3-Way Center Channel selection

[drummertime]

I'm in the market for a new center channel speaker. Trying to stay within the 800.00 range, it gets expensive when it comes to a 3-way center, I've tried to narrow it down to these:

Monoprice THX-365C THX (unfortunately these won't be available until 8-6-23) I really want this speaker for the price, but can't wait that long!
SVS Ultra Center (at the typical 800.00 price)
KEF - R Series Dual 5-1/4" Passive 3-Way Center-Channel Speaker (this was just put on sale via best buy for 845.00, little past my price range, is it worth it?)

Please provide your thoughts.

Thanks in advance!

 

[NINaudio]

What are your left/right speakers?

 

[drummertime]

What are your left/right speakers?

My current setup:

Speaker Type	Max Power	Impedance	Frequency Response Hz	Sensitivity Decibels	Crossover Frequency Hz	Type
Elac FS U5 Uni-Fi Slim Floor standing	140 Watt	4 ohms	42-25,000	85	270-2700	Floor
Elac Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim	140 Watt	4 ohms	48-25,000	85	270-2700	Center
Elac Uni-Fi UB5 Slim Book Shelf	140 Watt	4 ohms	46-25,000	85	270-2700	Rear Surround
Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 Book Shelf	140 Watt	6 ohms	46-35,000	85	200-2,000	Back Rear Surround
Elac Debut IC-DT61 6.5" In-Ceiling	120 Watt	6 ohms	45-20,000	89	3000	Height
Sumiko S.9 Subwoofer	350 Watt Cont		30-120		120	Sub

I'll will be replacing my left/right mains and center channel. I know its not good practice to not match the mains with the center channel. But I have to start somewhere given the crazy cost of speakers! My Elac's are just to tough to drive. My elac center channel distorts pretty bad. I'm running a Marantz SR-7011 Receiver with a 7-channel Outlaw 7000x external amplifier. I also have 2-15" Stark subs ordered.

 

[NINaudio]

Have you listened to either the Kef's or the SVS's?

 

[zieglj01]

Test out the SVS Ultra, if you do not like it then send it back

 

[TLS Guy]

My current setup:

Speaker Type	Max Power	Impedance	Frequency Response Hz	Sensitivity Decibels	Crossover Frequency Hz	Type
Elac FS U5 Uni-Fi Slim Floor standing	140 Watt	4 ohms	42-25,000	85	270-2700	Floor
Elac Uni-Fi CC U5 Slim	140 Watt	4 ohms	48-25,000	85	270-2700	Center
Elac Uni-Fi UB5 Slim Book Shelf	140 Watt	4 ohms	46-25,000	85	270-2700	Rear Surround
Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 Book Shelf	140 Watt	6 ohms	46-35,000	85	200-2,000	Back Rear Surround
Elac Debut IC-DT61 6.5" In-Ceiling	120 Watt	6 ohms	45-20,000	89	3000	Height
Sumiko S.9 Subwoofer	350 Watt Cont		30-120		120	Sub

I'll will be replacing my left/right mains and center channel. I know its not good practice to not match the mains with the center channel. But I have to start somewhere given the crazy cost of speakers! My Elac's are just to tough to drive. My elac center channel distorts pretty bad. I'm running a Marantz SR-7011 Receiver with a 7-channel Outlaw 7000x external amplifier. I also have 2-15" Stark subs ordered.

I would say for that set up KEF is your best option.

 

[Auditor55]

I'm in the market for a new center channel speaker. Trying to stay within the 800.00 range, it gets expensive when it comes to a 3-way center, I've tried to narrow it down to these:

Monoprice THX-365C THX (unfortunately these won't be available until 8-6-23) I really want this speaker for the price, but can't wait that long!
SVS Ultra Center (at the typical 800.00 price)
KEF - R Series Dual 5-1/4" Passive 3-Way Center-Channel Speaker (this was just put on sale via best buy for 845.00, little past my price range, is it worth it?)

Please provide your thoughts.

