Monopole or Dipole surround speakers?

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

So, do you agree with the THX Home Theatre speaker recommendation for placing a center behind a perforated screen?

rw

We don't use perforated screens, they don't work with digital projectors. I do agree with their recommendation if you have an acoustically transparent screen. THX also has recommendation if you don't.

[E-Stat]

I do agree with their recommendation if you have an acoustically transparent screen.

That wasn't painful, now was it?

rw

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

That wasn't painful, now was it?

rw

I guess no more painful than your cherry picking my words. So what's the point Ralph?

[E-Stat]

I guess no more painful than your cherry picking my words.

Trying to clarify your position. In the thread about presence speakers you said that perforated screens are not used in home theaters. Since we see that the THX standards for HTs include them, I wanted to see if you agreed with those standards - or not.

If I were to invest heavily in an HT system, I would begin with such an arrangement for obvious reasons.

rw

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Trying to clarify your position. In the thread about presence speakers you said that perforated screens are not used in home theaters. Since we see that the THX standards for HTs include them, I wanted to see if you agreed with those standards - or not.

Those standards were written before digital projectors came on to the scene. While I do recommend placing the center speaker behind a acoustically transparent screen(woven), I do not recommend a perforated screen because it spreads the sound as it passes through the holes which dulls the highs, and scatters sound all over the front of the room. There is light loss issues, and moire patterns that also happen when combining digital projectors with microperf screens. So no, I do not recommend microperf screens, but I do recommend placing the center behind a acoustically transparent woven screen.

If I were to invest heavily in an HT system, I would begin with such an arrangement for obvious reasons.

rw

Since I have four hometheaters that use a acoustically transparent screen(not microperf), the question you pose seems just a bit strange.

[E-Stat]

Since I have four hometheaters that use a acoustically transparent screen(not microperf), the question you pose seems just a bit strange.

What question? So, you say you cannot hear the difference between a truly centered center and the more usual approach, yet you seem to embrace the concept anyway. I would also choose three identical speakers for the front.

rw

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

What question? So, you say you cannot hear the difference between a truly centered center and the more usual approach, yet you seem to embrace the concept anyway.

This is correct, you can use both approaches successfully depending on whether you use a screen, or a panel. I also said that neither approaches supports a horizontally placed center speaker, which is the most common approach as well.

I would also choose three identical speakers for the front.

rw

I agree, and all of my system use three identical front speakers.