Center channel speaker recommendation

[BoB/335]

I have a pair of Ascend Sierra 2 with ribbon tweeter and a Rythmik L12 sub for a stereo setup for music and use this for everyday tv watching and movie viewing. Getting older I have a hard time hearing dialogue sometimes and find myself rewinding alot of using Closed Caption which I HATE!

Looking for a Center Channel speaker to enhance this setup without spending $1600 on an Ascend Center or another Sierra 2 for Center. Looking at SVS Ultra and Emotiva C2. Any opinions on these or others that would help me hear dialogue without rewinding?

 

[mazersteven]

$798

Duo RAAL Ribbon Tweeter Bamboo Cabinet Mini-Monitor

 

[BoB/335]

Don’t think I have seen this speaker. Interesting! Need to find some reviews for center speaker use! I would need to contact to see if it is available in Piano Gloss Black to match the Sierra 2’s.

Is this choice based on matching the Sierra 2’s (which I don’t know how important that is) or based on this speaker being better than the two I mentioned?

 

[mazersteven]

Is this choice based on matching the Sierra 2’s (which I don’t know how important that is) or based on this speaker being better than the two I mentioned?

Based on having the same Tweeter. Plus The drivers. Matching is Very important

Custom made RAAL true ribbon tweeter featuring a 10mm wide pure aluminum ribbon with a total moving mass less than 1/100th of a gram

 

[TLS Guy]

I have a pair of Ascend Sierra 2 with ribbon tweeter and a Rythmik L12 sub for a stereo setup for music and use this for everyday tv watching and movie viewing. Getting older I have a hard time hearing dialogue sometimes and find myself rewinding alot of using Closed Caption which I HATE!

Looking for a Center Channel speaker to enhance this setup without spending $1600 on an Ascend Center or another Sierra 2 for Center. Looking at SVS Ultra and Emotiva C2. Any opinions on these or others that would help me hear dialogue without rewinding?

You will not help yourself by going cheap on a center speaker. The center speaker is the most difficult of all to design and the vast majority are not fit for purpose and generally cause a downgrade. Center speakers with two speakers either side of a tweeter in a horizontal lay out, should absolutely be ruled out.

I would recommend the Ascend, that is an acceptable design and has good measurements. In particular of you are hard of hearing, you will make matters worse with a poor center.

 

[XEagleDriver]

The Duo delivers clear dialogue and integrates nicely with S2s.
XEagleDriver

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[BoB/335]

The Duo delivers clear dialogue and integrates nicely with S2s.
XEagleDriver

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Nice looking setup! 2 subs? Does a room that size really need 2 subs? Sometimes my wife complains of the boominess of my one sub and I have it turned down quite a bit!

What stands are those?

That Center looks so small sitting there.

 

[BoB/335]

You will not help yourself by going cheap on a center speaker. The center speaker is the most difficult of all to design and the vast majority are not fit for purpose and generally cause a downgrade. Center speakers with two speakers either side of a tweeter in a horizontal lay out, should absolutely be ruled out.

I would recommend the Ascend, that is an acceptable design and has good measurements. In particular of you are hard of hearing, you will make matters worse with a poor center.

I am not looking to go “cheap”. I asked Ascend in the past and they have ALWAYS recommended another Sierra 2. I see they are making a $1600 Center now and my wife is pretty lenient but that would be out of the question! Are there Centers with two speakers either side of a tweeter? Maybe I am not understanding.

 

[pcosmic]

Ideally, you want no lobing between the midrange and tweeter. This is where a concentric driver comes in (no compromises for a center ch application). In addition, when you have the bass drivers crossed over very low (200hz) as is the case with the Unifi 2.0, you really do get a free lunch.

Here is a budget friendly option from A.Jones, Elac Unifi UC52.
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-cXIsMN1egN0/p_970UC52B/ELAC-Uni-Fi-2-0-UC52.html?XVINQ=GLX&awkw=947090072801&awat=pla&awnw=g&awcr=461059107330&awdv=m&awug=9023847&gclid=CjwKCAiAlNf-BRB_EiwA2osbxdKZ23F8j1Ei4JsLEQCo9p2QW1CbfjiNee1rAK-nlqbkt-F3d8nEthoCn1oQAvD_BwE

 

[XEagleDriver]

Nice looking setup!
2 subs? Does a room that size really need 2 subs?

