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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
merge038346
73 posts
 
It's a shame that Dunlavy is no more. Their HRCC center channel is phenomenal with music/HT. It is essentially as SC-IVa "squished".

Dynaudio also makes a monster center, but it is even more money than the Dunlavy was.

Both of these demonstrate that it can be done, but it ends up just being a huge full sized speaker when done right.
avguygeorge
2,300 posts
 
Thanks for clearing the center speaker usage 30 years ago, thing. First on your block I'll bet. --- I had Aerial 10ts and the cc3. Sold that stuff. Got Montana and VonSwierket lcr35 as a center.---So much for matching the center--- Made the Aerial sound like a toy speaker. So there are some good center speakers out there.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Avguygeorge...30 years? I have been using a center speaker (same model as left and right) ever since I moved into my house in 1961. The living room has two french doors in the wall, and the doors are right where stereo speakers would go. This leaves three narrow pieces of wall. Speakers on the left and right wall sections would be too far apart, but a third speaker in the center solves the problem.

Even further back in time, say 1947, a "High End" system that I heard often (was forced to listen to) had two speakers, positioned as we do now for stereo, although the program was only mono.
paaz1000
1 posts
 
Most cc speakers are designed with two mid/bass drivers and a tweeter in the middle allowing for easier placement on top of tv's. This is your basic d'appolito configuration. The problem is that freq. response changes as you move either left or right of 0 degrees on axis due to differing distances between the two woofers. It's convenient for placement and that's about all. Years ago I was a factory rep for "Allison Acoustics" and they had us use a demo of all three drivers in their system in separate enclosures. As soon as you would move the midrange driver back an inch or two from the rest of the drivers the sound changed completely. Also, having the speaker placed on top of something causes reflections off of what it's on
oldmanshuckle's avatar
oldmanshuckle
18 posts
 
I had a KEF reference 100 center working with Totem Mite T and it sounded crappy. Replaced it with a Totem Mite TC and the sound improve greatly
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