+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 34

Thread: Centre Speakers Suck

  1. #1
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,779
    I'm Martin.

    Default Centre Speakers Suck

    I've been saying it for years, turns out this bloke agrees:

    http://www.cnet.com/news/attention-h...annel-speaker/

    Okay, disappointingly it's not the Steve Guttenburg from Police Academy Two and 'theatre' is spelled 'theater' but good to see someone agrees with me.

    If you have one sell it now before word gets round and discover what it is like to properly hear the dialogue on film soundtracks...
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

    Default

    All a centre speaker does is reduce the separation between front speaker left and right signals. In other words, it's detrimental.

    I hate surround sound and home theatre type system. They're unrealistic!
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  3. #3
    Join Date: Oct 2011

    Location: Bacup

    Posts: 502
    I'm Andrew.

    Default

    I did once try to initiate discussion on the merits or otherwise of buying two for stereo use. At the time I had noticed some dealer offers and sales on the auction site where to buy two centres would have been much cheaper than buying a stereo pair. I wondered if they were voiced differently. Academic now, my home brew Magisters are fantastic, but, are there differences?

  4. #4
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: http://www.homehifi.co.uk

    Posts: 6,288

    Default

    One of the things that customers often ask about the speaker switch box that I sell is if it can be used for switching in and out the centre speaker in an AV set up. So I think that there are quite a few people who must have come to the same conclusion that the centre speaker can be a nuisance in some/many cases.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,779
    I'm Martin.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by RMutt View Post
    I did once try to initiate discussion on the merits or otherwise of buying two for stereo use. At the time I had noticed some dealer offers and sales on the auction site where to buy two centres would have been much cheaper than buying a stereo pair. I wondered if they were voiced differently. Academic now, my home brew Magisters are fantastic, but, are there differences?
    Depends on the design but usually you have two bass/mids and a tweeter, with the two bass/mids outputting the same signal which is unusual but not unheard of in a speaker designed for 2 channel/stereo. So probably not a great idea - there are some centres that just use 1 driver and a tweeter, that would work better for stereo.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    Depends on the design but usually you have two bass/mids and a tweeter, with the two bass/mids outputting the same signal which is unusual but not unheard of in a speaker designed for 2 channel/stereo. So probably not a great idea - there are some centres that just use 1 driver and a tweeter, that would work better for stereo.
    If it has three speakers (or more), with a centre front, then it's not stereo.
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  7. #7
    Join Date: Oct 2011

    Location: Bacup

    Posts: 502
    I'm Andrew.

    Default

    Just had a quick look at ATC as an example. Two of their centres complete with two bass/mids each would be £900 odd. A stereo pair with similar frequency range and only one bass/mid per side would be about £1200. I presume the two bass/mids on a centre are to achieve an aesthetically symmetrical and even sound balance. Turned on their end what are the problems?

  8. #8
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by RMutt View Post
    Just had a quick look at ATC as an example. Two of their centres complete with two bass/mids each would be £900 odd. A stereo pair with similar frequency range and only one bass/mid per side would be about £1200. I presume the two bass/mids on a centre are to achieve an aesthetically symmetrical and even sound balance. Turned on their end what are the problems?
    Why would anyone want two centre speakers?
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  9. #9
    Join Date: Oct 2011

    Location: Bacup

    Posts: 502
    I'm Andrew.

    Default

    To make a cheap(er) stereo pair.

  10. #10
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by RMutt View Post
    To make a cheap(er) stereo pair.
    It ain't gonna work.
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •