new centre channel speaker help

[hardcore_gamer99]

When I first set up my system, I purchased new front speakers but had to go with a used centre speaker from an older model but same make (Paradigm). I really noticed the difference between the fronts and the centre and while the kids did not care, it bothered me. When I finally purchased the matching centre there was a big improvement in dialogue clarity. For movies, most of the dialogue comes from the centre, so if you do not plan to upgrade later I would probably recommend the better centre speaker and then add your surround speakers later. That's a very expensive centre though. It would be nice if you could compare them in a store to see if it is worth the extra money.

what can we do, in india too much customs duty import fee etc. But i am trying hard. some seller is giving rubikore cinema at 2.25lakh INR some at 2lakhs and now got good seller at 1.82 lakh rupees

 

[Eppie]

what can we do, in india too much customs duty import fee etc. But i am trying hard. some seller is giving rubikore cinema at 2.25lakh INR some at 2lakhs and now got good seller at 1.82 lakh rupees

That's still $2150 USD but better than the $2300 you mentioned earlier. I can see why it is a tough decision. I also do a lot of research before committing to a new purchase as I tend to keep my equipment for a long time.

 

[hardcore_gamer99]

That's still $2150 USD but better than the $2300 you mentioned earlier. I can see why it is a tough decision. I also do a lot of research before committing to a new purchase as I tend to keep my equipment for a long time.

i am planning to add rubikore 2 as fronts later as well and shift opticon 2 mk2 as rear surround should i go ahead. but still i dont know how would that centre perform in my untreated bedroom and there is no way to return in india.

 

[hardcore_gamer99]

That's still $2150 USD but better than the $2300 you mentioned earlier. I can see why it is a tough decision. I also do a lot of research before committing to a new purchase as I tend to keep my equipment for a long time.

looks like rubikore cinema is just launched and not available in india for now. will arrive in january end. is it good for untreated room? can you give some review

 

[Eppie]

If you plan to get the Rubikore for front speakers and move the Opticon to the rear, then it makes sense to get the Rubikore for your center so that the front 3 match.

You really can not choose speakers based on whether the room is treated or untreated. A lot of what we hear is reflected sound (from the side walls primarily). All speakers have to deal with reflections. If the room has carpet (or area rugs) and soft furniture then that is usually enough to help with some sound absorption. A simple test is to clap you hands and listen for how long it take the sound to stop echoing. If the room has a lot of hard surfaces (tile floor, lots of windows with no curtains, bare walls) and the sound echos, that can be a detriment to the sound quality.

For tile floors, adding an area rug in front the speakers can help reduce floor reflections. Window treatments can help with reflections from glass windows. If the room is very "lively", some sound absorbing panels can help and these can be home made for little expense. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube.

We can't provide a review on a speaker that has not been measured or tested elsewhere. Dali is a reputable company, though, and the Rubikore line is already a higher tier speaker. I would expect those speakers to sound very good. It is more a matter of whether they offer the best value for the money. All of the subjective reviews I read were very positive.

 

[hardcore_gamer99]

If you plan to get the Rubikore for front speakers and move the Opticon to the rear, then it makes sense to get the Rubikore for your center so that the front 3 match.

You really can not choose speakers based on whether the room is treated or untreated. A lot of what we hear is reflected sound (from the side walls primarily). All speakers have to deal with reflections. If the room has carpet (or area rugs) and soft furniture then that is usually enough to help with some sound absorption. A simple test is to clap you hands and listen for how long it take the sound to stop echoing. If the room has a lot of hard surfaces (tile floor, lots of windows with no curtains, bare walls) and the sound echos, that can be a detriment to the sound quality.

For tile floors, adding an area rug in front the speakers can help reduce floor reflections. Window treatments can help with reflections from glass windows. If the room is very "lively", some sound absorbing panels can help and these can be home made for little expense. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube.

We can't provide a review on a speaker that has not been measured or tested elsewhere. Dali is a reputable company, though, and the Rubikore line is already a higher tier speaker. I would expect those speakers to sound very good. It is more a matter of whether they offer the best value for the money. All of the subjective reviews I read were very positive.

there is pc table on my left wall and folding on which 1 sleep. if i clap there is no echo. I can add rugs if youw ant and also tell what size i get minimum? room 12.7x10.7x10. and in the end i love dali opticon 2 very much sso how cant i like rubikore

 

[hardcore_gamer99]

If you plan to get the Rubikore for front speakers and move the Opticon to the rear, then it makes sense to get the Rubikore for your center so that the front 3 match.

You really can not choose speakers based on whether the room is treated or untreated. A lot of what we hear is reflected sound (from the side walls primarily). All speakers have to deal with reflections. If the room has carpet (or area rugs) and soft furniture then that is usually enough to help with some sound absorption. A simple test is to clap you hands and listen for how long it take the sound to stop echoing. If the room has a lot of hard surfaces (tile floor, lots of windows with no curtains, bare walls) and the sound echos, that can be a detriment to the sound quality.

For tile floors, adding an area rug in front the speakers can help reduce floor reflections. Window treatments can help with reflections from glass windows. If the room is very "lively", some sound absorbing panels can help and these can be home made for little expense. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube.

