Center Speaker Test

[photoeye]

Hi,

what's the best way to go about testing a used center speaker?

I recently bought a used Usher X-616 center. Since I'm using
MMG's for the Front Left and Front Right. It's really not a good
test to hear them all at the same time. I did test with and without
the center. In phantom mode, the center obviously is less localized
but sounded thin, with the usher, it sounded fuller and rich.

I listened to the center by itself but this was not a good test
since the center sound track is movie dependant.

I tried connecting the usher center to the right channel speaker out and playing a standard music cd. This also sounded strange. Should a dedicated center sound the same as their left/right speakers or close to it?

for some reason I'm just not sure the center is working properly and
not sure how to verify. output volume level on this usher seems
pretty low. I'm using a emotiva xpa-5 so power is not an issue.

maybe usher cannot put out high volumes?

thanks

[gqmagic]

This is why your center should match your fronts.

Even a bookshelf from the same line as your fronts will sound better than what you're doing.

[croseiv]

Sounds like the usher may be of considerably different sensitvity than the mains, but it is a very different design as well. Do you have any specs for the two sets of speakers? That would be a problem. Those magnepans are very different than the usher.

[photoeye]

Hi,

yes, I understand they are not tonally matched.

I probably did not ask correctly. if you did not have any front
speakers and bought the center first. how would you go about
testing to know it's performing properly?

if you hooked it up to one channel of the left or right out while listening to 2ch. music, should it not sound great? high output level, no distortion, etc...?

now if you had 2 of these center channels and listened to them in stereo
mode, should they sound normal as with a pair of bookshelf speakers?
or because they are centers, they sound different in stereo mode?

thx

[DD66000]

If it puts out sound its working properly. What are the chances that a new speaker, right of of the box is bad. And if it were bad, probably wouldn't get any sound.

Most soundtracks there is a whole lot more in the center channel than just dialogue. Connect it to the center channel and play a few different types movies.