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What Center Channel are you using in your Home Theater?

Hi all you Home Theater enthusiasts out there. I am looking for your help and experience!

I am using an all GoldenEar set up in my HT, with Triton Ones for my front L & R

their XXL center channel

with their in-wall for sides and rears, and even have 4 Atmos speakers in my ceiling, with an additional center channel above my XXL in the ceiling.

The reason I have put a 2nd CC in the ceiling is that I just do not hear the dialogue very clearly from my XXL on the floor.

Look, I have heard many times that one has to have the same matching speakers for the front BUT I really watch a lot of movies and believe that I were to get a really clear center, I would be ahead of the game as the dialogue would be clearer, and I could then hear the voices better than what I have now.

I am an "older" gentlemen, (now those 2 words really bother me, but I may as well be as honest as I can with all of you), so what I want is to hear the dialogue as well as possible. As my HT is dark, I am really not as concerned if the speakers do not match as no one will "see" them, we only "hear" them.

What would you suggest that I get? In your opinion, what are the best center channels out there now?

Steve

PS

I am upgrading my front L & R to the GoldenEar Triton Reference shortly, so now is the time to get a new CC if possible.
I am using a Classé 5300 to push my front 3 channels + my rears.
128x128eternalcamper
speakersninja's avatar
speakersninja
3 posts
 
A Top-notch channel speaker has a premium quality tweeter that produces high frequencies so that you can hear a clear sound at high volume. It has sophisticated woofers that replicate the sound and produce it clearly and more dynamically. The center channel speaker should have a clear cut crisp sound quality that provides clear audio quality and high quality.

Here is The List of Top 10 Best Center Channel Speakers For Your Home Theatre

1. Polk Audio Blackstone TL1
2. Polk Audio T30
3. Pioneer SP-C22
4. Cerwin-Vega SL-45C
5. KEF Q650c
6. Yamaha NS-C210BL
7. Polk Audio CS10
8. Definitive Technology Procenter 1000
9. Polk Audio CS1
10. Pioneer Elite SP-EC73
axememan's avatar
axememan
279 posts
 
Big Klipsch RC64 or RP440 series..whatever you can find.The big Persona Paradigm centers look like they could carry some dialogue.Bryston AC or Tc Series Centers look good as well.
big_greg
6,669 posts
 
I have a mixed 2 channel / home theater system.  When watching TV, I often don't turn on the two monoblocks or my preamp that my 2 front speakers are connected to, so the only thing coming from the front is my Klipsch RC-7.  Dialogue is very clear and dynamic.

I used to be a "Klipsch guy", but have moved away from Klipsch, other than that I still have some Klipsch speakers for surround speakers.  The RC-7 though is one of the few things in my system that I never give any thought to upgrading.
deep_333
1,537 posts
 
A 2nd center channel on the ceiling and the primary center channel on the floor seems very absurd! Stop complicating things, lose the 2nd center for a minute and get a good stand for the main center channel sitting on the floor. There are good stands with angle spacers that should help you aim it directly at your ear level.

If the above mentioned change is insufficient on its own, boost the center channel level by 3dB or more when you’re watching movies (after you've run your receiver's calibration). Have you tried this before?

You don’t mention what receiver you have. But, as an alternative to boosting center channel levels, receivers like the Yamaha Aventage series have features like dialogue level boost (0 through 3), dialogue lift, etc (VERY USEFUL IMO) on the digital end that you can play with. See if you can get your hands on a Yamaha RX-A3080 if you don’t have one. It has enough features to overwhelm a noob, But, these features are soooo useful once you figure out how to work it.
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