Role of the Center Speaker?

 

Bronze Member
Username: Billru44

Post Number: 22
Registered: Jan-05
Hey

So far I have 2 front speakers (Infinity Primus 362) and no center speaker. Just curious as to the role of the center speaker. I know that it is where most of the dialogue comes from. But, my question is, for instance, if i am watching TV or DVDs or anything, and i have front and center speakers only, and if this is true that most dialogue comes out of the center speaker, does this imply that music / sound comes out of the front left / right?

As my setup is now, (only front channels), everything comes out of them.... so, it seems like my 2 front speakers would overpower a center channel (looking at Primus PC350). Basically, will adding a center to 2 front speakers make a great improvement? ETC..... not sure if you guys follow me, but, just wanted to know.
 

Platinum Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 11993
Registered: May-04
.

This topic has been discussed multiple times. Have you searched the archives of this section and the "Home Theater" section?
 

Silver Member
Username: Davidpa

Portland, Oregon US

Post Number: 516
Registered: Nov-05
no comment.

Bill, member since 2005, do you have NO friends with a HT? Or heard of DD? I dont know where to start without being a dick.


YES, theres a difference, huge even. And, for HT, even multi channel music it is a great improvement.
 

Silver Member
Username: Davidpa

Portland, Oregon US

Post Number: 517
Registered: Nov-05
OK, I commented.
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 5903
Registered: Feb-05
Been without a center for over a year and don't miss it. I only use that system for HT but as I said I don't miss the center at this point.
 

Gold Member
Username: Exerciseguy

Brooklyn, NY United States

Post Number: 1697
Registered: Oct-04
I agree with Art, I abandoned "surround" a while back in favor of 2-Ch., and don't regret it at this point for the occasional movie. Dialogue actually sounds better in my set-up in 2-Ch. than in it did in 5.1.

However, if I was going to have a dedicated HT Room, I probably would want to pull out all the bells & whistles.
 

Platinum Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 11995
Registered: May-04
.

Consider your set up, Bill. The idea of a center channel in a home theater system originated in the movie houses where there is a fair amount of seating well off center. Placing a dialogue speaker in the center of the screen pulled important information toward the location on screen which corresponded to the sound. Consider a center channel for your HT for the same reason. If your seating is such that listeners are positioned away from the center of the screen, then a center channel will pull the sound togther in a more seamless fashion. Sounds that look as though they are coming from the center of the screen will sound more like they are coming from the center of the screen and not off to one side.


To determine whether a center channel will likely benefit your set up, just play a movie with lots of pan-potted dialogue or sound effects and jump cuts from shot to shot while sitting well off to either side. If transistions aren't smoothly coordinated across the screen, then you probably can benefit from a center channel.

.
 

Silver Member
Username: Davidpa

Portland, Oregon US

Post Number: 520
Registered: Nov-05
One more thing. The CC will help "fix" dialogue to the screen, so seating position doesnt become an issue, where only the person(s) in the sweet spot gets to enjoy all the dialogue, effects, L/R panning etc. Without the CC in a HT, anyone sitting either left, or right of the sweet spot tends to get cheated on the HT experience, making the speakers draw attention to themselves, taking away from the whole purpose a CC has, which is to fix dialogue to the screen. JMO
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 5905
Registered: Feb-05
Good advice Jan.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Billru44

Post Number: 24
Registered: Jan-05
Well, what if i primarily listen to music (70% music / 30% movies)? If I have fronts and a center, will the center still carry most of the load? It just seems to me that I would be better off using just fronts because they are way bigger combined than a center speaker. And it seems like i would get less quality if the center was carrying the load.

Can anyone shed light on this thought?

I mean ... bottom line.... if my system will sound better by having the center, I am all for it, but, if it will sound degraded by JUST having Fronts / Center, then, i'd like to know.
 

Silver Member
Username: Nickelbut10

Post Number: 987
Registered: Jun-07
Depends on the sound mode your listening to. For music you should only be doing 2 channel in most cases and therefore the center channel is useless. If your watching a movie, and are willing to watch it in two channel, then again, center channel is not needed. If you want to watch a movie in 5.1/7.1 surround, then obviously the center channel then becomes the most important speaker in the system. If you don't already have a center channel at the moment, then its not worth buying one if your only watching movies 30 percent of the time. IMO. If it becomes a 50/50 thing, then a center channel may need to be purchased.
 

