What are your most demanding / favorite scenes for testing a Center speaker?

[gaby95]

Just curious which movie scenes you prefer when testing a center speaker? I have some I like but wondering what else others may use (unless I am one of the few obsessed with Center speaker testing LOL)
Thanks

 

[TLS Guy]

Just curious which movie scenes you prefer when testing a center speaker? I have some I like but wondering what else others may use (unless I am one of the few obsessed with Center speaker testing LOL)
Thanks

Natural Speech, natural speech and natural speech. Good center channels have clearly audible natural speech under all circumstances, without having to have the volume boosted. If they do that, then everything else will be excellent.

 

[ryanosaur]

Natural Speech, natural speech and natural speech. Good center channels have clearly audible natural speech under all circumstances, without having to have the volume boosted. If they do that, then everything else will be excellent.

Cannot argue with this!
It is the BIGGEST single complaint about Center Channels we see: people complain that they can't understand the dialogue.
Now you can get in a conversation about whether it is the Production/Mastering/Mixing that is at fault (insert your favorite Nolan movie here), or if it is the Speaker itself.
At the end of the day, I have yet to listen to anything where my Center did not perform as I would expect. It is an upright 3-way Speaker, which has also been used horizontally with the Ribbon Tweeter rotated accordingly: Both orientations worked flawlessly for this.

 

[Teetertotter?]

Speech clarity, speech clarity, speech clarity...........being a great, grandparent. I have no favorite scene to judge the speaker's clarity ability. I have tried Elac's C5.2 and psb Imagine XC with current set-up. The XC is a tight race.

 

[CB22]

I have yet to listen to anything where my Center did not perform as I would expect. It is an upright 3-way Speaker, which has also been used horizontally with the Ribbon Tweeter rotated accordingly: Both orientations worked flawlessly for this.

My only issue with the BMR as a center is the wide dispersion that the tweeter has. I don't feel like the sound is as focused relative to the Polk L400. I do think the Polk performs better with speech clarity in the treble as it's a little "sharper" and "clearer" while the BMR is a little "softer". When emailing Dennis he said his next project was to design a WMTW center channel. If he makes it I'm buying it.

@ryanosaur Also, when the BMR towers arrive, I'm 98% sure I'm going to hold on to my L/R/C BMRs instead of selling them. They're just too good of speakers to let go of. Maybe I'll use them as surrounds or make a new 3.1-channel setup in the bedroom.

 

[ryanosaur]

My only issue with the BMR as a center is the wide dispersion that the tweeter has. I don't feel like the sound is as focused relative to the Polk L400. I do think the Polk performs better with speech clarity in the treble as it's a little "sharper" and "clearer" while the BMR is a little "softer". When emailing Dennis he said his next project was to design a WMTW center channel. If he makes it I'm buying it.

@ryanosaur Also, when the BMR towers arrive, I'm 98% sure I'm going to hold on to my L/R/C BMRs instead of selling them. They're just too good of speakers to let go of. Maybe I'll use them as surrounds or make a new 3.1-channel setup in the bedroom.

I'm loosely in the market for a single BMR. Prepared to buy the kit through Meniscus if needed. But if you change your mind and don't need that third... I might well be your man.

 

[CB22]

I'm loosely in the market for a single BMR.

Hey, if you want it it's yours. PM me and I'll send you some pics tonight. It's in a piano black finish.

 

[ryanosaur]

Hey, if you want it it's yours. PM me and I'll send you some pics tonight. It's in a piano black finish.

No commitments right now. You should get your new rig setup first. But keep me in mind. If all goes well, and you are willing to in a month or two...
We'll talk!

Stoked for you to get those towers!

 

[TLS Guy]

My only issue with the BMR as a center is the wide dispersion that the tweeter has. I don't feel like the sound is as focused relative to the Polk L400. I do think the Polk performs better with speech clarity in the treble as it's a little "sharper" and "clearer" while the BMR is a little "softer". When emailing Dennis he said his next project was to design a WMTW center channel. If he makes it I'm buying it.

@ryanosaur Also, when the BMR towers arrive, I'm 98% sure I'm going to hold on to my L/R/C BMRs instead of selling them. They're just too good of speakers to let go of. Maybe I'll use them as surrounds or make a new 3.1-channel setup in the bedroom.

Center speakers really are tough. You need clear natural speech, and excellent neutral music reproduction. They also have to handle a lot of power at times and can not be too big. If you cheat and make the speaker a little "shouty" then it is no good as a music reproducer and will not balance the mains. And yes, it needs to cover the listening area and not interfere with the mains. This is a really significant design challenge. It truly is a situation where a speaker designed around a good coaxial driver is the optimal solution. Unfortunately there is no high powered full range driver for an all out no holes barred system, but there is for less powerful systems. I used a full ranger for the center in our Town House when we had it, and the results were excellent.

I'm doodling with a DIY center for you guys, but the drivers are European and the US agents are "twots". I honestly don't think there is a center on the US commercial market I could really live with. The center is a massive weak link in most AV systems.

 

[Teetertotter?]

Speech clarity, speech clarity, speech clarity...... I have no favorite movie to judge the speaker's dialog clarity ability. I have tried Elac's C5.2 and psb Imagine XC with current set-up. The XC is a tight race.

The Canadian PSB Imagine XC has won out for my center channel. The Klipsch RP-400C and R-25C are sidelined along with the Elac C5.2.

 

[TLS Guy]

The Canadian PSB Imagine XC has won out for my center channel. The Klipsch RP-400C and R-25C are sidelined along with the Elac C5.2.

That is another horizontal MTM design which is sub optimal, as it is impossible to get even room coverage from those designs.

 

[Teetertotter?]

That is another horizontal MTM design which is sub optimal, as it is impossible to get even room coverage from those designs.

My basement HT room is 8 X 10 designed, drywalled, carpeted, and for ONE person movie watching. My Twin XL mattress is on an adjustable frame. When propped, my head is directly 6 feet from a 55" 4K along with the Center channel at ear level. Is my center channel, "sub optimal," in my close 6 foot distance?

My wife has the living room for her program TV watching.

 

[isolar8001]

I went through about 10 centers in 20 years, unsatisfied with all of them...until I fell in love with this one. I think they are gone now, But I scored one at half price.

Concept Center Channel Speaker