Anyone going Phantom Center Channel?


Just wondering if anyone out there is skipping the center channel and running in phantom? I have a pair of A-1 soundlabs with pretty big soundstage and dispersion and am thinking of just running rear surround for when I watch movies and skipping the center channel. Anyone out there doing this?
lance_s
Lance_s...Laying a Maggie on its side is a no-no! When I ordered my three Maggies, and the dealer explained that I would be using one for a center channel the manufacturer threw a fit until it was clearly stated that it would be in the upright position.
Just remember unless you use the exact same speaker for the center as you do for the mains - then it is automatically a form of compromise....for a single viewer or a couple on a sofa well back from the speakers then Phantom is the lesser of evils,IMHO. Of course phantom is a form of compromise too...
interesting on the maggie on the side info. MYE actually makes a stand for it on their website for just such a setup. I don't doubt the factory told you not to do it, just interesting they build a stand for it. Also wondering why the speaker would care if it's straight up or laying down.

I agree there is a compromise when going with different speakers. But it's difficult to get an A-1 as a center channel :-). My next closest thought was a maggie.
Lance_s...With the Maggie (or any line array speaker) on its side, the dispersion is all wrong.
Another point..Although I am a strong advocate of having a center speaker identical to the mains, this reflects my music listening. For movies there is some advantage in a center speaker with limited and/or shaped frequency response which makes speech more inteligible. Such a speaker is easier to place, and does not have to be regarded as a compromise (for movies).