Life Without a Center Channel

Early B.

So I sold my center channel the other day and I'll be without one for a while. This evening we watched a movie and it sounded very weak. The entire surround sound experience is compromised. Now I have a whole new appreciation for what the center channel brings to the table.

VR3

I really want a HT preamp and a HT rig back...

Midnite Mick

I just recently sold my LsiC as well. I don't miss it at all but my room is very narrow (10 x 17). In fact I think that I prefer it.

Thanks,
Mike

lomic

I couldn't be without my center, however I recently removed my LSi7 rear channels, reducing 5.1 to 3.1, and I have to say I'm happy with the results. I think it takes 7.1 and/or a proper HT room to make home surround sound work.

I had the speakers several feet above my head, facing out, and any time there was a surround effect from the speakers I'd say to myself "Yup, there are my rear channels". I found it to be nothing but distracting from the movie experience.

jmwest1970

Early B. wrote: »

So I sold my center channel the other day and I'll be without one for a while. This evening we watched a movie and it sounded very weak. The entire surround sound experience is compromised. Now I have a whole new appreciation for what the center channel brings to the table.

Same here. Although, when my timbre matched center gets here I think it'll me remarkably better than the Klipsch C-1 that I had. The funny thing is my wife always rolls her eyes when I talked about audio equipment, but after I sold the center she demanded that I buy another. :rolleyes:

Early B.

jmwest1970 wrote: »

The funny thing is my wife always rolls her eyes when I talked about audio equipment, but after I sold the center she demanded that I buy another. :rolleyes:

Yep. Last night my wife gave me a hard time about selling the center channel (pair of Taylo ref. monitors) because they were so pretty.:rolleyes: She also noticed the huge difference in not having a center channel.

Most people don't realize it, but the center channel plays a key role in simulating and dispersing the surround effect. It "helps out" the front and rears. For instance, when a plane is flying from left to right on your screen, the center channel participates in the entire event; it does not cut off and on during that sequence. Same is true with the rear speakers -- there is info coming from the center channel to help give the illusion of stuff flying overhead behind you.

Also, even though my fronts did a decent job in anchoring (i.e., imaging) the dialogue, voices were not as clearly defined as with the center channel.

engtaz

When I added the Monitor 5's w/RDO's as my center matched with the SRS 3.1TL's, It was great.

Gaara

Over here I found the exact opposite to be true. When I got rid of the center channel everything clicked into place, especially surround effects. Things were much more natural and pans across the front soundstage were seamless.

Personally I don't see myself ever going back to a center channel. For me it is a waste of money for the speaker and the amp to power it.

Jared

bobman1235

I dropped my center channel a while back for space reasons, haven't really missed it, but my viewing area is pretty much always directly in front of the TV, so it's pretty unnecessary.

Early B.

Gaara wrote: »

Over here I found the exact opposite to be true. When I got rid of the center channel everything clicked into place, especially surround effects. Things were much more natural and pans across the front soundstage were seamless.

Personally I don't see myself ever going back to a center channel. For me it is a waste of money for the speaker and the amp to power it.

Jared

How big is your room?

My room is 20 ft. wide, so there's no way my fronts are gonna provide a natural pan across the front soundstage.

phuz

I haven't used a center channel for years, and haven't missed it.

Still have an LSiC in the closet....

venomclan

Early B. wrote: »

How big is your room?

My room is 20 ft. wide, so there's no way my fronts are gonna provide a natural pan across the front soundstage.

I agree with Jared, especially because we both own the Gallo 3.1's. 320 degree dispersion, really no need for a center channel, in almost any room. I could not go without a center with my B&W's.

What was your reason for selling your center?
V

Gaara

My room is 16.5ft wide with my fronts 7.5ft apart and 8ft from the listening position with some toe in.

How far apart are your fronts and how far are you from them?

When I first tried no center channel I didn't like it, but I gave it one week. After a week I put the center back in and tried it for a few days and didn't like it at all.

danger boy

Early B. wrote: »

So I sold my center channel the other day and I'll be without one for a while. This evening we watched a movie and it sounded very weak. The entire surround sound experience is compromised. Now I have a whole new appreciation for what the center channel brings to the table.

Duh! :rolleyes:

unc2701

Dumb question:
Are you sure you let your processor know that there's no center? If you run a 5.1 soundtrack without a "Phantom" center, Yeah, it's gonna sound bad.

Again, Gallo's here, but I have no problem w/ no center.

ohskigod

Early, I've been in your boat before. for my theater, I would never ditch the center, but in your case, since you r inbetween centers its unavoidable. as a stop gap, try repositioning the mains. Doing that with those beasts you own is a bit of a chore I'm sure. But when i ran ghost center, I always had to put the speakers closer together, and tweak the toe in a skosh. distance to the back wall didnt seem to improve or make anything worse in this case. hey, worth a shot.

gidrah

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »

I really want a HT preamp and a HT rig back...

You should get one of those Klipsch decoders and just hook it up to an aux. This works well for me.

Early B.

ohskigod wrote: »

Early, I've been in your boat before. for my theater, I would never ditch the center, but in your case, since you r inbetween centers its unavoidable. as a stop gap, try repositioning the mains. Doing that with those beasts you own is a bit of a chore I'm sure. But when i ran ghost center, I always had to put the speakers closer together, and tweak the toe in a skosh. distance to the back wall didnt seem to improve or make anything worse in this case. hey, worth a shot.

I'll just be stuck with what I've got for now, no problem. I don't wanna reposition my mains because I use them for 2-channel duty, as well, and it took me a while to get them in the right position. Besides, those behemoths weigh about 140 lbs ea.:eek:

It's great that some of you guys can go without a center channel. I just haven't been convinced that it works in my set up yet. Besides, my wife and I usually watch movies together, so at least one of us is always sitting off axis.

Early B.

unc2701 wrote: »

Dumb question:
Are you sure you let your processor know that there's no center? If you run a 5.1 soundtrack without a "Phantom" center, Yeah, it's gonna sound bad.

Well, you won't get any dialogue, either, if you don't let your processor know you've removed the center, so yeah, it's gonna sound bad.:p

bobman1235

Meh, dialog is overrated

unc2701

Just needed to check. A good number of soundtracks have some dialog mixed into the L/R channel and you'll get that kinda half there weak sound that you described on those.