• 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!

Why do we need a center channel in a home theater system?

North_Sky

Major Contributor
Joined
Oct 31, 2019
Messages
2,741
Likes
1,553
Location
Kha Nada
You can also built a subwoofer cavity under your theater room.
Some people put two-four subwoofers in the ceiling.

* For more gain in home theater experience there is always the local IMAX theater, to give you an idea ...

Size does matter ...
 

blueone

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
May 11, 2019
Messages
1,179
Likes
1,495
Location
USA
Could be you don't realize how much better it could be because you don't have one. People are happy with TV speakers until they hear a good sound bar. People are happy with a good sound bar until they hear a good HTiB. Those folks are happy with the sound until they hear good little pair of bookshelf speakers with a starter sub. etc etc.

Not at all. I am the only one of my friends and neighbors with an HT system who doesn't use a center. I have heard their systems, and most are more ambitious than mine. Two use large projection screens with a third instance of their L/R speakers. From the perspectives of center imaging and voice intelligibility I've never heard an advantage over my system, though as I said I use a 70" LCD display, not a 130"+ screen. With a projection system I might use a third L/R speaker as a center. A few friends who have auditioned my system have asked where the center speaker is, and are surprised when I say there isn't one. Every person who figured out I use only L/R speakers have been surprised at how well the stereo image works, and mentioned that they assumed "an expert like me" would use a center, a sub, and at least two surrounds. Maybe a sub or two one of these days, but for the HT content we tend to watch even subs would be a waste.

(As a somewhat unrelated aside, I do have a gripe with many people I know and meet with their assumption of expertise based on big expenditures. While my HT is modest, I have spent a considerable sum to most people on the music system, and my friends assume because I spent new BMW money on it that I must be an expert. The same goes for cars, boats, guns, etc. Buying something expensive does not confer expertise, only proof of the means to acquire. Why do so many make assumptions? I think I do know more than average about audio systems, but simply owning $30K worth of speakers does not make anyone an expert.)
 

XaVierDK

Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2020
Messages
48
Likes
117
. Maybe a sub or two one of these days, but for the HT content we tend to watch even subs would be a waste.
Subs are never a waste. Unless your speakers can output with authority down to 20 Hz and below, and if that's the case never mind.
 

blueone

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
May 11, 2019
Messages
1,179
Likes
1,495
Location
USA
Subs are never a waste. Unless your speakers can output with authority down to 20 Hz and below, and if that's the case never mind.

Never a waste? I disagree. The HT speakers are JBL 590s, which in-room are pretty strong to 32Hz, but response dives off a cliff below that. Since most of our watching, especially my wife's, is drama TV and movies, even 32Hz bass is a relatively rare thing.
 
OP
Fluffy

Fluffy

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Sep 14, 2019
Messages
856
Likes
1,423
Yeah, you don't really need 20 hz for most things. I'll be disappointed not get rumbling bass at a techno concert, but in my apartment it's really not necessary. I could easily lop off everything below 30 hz from my entire music collection and would probably not notice the difference. Double true for home viewing of movies/TV.
 

blueone

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
May 11, 2019
Messages
1,179
Likes
1,495
Location
USA
Yeah, you don't really need 20 hz for most things. I'll be disappointed not get rumbling bass at a techno concert, but in my apartment it's really not necessary. I could easily lop off everything below 30 hz from my entire music collection and would probably not notice the difference. Double true for home viewing of movies/TV.

For music I use a sub to smooth the response to 20Hz, which some of my friends think is odd. According to my spectrum analyzer software a lot of my music has significant sub-30Hz content (fusion jazz, some of the occasional pop music I might listen to), and for some of my favorite music with simple mic schemes (any of Peter Erskine's albums, for example) smoothness to 20Hz seems to increase the illusion of the space the recording was made in. The few times I listen to well-made organ music consistent response in the 20-40Hz octave makes it more realistic and exciting, though I admit that I'm not much of an organ fanatic.
 
Last edited:

Ron Party

Senior Member
CPH (Chief Prog Head)
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
411
Likes
559
Location
Oakland
There is a citation above - I think it was a Toole study - which stands for the proposition that the majority of people prefer the inclusion of a center channel. This aligns with my own preference after testing myself in both dedicated and non-dedicated listening environments. I think this comes downs to another one of those suspension of disbelief matters. For me, two channel does not allow me to suspend disbelief as much as does having a center channel. If I had the wherewithal and space, I'd have five channels across the front of the room, to state nothing of height channels.

The OP question is just another flavor choice question. Which tastes better to any given individual? One is, of course, always free to decide for oneself which is the preferred flavor. IIRC, jj has an expression which is to the effect that one's preference ends at the tip of one's nose and may be considered inviolate.
 

williamwally

Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 6, 2020
Messages
68
Likes
141
Location
IL
Forgive my ignorance on this matter, but if employing a setup which is Mono center, and Stereo LR, then I'd assume the placement would keep the LR speakers in the same place then drop in a center?
But if listening to a 3.0 mix (or any other processing that tries to put the sound equally to the front speakers at least) would you actually want to space out the LR speakers more since the 'soundstage' between each speaker can in theory be as wide as a typical LR setup?
 

