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IMO it depends on your room and whether you're listening in 2 channel stereo, multi-channel stereo or home theater.
With 2 channel stereo, if you are getting a strong phantom center imaging. Then based on systems I've heard, this imaging sounds as if there's a center channel speaker. So in this situation you don't need a center channel speaker.
With HT, having a TV or screen, placing speakers optimally may obstruct viewing. Thus speakers may have to be placed far apart losing a strong phantom center imaging or none at all. The center channel compensates for this hole in the middle of the soundstage. With a good center the image is that of the stereo phantom image,that doesn't draw attention to localizing the center speaker. It should blend seemlessly with the front speakers like its not there as with the phantom image.
With my situation which functions as HT,MC-stereo,stereo. Even without a TV in the way I could not get optimal speaker placement without being too close to the speakers. Thus I have to have the front speakers placed wide apart thereby having a weak center phantom image. A center speaker compensates for this weak image, and an AV/receiver allows me to adjust the volume and time delays accordingly.
Having been to SOTA movie theater. I found that I could pick out the 3 center speakers behind the big screen. Which kind of detracts from the illusion. A good HT setup can be way more coherent,intimate and enjoyable than a movie theater.
Just my .02 cents.
I've been listening with and without the center channel activated for several weeks, and find it difficult to tell whether the center is on or not, unless I put my head right in front of the center speaker to assure myself it's active or not. We sit at the apex of an equilateral triangle with 8.5' legs and KEF Reference 104.2 mains at the other apexes; the center channel is a KEF 200 C; a Velodyne HGS-15 with SMS-1 room equalization takes frequencies below 80 Hz. Voices seem equally well localized with either films or TV programs, and it's only with Blu-ray operas that I have a preference for deactivating the center channel -- the 200 C seems not quite up to the 104.2s, and uses a Uni-Q tweeter whereas the 104.2s use a dome tweeter.
Bottom line, the answer to OP's question is not obvious, but likely no for some applications. I've never tried to take a 104.2 apart, but it looks as though the D'Appolito assembly that seems to hang on the front might be a separate unit; if I had one of those assemblies for my center channel, my answer might be different. Now if I could only find a 104.2 with a trashed woofer set . . .
db
They go to great lengths to put bevels on the baffle but the midrange protruberances are worse than the tweeter on a flat baffle!
Gawd... they should have a felt insert for the tweeter section to suppress that issue.
Bass is supposed to sound big. 6.5" is not a woofer size.
My better sounding HT rigs used a center equal or better than mains. YMMV
Buy two. Flip them on their sides and you have two very very nice WMTMW speakers.
For a center? Seems like overkill to me.
I don't do multichannel for high end anyways. Not enough "high end multichannel software" for me to worry about "high end multichannel".
If you have a good center image, it's better than a center anyways, because it's coming from in between the speakers, but right off the back wall. The center channel speaker would actually be a determinent to this affect if you ask me. Then you have sounds "coming from a speaker" which is what I spent a lot of time and money to prevent!
Cheers,
Presto
a pair of properly designed L/R speakers would be a better option.
Also, and I quote from my post below:
That may apply to stereo sources (or 4.0 sources) where the center is only needed if there are problems with the L/R channels. OTOH, the splitting of the center channel into the L/R is not without its problems and is not the same as a studio down-mix.
If the source has a discrete center channel, it needs a discrete center channel amp and speaker.
Kal
If you have speakers that can produce a very strong mono phantom image, then center speakers are not required even in HT.
Generally, most “hifi” speakers do not produce a strong enough mono phantom image (which limits the stereo image as well) so subjectively adding a center channel helps the localize the dialogue in HT .
Best,
Tom
out of sweet spot then the center channel is even more important if you have a great stereo sit center surrounds less important.
That may apply to stereo sources (or 4.0 sources) where the center is only needed if there are problems with the L/R channels. OTOH, the splitting of the center channel into the L/R is not without its problems and is not the same as a studio down-mix.
If the source has a discrete center channel, it needs a discrete center channel amp and speaker.
Kal
The center speaker is more for people sitting off-centered in the theater room. Otherwise they'll hear the dialogue coming out of the left or right front speaker (depending on which one they're closest to.)
Edits: 10/27/10
If so, use a center channel that is as good tonally from the waist up, at minimum, as your mains. Or don't use one at all. The center should be tonally equal/identical to the mains, in my opinion. Speakers from the same manufacturer that use the same tweeter, midrange, bass principle should be theorectically perfect. An identical center is ideal if not totally necessary.
I have no experience with HT.
Robert C. Lang
I was just amazed at the size of this particular center channel.
As you rightly said rahter use the same speaker as the left and right,
or is there an advantage for the center to be horizontal??
There is a disadvantage acoustically. The only justifications for a horizontal array, of this sort, is for convenience in placement and as a sop to many who falsely believe that there is an advantage for the center to be horizontal.
Kal
If one look at this particualer center channel it has 2 mids and 2 bass units which would be unusual for a floor stander, maybe 1 mid + 2 bass?
I am sure that Peak consult have done their home work and see a reason for it!!
The number of drivers is less important than their configuration. Any 2 drivers that are reproducing the same signal and are more than 1/2 wavelength apart will produce constructive and destructive interference in the plane of their displacement. Thus, the multiple drivers are a disadvantage in this design.
Kal
I have an older Radio Shack system, LX series, with a new Denon receiver, my B&K amp died. Because of the size of the tv, Panasonic rear projection and the Denon 6-16 ohm configuration, I hooked the 2 center speakers in a 16 ohm manner.
We will be changing to a new LCD soon and I want to improve the center channel reproduction. This is for movies only, I am the only sane one here as my record system is in its own room, so what config works best for the center.
Are you making some point or is there a question here?
Kal
Question? If not one of these large center channel speakers would you use a single speaker or what? I am wanting to upgrade down the road but the WAF will come into play.
1. Which "large center channel speakers" are you talking about?
2. What is the system configuration?
3. What are the physical constraints?
In general, I see no reason for multiple center speakers but there are some exceptions.
Kal
Actually there are disadvantages to that topology - it is basically the D'Appolito array turned on its side. As originally designed (i.e. a symmetric VERTICAL array) it has the advantage of having bass, mids and highs coming from the same virtual source centered at the tweeter. There is vertical lobing due to interference between two drivers reproducing the same frequencies, but in the usual listening situation that's not a problem because people usually listen sitting down. If there is more than one listener they are generally sitting side by side rather than one on top of the other. The horizontal dispersion is smooth which helps if listeners are sitting off the center axis.
However, when the design is turned on its side with a HORIZONTAL array, this results in horizontal lobing which is a problem if there is more than one listener, because listeners sitting off axis can easily be in a null of the lobe resulting in uneven direct frequency response at the listening location. This is a design flaw in most center channel speakers that use a horizontal arry - they really would work better standing on end.
Actually, I lost track of what forum I was posting in and thought I had posted to you (as usual)in Hi-Rez. Otherwise I may not have jumped in.
But having already jumped in, I can't imagine an "advantage", at least not for "sound", for having a horizontal center, for music, especially, where tweeter and midrange should be at the same height all around. For HT I suppose a horizontal speaker makes placement on top of a video monitor more convenient and perhaps this can be done without serious consequences to the sound.
Robert C. Lang
My Left and Right MMG's serve my HT system just fine.
Three most important things in Audio reproduction: Keep the noise levels low, the power high and the room diffuse.
Same as big guy my Maggie 1.6's work fine for left,right and cover the center channel needs.
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