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rightaway
09-30-2011, 06:15 PM
i have:
denon 2307ci
adcom 555
Dynaudio Audience 60's
yahama center channel
cheap $29 speakers for rear fill.
klh 10" sub.

it kinda sounds flat, not bright. i think its my center channel.

rightaway
09-30-2011, 06:43 PM
i have a friend that will sell me his - Polk CS400 Center Channel for $100 or should i keepo looking?

StevenSurprenant
09-30-2011, 07:16 PM
The best thing you can do is to get a center channel from Dynaudio that matches your main speakers. They will integrate better. Well worth the cost.

If you use any center speaker that sounds different, it will not create a seamless sound stage.

Blackraven's advice is also good depending on how critical you are about HT. As he said, pay special attention to voice clarity for a center speaker.

blackraven
09-30-2011, 07:22 PM
Here's what you should consider doing. If you can't afford a Dynaudio center its not the end of the world. It all depends upon how anal you are about having matching speakers for HT use. I use a B&W center with my Magnepan fronts, but HT is just an after thought for me. 2ch music is what is important to me. While the B&W does not integrate well, it has very clear dialog and once I'm involved in a movie you don't notice that the speakers are different. I'm not overly criticla of HT. But getting back to you. Take home the Polk and compare it to the Yamaha. See which one sounds closer to the Dynaudio's or which one has the best sound for the all important dialog of the movies. Some center channel speakers are terrible with human speech and are difficult to understand unless you turn it up way loud! If you are going to use 7.1 though, I would keep all the rear channels the same at least.

rightaway
10-01-2011, 01:05 PM
i cant find a Dynaudio's center channel used. if somebody can please post a link. the only one on ebay is like $17,800. no way. i would pay up to $300 for a nice center speaker.

rightaway
10-01-2011, 01:24 PM
how do Klipsch center compare. it sounded nice at best buy but not sure how it would all work together

StevenSurprenant
10-02-2011, 06:10 AM
Never mind, the ad has been removed.

However, here is one store that sells them, but nowhere near the $300 that you want to spend. Dedicated Audio - Multi Channel Speakers (http://www.dedicatedaudio.com/multi_channel_speakers)

Other than that, they do pop up every so often, so you might want to wait and keep checking.

rightaway
10-02-2011, 06:24 AM
to bad i would have emailed him about it. why is it so hard to find this center channel?

StevenSurprenant
10-02-2011, 10:55 AM
Till you get a different center, you should use your receivers EQ adjustment on just the center (assuming you receiver allows that) to make it sound as close to your mains as possible.

Also make sure your distance and sound levels are set correctly.

rightaway
10-02-2011, 11:13 AM
i'm still looking for a new center. mine does not give me the sound that i'm looking for.

Poultrygeist
10-02-2011, 02:27 PM
I've got an almost new Monitor Audio center I'll sell cheap but don't know how it will match with what you have. I'm selling it as I'm building a center to match my horns.

rightaway
10-02-2011, 03:06 PM
what model and and much shipped? any pictures?

StevenSurprenant
10-03-2011, 05:39 AM
I'm just curious...

zieglj01 on AVS forum suggested a Dynaudio X22 on ebay - Dynaudio X22 Center Speaker | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dynaudio-X22-Center-Speaker-/140614336238?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item20bd447eee#ht_500wt_1159)

Why not that one?

rightaway
10-03-2011, 07:28 AM
that you. i placed a bid on it. i also bid on a Paradigm CC 390‏. it sounds nice at my friends house but he has different speakers. but i like the full sound that it gives.

blackraven
10-03-2011, 08:07 AM
Rightaway, If you can't find a dynaudio center, just buy what sounds good to you. Even if you find a dynaudio center, if it is not in the same speaker model line then it may not match the sound of your models. Look for one that has good tone and clear dialog.

Sir Terrence the Terrible
10-03-2011, 08:21 AM
Till you get a different center, you should use your receivers EQ adjustment on just the center (assuming you receiver allows that) to make it sound as close to your mains as possible.

Also make sure your distance and sound levels are set correctly.

You cannot EQ a timbre match. Either the center speaker timbrally matches, or it does not. Using EQ to make that match will make the overall result worse. Timbre is usually matched in the midrange and tweeter, two areas where you SHOULD NOT use EQ at all.

StevenSurprenant
10-03-2011, 09:55 AM
You cannot EQ a timbre match. Either the center speaker timbrally matches, or it does not. Using EQ to make that match will make the overall result worse. Timbre is usually matched in the midrange and tweeter, two areas where you SHOULD NOT use EQ at all.

No one said it would be perfect, just better.

Worf101
10-03-2011, 09:55 AM
I've never had a matching center. I did manage to score matching center for my Platinum Audio Studio 3's but they're currently doing basement duty. My first center was a Klipsch C-7, big, massive, twin 8's that was one great all round center. However my move to LCD required a low-pro center solution. I wound up going with a Boston Accoustics Center Channel that seems to match well with my current mains, ADS 1290's. ADS never made a center channel for my current mains soooo mix and match as always for me.

Worf

Baniebs
10-04-2011, 08:09 PM
Get some better speakers yo

rightaway
10-09-2011, 03:31 PM
i ended up getting a Paradigm CC 390‏ center speaker. it sounds great. i just thought it would have more bass response with 4 5" speakers. but over all i like it and love the look.

StevenSurprenant
10-09-2011, 08:55 PM
i ended up getting a Paradigm CC 390‏ center speaker. it sounds great. i just thought it would have more bass response with 4 5" speakers. but over all i like it and love the look.

Great! As long as they work for you then you did the right thing. Congrats!

JimMueller
10-19-2011, 10:25 AM
i have a friend that will sell me his - Polk CS400 Center Channel for $100 or should i keepo looking?

That CS400 would work well with my legacy Polk SDA's, any chance your friend is still interested in selling his CS400?

hifitommy
10-19-2011, 09:27 PM
its exceedingly important to get a tonal match between the center and the left and right front channel speakers. i became painfully aware of the center when it did not do so. i removed the center speaker and rely on phantom center fill which is much better in comparison.

as far as i have heard, dynaudio speakers are very flat so that is what you must strive for.

JoeE SP9
10-20-2011, 07:19 AM
its exceedingly important to get a tonal match between the center and the left and right front channel speakers. i became painfully aware of the center when it did not do so. i removed the center speaker and rely on phantom center fill which is much better in comparison.

as far as i have heard, dynaudio speakers are very flat so that is what you must strive for.

+1 on that.
I don't have the space for a timbre matched esl center channel. Over the past few years I've tried several other speakers as a center channel. I've always gone back to the phantom center.
OTOH, maybe a single Quad ESL57?

hifitommy
10-20-2011, 10:23 AM
how about a used martin logan?

B&Waudio
10-24-2011, 09:01 AM
I recently purchased a B&W center channel to match my B&W DM602's and bought the B&W 686's for the rear. The difference is astounding. Im learning, some of the plethora of information out there is starting to sink in.

blackraven
10-24-2011, 03:42 PM
I would use the 686's for the front channels over the 602's. The 686's have much better sound IMO.