cronuss Posted July 29, 2019 Share Posted July 29, 2019 I'm at my wits end at this point. I got an R-52C to match my R-620f and it just sounds so thin and tinny. It does match well on the high end, and upper mids. I tried an RP-400C and that matched beautifully on the lows and mids, but the upper end loses its sharpness and clarity. I got fed up and put in my R-51M bookshelf as a center. This sort of has the best of both, matches lows, mids, and highs... however, it can't keep up with my R-620f towers, and gets messier at higher volumes and doesn't hold up with the towers, and bring the system down a bit as a whole. What the heck am I supposed to do to match a decent center with this system? It is supposed to be the R-52C but I don't understand how anyone can use that, it is so flat and tinny that you lose the entire low end, but it seems there are no other good options to match with? The RP sounds great, but I think the tweeter aren't timbre matching or something as it leaves a hole in the high end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted July 29, 2019 Share Posted July 29, 2019 I conducted a long term study of center loudspeakers (that was unintended) starting about a decade ago. I started with Jubilees in the front room corners and no center loudspeaker. This doesn't work very well for speech intelligibility and off-axis viewing of the listening positions on either side of the centerline listening position. I eventually found that the center loudspeaker performance can be better, i.e., flatter frequency response, greater bass extension, better directivity vs. frequency in the midbass band (midbass here being about 100-500 Hz), lower distortion (harmonic, modulation, compression, phase/impulse/step) ...but not worse than the front left and right loudspeakers. I tried an original Reference series center loudspeaker (...on this one, I couldn't stop laughing once I heard it between the Jubs: it was like listening to a table radio), Heresy, Cornwall, Belle, tri-amped/DSP crossover Belle. All of these were poor substitutes for a center Jubilee. I used a JuBelle configuration (i.e., K-510 horn/2" compression driver and separate tweeter) which still had bass extension issues and apparent image width issues relative to the fronts, but would integrate in terms of timbre while in the center listening position(s). It wasn't until I developed a K-402-MEH that the problem was finally solved. The MEH is in some ways a better loudspeaker than the Jubs (in terms of its polar response and midbass coverage response). So the bottom line in this story is that you need a really good center loudspeaker. I actually recommend another loudspeaker of the same model as your fronts--even if you have to raise the TV screen higher and rock the listening chairs back to look above the center loudspeaker--thus effectively positioning the TV above the center loudspeaker on the wall--the same type loudspeaker as the fronts. I recommend rearranging your electronics and TV to accommodate this setup via moving all the electronics to one side of the room (which is much better for avoiding nearfield early reflections anyway). I think that you'll find the having the TV screen a little higher is actually a better solution for being able to solve the center loudspeaker conundrum. Horizontal center loudspeakers under the TV...I find just don't work very well (as you have also found), and you'll likely continue to be disappointed until you find a center loudspeaker that outperforms or matches the fronts (i.e., with a vertical driver arrangement, i.e., I wouldn't try to turn a front loudspeaker horizontally, because you'll wind up with other issues like horizontal lobing and loss of bass extension, as well as timbre matching issues in the midbass. JMTC. Chris 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cronuss Posted July 31, 2019 Author Share Posted July 31, 2019 Anyone know if the RC-62 II would match alright with the R-620f? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptorman Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 5 minutes ago, cronuss said: Anyone know if the RC-62 II would match alright with the R-620f? The RC62ll is a very good center speaker, highly regarded. It might not be an exact timbre match, but I think it would sound fine with your towers. I know you're having a hard time with matching your center with your surrounds, it almost sounds like a AVR calibration issue. There was a good deal on an RC64ll on here the other day, but they are more money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emile Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 On 7/29/2019 at 3:26 PM, Chris A said: Horizontal center loudspeakers under the TV...I find just don't work very well (as you have also found), and you'll likely continue to be disappointed until you find a center loudspeaker that outperforms or matches the fronts Totally agree. Tried many and was never satisfied till I used a center identical to L/R's. But ... have seen good reviews (never heard one) on the RC-7. Dual 8" woofers with a 1.75" horn driver ... last of the real center speakers ... no longer made; replaced by "smaller" stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClumbzeeB Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 On 8/1/2019 at 8:17 AM, Emile said: Totally agree. Tried many and was never satisfied till I used a center identical to L/R's. But ... have seen good reviews (never heard one) on the RC-7. Dual 8" woofers with a 1.75" horn driver ... last of the real center speakers ... no longer made; replaced by "smaller" stuff. I am lucky enough to own a RC-7. To me it compliments my RF-35's very nice to complete my front stage excluding my SVS PB-1000. With my RC-7 I cannot see myself ever giving up on it, if anything it will give up on me first. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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