Platinum Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 12015
Registered: May-04
.

The fact remains that Dolby Digital soundtracks (the most common format for home theater) will have reduced dynamic range by as much as -12dB when downmixed to anything less than 5.1 surround. This makes a center speaker a necessity if you watch big blockbuster films and TV shows and wish to hear and feel the impact of the dynamics built into the soundtrack. For smaller films with less action or sound effects, you might not notice the difference a -12dB reduction in dynamic range represents. I will tell you "3:10 to Yuma" wouldn't be the same with -12dB less dynamic range. You know how you use the system so you get to decide.


Your thinking on center channels is not very accurate. "Way bigger" is not a qualitative judgement and has nothing to do with why you use a center channel. You also get to decide which format you use when listening to music. If you will limit yourself to only two channel stereo, then there is obviously no need for a center channel. If you are limiting yourself to stereo simply because your two front speakers are "way bigger" than a center channel speaker, then you have missed the mark and are off the charts.


" ... it seems like i would get less quality if the center was carrying the load."


Why? Because its way smaller? Oh, grasshopper!


.
 

Silver Member
Username: Nickelbut10

Post Number: 989
Registered: Jun-07
lol My center channel is 1/5 the size of my towers and it carries the load very well. Heck when the lights are off, I can't even tell its smaller...lol.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Billru44

Post Number: 25
Registered: Jan-05
OK. Thanks for the info. Well, I did a test and maybe found some interesting results. Maybe someone can shed some light.

As I mentioned, I have a JVC RX8040B receiver with Infinity Primus 362 front speakers. I have a pair of Bose 201 speakers (they were replaced with the Primus speakers), and hooked up one of them as a center channel to just do some sort of sound test. When I changed from a 2.0 -> 3.0 configuration on my receiver, the sound coming from the HD digital source (TV) sounded audibly lower and not as good. I definitely preferred the 2.0 configuration better. I haven't been able to test this with a DVD because the digital cable got severed. But, is this normal for this type of setup? Or should the 3.0 setup be as loud and clear as the 2.0. Or is this due to using the Bose 201 as a center? (If that were the case, i would have thought the volume would have been fine, and the clearness would be decreased). I guess I'm just curious about the volume / clearness drop.

Any thoughts out there for a n00b as myself?
 

Platinum Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 12019
Registered: May-04
.

The Bose is not as sensitive as the Infinity and won't play as loud for the same input voltage. Go down to a shop that sells this stuff on a quiet afternoon and let them demonstrate with a properly set up system.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Billru44

Post Number: 27
Registered: Jan-05
No shop around me has Infinity speakers in their stores. I'd need to buy it online... that's why i'm asking so many questions. I don't want to buy it and get burned by something I won't enjoy.
 

Gold Member
Username: Exerciseguy

Brooklyn, NY United States

Post Number: 1701
Registered: Oct-04
How did you purchase the P362? If you're happy with the P362, then why would you think it's a possibility that you'd "get burned" with a purchase of the P350? Besides the fact that they're aesthetically matched, they're timbre matched, and the perfect complement to the P362, IMHO.
 

Platinum Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 12021
Registered: May-04
.

You don't have to listen through Infinity's just like yours - or any Infinity's at all for that matter - to understand a demonstration of a center channel and no center channel. Just ask a shop to demonstrate the advantages of a center channel.
 

Silver Member
Username: Nickelbut10

Post Number: 994
Registered: Jun-07
Jan is right about the sensitivity of the bose speaker. But also, when your watching a tv show that is in 2 channel, and you make your A/V receiver decode it as a 3.0, you will lose volume. To get true surround sound from a HD source of any kind, you must have your cable box hooked up to the A/V receiver, using a digital connection of some kind. If you have your HD source hooked up with RCA's and tell your A/V receiver to do anything with the audio other than 2 channel that you are feeding it, you will notice a considerable volume drop. Your test, is not a true test. Take Jan's advice, and let someone give you a demo.
« Previous Thread Next Thread »



Main Forums

Today's Posts

Forum Help

Follow Us