Thanks in advance!

What's wrong with what you already have?

 

[TLS Guy]

What's wrong with what you already have?

I would say that is a good question to ask. It is not too bad.

I got this FR from one I installed for a friend.

That rise in response between 3 and 9K was audible, and I picked it out before I did the measurement. So it is not the best speaker for music as it has some 'shout'. It did have good speech discrimination though. There are plenty worse centers, than those.

 

[drummertime]

Have you listened to either the Kef's or the SVS's?

I have not, but picked up the Kef today and can tell a huge difference. I still have to run Audyssey but really nice to get more range from the center with no distortion. Plus the Kef really seems to match my L/R Uni-Fi Elacs.

 

[drummertime]

I would say that is a good question to ask. It is not too bad.

I got this FR from one I installed for a friend.

That rise in response between 3 and 9K was audible, and I picked it out before I did the measurement. So it is not the best speaker for music as it has some 'shout'. It did have good speech discrimination though. There are plenty worse centers, than those.

I've had trouble with the Elac center for awhile. It kept distorting, I contacted Elac and eventually got replacements for all individual speakers. But I was still getting distortion. So it must have been something blown in the crossover. The only good thing is, if I have any issues with my other Elac's. I now have replacement speakers!

 

[TLS Guy]

I've had trouble with the Elac center for awhile. It kept distorting, I contacted Elac and eventually got replacements for all individual speakers. But I was still getting distortion. So it must have been something blown in the crossover. The only good thing is, if I have any issues with my other Elac's. I now have replacement speakers!

I did notice you could not drive that Elac center very hard. Fortunately the owners do not run the system loud. The center was certainly not the quality of the towers.

 

[drummertime]

So the Monoprice THX-365C THX center channel is finally in stock. I'm wondering if I should purchase this and compare it against my newly purchased Kef R2c Center? Currently my system sounds great IMO for surround sound, but my mains (Elac Uni-Fi Slims) have a sort of hollowness / shout to them? It definitely doesn't sound as good as listening in surround. I would eventually like to get the Kef R7 for my mains if I stick with the Kef R2c center. But if I did decide to go with the Monoprice I would get there THX towers that are currently on sale. Making these decisions makes me crazy!! Obviously the Kef's cost is much higher then the Monolith, but are they even in the same class, thoughts please?!

Also wondering if its better to listen to music without Audyssey enabled? Use direct with multi-channel or just stereo?

 

[TLS Guy]

So the Monoprice THX-365C THX center channel is finally in stock. I'm wondering if I should purchase this and compare it against my newly purchased Kef R2c Center? Currently my system sounds great IMO for surround sound, but my mains (Elac Uni-Fi Slims) have a sort of hollowness / shout to them? It definitely doesn't sound as good as listening in surround. I would eventually like to get the Kef R7 for my mains if I stick with the Kef R2c center. But if I did decide to go with the Monoprice I would get there THX towers that are currently on sale. Making these decisions makes me crazy!! Obviously the Kef's cost is much higher then the Monolith, but are they even in the same class, thoughts please?!

Also wondering if its better to listen to music without Audyssey enabled? Use direct with multi-channel or just stereo?

If it were me I would stick with KEF. A good center coaxial really makes for great music and HT.

 

[drummertime]

If it were me I would stick with KEF. A good center coaxial really makes for great music and HT.

I really do enjoy this center channel Just wish the R7 Kef's weren't as pricey! I know 3200.00 doesn't seem like a lot, but that's a good sum IMO!! Wondering if I hold off, if they'll come down in price given the clearance based on the new Meta's?

 

[lovinthehd]

So the Monoprice THX-365C THX center channel is finally in stock. I'm wondering if I should purchase this and compare it against my newly purchased Kef R2c Center? Currently my system sounds great IMO for surround sound, but my mains (Elac Uni-Fi Slims) have a sort of hollowness / shout to them? It definitely doesn't sound as good as listening in surround. I would eventually like to get the Kef R7 for my mains if I stick with the Kef R2c center. But if I did decide to go with the Monoprice I would get there THX towers that are currently on sale. Making these decisions makes me crazy!! Obviously the Kef's cost is much higher then the Monolith, but are they even in the same class, thoughts please?!

