Whats the top HT center channels out there?

Larry Chanin

Topper wrote: »

you guys got me curious about dual center speakers - how do you guys have them powered and wired in? I think i might want to try this.

bluecomet wrote: »

Correct me if I am wrong but when you run dual centers, you wire them in series. I am also thinking about doing this with dual SRT centers.

Hi Guys,

I describe how I do it in posting #34.

Larry Chanin wrote: »

I'm using a Parasound HCA-2200 II with 220 watts RMS into 8 ohms, and 385 watts RMS into 4 ohms for each center channel speaker. I'm using the line level from my preamplifier's center preout to a "Y" cable and into each channel input on the Parasound amplifier, then speaker cables from the right and left channel of the stereo amp to each center speaker.

Larry

Larry

dorokusai

Larry Chanin wrote: »

Hi Mark,

How do you do that when both speakers are connected to the same channel? That is, there is only one distance available per channel.

Larry

If they are in series, it makes the delay the same for both loudspeakers. If you're using a presence speaker, than it has its own setting. The difference between a dual center with a 12in difference of position is negligible.

txcoastal1

If I were going to run dual centers could I "Y" the signal from AVR to 2 seperate inputs of my Sunfire amp

Thanks

Never mind just read larry's post

Topper

Thanks Larry - just reread your post. Wow so looks like we really need some external amplification and with an extra channel too to pull this off properly

dorokusai

Topper wrote: »

Thanks Larry - just reread your post. Wow so looks like we really need some external amplification and with an extra channel too to pull this off properly

This isn't something I'd recommend if you're running generic equipment. I guess I should have clarified.

Larry's rig is specifically setup to do this and his HT is very nicely designed.

Larry Chanin

dorokusai wrote: »

If they are in series, it makes the delay the same for both loudspeakers. If you're using a presence speaker, than it has its own setting. The difference between a dual center with a 12in difference of position is negligible.

Hi Mark,

Of course presence speakers are not center channel speakers.

My speakers are neither wired in series or parallel. That is they are not wired such that their combined impedance is doubled (series), or cut in half (parallel). Each speaker is directly connected to a dedicated amp channel at its nominal impedance. Regardless, they also have the same average delay as determined by Audyssey.

Although my speakers are stacked more that 4 feet apart their tweeters are positioned almost equidistant to the listener's ears, so there aren't any perceivable delay problems.

Larry

Larry Chanin

dorokusai wrote: »

This isn't something I'd recommend if you're running generic equipment. I guess I should have clarified.

Larry's rig is specifically setup to do this and his HT is very nicely designed.

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the kind words.

Yes, personally I would be very uncomfortable with an approach that involves wiring the speakers in series or parallel and connecting them to a receiver's amp.

On the other hand if a channel of a suitable amplifier that can adequately handle the speakers' nominal impedance is devoted to each speaker, then there shouldn't be any problems whatsoever.

Larry

Lietuvis91

Larry Chanin wrote: »

Yes, personally I would be very uncomfortable with an approach that involves wiring the speakers in series or parallel and connecting them to a receiver's amp.
Larry

Why would you be uncomfortable with wiring speakers in a series? Are there adverse affects from this kind of an arrangment?

I don't have room for 2 centers, and the thread about m40s sounding odd when placed on their sides eliminates that idea. So now I'm thinking of setting up an m30 on each side of the tv, with the cs2 on the shelf right below the tv, and have all 3 in a series running off the hca1000a amp in bridged mode (400watts total). That could work I think...

VR3

The receiver amp would have a hard time driving them...

I had to buy a separate amp for my centers as my receiver would shut off on anything above -20

Larry Chanin

Larry Chanin wrote: »

Yes, personally I would be very uncomfortable with an approach that involves wiring the speakers in series or parallel and connecting them to a receiver's amp.

Lietuvis91 wrote: »

Why would you be uncomfortable with wiring speakers in a series? Are there adverse affects from this kind of an arrangment?

Hi,

Perhaps I should have differentiated between series and parallel connections, with the parallel connection being potentially more problematic. My main concern was using a receiver's less robust amp (than a properly selected external amp) to power two speakers off of a single channel of amplification.

Larry

Lietuvis91

Understood. Sounds like I should not run into this problem as I will have external amplification. Thanks for clarifying!

Larry Chanin

Lietuvis91 wrote: »

Understood. Sounds like I should not run into this problem as I will have external amplification. Thanks for clarifying!

Hi,

I found a basic article on series connections.

Here's an excerpt:

Speakers in Series
The essence of series wiring is really quite simple: When speakers are connected in this fashion, load impedance increases ? the more speakers, the higher the impedance. The most common reason for wanting to raise impedance is to lower acoustical output, as in the case of rear-fill or center-channel speakers. Speaker output declines because the amplifier's power output decreases as the load impedance increases. While you can connect any number of speakers in series, try to keep the total equivalent-load impedance for each channel below 16 ohms, since most amps are not designed to handle higher loads.

So in might be prudent to contact Parasound and ask them regarding your proposed configuration.

Larry

EndersShadow

Lietuvis91 wrote: »

Understood. Sounds like I should not run into this problem as I will have external amplification. Thanks for clarifying!

Actually you might end up with less sound out of your center than you have now.

Most of the time as you increase the impedance of a speaker you pull less wattage out of your amp due to the resistance. Hence why a amp like the Carver Grand Cinema is 450 wpc @ 4ohm but ONLY 225 wpc @ 8 ohm[/B.]

So if you continue to extrapolate that out your really not going to get much wattage out of that channel if you make the impedance 16 ohm.

What I would do instead is get a 5 channel amp and amp your fronts and both centers from the same amp. Your AVR will calculate the difference and decrease the centers power v. the fronts to give you a decently even soundstage.

Lietuvis91

Well, the parasound hca1000a is technically rated at 400watts @8ohms when bridged. You guys don't think that will be enough to run 1 x cs2 and 2 x m30s?

EndersShadow

Lietuvis91 wrote: »

Well, the parasound hca1000a is technically rated at 400watts @8ohms when bridged.

If you wire in series from my understanding you double the impedance of the speakers. So since the CS2 is 8ohm and you will have 2 of them wired, your looking at 8ohm + 8ohm which is 16ohm, not 4 ohm.

You would need a speakers like the LSiC which are 4ohm to get the 400 @ 8ohms.

Very possible I am wrong so please correct me is this is the case.

Face

bluecomet wrote: »

Correct me if I am wrong but when you run dual centers, you wire them in series. I am also thinking about doing this with dual SRT centers.

The crossover from one speaker will affect the other one, bad idea.

zx_toth

newsman wrote: »

Obviously, the best center channel speaker is the one that matches your front speakers. But if you have to speak in the absolute terms, B&W used to make the absolute best center channel speaker - HTM1. Why it's the best? Is it looks, power? Actually, I think it's the best because it was equal to the left and right floorstanders while still having horizontal profile to fit under the screen. For music reproduction that's the next best thing to having 3 identical speakers in the the front.

mantis wrote: »

Beautiful pic of the b&w system.
I believe we need to go to the requirements of a home theater system and understand the definition. Then once we discover this we can move forward.

I also appreciate the beauty of a 802D/HTM1 system. Ive listened to 803Di setup and they sound fantastic. I can only imagine what the next step up sounds like in their line. A bit of a dream set up for me.

Z

Lietuvis91

ok, so this wiring in a series may not be a good idea for me...

carwashguy

Sherardp wrote: »

CSi5 does a very good job. I run it about 2-3db hot, no issues with my front end at all.

That is an awesome center stand. What is it?