can i use left and right speaker as center speaker?

Originally Posted by Management

Actually that is the best match you can actually get across the front. The only reason the center speaker is horizontal is for ascetic reasons. You will get perfect timbre matching across the front using the exact same speaker. Many people do it here on AVS from what I have read.

Originally Posted by atdamico

Well actually he wouldn't get a perfect timber match unless the height of the center was the same height as the mains (if even then) but your point is good and I agree that the best speaker to use as a center is the exact same speaker you use for mains. But as the first responder said, only use one, not two.

Originally Posted by Management

Actually that is the best match you can actually get across the front. The only reason the center speaker is horizontal is for ascetic reasons.

Originally Posted by atdamico

Well actually he wouldn't get a perfect timber match unless the height of the center was the same height as the mains (if even then) but your point is good and I agree that the best speaker to use as a center is the exact same speaker you use for mains. But as the first responder said, only use one, not two.

Originally Posted by tnord

same speaker for center as your R/L? huh....didn't know that.

so i assume all 5 the same in a 5.1 would be the ideal situation? same for 6.1/7.1.

Originally Posted by yellowblanket

Thanks guys, yeah i was planning on using 2 (placing them next to the left and right and pointing toward the center) due to the design of the room, thus the screen size is too big, making it harder for me to place it in the center. unless i place them flat on the floor or mount them on top of the ceiling.


The 2 spare speakers that i have isn't match with the one i currently have for left and right. But if you guys dont recommend 2 speakers for main, i will have to look into trying to place one in the middle then. Here is the picture, As u can see the height of the screen is reach top to bottom leaving 6 inches from each sizes. There are movie where i can use 2:35:1 mode which make it long and narrower but there are some movie that would go full screen.
If i was to place the speaker in the center it would have the dimension height of less than 6 inches and i dont even if it will sound good laying on the floor like that. I'm using 2 speaker now for the front, it seemed fine to me but then again i'm not so good in the sound department to notice differences.

any recommend speaker for my center, (i'm using Onkyo sr800 and my left and right speaker are DCM) maybe i will just use one of the spare. My question is, what is the different between the built for speaker to use in the center and the built for speakers to use for left and right?
Thanks again for the advices

Originally Posted by yellowblanket

oh i didn't know that wall will have much impact on the sound, i was planing on grafiti that wall. It is lead to the stair way so i can't put any stud and built drywall there. and i couldn't afford those sound accoustic panel either.
the screen is 147 inches in full mode, here is the picture of it in 2:35:1

Originally Posted by tonygeno

That would work best: but placement issues can affect the way a speaker sounds, so sometimes purpose-built speakers work better. Boundary compensation switches can help reduce the effects of placement differences.

Originally Posted by tnord

same speaker for center as your R/L? huh....didn't know that.

so i assume all 5 the same in a 5.1 would be the ideal situation? same for 6.1/7.1.

Originally Posted by tonygeno

That would work best: but placement issues can affect the way a speaker sounds, so sometimes purpose-built speakers work better. Boundary compensation switches can help reduce the effects of placement differences.

Originally Posted by Management

I would beg to differ. But this goes into personal taste once you start talking about surrounds. I don't like directional surrounds. I prefer to have dipoles. But that is just me. I would rather put that money into a sub or two or three.

Originally Posted by txredneckbud

A theater without a center channel is not a theater, IMO. Its a must. Make it happen, somehow. Otherwise, its a stereo with a surround.

Originally Posted by sivadselim

What do you "differ" with? He said "......sometimes purpose-built speakers work better".

And what money is it that you would you prefer to put into a sub or 2 or 3? Where are you going to save enough money for multiple subs?

Originally Posted by tnord

same speaker for center as your R/L?

Originally Posted by yellowblanket

ok, so i went to Circuitcity today to get those speakers to use for my front. It was the Polk M20, (dirt cheap $97.49 buy one get one half off) it have outstanding reviews. I hooked it up as my center channel and urgh, it sound bad, not very good at all for dialog. I tried hook up 2 of them as center and it still sound bad. Just before i go out to return them, i tried hooking up as left and right speakers. THEY SOUND AMAZING!
So...i am keeping them for my room upstair =)
But my conclusion is if you need center speaker get the speaker that IS built for center speaker. So i will now wait for better deal on center speaker.
Oh and if anyone need the left and right speaker, i would suggest jump on that deal at CC, any Polk speaker is buy one get one half off. The M20 sound freakin amazing.

Originally Posted by sdurani

Sure. If your front soundstage is made up of 2 speakers, you'd use identical ones. Why would it be any different when your front soundstage is made up of 3 (or more) speakers?

Sanjay

Originally Posted by tnord

because i *thought* that centers might have some resistors/capacitors/crossovers in them intended to focus on voice output, and that in conjunction with whatever decoding is in the receiver, it gets the job done. i'm not saying this is the case by any means, i'm just saying that's what i had previously *thought.*

Originally Posted by tonygeno

In fact, it is not the case. Most center channels are driven by marketing and not sonic considerations. They are a compromise, dictated by the need to fill the space below (or above) a television. A vertical speaker will work much better in the horizontal plane (kind of the point of a center speaker) and disperse the sound more uniformly over the seating area. The horizontal speaker will disperse sound better in the vertical plane (allowing the centrally located listener to hear good sound whether seated on the floor or standing up) but does not do real well off the horizontal axis.

Originally Posted by tnord

i'm not saying this is the case by any means, i'm just saying that's what i had previously *thought.*

Originally Posted by yobob

Several weeks ago I read a very good, albeit technical, thread on why the center channel speaker should be mounted vertically (not horizontally, which is driven by how it looks, not how it performs). Just wish I could find it so I could include the link here.