You should definitely take distance into consideration, but keep in mind that unless your room is cavernous and you sit very far away, most center channels can be adjusted to play at a level that matches the other speakers in your system. Owner that have upgraded from Axiom's smaller center channels (e.g. VP150) to the VP160 or VP180 have reported noticeable improvements in punch and clarity, as well as better tonal matching to their M60s or M80s.