Do you ...Center Channel?


Hello,

To me it is difficult to set a center speaker in the living room. Underneath the TV would be too low. On top of the TV (LCD) would be unpractical because in may case the center channel would be fairly big and heavy.

I imagine that most of you, living in homes with a dedicated room, you have no issue. How about all the others like me, with limited space, would you have the center channel at all and go with a four speakers setup and set the preamp to 'No Center'? Or would you compromise in some other ways?
Thanks.

Regards,
baam23f
Does anyone know if the Outlaw Audio ICBM-1 can be used without the center channel in a 4.0 configuration for multichannel music?
Baam23f,

Huh? That is an analog device...forget it.

You need a DSP....this will allow you to precisely configure what you send to each speaker, including how you roll off each individual speaker and how you treat center information, subwoofer information and matrix process the surrounds...no way I would use an analog device for this purpose....forget it...the filtering and processing (none)is so limited on an anlog device!
Really? It is an analog device specifically because it can take multiple analog inputs and bass manage them. That's all! There is no matrixing or other processing included or needed.

Any DSP device to accomplish the same or more would require additional A/D/A conversions which would be redundant and compromising.

Now, if you can come up with a DSP-based bass management accessory that will handle CD, DVD, SACD and DVD-A sources, let us know.

Kal
Any DSP device to accomplish the same or more would require additional A/D/A conversions which would be redundant and compromising.

I am not aware of any current consumer HT multi-channel source that is not digital (DVD, SACD).

It begs the question as to why would you use analog bass management or combine analog signals to generate a phantom center channel when digital processing is much more flexible, precise and low cost (can do almost anything mathematically that software will allow).

As for A to D conversions - these can be done extremely accurately and without loss/compromise, given today's electronics (for example you want to get bass management from two channel analog data from an old analog two channel source such as a casette deck or TT). However, for digital devices, taking a digital out to a DSP from a digital source is probably the most sensible option rather than an A to D conversion.

Personally I don't think the compromises are so significant as the limitations of an analog filtering circuit and analog mixer. I don't have a stigma about digital being bad but I understand that many audiophiles feel that digital is the dark side...if you feel digital is the dark side then I agree that you should go with an all analog setup.