What center channel?

hifidigital
hifidigital Posts: 26
edited March 2010 in Vintage Speakers
I'm probably going to procure a pair of Polk SDA SRS 2.3's from my brother for use as my left/right in a home theater. I have a few questions...

1. What is a good match as a center for these?
2. Since the specs indicate good low frequency response do I need a sub? I want to feel bass when watching movies.
3. If no to #2, would I just wire up the speakers to left/right on my Denon 1905? Is LFE incorporated into left/right also?
Post edited by hifidigital on
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,784
    edited February 2006
    LSiC is the best match, new
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • hifidigital
    hifidigital Posts: 26
    edited February 2006
    Is there a need for a sub?
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  • ND13
    ND13 Posts: 7,601
    edited February 2006
    Probably no need for a sub or center, IF your room allows for proper placement.
    "SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
    CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE"
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  • hifidigital
    hifidigital Posts: 26
    edited February 2006
    ND13 wrote:
    Probably no need for a sub or center, IF your room allows for proper placement.

    Hmmm... confused on this. I though that with 5.1, 6.1, etc. there was a need for a center channel speaker.

    I have already put in-wall's in for the surround and back speakers, so my main goal is home theater. Its just that I have the opportunity to take advantage of the 2.3's, and will some portion of the time listen to stereo music.
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  • ND13
    ND13 Posts: 7,601
    edited February 2006
    .....
    "SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
    CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE"
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  • kingsqueak
    kingsqueak Posts: 116
    edited February 2006
    When you have a center channel, the emphasis on center with L/R as more or less ambient channels is pretty noticeable with 5.1 or better program material. I prefer the effect for movies myself. For music, I still like plain stereo best.

    You may not 'need' a center, but the effect is noticeable and for movie material in a good post-production mix, it's pretty nice for the 'image'.
    Harman Kardon AVR-435 Receiver
    Polk RTi6 (L/R) CSi3 (Center) RM3000 (SL/SR)
    SVS 25-31 PCi (Sub)
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  • read-alot
    read-alot Posts: 812
    edited February 2006
    CS400i
    polkaudio SRS (rdo194 x 8)
    Dodd ELP (separate power supply)
    JC 1 blocks ( strapped )
    Rega Apollo
    MIT (speaker cables) Outlaw (ICs)

    polkaudio SDA2(rdo194x4) (front) polkaudio CRS (rdo194x4)(rear) polkaudio 400i (center)
    B&K 505
    Samsung LCD
    VIP 622
    HSU STF-2
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2006
    +1... the older 400, 400 i or 350 LS are all better timbre matches for the 2.3's stock SL-2000 tweeters.

    On the other hand, if you plan to buy the new silk-dome replacement tweeters...

    As for what one needs in their HT...
    I could live without a center sooner than I could live without a sub... and that's with the SRS's, but it's better having all three.

    If you want to really hear/ feel LFE, you need a really good sub. Without one forget about getting the full effect of the FOTR Ring drop, the Nemo glass tap, etc. Other than the sub-crazy SRT's, there's not a Polk on the planet that will deliver those.

    Welcome to the Club, hifidigital....
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • hifidigital
    hifidigital Posts: 26
    edited February 2006
    Jeez, just when I thought I had everything figured out...

    I'm pretty sure the 2.3's haven't had any mods...

    All I was looking for was a decent set of speakers (l/r/c) and sub.

    My brother offered a set of 2.3's for $500 (good deal?) so I was then thinking all I needed was a good center. I really, really want the crazy LFE, so it looks like a sub might be needed as well. BTW, my theater is in the basement on a concrete floor.

    Call me confused.

    I'm not tied to getting the 2.3's (size is a little bit of an issue) so, if I'm missing something, let me know.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2006
    $500 is a great deal... Find the room for them...

    Figure the rest out later...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • BobMcG
    BobMcG Posts: 1,585
    edited February 2006
    Some are using a CRS+ for the center with like speakers.
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  • hifidigital
    hifidigital Posts: 26
    edited February 2006
    Does anyone ever sell 1 CRS+? Or would it be feasible to wire them up together for a really large center channel?
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2006
    There... see what you've gone and done now, Bob... :p

    hfd,
    Take a posting break and go get the 2.3's.
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited February 2006
    Tour2ma wrote:
    If you want to really hear/ feel LFE, you need a really good sub. Without one forget about getting the full effect of the FOTR Ring drop, the Nemo glass tap, etc. Other than the sub-crazy SRT's, there's not a Polk on the planet that will deliver those.


    I don't know tour, I've got a pair of 2b's and they have plenty of bass for my setup, and Right now Im only using a cheap techincs receiver, center and surrounds set to small, fronts set to large, and sub set to off. Plenty of bass, and deeper digging than my 200 watt el cheapo 15"
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2006
    For music... sure... very little info below 40 Hz and almost nothing under 35 Hz. And 35 is just about where the SDA's are calling it a day.

    I will also grant you that the SDA 2's and bigger can give you an impression of the LFE info on ROTK or Nemo. But...

    Trust me, or ask doro or any other PB12 owner, any SDA (and most any of the subs out there for that matter) only scratch the surface of the LFE info in those and many other scenes. There's info there in the low 20's...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited February 2006
    well, the sub I was using had a stated respone of 20 hz-crosover setting (varibale 40-180 hz). But my 2b's seem to digg alot deeper than the sub, and are a lot more accurate. thanks just the same. When we finnally move into our own house(have been renting for the past 2 years) I plan on going with at least 4 12" in an IB installation. also my rig is set up in a fairly small room, wich I imagine helps with the low end some. And for those of you looking for bass traps, stuffed animals in the corners of you rooms help to tame those peeks, and clean up you mid bass(sorry, poor mans bass trap)
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2006
    Sure 20 Hz down 15 dB or so... useless spec.

