@TLS Guy Looks like a well behaved system! I appreciate the feedback and compliments, and yes we seem to have some similar ideas.
A center (or LCR) version of the SBS.1 with a single coax and dual midbass drivers has been on the drawing board. But everything is difficult in the early stages, including conveying a clear identity and clear values as a company or brand. So far our products and our approach have been aimed at music / 2 channel stereo, and we have made no attempts to explicitly cater to home cinema needs and/or that customer segment. This is also evident in the choices made in our subwoofer designs.
An active, high capacity speaker designed to play with a subwoofer is obviously well suited for a home cinema system, but this is (perhaps interestingly) more by accident than due to explicitly designing for that purpose.
So if we were to suddenly release a center channel speaker, that would be a deviation from our current focus and possibly make it more unclear what we are about. It would also be something completely different than for instance the Manta. This is not to say we will never make a center speaker, but I'm not sure this is the right time.
I can well understand that, but time moves on. I started designing this system 20 years ago, when there was not much HT, it was just kicking off, and most of it not very good. That was pre HDMI.
I would say these days, that the music only systems are in decline. At least they are over here. About the only thing keeping it going, is the erroneous notion that an HT system can not be a good two channel music system. That is obviously nonsense, and this system is a good two channel system.
The other issue is that people really do like to be able to get a picture with their system. I have a 7.2.4 system, a 3.1 and a 2.1 system, but they can all get a picture up.
I have noted that even for spoken TV programs like news, only program mixed as two channel sounds optimal on a two channel rig if the speakers are close together, if mixed in Dolby multichannel then a good center is a distinct advantage.
The other issue is that even music is evolving, with Atmos music recordings starting to proliferate. The Berlin Philharmonic have stated streaming in Dolby Atmos. They call it immersive audio. I have been evaluating it critically. They have a learning curve here I fear. I have been corresponding with them. Even so the new Dolby upmixer is really impressive, and really can sort out front back sides and above from a two channel source. I can get the BBC via VPN to the London Amazon server. The Proms have been of a phenomenally high standard this year. It really does sound like the Albert Hall. They are using a version of the Decca tree mic arrangement this year, with gentle use of spot mics. A few days ago, for the Elgar cello concerto I note they used a mini version of the Decca tree to spot the cello at about, I would estimated an 8 to 10 ft. distance. The was the best capture of a cello, I have ever heard. It had the perfect balance of body and string.
This I find interesting, as it may mean they are experimenting with Atmos also. I say this as a recent paper out of England suggests that an adaptation of the Decca tree may be the optimal mic arrangement for classical Atmos recordings.
In a way this makes it an exciting time to be in the speaker business. There are more speakers to sell. However the downside of it is, that one has to be even more conscious of the cost of the product. Having said that, the old adage remains, that two good speakers best multiple poor ones. I am now though, convinced that multi channel systems have not only the potential, but do improve the experience in the home, and that improvement is highly significant. That is especially true for opera.
I use the large dual TLs for the front left and right, the Coax TL for the center. The surrounds are 2.5 way sealed speakers using Dynaudio drivers, built mid eighties. They were my location monitors when I made location recordings for broadcast. The rears are dual TLs that were my studio speakers for many years. The upper line is totally damped and non 'speaking'. This design stated in 1984. I rebuilt the bass TLs of these speakers in 2005 following the publication of George Augspurger's correct model of the TL in 2000. By the way you can download his
TL design program on my web site. George is now nearly 100 years old, and he has entrusted his program to me. You can use his design software for commercial designs by the way. For the four ceiling speakers, I use Mark Audio 6" full range metal coned speakers in 0.25 cu.ft sealed back boxes. These are excellent for that application. I think there is a lot of silliness in the pro design/installer market currently about the number of speakers and channels of audio you need in a home theater. The channels I have now are more than adequate for this fairly large room.
I would say though that designing a good center is a very significant challenge. Since it is so frequently reproducing the human voice, there no place to hide. It can't be over large, and yet must be capable of high output in the HT environment. That center was a lot of R & D. However your approach looks like a massive leg up for a successful design.
As has been the case for all our lives, the pace of change continues to pick up.