North_Sky

Major Contributor
Joined
Oct 31, 2019
Messages
2,741
Likes
1,553
Location
Kha Nada
You position the front speakers roughly @ 22-30° right and left of the center line.
The center speaker (if usig one) goes to ...
¤ https://www.crutchfield.ca/S-k4TZxQfS6nK/learn/learningcenter/home/speaker_placement.html

As for a subwoofer, two are better than none.
Some films on Blu-ray have bass down to 15Hz and few even lower.
Many have bass in the 25Hz range with usable @ 20Hz.

Soap Opera TV series, or romantic comedies or Woody Allen type of flicks don't really require a sub, but having two or more is more fun to have that atmosphere in most films, plus it balances all other frequencies of the audio spectrum with clearer energy, plus it let your amplifier(s) breathe easier.

In a home theater setup using a multichannel setup...receiver and speakers...I highly recommend a center channel speaker plus a subwoofer (two are better than one).
 

XaVierDK

Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2020
Messages
48
Likes
117
Forgive my ignorance on this matter, but if employing a setup which is Mono center, and Stereo LR, then I'd assume the placement would keep the LR speakers in the same place then drop in a center?
But if listening to a 3.0 mix (or any other processing that tries to put the sound equally to the front speakers at least) would you actually want to space out the LR speakers more since the 'soundstage' between each speaker can in theory be as wide as a typical LR setup?
In general a center would allow you to space out your frontstage speakers more without losing the center image. For most people this would be impractical, as they still use the same setup for music and movies. If you upmix your stereo music using for example Dolby Surround, to employ the full 3 speakers, you can enjoy your music with a wider soundstage, though puritans will scuff at using upmixing.

Ironically Dolby's guidelines advice a narrower placement of the LCR when doing surround sound, as the format widens the soundstage inheritly, according to them. So where a center speaker should allow for a wider sound field, they want you to narrow your front.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hfx

bravomail

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Oct 19, 2018
Messages
817
Likes
461
First of all, I want to say that I'm currently running only a stereo setup, so this is mostly an academic discussion. Not looking for setup solutions or upgrade suggestions.

What I want to understand is, why do we need a center channel in a surround system in a home?

Repeat after me like mantra - center channel is for dialog in the movies. AV receiver r specifically tailored to deliver unmuddied clear dialog from movies straight into center channel. Many movies have very loud explosions and SFX but very quiet dialogs. Center channel resolves that issue. Highly recommended!
 

XaVierDK

Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2020
Messages
48
Likes
117
Repeat after me like mantra - center channel is for dialog in the movies. AV receiver r specifically tailored to deliver unmuddied clear dialog from movies straight into center channel. Many movies have very loud explosions and SFX but very quiet dialogs. Center channel resolves that issue. Highly recommended!
The center takes care of so much more than just dialogue. Most movies shunt up to 60% of the audio to the center.
 
OP
Fluffy

Fluffy

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Sep 14, 2019
Messages
856
Likes
1,423
Repeat after me like mantra - center channel is for dialog in the movies. AV receiver r specifically tailored to deliver unmuddied clear dialog from movies straight into center channel. Many movies have very loud explosions and SFX but very quiet dialogs. Center channel resolves that issue. Highly recommended!
What muddy dialog would there be otherwise? Seriously, I've been using a stereo set up for watching movies for a long time and never experienced any sort of muddiness of dialog or lack of clarity, and the center image is rock solid.
 

North_Sky

Major Contributor
Joined
Oct 31, 2019
Messages
2,741
Likes
1,553
Location
Kha Nada
Some say that the center channel in a home theater setup is the most important one.
I won't argue with that...zero objection...nada.
 
OP
Fluffy

Fluffy

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Sep 14, 2019
Messages
856
Likes
1,423
Yeah, the center channel is very important. That doesn't mean you need a dedicated speaker for it. the center channel in stereo mixes are distributed between the left and right and no one complains about it.
 

Sancus

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 30, 2018
Messages
2,923
Likes
7,616
Location
Canada
Yeah, the center channel is very important. That doesn't mean you need a dedicated speaker for it. the center channel in stereo mixes are distributed between the left and right and no one complains about it.

To be fair, some people do. My personal experience is that stereo is very deficient compared to multi-channel for all types of audio, full stop. This is not an uncommon belief, to say the least.
 

Spocko

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 27, 2019
Messages
1,621
Likes
2,999
Location
Southern California
To be fair, some people do. My personal experience is that stereo is very deficient compared to multi-channel for all types of audio, full stop. This is not an uncommon belief, to say the least.
IIRC F. Toole also prefers multi-channel setup to pure stereo as it provides the most realistic presentation with all the necessary spacial/reverberation cues lacking in stereo. What I would like to know is whether Mr. Toole prefers stereo upmixed (ie 9 channel Auromatic) over native stereo?
 
Top Bottom