Center Channel needs to handle bass?

Betelgeus:

Unless you are also using a "full range" pair of stereo speakers (meaning that these speakers must be capable of putting out some bass also (something in the upper 20 Hz. to about 40 Hz.)) as your main channels, the center channel doesn't need have deep bass capabilty. What the center channel speaker is used for in a home theater is to carry the a huge weight of the dialog that's encoded into the movie itself, and that's it. Things like helicopter engines, thunderstorms, explosions, car crashes and other sounds like them (with regard to rumbling room shaking deep bass) should be handled by a subwoofer. Bass frequencies are unidirectional in nature and they have no sense of direction when it comes to the soundtracks in movies. They're there if they are there. If not, then, I guess they aren't there to begin with.

I just put in another opinion in the ring. I hope I was just as helpful as the other two poster before me.

--Charles--

I somewhat disagree with the above posts. I am running a trio of Energy Veritas, 2.8's as right and left, and one 1.8 as center, with a pair of 1.8's as rears.

THIS MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE as faily loud volumes. But, with that said, the surrounds made the least. The center channel DOES see its fair share of bass, depending on the movie and the volume.

I love the 1.8 as a center, but then again if the person using C6's ran those up front with another C6 as center,
again, GREAT results. The Energy AC-300 center does not compare in either of these situations.

I have also run 3 B&W 802's as a front trio, and again, FAR better than the HTM center they designed as a center.
These situations all take money, space, and power, but if you can do it, you might be surprised at how much low end comes from the center. Keep in mind, this is a fairly loud listening levels!

Happy listening.....

Dan

If you eventually get into 5 channel audio, (SACD...DVD-A) you will want all speakers to handle bass well if possible. For all practical purposes, make sure that your center can get down to at least 60 Hz, and preferably 40 Hz. The perception that center channels are mostly for dialogue can be misleading, all sorts of sound comes through them, even though dialogue is pre-eminent.

YES - the center channel will definitely benefit from being able to handle bass! I recently upgraded my center channel from an NHT VT1-C to an Aerial CC5, and the jump in sound quality was nothing short of amazing. Voices now have more body and depth to them, and you definitely do hear more "oomph!" from the center. I have my crossover set to 40hz for the center, the rest goes to my sub.