2. home-theater
  3. 1353167513

big screen - two channel system enough for dialog?

If I have a large screen (100"+), will I need a dedicated center channel to hear dialog well??

My priority is music, and movies are mostly drama and comedies where dialog is critical. Surround effects are NOT a priority. Many folks here believe you can get much better value from 2 channel systems, but I am getting older and dialog intelligibility is key.

I am concerned about blu-rays needing to downmix from 5 to 2 channels and with such a big screen and separation of my mains, will two channels just make the dialog more diffuse??
tswei99
mechans
3,048 posts
 
I am just speculating but with that kind of separation and the nature of cinema dialog, a center channel will serve you well, as might a subwoofer.
I am a dedicated 2 channel person for music and don't own a home theater system, but in your case for movie dialog I would buy an absolutely and fairly substantial center channel. It should easily be the equivalent of your front mains, which I am guessing are going to be very high caliber gear.
zmanastronomy's avatar
zmanastronomy
738 posts
 
I agree with Mechans.
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
I too vote for a center channel for great dialog. I also have a large screen which I use with a Sony front projector. I tried just two channel, but as mentioned found the dialog off. So I added a center, same speaker as two channel. Did wonders. All speakers are driven by the same type of tube amps, mono block types. Getting the balance right will take some time and work. If the source has a center channel track it will still take some time, even if you use the balance computer software. Sometimes a blend of the right and left channels works just as well.
mitch4t's avatar
mitch4t
1,610 posts
 
.
I have a center channel in my system and I have a 240" screen. I've watched movies in stereo with only the front mains engaged and the dialog sounded just fine, and while watching the movie, having no center channel did not call attention to itself and I thoroughly enjoyed the movies.

Before I went whole hog and installed a surround system, I watched movies on a big screen in stereo for years and never had a problem with the dialog being unintelligible.
.
More to discover