• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Best way to add a center channel

JoachimStrobel

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 27, 2019
Messages
518
Likes
303
Location
Germany
If you want center voice to end up in an extra loudspeaker under your TV, then you could consider an old analog Dolby surround system. The better ones had an active matrix steerer that would kind of capture sound that is made for the center. In another step you could find a hdmi switch that feeds that center channel via HDMI into your TV, avoiding an extra amp&speaker
 

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,314
Location
UK
What is the recommended way to add a center channel to an existing 2.0 system connected to a TV through HDMI ARC?

My amp has HT passthrough. However, it seems excessive to get a 7.1 AVR with pre-out (it probably won't fit into my cabinet) just to add one channel.

Is there something like an active center speaker that:
  1. takes HDMI ARC input
  2. decodes surround formats
  3. extracts center channel and plays it
  4. output L and R through RCA
One would think many people with a 2-channel system will want to add a center speaker for better TV dialogs.

Alternatively, who makes the smallest Class D, 3.1/5.1 AVR with pre-outs? I have space for half-width, 2U or maybe 3U at most.
Centre speaker is fed from a separate channel of the sound track. When you listen in stereo you are hearing a mix down. The only correct way to feed a centre channel speaker is to decode the surround track along with LR.
 

subframe

Active Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2023
Messages
128
Likes
191
If you want center voice to end up in an extra loudspeaker under your TV, then you could consider an old analog Dolby surround system. The better ones had an active matrix steerer that would kind of capture sound that is made for the center. In another step you could find a hdmi switch that feeds that center channel via HDMI into your TV, avoiding an extra amp&speaker
What kind of HDMI switch would this be?
 

JoachimStrobel

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 27, 2019
Messages
518
Likes
303
Location
Germany
The catch is that you need a Videostream to go with it. I have an old (S)VIdeo to HDMI converter that allows me to feed in any analog audio to go with it. Another option is an Oppo 103 that would take an analog audio input and feed it to the hdmi out adding a blank video stream. It is a bit a non-trivial.
 

subframe

Active Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2023
Messages
128
Likes
191
non-trivial indeed. All I really want is something that will decode 3.1 from HDMI and present those channels on digital outputs so I can add a center channel using my own DACs and amps. I don’t need a receiver with 16 channels + amps, 8k support and 11 HDMI inputs…

But such a thing may not exist!
 

Holmz

Major Contributor
Joined
Oct 3, 2021
Messages
2,018
Likes
1,241
Location
Australia
non-trivial indeed. All I really want is something that will decode 3.1 from HDMI and present those channels on digital outputs so I can add a center channel using my own DACs and amps. I don’t need a receiver with 16 channels + amps, 8k support and 11 HDMI inputs…

But such a thing may not exist!

Ok - Why?

What do you expect that the center channel going to bring you?
 

subframe

Active Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2023
Messages
128
Likes
191
Ok - Why?

What do you expect that the center channel going to bring you?
Ok - Why?

What do you expect that the center channel going to bring you?
Improved center image for people sitting on the sides. In my situation, people sometimes sit far left and right and fairly close to LR speakers. It’s a living room, not a dedicated theatre. Anyone sitting there gets highly localized audio from the closest speaker, throwing dialog off and making it weird to watch movies.
 

Holmz

Major Contributor
Joined
Oct 3, 2021
Messages
2,018
Likes
1,241
Location
Australia
Improved center image for people sitting on the sides. In my situation, people sometimes sit far left and right and fairly close to LR speakers. It’s a living room, not a dedicated theatre.

OK.
For 2 people it is not really an advantage as both are near the middle, unless the relationship is rocky.

I also have a living room with a HT/2-channel so I know what you mean…


Anyone sitting there gets highly localized audio from the closest speaker, throwing dialog off and making it weird to watch movies.

The other thing is that many center channels have a piss poor radiation pattern… WMTMW and MMTMM can be pretty narrow.
So it takes some chin scratching to get one that is actually fit for purpose.
 
Top Bottom