compare Golden Ear XXL center channel with Bryston TC-1 center

[Stephen Polevoy]

Hi Guys

I have just joined this forum and am seeking some help from anyone out there with experience with my situation.

I am a home theater lover, and watch movies anytime I can.

My HT is in my basement with 12 channels; 3 front + 1 additional center in my ceiling, 4 Atmos, 2 sides, + 2 rears, and 4 subs, 1 in each corner.

My challenge is hearing dialogue through my center channel(s).

I am using all Golden Ear, with Triton Ones as my front L & R, and their XXL center channel.

To be honest, I do not hear the dialogue that clearly and wish to change to a Bryston center, their TC-1, and was wondering if anyone has had experience with either center channel, and can give me some help as to which direction to go, or with another center channel that YOU would recommend!

Thanx in advance

Stephen
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

[lovinthehd]

You have an "additional" center in the ceiling? Have you tried not using that one and see if things improve? Generally I'd stick to the same speaker across the front, or at least from the same line...

 

[slipperybidness]

Hi Guys

I have just joined this forum and am seeking some help from anyone out there with experience with my situation.

I am a home theater lover, and watch movies anytime I can.

My HT is in my basement with 12 channels; 3 front + 1 additional center in my ceiling, 4 Atmos, 2 sides, + 2 rears, and 4 subs, 1 in each corner.

My challenge is hearing dialogue through my center channel(s).

I am using all Golden Ear, with Triton Ones as my front L & R, and their XXL center channel.

To be honest, I do not hear the dialogue that clearly and wish to change to a Bryston center, their TC-1, and was wondering if anyone has had experience with either center channel, and can give me some help as to which direction to go, or with another center channel that YOU would recommend!

Thanx in advance

Stephen
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Something is fishy here.

Have you tried to use a "phantom center" yet? This means that you have no center channel speaker at all, you just let the main L/R handle all the dialogue.

I own the GE T2 and I can tell you that the T2 image incredibly well. So well that a center speaker isn't really needed. They also image so well that my GF thought that my center speaker was playing while listening to 2Ch stereo.

Now, I also have the Supersat 50C as my center channel. That speaker really is not in the same league as the T2 towers. Yet, I never have any dialogue problems even when using that 50C center.

So, I am fairly confident that the actual speaker is not your problem here.

 

[Stephen Polevoy]

Something is fishy here.

Have you tried to use a "phantom center" yet? This means that you have no center channel speaker at all, you just let the main L/R handle all the dialogue.

I own the GE T2 and I can tell you that the T2 image incredibly well. So well that a center speaker isn't really needed. They also image so well that my GF thought that my center speaker was playing while listening to 2Ch stereo.

Now, I also have the Supersat 50C as my center channel. That speaker really is not in the same league as the T2 towers. Yet, I never have any dialogue problems even when using that 50C center.

So, I am fairly confident that the actual speaker is not your problem here.

Hi Slipperybidness and thank you for your reply

I have tried a number of different scenarios, including no center channel, their XL channel, and I can never hear as well as I would like. I went to the 2nd center as I felt that that would help me, but I am still not as pleased as I am with the rest of my set-up!

I am really looking to use a center, and would like to get one that I can hear clearly.

Any other ideas?

Steve

 

[lovinthehd]

How do you have the center positioned? Pics?

 

[slipperybidness]

Hi Slipperybidness and thank you for your reply

I have tried a number of different scenarios, including no center channel, their XL channel, and I can never hear as well as I would like. I went to the 2nd center as I felt that that would help me, but I am still not as pleased as I am with the rest of my set-up!

I am really looking to use a center, and would like to get one that I can hear clearly.

Any other ideas?

Steve

Yup, just like post#5--The first question is where/how is the center channel mounted and how is it pointed towards the listening position.

Are there any coffee tables or furniture between you and the center channel?

Is it above or below the TV? Is it pointed up or down?

Have you run any Room Correction Algorithms (i.e. Audyssee)? Have you tried to bump up the center channel maybe 3dB (or 6dB)?

But, if you are telling me that the dialog is no good in 2 Channel mode, then you really just told us that your setup and positioning is not ideal! If you play 2 channel music, would you easily be fooled into thinking that your center channel is playing music when it is not? If the answer is "no", then you need to do some trial and error on your speaker positioning and toe-in.

I'm telling you, without a doubt in my mind, the GE T2 are some of the best-imaging speakers out there. If you are not hearing some spectacular imaging that fools you into thinking your center channel is playing, then your room acoustics suck or your speakers are not properly positioned.

 

[Stephen Polevoy]

Give me a while and I will post a few pics

 

[slipperybidness]

Hi Slipperybidness and thank you for your reply

I have tried a number of different scenarios, including no center channel, their XL channel, and I can never hear as well as I would like. I went to the 2nd center as I felt that that would help me, but I am still not as pleased as I am with the rest of my set-up!

I am really looking to use a center, and would like to get one that I can hear clearly.

Any other ideas?

Steve

Read and understand post #6. Then, go back to basics. Honestly, from the description of your setup, it kind of seems like "quantity over quality".

You have a quality Left/Right speaker set. So, start with the basics. If you can not get top-performance sound while ONLY using the L/R, then something is wrong.

Once you get the fundamentals correct for the L/R, then add the (single) center channel and get that dialed in. ONLY after you have the front 3 sounding good, then worry about all those other channels.

 

[shadyJ]

I would look into using an Aon 3 as a center speaker. Do not turn it sideways. Golden Ear's center speaker designs are bound to have some severe lobing patterns that could be causing you trouble. The Bryston center looks like an atrocious design at a glance, if anything worse than the Golden Ear center speakers. I would stay away from it. Get rid of your ceiling speaker center.

One center speaker that solves some of the traditional center speaker problem is the Atlantic Technology 4400C. By having both woofers in such close proximity, they act as one woofer and this addresses some of the interference that horizontally aligned drivers can create. Another solution is to use a coaxial speaker as a center channel speaker, such as KEF's Uni-Q speakers or Hsu CCB-8, if you have room for it.