The very best center speakers are rarely horizontal woofer-tweeter-woofer. THAT is for marketing (low and wide). If you don't need that low wide look, three matching bookshelf speakers across the front would be far better.
what's so special about center speaker ?
For $300 ~ 500, you can buy a center speaker or a pair of bookshelf. To me a pair of bookshelf seems to be a better choice because you can later use them in a stereo system, or rear surround. Also, I think bookshelf is more traditional/classic speaker design than woofer-tweeter-woofer speaker. Are center speakers specially optimized to work as a center channel besides its shape? Maybe the center speakers are optimized to produce vocal/dialogue?
Ken
Ken