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Infamous216

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So there were two guys... A Klipsch guy and a "Authorized dealer."  They both told me I was under powering.  So I went and upgraded my receiver, which is ok because I kind of got the one I really wanted.  More bells and whistles...  

 

They both told me to stay with the Klipsch brand but they both somewhat said the G series would be the closest match.  

 

I've seen a few other threads where people are using a third tower as their center channel as rebuy mentioned up above.  I heard music studios also do that.  Is the tower really meant or fully capable of being a center channel?  I assumed they were built just a hair differently to produce the different sound you are looking for?  Or is that me just assuming again?  haha...  Or is it more of the receiver working out the different sound for center vs fronts?

 

Sorry for all the newbie ish questions.  I try staying technically astute but I've been out of the speaker realm for quite some time.  

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He said a Klipsch guy. I assumed he meant a Klipsch employee. He then mentioned talking to the other guy. Sounded like two different people. Either way there are MANY other things recently that are just starting to get to me.

The parts guy with his insistence that lower power causes voice coil problems is not good. That shouldn't happen...especially from someone working the parts phone.

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I've seen a few other threads where people are using a third tower as their center channel as rebuy mentioned up above.  I heard music studios also do that.  Is the tower really meant or fully capable of being a center channel?  I assumed they were built just a hair differently to produce the different sound you are looking for?  Or is that me just assuming again?  haha...  Or is it more of the receiver working out the different sound for center vs fronts?

Matching towers are the best center channel you can get if you're running towers as your mains. Horizontal center channels are always a compromise. Not only do towers perfectly match, well, your other towers, but the drivers are in a vertical orientation. The problem with horizontal is that "lobing" can and does occur. Basically depending on where you sit in the room, depending on which angle you are at, certain frequencies will get boosted or cut because drivers on the other side of the center are cancelling out sounds from ones closer to you. The human ear is much less sensitive to these things with a vertical alignment. This is why quad woofer Klipsch centers have two different crossover points. The ones on the outside are crossed over lower as to prevent lobing. Basically the further apart, the larger the drivers, and the higher the crossover, the worse this effect is.

But hey, let's be realistic, unless you have an acoustically transparent screen, running an actual tower is probably not a possibility. Next best thing is short cinema type of speakers like KL-650-THX's lined up in a row under the screen. Otherwise if you have a TV and towers, you usually don't have a choice.

Edited by MetropolisLakeOutfitters
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I would love to be able to go to a store that actually had all these different setups... Bose had some neat demonstrations back in the day but I'd like to hear the differences with all these configurations.  The Best Buy near me has the weakest home theater department I've ever seen! 

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I would love to be able to go to a store that actually had all these different setups... Bose had some neat demonstrations back in the day but I'd like to hear the differences with all these configurations.  The Best Buy near me has the weakest home theater department I've ever seen!

I'm in Cleveland Ohio

You're looking in the wrong places. Best Buy and the other box stores will never have what you're looking for. Try to find custom installers and specialty audio shops who know what they're doing.

http://www.soundandvisionohio.com/showrooms.htm

They are in Cleveland and have multiple showrooms, even carry Klipsch.

Although, you'd be surprised at how many places like that simply are not on board with acoustically transparent screens and matching LCR's.

Second caveat, you probably won't find the real cheap lines.

Edited by MetropolisLakeOutfitters
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I've seen a few other threads where people are using a third tower as their center channel as rebuy mentioned up above.  I heard music studios also do that.  Is the tower really meant or fully capable of being a center channel?  I assumed they were built just a hair differently to produce the different sound you are looking for?  Or is that me just assuming again?  haha...  Or is it more of the receiver working out the different sound for center vs fronts?

Matching towers are the best center channel you can get if you're running towers as your mains. Horizontal center channels are always a compromise. Not only do towers perfectly match, well, your other towers, but the drivers are in a vertical orientation. The problem with horizontal is that "lobing" can and does occur. Basically depending on where you sit in the room, depending on which angle you are at, certain frequencies will get boosted or cut because drivers on the other side of the center are cancelling out sounds from ones closer to you. The human ear is much less sensitive to these things with a vertical alignment. This is why quad woofer Klipsch centers have two different crossover points. The ones on the outside are crossed over lower as to prevent lobing. Basically the further apart, the larger the drivers, and the higher the crossover, the worse this effect is.

But hey, let's be realistic, unless you have an acoustically transparent screen, running an actual tower is probably not a possibility. Next best thing is short cinema type of speakers like KL-650-THX's lined up in a row under the screen. Otherwise if you have a TV and towers, you usually don't have a choice.

 

 

 

A tower can be used as a center.  The majority of consumers are not running all towers in the HT.  Most use bookshelf or a combination of towers and bookself speakers.  Horizontal center speakers work find and are very practical.  Most setups can't accomodate a tower for the center.  Also, depending on the tower, unwanted bass can mess up the volcals (female).  A horizontal center or tower can be used with excellent results.  Good setup is the key.

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A tower can be used as a center.  The majority of consumers are not running all towers in the HT.  Most use bookshelf or a combination of towers and bookself speakers.  Horizontal center speakers work find and are very practical.  Most setups can't accomodate a tower for the center.  Also, depending on the tower, unwanted bass can mess up the volcals (female).  A horizontal center or tower can be used with excellent results.  Good setup is the key.

I was geeking out and probably got a little too technical for the OP, but, he did ask.

I totally agree with the idea that most setups can't accommodate a third tower, that's why I said you don't really have a choice. That's not to say they're not a compromise. Look at the off-axis response of them sometime. With some designs it's very obvious just by listening.

Actually just read this, notice the second chart and the two paragraphs below it.

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/89-speakers/2128818-can-klipsch-speaker-actually-meet-s-specs-no-can-t.html

Horizontal centers can sound very good in terms of frequency response especially if you're straight ahead of it, but vertical alignment is better for off-axis listening.

Some more reading on this subject:

http://www.seymourav.com/centerbestpractice.asp

""In every case where we measured a center channel speaker with redundant horizontal drivers we were able to improve the smoothness of its horizontal frequency response in that range by reorienting the speaker vertically."

"To get the most cohesive performance out of perhaps the most important channel in your home theater, strive for getting a center channel that is identical to your mains." "

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