Center Spread

[Foxrox]

So far I've been blown away by my new system with X4300H and 5.1.4 speaker setup. I've been learning my way around the different settings. Available options at any given time depend on what the input source is and what "sound mode" you have selected. Some settings are tied to (saved for) input sources while some are tied to sound modes and others to input material. It's quite a web of parameters to keep track of, but I am learning my way around it. There is obviously a method to the madness. One question I haven't been able to solve myself is concerning the "center spread" option, available when Dolby Surround is active. I'm hoping someone can help me out.

I'm clear what center spread does, and I do prefer the wider sound field for stereo source material. Some vocals and melodies seem too localized in the center channel when using DSU for stereo music. My problem is the center spread setting seems to be tied to the DSU sound mode regardless of the input source or the source material. i.e. if you turn it on while streaming music from Spotify, it remains on when you switch to a blu-ray player and use DSU on a Dolby Digital source. Most of the settings are set up in a logical and optimal way, but not this one. Ideally, the center spread setting within DSU should be tied to the input material. e.g. on for stereo input, off for Dolby Digital. Is it possible to set it up this way or am I doomed to switch the setting every time I go from music to a Dolby encoded movie, and vice versa? The owner's manual is vague on this. All it says is that the center spread option is available when Dolby Surround is active. Nothing about how the setting is saved.

 

[PG55]

Great info on Center Spread and a good question about how the Center Spread is saved. I have also played around with it and I noticed the rear surround speakers play when in Center Spread mode. I was under the assumption it was the front LRC only? Anyone clear on this?

 

[lovinthehd]

The center spread only affects the front three, it wouldn't change/affect the surrounds....or am I missing something?

 

[PG55]

When I turn on my Center Spread it plays the front 3 as well as the rear surrounds?

 

[lovinthehd]

When I turn on my Center Spread it plays the front 3 as well as the rear surrounds?

On my avr center spread just affects the mix of the front three, it doesn't change anything else.....

 

[Trell]

On my avr center spread just affects the mix of the front three, it doesn't change anything else.....

I believe that is the same with my Denon receiver but I've only tried it a few times and personally I did not like the effect that much.

 

[Old Onkyo]

When I turn on my Center Spread it plays the front 3 as well as the rear surrounds?

On the Denon I think you have to have it in a surround mode to activate that menu item.

 

[Trebdp83]

Center Spread is another mess of a feature that varies not just between brands but also between model years of those brands. Simply, it spreads the info from the center to the left and right when a two channel signal is played back in surround mode.

Surrounds will always be involved unless Dolby comes up with “Dolby Full Frontal Only” or some such silly thing and surrounds are left out altogether. Something kinda’ like it can be achieved by selecting center spread in surround mode or all channel stereo and turning all but the front and center speakers off.

Center Spread could be turned on or off via the quick menu in my 2017 Onkyo easily enough. No going into the main setup menu was required. Center Spread came into my 2019 Onkyo via firmware update and requires going into the main setup menu to turn on and off. It stays on regardless of device switching and has to be turned off from main setup menu.

Moving on to a 2020 Yamaha, Center Spread can be turned on or off only in the main setup menu. Interestingly, the Yamaha allows Center Spread to be activated during Dolby Atmos playback. This is actually handy when playing atmos music tracks that have vocals too center centric and allows them to spread out. Perhaps it’s not supposed to work, but it does and I like it.

Center Spread cannot be selected on the 2019 Onkyo during atmos playback. But, the remote control has a button marked “vocal”. This button was absent from the 2017 model. I thought it was just a quick center channel volume button. It actually behaves like center spread and has three levels of volume/intensity when spreading the audio out to the fronts. It will stay on as Center Spread does when switching device inputs. This feature works on dolby atmos tracks as well as when using DTS Neural:X for music. Again, I like it.

I’ve not used a Denon lately and wonder if anybody has been able to activate Center Spread during atmos playback on any Denon models. I’d also be interested to know how pre 2020 Yamahas handle it as well. Chime in guys!

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

When I turn on my Center Spread it plays the front 3 as well as the rear surrounds?

That’s because it’s part of Dolby surround, or DSU for short. DSU uses all available speakers, so it will use ALL including rear surround.

 

[pcosmic]

Ideally, you don't want center spread to be just a ON/OFF button (like what Dolby offers, Dolby sucks!). DTS NEO 6 Music will let you tailor it better for the specific speakers you have, since it offers 10 varying "levels" of spread (on Yamaha Aventage receivers, for instance)

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Ideally, you don't want center spread to be just a ON/OFF button (like what Dolby offers, Dolby sucks!). DTS NEO 6 Music will let you tailor it better for the specific speakers you have, since it offers 10 varying "levels" of spread (on Yamaha Aventage receivers, for instance)

Pro logic2 used to have that too. As well as ability to shift the balance from front to rear. Seems stupid to have removed such a nice function set.

 

[little wing]

For me DTS neo 6 music seems to take away something from the music in my system. (depth, dynamics) I really like DSU upmixer, however. I use it for movies and music. As far as the center spread, I've been going back and forth with it. I think it sounds better off when watching a movie or sports, like a football game. For music, it's hit or miss with me. It seems to depend on the source. Some music sounds collapsed to the center, and other music not so much. When it is on, with some music, I notice it reduces the depth of the image a bit. Bottom line, I go back and forth. My remote gets a lot of work, lol.

 

[PENG]

To me it is very much source content dependent, so I always try them all before settling on one, and then have to do it again when watching something else.

 

[snakeeyes]

On my Yamaha RXA2060 in 5.1, I definitely prefer DSU with center spread for my Deezer Premium and Pandora Plus selections. I agree with @little wing that DTS Neo6 Music is lacking something.

 

[little wing]

On my Yamaha RXA2060 in 5.1, I definitely prefer DSU with center spread for my Deezer Premium and Pandora Plus selections. I agree with @little wing that DTS Neo6 Music is lacking something.
Absolutely. My sources are Pandora plus or premium, or whatever it is. Satellite radio, Spotify and my own collection of wav files on my network.
DSU all day...

 

[TLS Guy]

I think the center spread on the latest Denon/Marantz firmware update is a disaster. It sound close to some form of triple mono to me. It is not adjustable as far as I can tell.

However, the Dolby upmixer works very well for me with 2 channel. I get excellent 3D imaging with it.

I was listening to the new rebuild of the Canterbury Cathedral organ this week. All the pipes are high up above and either side of the choir.

To my astonishment the Dolby up mixer reproduced that nearly perfectly. I got to find my ceiling speakers are very accurate. I just can not stop being stunned by what Dolby have achieved. So now for optimal results all speakers need to be very good indeed.