Center Speaker Question

[EdwardGein]

I've been happy for years (as any old member of this board might remember) with my Orb Audio Mod 1 Satellite and sub set up. With Blu-Ray though, unless I increase the volume greatly in the center speaker (all the 5 speakers are the same satellite speaker there's no center one made differently), dialogue seems to be lost on tru audio which I love. I'm therefore thinking of getting a Klipsch - Icon Dual 5-1/4" 2-Way Center-Channel Speaker to just replace my Orb speaker in the center. Will the fact that the Orb speakers are alot different than the Klipsch one mean that this combo won't work? Thanks for your opinions.

[Mr Peabody]

Sure it will work but panning of sound effects may not be as seamless. The Orb and Klipsch will have different sonic signatures. The difference I'm sure varies in how noticeable it becomes and how much it may, or may not, bug some one.

Good to see you.

[Worf101]

I've always run mismatched fronts. I've never had a center that has matched my mains. I've always preferred to have the clearest, most articulate center I can find no matter what brand or what size. When I was running Ohm Walsh F's and Platinum Audio Studio 3's as mains in my HT system, I used a Klpisch C-7 as my center. It's two honking 8's and big tweet meant that I never lacked for clean, clear and crisp center channel sound for movies. When I switched out my CRT for an LCD, space requrements meant the C-7 had to go. I found a lower profile Boston Acoustics Center that fills the bill.

Most here will tell you that matching front's are imperative, I don't think so, I've very rarely had sound panning across the front slow enough for the timbre differences to be that obvious, but I'm sure some will disagree with me.

Worf

[GMichael]

Is this only when you watch BR disks? Have you checked all the settings on the BR player? Maybe there is an output issue. Or maybe your receiver has different input settings for the BR player.

[EdwardGein]

Hi Oldtimers. Yeah, it's bizarre, I didn't have this "problem" with regular DVD or when I watch digital TV or even when I listen to CDS (I use all 5 channels and the sub which others don't approve of). Basically I had to change the settings for the center speaker when I watch Blu-Ray and listen in tru audio. I will reread the Blu-ray Manual, maybe I missed something in the process, glad you mentioned that- for some reason that never occurred to brain dead me! The good thing is, if I get this center speaker and I don't like it, I can resell it on Ebay for a small loss as it seems to be pretty popular. Years ago with my regular DVD, I tried 2 Orb Connected Speakers in the center and I didn't like the sound at all so I went back to my original set up.

I can't believe how much the prices on HDTV have gone down from when I first was on here till now. Even with my 48" Projection Mitsubishi TV which was around $1650 at the time and my 34" Panasonic CRT HDTV I think $1100 on sale way back then, I love these TV's!

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Ed,
You need a SPL meter so you can calibrate your speaker for identical output. Some questions.

Is your system calibrated for identical distance to the listening position? If the center speaker is further away than the L/R mains, you will have have problems hearing dialog clearly. If your center speaker is in a different acoustical environment(in a node or mode in the room) you will have problem hearing the dialog.

I would calibrate and meaure distance to get everything exactly right before considering another center speaker, especially a different one from another manufacturer than you current have.

[Mr Peabody]

Another thing I thought of, some receiver's have center channel EQ's. If yours does that would be an easy tweak to get the dialog up. Very odd it's just from Blu-ray. Are you using HDMI connections?

Yes, Worf, I disagree. Not intensely because I know there aren't many as picky as I. But have you ever heard matched fronts? For a long while I had an Audience center and Contour mains, I thought that would be close being at least from the same manufacturer. When I upgraded to the Contour center I realized how wrong I was. The cohesiveness is something you have to hear to understand. It's not just panning either. When I tried to merge my two systems when first using CJ, The center being ran by Arcam stuck out like a sore thumb to me. Hence, two completely different systems now. Of course, at the time all that was going on I still have my Primare 31.7 which was quite revealing.