We can't provide a review on a speaker that has not been measured or tested elsewhere. Dali is a reputable company, though, and the Rubikore line is already a higher tier speaker. I would expect those speakers to sound very good. It is more a matter of whether they offer the best value for the money. All of the subjective reviews I read were very positive.

As i dont want to cut the tv screen, i have to buy stand accordingly. Should i buy angle adjustable stand? And it should be exactly in middle of tv? or i can go with wallmount stand just above tv?

 

[hardcore_gamer99]

hello should i buy angle adustble centre speaker stand? dont want to cut my tv screen also i dont have much space so can i just buy av rack only and put the centre on top of it but i think it wont do angle adjust

 

[Eppie]

If you were to install a wall mount stand for the center speaker above the TV, I think it would make more sense to move the TV wall mount higher. It would be about the same amount of effort. I think the center above the TV would be too high. It can work and I have seen plenty of photos with the center above the TV, but ideally you want the center speaker to be close to the same height as the main speakers. Otherwise dialogue that moves from left to center to right will also move up and down. It depends on how far away you sit from the speakers. If you are 4 or 5 meters away, then the height difference is not so noticeable. If only 3 meters away, then the speakers are more localized.

If you can not move the TV higher, then an AV rack with the speaker on top, just below the TV, should work fine. If the center speaker is aimed too low (at your knees) then it helps to angle the speaker upward. You can purchase adjustable stands but even something simple like this foam wedge will work (and is a lot less expensive).

This is how I have my speakers arranged.

I replaced the old plasma TV with a larger OLED last year, so I replaced the wall mount and moved the TV higher. I chose that height for the TV so that if I lay down on the couch, the center speaker does not block the screen. That is not something you would normally think about when installing a TV, but if I had mounted the TV lower and then later learned that the screen was blocked when laying down, it would have been very annoying.

 

[hardcore_gamer99]

If you were to install a wall mount stand for the center speaker above the TV, I think it would make more sense to move the TV wall mount higher. It would be about the same amount of effort. I think the center above the TV would be too high. It can work and I have seen plenty of photos with the center above the TV, but ideally you want the center speaker to be close to the same height as the main speakers. Otherwise dialogue that moves from left to center to right will also move up and down. It depends on how far away you sit from the speakers. If you are 4 or 5 meters away, then the height difference is not so noticeable. If only 3 meters away, then the speakers are more localized.

If you can not move the TV higher, then an AV rack with the speaker on top, just below the TV, should work fine. If the center speaker is aimed too low (at your knees) then it helps to angle the speaker upward. You can purchase adjustable stands but even something simple like this foam wedge will work (and is a lot less expensive).

This is how I have my speakers arranged.

I replaced the old plasma TV with a larger OLED last year, so I replaced the wall mount and moved the TV higher. I chose that height for the TV so that if I lay down on the couch, the center speaker does not block the screen. That is not something you would normally think about when installing a TV, but if I had mounted the TV lower and then later learned that the screen was blocked when laying down, it would have been very annoying.

ok so tv cant be adjusted its fixed on wall. All i can do is i am buying this av rack which is 22 inches high and dali rubikore height being 7.8 it will be total 30 inches from bottom and wont cut tv screen. I would put on top of avrack will this wedge work on avrack to angle centre? Good to go? Though total height of fronts is 42 inches from bottom. will it have localization issue? can dirac live or auddeseey treat it?

 

[Eppie]

ok so tv cant be adjusted its fixed on wall. All i can do is i am buying this av rack which is 22 inches high and dali rubikore height being 7.8 it will be total 30 inches from bottom and wont cut tv screen. I would put on top of avrack will this wedge work on avrack to angle centre? Good to go? Though total height of fronts is 42 inches from bottom. will it have localization issue? can dirac live or auddeseey treat it?

So it looks like your walls are cement or concrete. That does make moving the wall mount more difficult. Keep in mind that the foam wedge will raise the speaker an inch or two but you will also be looking down on it at an angle.

Localization has more to do with seating distance and positioning. Dirac or Audyssey will not treat that. From your first photo, the room does not appear to be very large. If you will be seated directly in front of the TV, you may find that the 2 front speakers are enough, which creates a "phantom center". Adding a center speaker is helpful when the room is larger, the 2 main speakers are further apart, and people are sitting off to one side. The center then helps to anchor the dialogue to the TV screen. For a single viewer in front of the TV, a 2 speaker setup can work just fine.

In smaller rooms, having 3 speakers across the front that are too close together can cause interference between the front speakers. The speakers in my room pictured above are already pretty close together but I have seating for 4 and needed the center. I would try your setup with 2 front speakers and see how it performs. You can always add the center later. If you are firm on getting a center now, I can only recommend that you place the front speakers as far apart as you can (the doorway being an obvious issue). The angle of the front speakers will also affect the sound. You can aim the front speakers directly at your seating position, and if you find them to be a little too bright, you can angle them outward more or point them straight ahead like you have in your photo.

 

[hardcore_gamer99]

So it looks like your walls are cement or concrete. That does make moving the wall mount more difficult. Keep in mind that the foam wedge will raise the speaker an inch or two but you will also be looking down on it at an angle.

