Let’s talk center speakers!

[timothyemerson]

I likes me my centre channel. It's right in front of me and pointing in the direction I'm looking so it's critical for music and movies - for me anyway. I had a small Mission for years but it wasn't handling the sounds on all of the 5.1 mixes that were coming thick and fast so I upgraded to a KEFQ600C and that handles everything thrown at it so far. It doesn't match my KEFIQ90 fronts, and I've considered updating everything for a while, but it's all overkill for the room already and diminishing returns from here on in probably. It don't have to all be 5.1 as far as I'm concerned though. A good quad mix is awesome, as is stereo, mono and the occasional 3.0 mix (I think I have at least one).

Not sure why some engineers do a "5.1" mix and virtually ignore the centre though. There's a whole extra speaker that they could isolate sounds in and give the rest of the tune room to breathe in the other speakers. It can all come together in my head. Probably down to age, what they grew up with, etc, and that's fine, but if they used the space available, I'd dig it more.

 

[HDave]

I do have an acquaintance/friend in the Audio business and I asked him about the merits of a center channel. He agreed with me about the need but differed on the type ( believes like with Dolby Atmos that more is better for music ) his preference has always been a two way design with a subwoofer rather than bigger 3 way center channel speakers. To retain phase coherence with a small box/baffle with 3 drivers and very complicated 3 way crossover is not something that works very well. Two way speakers just image better, have superior octave to octave tonal balance and offer the best value if you want something smaller. He also thinks that anything designed by Andrew Jones, be it Pioneer or Elac would be the best for not only cost but sound.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I do have an acquaintance/friend in the Audio business and I asked him about the merits of a center channel. He agreed with me about the need but differed on the type ( believes like with Dolby Atmos that more is better for music ) his preference has always been a two way design with a subwoofer rather than bigger 3 way center channel speakers. To retain phase coherence with a small box/baffle with 3 drivers and very complicated 3 way crossover is not something that works very well. Two way speakers just image better, have superior octave to octave tonal balance and offer the best value if you want something smaller. He also thinks that anything designed by Andrew Jones, be it Pioneer or Elac would be the best for not only cost but sound.

The phantom expert hath spoken. I do not disagree but think his view is narrow.

 

[jimfisheye]

The funny part about that is a 2 way mid/high speaker with subwoofer is literally a 3 way speaker system.
And now it's in 3 separate pieces. Mid/high box. Crossover. Subwoofer box. So there's even more to deal with with placement and phase issues. Not to mention choosing the components. Looking at the response of the drivers in question. Determining the crossover frequency. Calibrating everything. Audio business... Maybe not one of the engineers though? 3 way with 2 crossover networks is absolutely more complex than 2 way of course. Keeping things simple is always good. Using only a 2 way array instead of a 3 way when possible is good. But the above sounds like someone played the telephone game a bit.

 

[4-earredwonder]

And to think that what we consider a "center" channel today was the primary source of luxurious high fidelity MONO from the 1940's through the early to mid 1960's

Honey, I want a divorce!

 

[HDave]

The phantom expert hath spoken. I do not disagree but think his view is narrow.

I will keep his identity and company he works for to myself, but 30 years in the industry he travels around the globe to Audio equipment type conventions/shows (not unlike CES) and has listened to numerous brands of audio gear. His favorite of recent exposure is Vandersteen for accurate sound reproduction.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I will keep his identity and company he works for to myself, but 30 years in the industry and travels around the globe to Audio equipment type conventions/shows (not unlike CES) he has been listened to numerous brands of audio gear. His favorite of recent exposure is Vandersteen for accurate sound reproduction.

OK.

 

[karlkastner]

I would like to have a matching center channel. Sometimes I'd like to be able to accentuate the vocals above the mix.

Now if someone would just sell me an orphan Belle....

 

[hobie1dog]

I've never had a CC speaker, but did recently get one in a package of Definitive Technology speakers, so I will at least try it out. My problem is that 90% of them are just too small. I demo'd a guy's stereo years ago who had built all his speakers,(main speakers were 8ft tall towers), and his CC speaker had (2)12" drivers, (2) 6 1/2" mids, and (4)dome tweeters, and his comment was that one needed this kind of surface area if you were going to be reproducing cannons firing, tanks, etc. Percussive effects need lots of surface area.

