Center Channels sound crappy


Why do center channels sound so crappy with music?

This is something that absoilutly baffles me...

I was talking to a KEF rep at SoundTrack audio, he said it is becuase they are designed for dialogue more than anything else.
What im wondering, is why can alot of center channels only give marginal preformance with music?
My front KEF Q1's do a fantastic job creating a phantom center channel, the dialogue is crisp and clear. They do a fantastic job on music as well.

Wouldnt it make more sence to just get another KEF Q1 for $225.00 and use that as a center instead of paying 350 for a speaker that does great voice but crappy musical preformance?

I know it was not the "center channel" amp either, it is on a DENON 3803 and all channels are identical, i was playing it with the 5/7ch stereo mode and all the speakers sounded great for music but the center channel really really sucked..

i noticed this with my past DefTech setup as well...

has anybody done a serious comparison between a center channel and a monitor of the same brand with same drivers and heard any vast improvement with the center speak with dialogue?

does it have anything to do with sound dispersion?

----- Slappys disclaimer-----
It was not my intent to offend anybody with the above post, im genuinly curious and hope it does not offend anybody becuase that is clearly not the intent. If so, please reffer to "My Apologies" thread which explains more.
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THANKS IN ADVANCE
slappy
When you lay a speaker on it's side as most center channel speakers are designed for, you have created a problem for good music reproduction. If your L/R front speakers are bookshelf types, lay them on their sides and listen to them in two channel, sound quality will drop like a rock if they are of the type with bass drivers at both ends and tweeter in the middle which almost all center channels of close to full range output are. I also agree With Brainwaters post on placement of center behind the fronts, mine are two feet behind with vertical placement.
Once i get a center channel that is worth a damn i will probably give that a try.
I think im going to skip the entire "Center speaker" altogether and get anotehr KEF Q1 monitor and use that on the center channel...

Hey Brainwater, the more i think about your handle, the more it freaks me out. I mean come on. Brain Water. Eww.. Makes my eyes tear up just thinking about it. heheheh no offence intended!
Slappy,

"I know it was not the "center channel" amp either, it is on a DENON 3803 and all channels are identical, i was playing it with the 5/7ch stereo mode and all the speakers sounded great for music but the center channel really really sucked.."

I used to have a Denon 3802 with Paradigm Studio 60v2 fronts, Studio CCv2 center, a pair of Mission 700 bookshelf speakers for the rear, and a Paradigm PW-2200 subwoofer. I found that when I listened in the 5-channel "stereo" mode, the center channel sounded weak and somewhat "mushy" while the other 4 speakers sounded good. I, at first, thought that the speaker was defective. To try this theory out, I disconnected one of the Studio 60's and put the center channel in its place. Sounds good! What the hell is going on? OK, thought I, it has to be the center amp w/in the Denon. I took the Denon back to the audio store where I bought it and told them the story. They ran some tests while I was there and damn if the center channel amp was fine. About 10 seconds after the final test, the owner rolled his eyes and said that, yes, of course the center channel sounds relatively bad compared to the other 4 speakers. The center channel has to go through, by definition, a DSP from a stereo input. In other words, it is a half-baked blend of the stereo input!
That makes sense, thought I.

Regards,
Huh.....

makes sense i guess.... ya know i really diddnt think of that...

The amps are all identical, so i ruled the reciever out of the problem, but you are right, for the 5ch sereo it has DSP it into a channel....

that must be some real CRAPPY dsp for that mode...

i think i might play around with that tonight. put one of my Q1s into the center position.

The center channel is only really used for dialogue on 5/6/7.1 setups, i never really checked to see if it plays with DSP modes, i really only listen to music in stereo without any DSP. normally with the PURE DIRECT function.

I bet that is it. I havent listened to any DVD-A on it yet, cause in dont have the 6 cables needed and dont have the cash to get em yet, so im using digital coaz which wont carry the DVD-A signal...

thanks for the info! that gives me more to think about
Slappy,

Following your DVD-A thoughts, I had a Sony SCD-C555ES multichannel SACD player hooked up into a Denon 3802 via the 6 cables. The recordings that were multichannel sounded just fine through the center channel.

Regards,