Center speaker OR Full range as Center speaker?

Rysa4, you make a good statement: "But I am referring to getting a center actually designed well, (not cheaply or offhand by a non-HT focused manufacturer) and matched. A good center is not a speaker on its side and is not designed that way." Unfortunately, this is a principle rarely adhered to. The vast majority of dedicated centers are inferior in design. Aside from specific cases, I'd sooner make the general advise I did than recommend the "matching center channel from the same manufacturer."

As for the choice between full range and one with limited bass (regardless of physical configuration), my choice is dictated by the fact that I am more concerned with SACD and DVD-A reproduction of music than with HT. So, for me, full range or pretty close to it.

Kal

Thanks Kal. I agree with your post entirely. For multi-channel audio, fullrange is obvious and also assume dipole/bipole is out as well in that instance for surrounds.

WE have been so focused on left and right channels for so many decades and its gotten to where there is some really nice stuff out there at many price points. It really isn't suprising that quality enginerring for a center channel speaker simply lags in the majority of cases in the consumer market.

Hi all,

Thank you very much for your responses. I really enjoy reading all these interesting responses. My current HT setup is a 5.2, and I do have a dedicated center. Similar to the B&W wall series, my full range speakers are the AR Phantom 8.3 series. They are ~ 4" thick, 28" long, 12" wide. Drivers are 1" titanium tweeter, 2" magalloy mid, 8" Illusion Audio TM carbon woofer. FR 45Hz-20kHz, 89dB sensitive, 50-250W power handling.

At this time, all full range speakers are mounted vertically on the wall. If I mount another full range as the center, it has to be mounted horizontally for the WAF. What this means to me is that midrange will be center while the woofer will be to the left as the tweeter is to the right, or vice versa. I listen to DVD-A & concert DVD in DTS. I am wondering if mounting the full range horizontally will have any sonically adverse affect?

How do you guys do it? I have a 42" plasma. Would you please advise me on what to do, i.e. to use the full-range center or dedicated center? Thank you all for shedding some lights on me.

My experience has been that, ideally, 3 matching across the front is best. That however needs to be quantified in the context of the system/room/setup. Basically, a lot of full range speakers, or mini's for that matter, aren't really all that capable of producing solid, dynamic, coherent, and focused sound, period!...inlarge, they make ineffective movie speakers IMO. And I've sold alot of audoiphile speakers over the years.
There is something to be said for a good speaker for movies vs. just for music. Dual midrange/bass woofers, or others.
Having reinforced midrange, bass and treble drivers, either using horns, or dual/multiple mid/bass drivers, multiple tweeters, large pannels, and/or high efficiency designs in general(like active's, horns, multiple driver array's, etc) often make for a more solid home theater speaker. This is especially true in the critical center channel, where a lot of action is mixed!
Basically, there are a number of designs that are just to week, laid back, uninvolving, "open", and polite sounding do to true justice to what I call "the hard stuff"!
But, there are considerations.
If you have to use a traditional designed stereo speaker for HT dubties, they most always work much better not only crossed over as "small", but used in a smaller setting, or where you sit acoustically "closer" to the speakers...thus you hear more dirrect sound vs. reflected sound from the room boundaries. This tends to "reinforce" the sound from the speakers more for your ears.
Still, all things equal, I'd say it depends greatly on the design of the speakers.
Also, since most typical full range consumer home audio speakers are passive, and low on efficiency/sensitivity, it often makes for better control and powerhandling when you cross over the speakers as "small", and dictate the more demanding dynamic bass info for an "active" speaker, like a powered subwoofer.
Now I have head some full rangers that do pretty darn well as "full range", and as center channels. Big Dunlavy's, Avantgard horns, PSB Stratus Gold's, Infinity Prelude MTS's,NHT VT3's(powered subs) and other powered models, maybe a wilson WATT PUPPY, and other larger, higher efficiency designs.
Ok, this is all my experience, and you can really do what you want. I just think some designs don't do it so well.

I use a dedicated center for HT. It is placed on a non-enclosed shelf with tweeter near the level and in plane with the tweeters on my mains. There are also stands for the center alone as an alternative.

I use an entirely different rig and room for 2 channel audio. HT mixes I found required different positioning than 2 channel audio. Also signal processing for HT by a Denon is needed for my HT ( or any A/V receiever- I just use Denon). My audio rig is driven by a dedicated class A amp. Neither could do the others job very well.

For the HT- I use two subs, in the front corners facing each other behind and to the side of the mains. The mains and center use identical drivers, both tweeters and woofers. Extension is to 45 HZ which I dont consider full range. Subs flat to 25hz, usable to 24. They are sealed.
Surrounds use same tweeter as the rest, but a smaller woofer.

I do not listen to much multi-channel music. The DVD-As I do have I listen to the DTS track instead.