Pros & Cons of Various Center Channel Designs

[admin]

In an ideal world we would have three (3) identical speakers with a vertical arrangement of drivers for the front left, front right and center speakers; hence the term "matching LCR's". In this idealistic world, there are no diseases, no poverty and no money. But, you do have to worry about the occasional Borg assimilation or Dominion take-over of the Alpha quadrant. In reality, our viewing screen prohibits us from having a tall center channel speaker and our lack of warp drive keeps us far enough away from the bad aliens. This article takes you on a tour of the most common center channel driver arrangements and discusses their associated pros and cons to help you pick the best product for your needs.

Discuss "Pros & Cons of Various Center Channel Designs" here. Read the article.

 

[94danstang]

So - given that compromises must be made somewhere and this isn't a perfect world - would it be better to have a horizontal center speaker mounted more inline with the two front speakers, OR, a matched vertical center channel mounted below the two front speakers?

Curious what others think.

DAN

 

[ArnoldLayne]

no center

I recently increased my screen size such that the only place for a center is behind the screen. I'm not going to spend several thousand on an acoustically transparent screen however. In fact, my 120" fixed 1.1 screen was about $400 and is great. My front speakers are 6.5" pedestal mounted bookshelf type [Aperion 632LR]. So they are vertically centered on the screen so the sound emanates correctly instead of from below the screen. I like it. Along with an SVS PB12-NSD, side and back surrounds.
cheers

 

[walter duque]

I think I am on my 5th or 6th center. This is the one I like the best, which is a W(MTM)W design.

 

[fuzz092888]

Re: Pros & Cons of Various Center Channel Designs

I think I am on my 5th or 6th center. This is the one I like the best, which is a W(MTM)W design.

You say that now. Give it a month, I bet you hear one you like better

 

[walter duque]

You say that now. Give it a month, I bet you hear one you like better

I know. Don't forget who turned you on to that one.
Now down the road I might even do better then yours, as you know I just my new system. When I get something I am already looking for my next purchase which are going to be these http://www.cinepro.com/BFM_9-18-10_BLK.pdf and you know sooner or later I will be owning these, mostly later then sooner. I can't wait. I told John that the Evo2's where on the top of my bucket list and now I am good for speakers. He said not your not, you'll be, once you get the BFM system. Means I got to live a little longer.

 

[fuzz092888]

I know. Don't forget who turned you on to that one.
Now down the road I might even do better then yours, as you know I just got this system. When I get something I am already looking for my next purchase which are going to be these http://www.cinepro.com/BFM_9-18-10_BLK.pdf and you know sooner or later I will be owning these, mostly later then sooner. I can wait.

Maybe I'll have to beat you to that punch

 

[walter duque]

Maybe I'll have to beat you to that punch

And I always thought you and I are OK.

 

[fuzz092888]

And I always thought you and I are OK.

Well if I did buy that set, I'm pretty sure my GF would murder me in my sleep so then you'd get it anyways

 

[walter duque]

Well if I did buy that set, I'm pretty sure my GF would murder me in my sleep so then you'd get it anyways

This might sound crazy to you but I told my wife that when I go down for good to give you a call and you can pick my system up. All you need to do is just replace it with something simple to operate, like a little Bose system or something. I have nobody that can appreciate my set-up. My 2 dummy sons listen to earbuds on their I'pod and that's about as far as good sound for them goes.

 

[charmerci]

I recently increased my screen size such that the only place for a center is behind the screen. I'm not going to spend several thousand on an acoustically transparent screen however. In fact, my 120" fixed 1.1 screen was about $400 and is great. My front speakers are 6.5" pedestal mounted bookshelf type [Aperion 632LR]. So they are vertically centered on the screen so the sound emanates correctly instead of from below the screen. I like it. Along with an SVS PB12-NSD, side and back surrounds.
cheers

Weird - I just chose to play Arnold Layne, then came here and saw your "name."

 

[fuzz092888]

This might sound crazy to you but I told my wife that when I go down for good to give you a call and you can pick my system up. All you need to do is just replace it with something simple to operate, like a little Bose system or something. I have nobody that can appreciate my set-up. My 2 dummy sons listen to earbuds on their I'pod and that's about as far as good sound for them goes.

That does sound crazy. Well, it's a good thing we won't have to think about that for a good long while. As for replacing it with something simple to operate, I think I can handle that.

 

[gene]

 

[Tumara Baap]

The question is are there compromises (in addition to cost) with an acoustically transparent screen? If holes let sound through, surely they let light through. Secondly some sound gets reflected off the screen, requiring equalization of LCR speakers. I've been leery of acoustically "transparent" screens though I would love to use them with line array speakers. Two way active studio monitors like the JBLpro LSR 6 series are very powerful and hard to beat in terms of quality. Simply mount your projection screen a tad higher above identical studio monitors. There are hardly any downsides to this with the upshot that even second row seats afford a relatively unobstructed view of the high mounted screen.

 

[j_garcia]

So - given that compromises must be made somewhere and this isn't a perfect world - would it be better to have a horizontal center speaker mounted more inline with the two front speakers, OR, a matched vertical center channel mounted below the two front speakers?

Curious what others think.

DAN

My center and mains have the tweeters at about the same level and that's right around ear level. Within about a foot or so isn't a big deal, but ideally you want them at the same level.

 

[hk2000]

If you're going to use one with multiple tweeters, wouldn't you be much better off just going with a phantom center?

 

[j_garcia]

If you're going to use one with multiple tweeters, wouldn't you be much better off just going with a phantom center?

It is done for output. Properly integrated it will still sound like one sound source with a wider stage.

 

[hk2000]

It is done for output. Properly integrated it will still sound like one sound source with a wider stage.

Not according to the article! And I agree with Gene here, 2 Tweeters will definitely interfere with each other and would never sound right unless you're dead center- a one person home theater.

 

[j_garcia]

2 tweeters yes, but an array shouldn't have that issue. Tweeters beam mostly because of their frequency band in general. IMO, only two tweeters is a bad design. Only time 2 tweeters works is on a sound bar that is trying to be more than one speaker, and even then it isn't good. And an array is pretty much going to be overkill in the average home.

 

[RBGOBLUE]

Golden ear Supercenter XXL amazing

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk