that gets the least amount of use out of your whole surround system, so there is no need to get a center channel speaker (which is designed with better range than the surrounds to facilitate dialogue intelligibility) for it.

For the best application you should use the exact same speakers for all 6 speakers but in most cases people don't have the room for a large front center speaker so they go the center speake route. I have 15" three way JBL's all the way around and the panning from speaker to speaker is flawless! So if you go this route you would just buy a third pair of speakers.

I don't have the room but have been told just to get another matching surround speaker.

Yes, that would be the best if space is limited. Now the trick is finding a retailer who wil sell just one!

As I said, use two. It fills the back of the listening area better, and it also psychoacoustically facilitates the sound of directional panning across the rear soundstage (wow, that sounds like a load of gibberish, don't it?!).

Most, if not all, 6.1 receivers have connections for using two rear center speakers.