center channel delimma

moorefield

Setup: consists of two RT2000p, one CS400 & two rear RT15i. Although the setup sounds great, one area is lacking which is the center speaker. The sound just isn't as clear as i would like. My sitting position is about 10' from the speaker and is positioned on my 50" which makes the center about a foot higher than my ears. The problem doesn't occur or seem prevelant when listening via DD5.1 or DTS, but when watching Directv. The sound is connected from the RCA Directv receiver through an optical line into a Denon AVR2801 receiver.
My questions are...
-What can i do to improve the non-digitial sound from the center?

-I've tried Denons' 5 channel stereo,direct,stereo,etc..Is there a preferred option to customize?

-If I decide to upgrade the center, what are the options and what "Timbre-matched" side effects will i encounter?

Thanks for any response!
Greg in NC

TroyD

IMO, if you are listening to a standard stereo broadcast in surround, what you see is what you get. I'm not sure there is anything you can do other than just listen to it in plain stereo, as it was intended. Standard DirecTV is not broadcast in DD or DTS, it's just plain old 2ch stereo.

As far as upgrades, well, the CS400i is about as good as it gets with Polk and I don't think ANY center is going to solve your dilema in this case.

Troy

Aaron

I agree with Troy; it sounds like a source material problem. When you put a stereo source that was not Pro-Logic encoded into Pro-Logic, it sounds terrible. Everything comes out of the center channel and all sense of space is lost, not to mention that it doesn't sound nearly as clear.

Aaron