Using dual center channel speakers - Any downside?

[73hadd]

Other than needing an extra channel of amplification, and taking up the extra room, is there any downside to using two of the same center channel speakers side-by-side?

The implementation would be to take the center output from a Pre-Pro, use a Y-splitter, and send that to individual amp channels & duplicate center channel speakers.

I see poor horizontal coverage from a lot of center speakers and I wonder if this would help.

There would be a slight db gain from using two, but can be compensated for in the Pre-Pro if desired.

It would look weird, but has anyone tried dual centers, and pointing them so that they cross in front of the listening position? The theory is that the on-axis speaker response would pull the image to the center of the screen for listeners far to either side.

 

[abdo123]

it would be a disaster. Just get a coaxial center speaker from KEF.

 

[73hadd]

You mean "coaxial only" center? Like LS50 or Q350?

As opposed to the M-T-M designs like R2C? (Which has the horizontal coverage "issue.") (And also is more like a W-Coax-W I suppose.)

 

[73hadd]

What about using two of the Q350 etc? If someone wanted more degrees of coverage off axis. The mono-summing in the middle should be fine, unless there is some cancellation that I am not aware of.

 

[abdo123]

You mean "coaxial only" center? Like LS50 or Q350?

As opposed to the M-T-M designs like R2C? (Which has the horizontal coverage "issue.") (And also is more like a W-Coax-W I suppose.)

No i meant exactly the R2C, the mid-range and the tweeter are on-top of each other, so there will be no cancellations at all.

The LS50 meta would be a great center too, but i wouldn't recommend it for long distances.

The Q350 is also great, specially at its price. Should get louder than the LS50 meta.

 

[abdo123]

What about using two of the Q350 etc? If someone wanted more degrees of coverage off axis. The mono-summing in the middle should be fine, unless there is some cancellation that I am not aware of.

Speakers 101, never have two tweeters running simultaneously unless the distances between them is in the millimeters and they're all vertically aligned like a line array.

Also never have more than one mid-range unless they're also vertically aligned.

 

[73hadd]

Horizontal coverage on R2C is poor, yes?

https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/kef_r2c/

 

[73hadd]

Another clarifying question. Does listening to two speakers, playing the same mono signal, create comb filtering problems?

 

[abdo123]

Horizontal coverage on R2C is poor, yes?

https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/kef_r2c/

No it's great, what do you find issue with?

 

[LTig]

Another clarifying question. Does listening to two speakers, playing the same mono signal, create comb filtering problems?

Yes. Just play monophonic pink noise through your stereo system and move your head sideways.

 

[nstzya]

Speakers 101, never have two tweeters running simultaneously unless the distances between them is in the millimeters and they're all vertically aligned like a line array.

Also never have more than one mid-range unless they're also vertically aligned.

How about widely spaced coaxial and vertically aligned - as in above and below the screen?

 

[abdo123]

How about widely spaced coaxial and vertically aligned - as in above and below the screen?

If the distance between the two drivers is equal to 1/4 wavelength of the crossover frequency then it should be fine. but then why would you use a coaxial like that?

 

[nstzya]

Trying to workaround the typical problem with a large screen - trying to get the “apparent“ center speaker to align horizontally with the LR’s. They’re all identical coaxials. Otherwise the center is far below (or above) the LR’s

 

[abdo123]

Trying to workaround the typical problem with a large screen - trying to get the “apparent“ center speaker to align horizontally with the LR’s. They’re all identical coaxials. Otherwise the center is far below (or above) the LR’s

Weird. My brain just localizes the speech on the screen because that's where it expects to be.

I recommend that you bring the L and R up or down. your idea doesn't seem like a good one.

 

[nstzya]

Simple dialogue gets ventriloquist-ed to the screen, yes. But left to right panning effects go on a roller coaster. And the center is too close to the floor or ceiling to move the LR’s there.

 

[Chrispy]

I've read some favorable reports from those who've placed a center both above and below the screen....never tried myself.

 

[nstzya]

If the distance between the two drivers is equal to 1/4 wavelength of the crossover frequency then it should be fine. but then why would you use a coaxial like that?

Why of the crossover frequency?

 

[abdo123]

Why of the crossover frequency?

because that's the frequency where both speakers will be running at the same time.

 

[abdo123]

@nstzya what you can try to do is emulate a constant beam transducer using signal delays

relevant paper: https://www.audioartistry.com/Papers/CBT Paper 2 Implementation CBT Arrays Using Signal Delays.pdf

However high frequency linearity will suffer, just like with all line arrays where the tweeters are not very close to each other (look few posts up).

 

[nstzya]

because that's the frequency where both speakers will be running at the same time.

We may be talking about two different things. Are you talking about individual drivers? Or the two center speakers? Obviously the two center speakers are playing ALL frequencies at all times.