 

[timothyemerson]

I've never had a CC speaker, but did recently get one in a package of Definitive Technology speakers, so I will at least try it out. My problem is that 90% of them are just too small. I demo'd a guy's stereo years ago who had built all his speakers,(main speakers were 8ft tall towers), and his CC speaker had (2)12" drivers, (2) 6 1/2" mids, and (4)dome tweeters, and his comment was that one needed this kind of surface area if you were going to be reproducing cannons firing, tanks, etc. Percussive effects need lots of surface area.

Whoa, 8ft tall That's about as high as my roof! You could cram in some Atmos speakers near the top of the box and have 'em all in one.

Yeah, most centre speakers are too small. Ideally you want a big mother about this size: http://international.kef.com/reference-4c

 

[key_wiz]

Whoa, 8ft tall That's about as high as my roof! You could cram in some Atmos speakers near the top of the box and have 'em all in one.

Yeah, most centre speakers are too small. Ideally you want a big mother about this size: http://international.kef.com/reference-4c

If I win the lottery I may decide to spend the +/- $100K on one of the KEF Reference systems. I’m sure they must sound amazing.

In the meantime, I prefer to stay married...

 

[timothyemerson]

If I win the lottery I may decide to spend the +/- $100K on one of the KEF Reference systems. I’m sure they must sound amazing.

In the meantime, I prefer to stay married...

Fair enough. I'm guessing that dude in 4-earredwonder's post above eventually upgraded to stereo and there wasn't room for 2 giant square things in the lounge so something had to go. At least she had the best seat in the house for a while. "You sit there, love. I'll twiddle the knobs."

 

[hobie1dog]

And to think that what we consider a "center" channel today was the primary source of luxurious high fidelity MONO from the 1940's through the early to mid 1960's

Honey, I want a divorce!

I still haven't figured out what they did in the picture to make it look like he is smoking one pipe but has another phantom pipe just below his. Gotta love the flooring and wallpaper miscarriage.

 

[key_wiz]

I still haven't figured out what they did in the picture to make it look like he is smoking one pipe but has another phantom pipe just below his. Gotta love the flooring and wallpaper miscarriage.

He liked his music in mono but his smoking in stereo.

Fair enough. I'm guessing that dude in 4-earredwonder's post above eventually upgraded to stereo and there wasn't room for 2 giant square things in the lounge so something had to go. At least she had the best seat in the house for a while. "You sit there, love. I'll twiddle the knobs."

Ah yes...the sad, old story....if only he had spent more time twiddling the OTHER set of knobs....

What is that speaker anyway? I almost think I need one!

 

[timothyemerson]

I still haven't figured out what they did in the picture to make it look like he is smoking one pipe but has another phantom pipe just below his. Gotta love the flooring and wallpaper miscarriage.

Yeah, that thought that too: Mono hifi, stereo pipe. I think it's a stark shadow cos his chin's got one too.

 

[4-earredwonder]

I still haven't figured out what they did in the picture to make it look like he is smoking one pipe but has another phantom pipe just below his. Gotta love the flooring and wallpaper miscarriage.

I'm surprised you didn't comment on the 'fruit bowl' under the Missus' chair........they were listening to Prokofiev's "The Love For Three Oranges" and the reason for the divorce: the carpet didn't match the drapes!

 

[key_wiz]

On every disc I play, yes. For example I can't tell the difference between a center channel signal and a phantom center. I have to put my ear up to the center speaker to see which it is.

And what is your speaker system, may I ask?

 

[key_wiz]

I'm surprised you didn't comment on the 'fruit basket' under the Missus' chair........they were listening to Prokofiev's "The Love For Three Oranges" and the reason for the divorce: the carpet didn't match the drapes!

And that the oranges, apples and grapes on the coffee table, were all plastic.

And here they thought their common love for perfectly shined shoes would be enough to carry them through..

 

[wavelength]

And what is your speaker system, may I ask?

5 - Paradigm Studio 60 v2; no subwoofer

 

[Frogmort]

Strange, I have only one center channel speaker and five subwoofers.