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Using TV as center channel speaker ?
- Thread starter geek101
- Start date
OP
- Thread Starter
- #22
Thanks
Centre channel speakers for home AV are borderline pointless. Your L and R speakers will almost always be far more capable, and the image on screen means your brain localises the dialogue anyway.
No doubt in some huge setups they can be good, but if you are asking the question then the answer is probably “don’t”.
No doubt in some huge setups they can be good, but if you are asking the question then the answer is probably “don’t”.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #24
Many people vehemently disagree with you
They would need to provide some rationale for their disagreement. Typical centre channels are a horizontal MTM with awful horizontal dispersion, poor power handling, and no useful bass. You can see this in many many reviews here and by Erin.
So according to the evidence, adding a centre channel to a 2.1 setup usually makes the experience worse from a power handling and dispersion perspective, and adds nothing to the bass response. I am talking about typical consumer setups here, not professionally designed home theatres.
But it’s worse than that! When a centre channel is in use, the AVR routes nearly all dialogue and main soundtrack to it. So these quality failings are amplified, and the (presumably good quality) L&R speakers are relegated to effects duty.
Then with L+R speakers they will all hear a fairly even tonality, and perceive the dialogue as coming from the screen, because their eyes dominate their perception of location.
With a centre speaker those far to the left or right will experience a totally wrong tonality. Everyone will experience poorer power handling. Nobody is better off.
Yes, your personal opinions (not backed up with a shred of any evidence) outweigh decades of auditory research. Give me a break.
If you wanted to amend your original statement that people shouldn't use crappy center channel speakers, your opinion would have some legs. But as stated, it's absolute nonsense.
EDIT: researchers knew a 3-channel front was better more than 60 years ago...the primary reason we had two speakers (L+R) instead of three at the advent of "stereo" listening was the limitations of physical media.
It’s true that a centre channel that is the same design as the left and right channels adds value. But that’s not what most people have in their home AV setup. They have a sideways MTM with bad directivity and poor power handling, which is then tasked by their AVR with the majority of dialogue and audio.
Like I said, you are arguing against the use of crappy center channels. A good center channel, and it most certainly does not need to be identical to the L+R, is absolutely better than a phantom center...even good MTM are better than no center in a lot of use cases.
I wonder if you could home brew a version of this
Except there is, it’s called not having a centre speaker!
The problem is that according to measurements here and elsewhere there are no good horizontal MTMs. There are some very nice expensive centre channels with tweeters above a midrange, and woofers either side, but thats not what most people have. So I disagree that a bad MTM is better than no centre.
OK that would be fun, but seriously, why? I have a 75" TV, with speakers about 30cm to the left and right, in a 7x6m room for general family use. Not I (the audiophile) nor anyone in my family nor any guests, no matter how many we have or how widely we spread ourselves, has ever wanted for a centre channel.
I wonder if you could home brew a version of this
Even if I was gifted a KEF Reference 4C, where would I put it? And would it materially improve the experience?
The existence of the 4C doesn't make a typical MTM centre channel a good choice in other situations.
You answered the question. It would be fun.
It may be important when 100” and larger TVs become $1000 on Black Friday. You can get 98” TCL TV from Best Buy for $2000 right now, so it’s coming sooner than we think.
This is for 247” or so.
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