How important is a center channel?

[swa99a]

I dig it; so the center provides a sweet spot at multiple postions?

[Quiet_Hollow]

Sweet spot at multiple positions? Not per say. More along the lines of:

- Anchors the primary sound effects (dialog and action in the frame) to the viewing screen

- Improves system clarity in larger spaces (like Claude was saying) by relieving the mains of that specific content. Dividing the associated power requirements across more drivers.

If you've got the space for it. A center channel will be an improvement.

If not..then It'll be an acoustic hot mess.

[psg]

Since this is HT, you gotta have it for the voice channel. I had PWK's resistor box for 30 years with a Khorn and LaScala center, which allows for wide wall spacing. Under 12 feet, you don't need it. Over 15 you do.

Gotta disagree with the spacing. I get fantastic imaging with KHorns 18 to 20 feet apart.

[ClaudeJ1]

Since this is HT, you gotta have it for the voice channel. I had PWK's resistor box for 30 years with a Khorn and LaScala center, which allows for wide wall spacing. Under 12 feet, you don't need it. Over 15 you do.

Gotta disagree with the spacing. I get fantastic imaging with KHorns 18 to 20 feet apart.

If you sit back far enough, yes. Depends on the room depth. Just a guideline, not a rule.

[eth2]

I am confused about how you set up a center with a two channel tube amp. Can someone explain?

[swa99a]

I sit 8-9 feet away, so most likely I will need a center speaker?

[Quiet_Hollow]

It's not related to viewing distance.

It's dependent upon where your L & R channels get high-passed.

As the L & R channels get placed closer together (ie a small room), then the addition of a center channel would require a very high high-pass filter frequency to avoid each channel from stepping on one another , so much so, as to run into problems with the subwoofer channel being able to match up.

You've got to think about this in terms of 1/4 wavelengths and the inverse square law....not sweet spots or viewing distances.

I'd stick with Claude's recommendations as to where a center channel would become an option in relation to the width between the L & R main channels.

[swa99a]

The 2 mains would be about 8- 10 feet apart from each other. SO basically the closer the speakers are to each other, the less of a need for a center and vic versa?

[Quiet_Hollow]

Bingo.

At 8-10 feet apart, your system should be just fine without a center.

Here's my old arrangement (requires headphones to hear the binaural effect). Phantom center occurring as you'll note the dialog and other center effects are pinned down quite nicely even though I'm swinging the camera around the room.

Edited August 9, 2014 by Quiet_Hollow

[Ski Bum]

SO basically the closer the speakers are to each other, the less of a need for a center and vic versa?

Way off axis in our "conversation" seating it's not as impressive

You might be able to address this (well, sort of, but hey, it's free to try) via fairly extreme cross firing. In my experience, this seems to work best when the mains can be spaced rather wide, as without first reflections from adjacent walls the image stays within the bounds of the speakers' physical locations, even in a fairly lively room. The benefit is maintaining image stability across those "conversation seat" locations. [Thad] The central/mono image is very solid in spite of relatively wider spacing.[swa99a]

Edited August 9, 2014 by Ski Bum

[swa99a]

Those are some classic 80s movies you got going on over there. I can definitely see were the Phantom come in , crisp to. What about say other side of room or just a couple of feet of center?

[derrickdj1]

At 8-10 feet apart, your system should be just fine without a center.

Sounds like a good way to go. Buy a center channel later when it is in the budget.

[garyrc]

IMO, if you sit dead center, and alone, you don't need a center. Otherwise, you do. You will probably get greater clarity with a center that is as high in quality as your LF and RF.

Edited August 9, 2014 by Garyrc

[JiminSTL]

IMO, if you sit dead center, and alone, you don't need a center. Otherwise, you do. You will probably get greater clarity with a center that is as high in quality as your LF and RF.

Hey, Gary, maybe if he gets a good center, he won't be sitting dead in the water, and all alone . . . . My $0.02!

[ClaudeJ1]

I am confused about how you set up a center with a two channel tube amp. Can someone explain?

You build PWK's resistor box. I only used a potentiometer in the middle since the center is adjusted lower than the flanks. Get one speaker and one mono amplifier or 1/2 of a stereo amp. When I went to PWK's house, I could clearly see that he actually did everything he wrote about: False corners for his Khorns, resistor box to get the mono center........

But this is the HT area, which is about a center channel for HT, right? Otherwise this should have been posted in the 2 ch. section.

[Axz Hout]

r

[eth2]

Thank you

[CECAA850]

Srapp I'm not going lay it side ways.

He likes to plank his speakers, don't worry about him.

[ClaudeJ1]

You build PWK's resistor box

This is from the Dope from Hope info

That is the box I built over 35 years ago. The only change I made I omitting the post for the R and L channels and using tow 27 K resistors instead. You only need the potentiometer for the Center, since it will be trimmed to have less output than the flanks. To set it up, I used Al Dimeola's "Mediterranean Sundance" with Paco DiLucia in the left channel, Al on the right. Sit in the middle and turn up the center until the guitars move towards each other about 1/4 of the way in. You should be all set after that. Had that running for over 30 years with a LaScala in the middle. The schematic is exactly how PWK did his, I saw it and heard it.

PS: This question should have been in the 2-Channel area, not HT, which is a different thing.

Edited August 11, 2014 by ClaudeJ1

[swa99a]

Sorry about that . Thanks anyways