Getting a Seamless Front Soundstage

[Defshep]

Okay, right off the bat, I realize I don't have audiophile speakers. I have Sony ssmf650h towers for left/right channels, and the sscn550h for the center. Not the best, but not bad sounding speakers for the price. I sometimes notice differences in the transfer of sound from the towers to the smaller center channel. I would assume it's the difference in size of the speakers. What's the best way to remedy this problem? I have the settings all set for "small". The speakers are supposedly series "matched".
Any suggestions? (Other than NEW SPEAKERS! I know, they're cheap, but that's my current budget.)

[GMichael]

Okay, right off the bat, I realize I don't have audiophile speakers. I have Sony ssmf650h towers for left/right channels, and the sscn550h for the center. Not the best, but not bad sounding speakers for the price. I sometimes notice differences in the transfer of sound from the towers to the smaller center channel. I would assume it's the difference in size of the speakers. What's the best way to remedy this problem? I have the settings all set for "small". The speakers are supposedly series "matched".
Any suggestions? (Other than NEW SPEAKERS! I know, they're cheap, but that's my current budget.)

How are they all arranged in the room?

[kexodusc]

Okay, right off the bat, I realize I don't have audiophile speakers. I have Sony ssmf650h towers for left/right channels, and the sscn550h for the center. Not the best, but not bad sounding speakers for the price. I sometimes notice differences in the transfer of sound from the towers to the smaller center channel. I would assume it's the difference in size of the speakers. What's the best way to remedy this problem? I have the settings all set for "small". The speakers are supposedly series "matched".
Any suggestions? (Other than NEW SPEAKERS! I know, they're cheap, but that's my current budget.)

"Matched" speakers is a buzzword used too often in the HT industry. Matched how? Ideally, you'd want 5 identical speakers. Compromises are made the further you get from that. Differences in cabinets, woofer and tweeter size, material, distances between drivers, size of the front baffle, etc, can all dramatically change the sound. Don't feel bad though, the reality is, even 5 identical speakers in most homes will exhibit some differences in sound preventing them from truly being "seamless". Your speaker's environment is very much a part of its sound. A center channel speaker sitting on a tv can have a noticeable 1-2 dB hump in the upper bass, lower midrange, enough to make it sound like a completely different speaker than that very same speaker placed on a stand 2 feet in front of the TV.

GMichael is on the right track...best we can do is try to get them as close as possible. Make sure the levels to all 5 speakers, as well as the distance/time delays are set accurately. An SPL meter may be required if your receiver doesn't have one of those built-in mic/auto setup features.

Proper placement is very important.

[Defshep]

"Matched" speakers is a buzzword used too often in the HT industry. Matched how? Ideally, you'd want 5 identical speakers. Compromises are made the further you get from that. Differences in cabinets, woofer and tweeter size, material, distances between drivers, size of the front baffle, etc, can all dramatically change the sound. Don't feel bad though, the reality is, even 5 identical speakers in most homes will exhibit some differences in sound preventing them from truly being "seamless". Your speaker's environment is very much a part of its sound. A center channel speaker sitting on a tv can have a noticeable 1-2 dB hump in the upper bass, lower midrange, enough to make it sound like a completely different speaker than that very same speaker placed on a stand 2 feet in front of the TV.

GMichael is on the right track...best we can do is try to get them as close as possible. Make sure the levels to all 5 speakers, as well as the distance/time delays are set accurately. An SPL meter may be required if your receiver doesn't have one of those built-in mic/auto setup features.


Proper placement is very important.

Thanks guys! My center is positioned on a shelf in a cabinet under my tv. It actually sounds better than when it sat on top of the set.

[L.J.]

You could also try to put something under your center so you can aim it upwards, towards the listening area.

[paul_pci]

I think positioning is often the key. I recently did some rearranging to bring my center closer in height to my main bookshelves and there was great improvement. The more in line, height and evenly spaced apart, the better the imaging.

[kexodusc]

I think positioning is often the key. I recently did some rearranging to bring my center closer in height to my main bookshelves and there was great improvement. The more in line, height and evenly spaced apart, the better the imaging.

Well said.
I set up an insane amount of HT's for people for a guy who doesn't work in this industry. One thing I've learned, is that an inch or two in any direction can really throw things off.
Not just in SPL or delay terms, but the angle and tonality of the speakers.

Matching levels and delays is critical too. I've seen a lot of setups where speakers weren't level matched, It's usually something like the center was 5 dB louder than the mains, the rears were 8 dB louder because there was no sound coming out of them. So when surround imaging is employed, it's all collapses towards the louder speakers, and does't create the desired image at all. Focusing audio is much like focusing a set of binoculars. Proper set up is key to getting the most performance out of your system.