    SDA 2b's are -3dB at 38 Hz. Not bad, but well short of the "fun stuff".
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited February 2006
    guess I'll have to wait for the ib
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2006
    4 - 12" IB... Yup, that'll get you in the neighborhood. My CA's 4 - 10" (x2) surprise me with how low they go...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • hifidigital
    hifidigital Posts: 26
    edited February 2006
    Tour2ma wrote:
    There... see what you've gone and done now, Bob... :p

    hfd,
    Take a posting break and go get the 2.3's.

    I think you're right. Let me get the 2.3's and I'll go from there...

    If a center or sub is needed, I'll come back and ask for more assistance.

    One more ? about center channel configurations. If I'm watching a DD movie, isn't my receiver (Denon 1905) going to be outputting to the center channel connection, which I won't have connected?
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  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited February 2006
    in your speaker setup menu, you should be able to disable the center which will route the signal from the center to your mains
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  • hifidigital
    hifidigital Posts: 26
    edited February 2006
    dudeinaroom wrote:
    in your speaker setup menu, you should be able to disable the center which will route the signal from the center to your mains

    I'll check the menu's (lots of them) and see if that isn't an option.

    Thanks to all!
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  • hifidigital
    hifidigital Posts: 26
    edited February 2006
    hifidigital wrote:
    I'll check the menu's (lots of them) and see if that isn't an option.

    Thanks to all!

    Replying to my own reply...

    I checked the manual online and it does have the ability to turn just the center off.
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  • Larry Chanin
    Larry Chanin Posts: 601
    edited February 2006
    hifidigital wrote:
    Does anyone ever sell 1 CRS+? Or would it be feasible to wire them up together for a really large center channel?

    Hi hifi,

    I'm using dual SDA CRS+'s for my center channel in a front projector home theater.

    You may find this thread of interest.

    How's this for a center ch. solution

    If you are serious about listening to movies with others who are not seated on-axis in the sweet spot then you will need a center channel. Otherwise the sonic image will be erroneously shifted to the nearest speaker for those sitting off-axis.

    In terms of timbre match I believe Bob is correct, the CRS+ would most likely be closest to an SRS since the tweeters are identical. I have SDA-1C's for mains (which also had same SL2000 tweeters as your SRS's) and the CRS+'s are a perfect match. Before getting the CRS+'s I used a CS400i, it was a good, but not perfect match. (I have since upgraded the original tweeters to the silk dome replacement tweeters on my 1C's and CRS+'s.)

    With regard for the need of a subwoofer, as Tour has already stated, your SRS simply will not go low enough to reproduce the deep bass in today's action movies. Most receivers will permit a setting of NO SUB in which the LFE channel would be redirected to your mains. This would permit you to hear a portion of the LFE channel without a subwoofer, but many action movies have content below 25 Hz, and some have infrasonic frequencies below 20 Hz.

    To really take advantage of deep bass content in movies, you may wish to augment even a capable subwoofer with suitable tactile transducers.

    Larry
    Larry's Home Theater
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2006
    Just considering a post about a CRS center channel brings Larry a runnin'... ;)

    How are you doing, Larry?
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • hifidigital
    hifidigital Posts: 26
    edited February 2006
    Larry Chanin wrote:
    Hi hifi,

    I'm using dual SDA CRS+'s for my center channel in a front projector home theater.

    You may find this thread of interest.

    How's this for a center ch. solution

    If you are serious about listening to movies with others who are not seated on-axis in the sweet spot then you will need a center channel. Otherwise the sonic image will be erroneously shifted to the nearest speaker for those sitting off-axis.

    In terms of timbre match I believe Bob is correct, the CRS+ would most likely be closest to an SRS since the tweeters are identical. I have SDA-1C's for mains (which also had same SL2000 tweeters as your SRS's) and the CRS+'s are a perfect match. Before getting the CRS+'s I used a CS400i, it was a good, but not perfect match. (I have since upgraded the original tweeters to the silk dome replacement tweeters on my 1C's and CRS+'s.)

    With regard for the need of a subwoofer, as Tour has already stated, your SRS simply will not go low enough to reproduce the deep bass in today's action movies. Most receivers will permit a setting of NO SUB in which the LFE channel would be redirected to your mains. This would permit you to hear a portion of the LFE channel without a subwoofer, but many action movies have content below 25 Hz, and some have infrasonic frequencies below 20 Hz.

    To really take advantage of deep bass content in movies, you may wish to augment even a capable subwoofer with suitable tactile transducers.

    Larry

    Excellent...

    I'll have carpet in 2 weeks, and my 2.3's will be right behind. The wife and I finally agreed on seating, so we will get that ordered tomorrow.

    After listening for a while I'll see how I feel about a center channel.
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  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited February 2006
    I want a pair os crs's :(:(
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  • Larry Chanin
    Larry Chanin Posts: 601
    edited February 2006
    Tour2ma wrote:
    Just considering a post about a CRS center channel brings Larry a runnin'... ;)

    How are you doing, Larry?

    Hi Tour,

    I'm doing fine. How are you doing?

    Yes, I try to contribute about subjects in which I have some direct experience. I also like to reenforce accurate remarks made by other members, as in this case your and Bob's remarks. Hopefully this helps the original poster get a better feel for a subject.

    Regards,

    Larry
    Larry's Home Theater
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  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited March 2010
    Blast from the past, still relevant information though. Monitor 7 makes a good center for 2As. I imagine two would be better, and may work well with larger SDAs.
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