Localization has more to do with seating distance and positioning. Dirac or Audyssey will not treat that. From your first photo, the room does not appear to be very large. If you will be seated directly in front of the TV, you may find that the 2 front speakers are enough, which creates a "phantom center". Adding a center speaker is helpful when the room is larger, the 2 main speakers are further apart, and people are sitting off to one side. The center then helps to anchor the dialogue to the TV screen. For a single viewer in front of the TV, a 2 speaker setup can work just fine.

In smaller rooms, having 3 speakers across the front that are too close together can cause interference between the front speakers. The speakers in my room pictured above are already pretty close together but I have seating for 4 and needed the center. I would try your setup with 2 front speakers and see how it performs. You can always add the center later. If you are firm on getting a center now, I can only recommend that you place the front speakers as far apart as you can (the doorway being an obvious issue). The angle of the front speakers will also affect the sound. You can aim the front speakers directly at your seating position, and if you find them to be a little too bright, you can angle them outward more or point them straight ahead like you have in your photo.

i did not know its that complicated. as i run my ht on weekends only. i can place fronts 0 inches to wall no issues. room is only 12.7x10.7x10. also the thing is i am not hearing dialogue at all in movies like matrix . if i increase volume above 70 then music gets very loud.

 

[isolar8001]

i did not know its that complicated. as i run my ht on weekends only. i can place fronts 0 inches to wall no issues. room is only 12.7x10.7x10. also the thing is i am not hearing dialogue at all in movies like matrix . if i increase volume above 70 then music gets very loud.

If I'm reading all this correctly...you had a center, then set up for 5.1.
Now, you are not using that center and want a better one...that's fine.

If you are running the system without a center now, did you set your Denon to 4.1 ?
There is no reason why dialog in a movie would just disappear, unless you just unplugged your center and did not reset to 4.1.

 

[hardcore_gamer99]

If I'm reading all this correctly...you had a center, then set up for 5.1.
Now, you are not using that center and want a better one...that's fine.

If you are running the system without a center now, did you set your Denon to 4.1 ?
There is no reason why dialog in a movie would just disappear, unless you just unplugged your center and did not reset to 4.1.

no i have only 2.1 since the beginning. i am adding slowly as i dont have budget

 

[isolar8001]

no i have only 2.1 since the beginning. i am adding slowly as i dont have budget

That's OK.
You should still have clear dialog with 2.1......we all had 2.0/2.1 for many years before surround sound and had clear dialog.
You must have something set the wrong way either on your Denon and/or the device you are using as a source.

 

[hardcore_gamer99]

That's OK.
You should still have clear dialog with 2.1......we all had 2.0/2.1 for many years before surround sound and had clear dialog.
You must have something set the wrong way either on your Denon and/or the device you are using as a source.

i am not saying dialogue is 0. it is very low sounding to understand then if i + volume above 70 background music is too loud but i dont have this issue in my indian blurays only hollywood

 

[Eppie]

It sounds more complicated than it really is. Speakers will have the most treble when pointed directly at you and they will have the most bass when placed close to the back and side walls (this creates "boundary reinforcement"). By changing the angles of the speakers and the distances from walls you can make slight changes to how they sound.

It is still a good idea to check your speaker settings on the AVR to be sure. You should go into the setup menu of the AVR and see which speakers are enabled. It should only be the front left and right and the subwoofer. If the unit got reset it might enable the center channel. The receiver will also have different surround modes and they should not be selected. It should be on 2-channel stereo.

Your problem seems a bit unusual. If all of the AVR settings are correct, it would be nice if you could borrow a speaker from another system to try as a center speaker before you commit to spending that much money on the Rubikon. I would want to confirm that adding a center speaker is going to cure the problem you have with dialogue. In particular, with the center speakers added, you still want the dialogue levels to be about the same with both Indian blurays and Hollywood movies.

 

[hardcore_gamer99]

It sounds more complicated than it really is. Speakers will have the most treble when pointed directly at you and they will have the most bass when placed close to the back and side walls (this creates "boundary reinforcement"). By changing the angles of the speakers and the distances from walls you can make slight changes to how they sound.

It is still a good idea to check your speaker settings on the AVR to be sure. You should go into the setup menu of the AVR and see which speakers are enabled. It should only be the front left and right and the subwoofer. If the unit got reset it might enable the center channel. The receiver will also have different surround modes and they should not be selected. It should be on 2-channel stereo.

Your problem seems a bit unusual. If all of the AVR settings are correct, it would be nice if you could borrow a speaker from another system to try as a center speaker before you commit to spending that much money on the Rubikon. I would want to confirm that adding a center speaker is going to cure the problem you have with dialogue. In particular, with the center speakers added, you still want the dialogue levels to be about the same with both Indian blurays and Hollywood movies.

cani just remove front left and put in centre channel slot behind avr?

 

[Eppie]

cani just remove front left and put in centre channel slot behind avr?

That would only test whether the center channel amp is working or not. If you want to test the balance in the dialogue between the left, right and center, you really need 3 speakers connected and the center channel enabled.