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Why Do People Keep Referring to a Single Rear Effects Speaker as a Rear Center Channel?


Frzninvt

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There is no such thing as a Rear Center Channel! In the true sense of the definition meaning a single rear speaker dedicated to dialogue portion of the soundtrack as is the front center channel. It is a single rear effects/surround speaker people! There are no receivers/processors out there that provide outputs for a TRUE front and rear center channel that I am aware of. So why in the world do people insist on calling it a rear center? I am using a pair of speakers for the Side Effects/Surrounds, a pair of speakers for the (A) Rear Surrounds and a pair of speakers for the (B) Rear Surrounds. I don't call my Side Effects speakers rear centers because they are not. What gives? I did experiment at one time by using a "Y" adapter coming out of the receiver's center channel output to feed two mono block amps and run a front and rear center which helped for poorly mixed DVD's but dismantled it because I felt it was taking away from the way the way the soundtrack was intended to sound. So explain to me why people insist on using the term rear center when this is truly NOT what it is? Thoughts?

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Ohhhhhh... Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

I think I have referred to it a rear center only because at one time I only had one rear and I had it centered on my wall. Hence, rear center channel. 2.gif

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I did not mean to sound pissed off or anything m00n man I am just wondering why people call it that, when it is not. Things that make you go hmmmmmm. The term is also used quite regularly here on the BB. I was just hoping someone could provide me a justifiable explanation is all. m00n is your sub amp on the way to being fixed? Hope they can turn it around quickly for you.

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I suggest that the amp manufacturers' constant referral to the single rear effects channel as "rear center" is the cause of the problem. If I say "rear effects channel", people wonder what the hell I'm talking about. If I point to the back of the amp and say (as it states on the back of the amp) "rear center", they go "ahh - that's what you meant"

Abuse of terms starts with the equipment manufacturers 2.gif

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----------------

On 6/4/2003 4:36:58 PM netnut wrote:

Moon,with all defernce to Frzninvt,you broke me up with your wrong side of the bed line otfl
:)

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Yeah? Oh that was mellow... What I really wanted to ask him was "Who pissed in your Wheaties this morning"? But was not sure how he would take that. 2.gif

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Frzninvt,

Dolby 6.1 & 5.1 ES offer the option of a discrete rear center, depending on the MFG of you receiver/decoder. My Yamaha has the option of a rear center channel, not a single rear center, but the addition of a rear center between the rear surround channels. Some decoders are set up for addition side channels, instead of the rear center. For non-6.1 or 5.1ES, the Yammy will matrix the sound from the right and left surrounds and create a independent phantom rear center channel. Is this what your talking about or did I miss your point completely??

4.gif

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Because it IS a rear center channel. Whether dialogue is passed to the channel should have no bearing on what to call it. It's a front center channel, not a dialogue speaker.

DTS ES Discrete (6.1) material does send a unique signal to this speaker.

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Uh, No Mark, it is a rear effects channel speaker (or speakers) placed in the rear center position as explained above. The front center channel is also the primary source of dialogue in most if not all DVD soundtracks. However, you are correct that it is supplied unique signals when playing back a DTS ES (6.1) or Dolby Digital 6.1 encoded DVD. It is unfortunate that not a whole lot of DVD's are not encoded in the DTS ES or DD 6.1 format. I certainly can understand why folks call it a rear center though it eliminates the need for a detailed explanation especially when conversing with people that don't have extensive knowledge or background in Home Theater. Thanks for the clarifications.

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  • 3 weeks later...

My .02 is that the designation of this 'sixth' channel would matter a great deal. If the sound engineer mixes this such that it is truly a center rear channel, ie a mono mix of both left and right rear channels, or a third discreet channel in the rear soundstage, it would be treated similarly to the front center channel and would thusly require a somewhat beamy upper mid and high end so that the sound could BE LOCALIZED BY THE HUMAN EAR, ie, you would want toknow what direction the sound came from because this information would be important to he soundstage. A RC7 or similar speaker would be called for.

If on the other hand, this sixth channel is used as a discreet effects channel, it would by necessity require a speaker system whose dispersion pattern was very diffuse, so that the listen COULD NOT TELL EXACTLY where the sound was coming from. RS5 would be an appropriate design for this speaker.

In the long run, engineers do not have a written set of rules they must follow, so the chances are that some soundtracks (and multi-channel audio discs) may be mixed in either of the examples above. Similar to the old debate of direct versus reflected sound (Klipsch vs yech Bose) or bipolar vs dipolar surrounds, the ultimate choice is probably that of the listener and their favorite source material, IMHO! Above all, just have FUN being an equipment junkie- Klipsch- collect em all- it's a set!

Michael2.gif

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