Center Channel

venomclan

The debate goes on. I have no center channel right now in my system. The Gallos really do not need it with their wide dispersion. It really depends on the speakers and placement you have in your room. If you do have a nice center image created with your 2 channels, try it without a center and see what happens. I prefer the 3 front speakers to be identical if a center is used at all.
V

Early B.

The center channel is the most important speaker because 100% of the dialogue and a substantial amount of the non-dialogue is from the center. Given its significance, I wouldn't want to share that duty with the fronts, no matter how good they are. The fronts and the center serve two entirely different functions.

It ain't surround sound if you're not surrounded in the sound, and it takes multiple speakers to pull it off.

scottvamp

Early B. wrote: »

The center channel is the most important speaker because 100% of the dialogue and a substantial amount of the non-dialogue is from the center. Given its significance, I wouldn't want to share that duty with the fronts, no matter how good they are. The fronts and the center serve two entirely different functions.

It ain't surround sound if you're not surrounded in the sound, and it takes multiple speakers to pull it off.

Good job Early B. Ya, the center channel is what anchors the sound onto the screen. 80% of your front stage is center. In HomeTheater your mains are only left and right effects for the screen/center. That is why over the past ten years center speakers have become larger and more powerful. I run dual centers for power and to fit my screen better. Once again i could never go back.
Sona - calibration, speaker placement, amp to speaker, speaker to speaker matching and monitor to speaker size are very important parts of putting a system together. Even how close and where you listen to speaker placement can play a roll.
What is your system? Come over to my house and i guarantee you will "get it"! lol

Skynut

I totally agree with posts 3 & 4

engtaz

Too many people cheat themselves by not spending the money for a very good center channel speaker and the proper amplification needed. The most important speaker for surrround sound, besides the subwoofer, is the center channel speaker and amp.

Bill Ayotte

Most of the things you don't like about theaters are due to the calibration of them....There are a lot of ways to eliminate those things in your personal system...I have decided due to space, I am going back to 2 channel for my HT rig...At some point, I would like to pick up a set of the Gallo's Venom has with the sub amp, and eliminate my need for a sub as well...I have a small, odd shaped room to work with, and real estate is the name of the game now....

You question about THX...You don't need THX to show Star Wars to the kids, it was remastered to be optimized for it.....I have heard many pieces that don't have that badge that sound WAY better than a lot of those that do...

scottvamp

Sona wrote: »

Thanks for the interesting and informative replies.

Here is my system: (Best Buy special)
Current combined HT/2 CH
4 Bookshelf Speakers - Sony Speaker - MB350H - $100 total
1 Center SS-CN550H $100
Sub – none yet
AVR - Yamaha VX-461 AVR – Fine but…
TV – Magnavox 27” RS2745 Manufactured March 1993 (Mom’s old)
Squeezebox
Wholehousefmtransmitter
Gamecube

Yep, that would be the issue. My center channel is about the size of your tv, and i have two of them. lol HomeTheater in a box speakers leave very little to be desired but it's a start. First of all you speakers will only pick up a fraction of the sound spectrem. And i would guess you have some distance between your center and mains. With speakers that size and sound output it is very hard to calibrate. So the good news is you can start getting back into dept now. We have a way with making people spend money.;)

scottvamp

Sona wrote: »

These are speakers and an AVR not HTIB. If they were, presumably they would come precalibrated...

My kids are watching Bionicle 1 now. The sounds are something else. Anyway, music is my first love, so I don't really have aspirations much beyond this for an HT. I remember now that they are watching this with bigger sound that one of the reasons for just using the TV speakers is that it reduces the chance the movie will scare them and keep them up at night.

It's a fun little experiment though.

S

I understand that, THiaB is just slang, especially now days. Onkyo makes $2000 HTiaB in which have separate components. Sony is not know for making speakers. And their is no such thing as being "pre-calibrated". HomeTheater and young kids don't get along very well. I once had a kids Finding Nemo night, and when the shark thundered onto the screen, most of the kids went screaming out of the room crying. Good Times!!!!:D
But as i said with your setup i can easily see the troubling aspects of your center, it is actually quite common with setups like yours.

One of the reviews on Amazon - interesting!
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-MB350H-Bookshelf-Speakers-Pair/dp/B0002553PA

These are a good speaker for the money. Recently, I also purchased a pair of Polk R15 speakers to put in my bedroom. The Polks cost about the same as the Sony's but are much smaller. To be honest, I like the sound quality of the Polk's much better. I guess if you need a bigger speaker to fill a huge room, the Sony's would be adequate, but overall, I highly recommend getting the Polks. One final advantage: you can easily mount the Polks on the wall.

The R15 is one of the smallest speakers Polk makes and probably a good comparison.

scottvamp

Your newer (HD) flat panels will show all the resolution "flaws" of standard channels more than the TV you have now. But up conversion dvd players and all HD content will greatly benefit. Just do the research and if you have any questions, ask away.
Scott