What stands are those?

That Center looks so small sitting there.

Bob,
Thanks, just painted the room gray, added two art deco sconces to back wall, and put HDTV wires into the wall with a Datacomm product.
Install looks even cleaner now.

- Yes, dual subs provide more even response across all seats, not so much for more volume.
Both are set to about the 9 o'clock position (i.e. well below 1/2) with additional taming bt MultiXT 32.

- Stands are by VTI and work well.

- Duo center has twin 4" woofers and the same RAAL tweeter as the S2. Not large, but punches above it's size.

Not seen are Sierra Luna side surrounds (one 4" woofer w/ RAAL) and four JBL Arena Atmos in-ceilings.

XEagleDriver



Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[BoB/335]

Bob,
Thanks, just painted the room gray, added two art deco sconces to back wall, and put HDTV wires into the wall with a Datacomm product.
Install looks even cleaner now.

- Yes, dual subs provide more even response across all seats, not so much for more volume.
Both are set to about the 9 o'clock position (i.e. well below 1/2) with additional taming bt MultiXT 32.

- Stands are by VTI and work well.

- Duo center has twin 4" woofers and the same RAAL tweeter as the S2. Not large, but punches above it's size.

Not seen are Sierra Luna side surrounds (one 4" woofer w/ RAAL) and four JBL Arena Atmos in-ceilings.

XEagleDriver



Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

That’s a LOT of speakers! The room must be bigger than I thought. Guess we are not as critical listeners over here! I think music and movies sound great. Just some trouble hearing dialogue with shows and movies. We do not have a dedicated room and most of you theatre room guys would see this as an acoustical nightmare. But we make do. Thanks for your help!

 

[mazersteven]

That’s a LOT of speakers! The room must be bigger than I thought. Guess we are not as critical listeners over here! I think music and movies sound great. Just some trouble hearing dialogue with shows and movies. We do not have a dedicated room and most of you theatre room guys would see this as an acoustical nightmare. But we make do. Thanks for your help!

You'd be surprised how many of us do not have dedicated home theater rooms but with what we have we do the best to create a home theater experience and optimize the best sound quality we can get

 

[lovinthehd]

I am not looking to go “cheap”. I asked Ascend in the past and they have ALWAYS recommended another Sierra 2. I see they are making a $1600 Center now and my wife is pretty lenient but that would be out of the question! Are there Centers with two speakers either side of a tweeter? Maybe I am not understanding.

Why not a third Sierra2 ? That would be ideal I'd think as long as you have the room to stand it up (or rotate the tweeter and go on the side).

 

[mazersteven]

Why not a third Sierra2 ? That would be ideal I'd think as long as you have the room to stand it up (or rotate the tweeter and go on the side).

Read the original post. He was looking for an alternative without having to spend the cash

 

[lovinthehd]

Read the original post. He was looking for an alternative without having to spend the cash

Yes, I can read, thanks. He didn't explain why a Sierra2 for center would be too expensive either, your suggestion costs more....

 

[mazersteven]

Well another thing is not many people have the room to put another speaker in front of their TV. It's over 14" high. Vs under 6" high

 

[BoB/335]

Why not a third Sierra2 ? That would be ideal I'd think as long as you have the room to stand it up (or rotate the tweeter and go on the side).

I don’t have the room to stand it up. Yes I could lay it on the side but maybe it’s just me but the looks of a dedicated center channel speaker “looks” like it is designed to have more mids than a speaker designed to be full range. Or maybe I don’t understand how a center channel speaker is driven by an AVR. Reading all comments and appreciate the learning experience! Makes sense to stay with a ribbon tweeter I think.

 

[mazersteven]

Makes sense to stay with a ribbon tweeter I think.

Not only a Ribbon Tweeter, but the Same ribbon tweeter. Same family of Drivers always preferred

 

[BoB/335]

My limited experience with speakers tells me a 3 way is better than a 2 way. When I bought the Sierra 2’s I was in a smaller place or I would have bought towers. It would seem to me that a 3 way center with a dedicated mid speaker in conjunction with a good tweeter would be optimum for dialogue. Am I wrong in this assumption?

 

[mazersteven]

What we hear from a speaker is all because of its cabinet design and quality. Quality of components and drivers.