Also wondering if its better to listen to music without Audyssey enabled? Use direct with multi-channel or just stereo?

What are you listening to, a 2ch recording with an upmixer or a multich recording? Or movies? Try turning Audyssey off, or using various features of Audyssey to find f you have particular preferences. Direct multi-ch does indicate you're using a multich recording....but why downmix it?

 

[drummertime]

What are you listening to, a 2ch recording with an upmixer or a multich recording? Or movies? Try turning Audyssey off, or using various features of Audyssey to find f you have particular preferences. Direct multi-ch does indicate you're using a multich recording....but why downmix it?

If I listen to music I'm generally playing through Spotiy or Amazon music. With Audyssey on, music doesn't sound good. When using multi channel stereo my rear and back surrounds are too loud and not enough bass IMO. Thinking the best thing would be to make a specific audyssey (multiEQ editor) setup that I'd use during multichannel stereo by changing the individual speaker levels. I want to keep the calibration Auddyssey made but adjust speaker levels. Does that make sense?

 

[lovinthehd]

If I listen to music I'm generally playing through Spotiy or Amazon music. With Audyssey on, music doesn't sound good. When using multi channel stereo my rear and back surrounds are too loud and not enough bass IMO. Thinking the best thing would be to make a specific audyssey (multiEQ editor) setup that I'd use during multichannel stereo by changing the individual speaker levels. I want to keep the calibration Auddyssey made but adjust speaker levels. Does that make sense?

Those are generally just 2ch sources, so try just listening in 2ch would be my first way to go about it. Some music works better with upmixing to multich than other, but I wouldn't use mult-ch stereo modes myself. Adjusting to taste either way of course makes sense, a way to switch it back and forth for various different things can be more difficult but you have ways of saving different profiles for various combinations of settings....but what settings are in play particularly other than just turning Audyssey on? DynamicEQ ? Dynamic Volume? Flat or Reference? You using the editor app to help out?

 

[drummertime]

Those are generally just 2ch sources, so try just listening in 2ch would be my first way to go about it. Some music works better with upmixing to multich than other, but I wouldn't use mult-ch stereo modes myself. Adjusting to taste either way of course makes sense, a way to switch it back and forth for various different things can be more difficult but you have ways of saving different profiles for various combinations of settings....but what settings are in play particularly other than just turning Audyssey on? DynamicEQ ? Dynamic Volume? Flat or Reference? You using the editor app to help out?

Yes I do have dynamicEQ on. This sounds better on my setup for surround. Dynamic volume is off. I'm using reference at 0db. Yes I use the multiEQ app on my tablet.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yes I do have dynamicEQ on. This sounds better on my setup for surround. Dynamic volume is off. I'm using reference at 0db. Yes I use the multiEQ app on my tablet.

Keep experimenting and perhaps use quick selects or the multiple profiles you can with the editor app.

 

[Eppie]

Multi-channel stereo sends the same signal to all speakers, so it's not surprising that the rears and sides are too loud. It can be an interesting effect on older recordings like some Beatles material but for modern material it can require tweaking the levels of the surrounds, but that could mess up the levels for movies. There are usually better options for upmixing 2-channel audio to surround like Neural:X on new AVRs or PL-II on older AVRs. It's a matter of trial and error as to what one likes but I generally leave 2-channel music on Stereo as my AVR does not have Neural:X.

Whether you like Audyssey or not again is a personal choice. Direct mode will by-pass all processing while turning Auddyssey on and off will leave other features enabled. Pay particular attention to vocals when experimenting. I like Audyssey on for movies but usually disable it for stereo music. For multi-channel music you may find it better turned on. If you can stream Dolby ATMOS music that will give you a much better idea of what multi-channel music can do vs upmixing stereo tracks.