Center or Phantom Center?????

Hbrandt- Yes; and don't bother. Ditched my center channel speaker a couple of years ago. My front left right speakers image very well and even off-axis listeners have the dialog anchored to the screen. I think the eye-brain relationship comes into this also. Spend the money on more DVDs.

For movies in 5.1 DTS or Dolby Digital, I prefer using the center channel. Everything in Mono, Stereo, and Pro Logic, I use the Phantom center. I usually switch off the surrounds as well, in these modes.
Sonny

Dosen't mixing the center channel info into the L&R channels cause phase cancelation?

Boldstrummer...No. This is the same mixing that recording engineers do when that make stereo recordings from multitack original recordings.

HBrandt-

How did your Phantom vs. Real Center Channel Test go?

I have an EAD TheaterMaster as well, and just had to send my Talon Falcon C center channel speaker back to the factory to get it shielded. I really miss it, as my EAD doesn't seem to like being setup without a center when Dolby Digital or DTS signals are decoded. It gets very quiet compared to the same material in Down-mixed 'Digital Stereo', 2-chnl Stereo or Matrix modes, requiring a big change in volume between modes. And - before you ask - it IS sending the center information to the L/R mains, as I can hear all the dialog.

In all other modes, the center image provided by the EAD is just terrific - even way off-axis - enough so that I too would consider doing without a CC if it weren't for the fact that this configuration doesn't seem to work great with DD 5.1 signals as described. As it is, I want my center channel back NOW!

Maybe I don't have my EAD setup for Phantom mode correctly? Not sure - but it won't stay in this configuration much longer, anyway ....

BTW - I REALLY like the TheaterMaster. It's kinda daunting to learn the menu/interface, but the results are truly worth it.