[Panda House]

I've been using a Mirage Omni 60 bookshelf speaker as my center channel with my Omni 260 mains for about a month now as I really don't care for the CC1 that's supposed to go with the 260's. Am I loosing out on sound quality by using a bookshelf speaker and not a dedicated CC?

 

[olletsoc]

you aren't losing anything, in fact you are better off using the bookshelf than the CC

 

[djp2k7]

I've always preferred using a bookshelf as a center. But then again I usually have 3 identical bookshelves for fronts and center, which will always sound better than bookshelves and a dedicated center imo.


However in your specific case you might be missing out by using that bookshelf as a center. I would think something more directional would sound better as a center, as opposed to the diffuse sound of the Omni. Might anchor the voices to the screen better. Is there another Mirage direct firing center you can try besides the CC1? C150 maybe? I haven't heard the Omni speakers though so I could be wrong.

 

[Panda House]

I try and keep everything timbre matched as I've put a lot of effort into finding the 60 bookshelfs and FX surrounds. They're not that easy of a find these days. I did just order a Mirage MCsi that is from the much older 1 and 5 series Mirage speakers I believe. Totally different drivers but I'm hoping it's a good match. I have noticed that using the 60 even though the CC1 also has a sloped baffle it sounds like the CC sound is coming from the middle of my screen more so than with a direct radiating type speaker. Recently I tried a Polk Audio CS10 which I didn't care for at all and just for kicks a Mirage Omnisat which didn't do it for me. I've also tried an OS3-FS tower which was great until I got my 3rd pair of the 60's. One thing I've noticed is a HUGE difference in build quality between the made in Canada speakers of the Omni series and before and the newer OS3-FS and after made in China. I'm not saying they sound bad but I very much prefer the made in Canada stuff. Ideally I'd like to find another pair of 260 towers to have one as a spare as use one as a CC but have had no luck locating a pair. I've played with the idea of moving my 260s to the side or rear and moving those 60's to the front to have 3 identical speakers like you have but every time I do it I end up moving them back. While the 60 and 260 use the exact same driver and tweeter I really think the second 6 1/2" driver on the 260 adds a bit of depth the 60's don't have.

 

[Jack D Ripper]



Quote:
Originally Posted by djp2k7  /t/1517504/bookshelf-speaker-as-a-center-channel/0_100#post_24348794


I've always preferred using a bookshelf as a center. But then again I usually have 3 identical bookshelves for fronts and center, which will always sound better than bookshelves and a dedicated center imo.


...

 

 

I use identical bookshelf speakers for all channels (other than subwoofer, obviously).  There is nothing like perfect voice matching all around.  And since I use subwoofers, the main channels do not need to be able to reproduce deep bass; that is what subwoofers are for.

 

As for dedicated center channel speakers, they are made primarily to fit in people's systems, NOT for the best sound.  If they did deliver the best sound, audiophiles would be using them for right and left channels.  The simple fact is that a horizontally oriented speaker fits in most people's racks better.  That is why they are made.  There is no other reason or justification for them.

 

At real movie theaters, they typically use identical speakers for the front three speakers.

 

If you want to degrade the sound, use a dedicated center channel speaker.

 

[arnyk]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack D Ripper  /t/1517504/bookshelf-speaker-as-a-center-channel#post_24348927

Quote:
Originally Posted by djp2k7  /t/1517504/bookshelf-speaker-as-a-center-channel/0_100#post_24348794


I've always preferred using a bookshelf as a center. But then again I usually have 3 identical bookshelves for fronts and center, which will always sound better than bookshelves and a dedicated center imo.



...

I use identical bookshelf speakers for all channels (other than subwoofer, obviously).  There is nothing like perfect voice matching all around.  And since I use subwoofers, the main channels do not need to be able to reproduce deep bass; that is what subwoofers are for.

A slight variation - I use identical center channel speakers (Primus P351) for LR & C speakers. Same basic benefits:

Quote:
As for dedicated center channel speakers, they are made primarily to fit in people's systems, NOT for the best sound.  If they did deliver the best sound, audiophiles would be using them for right and left channels.  The simple fact is that a horizontally oriented speaker fits in most people's racks better.  That is why they are made.  There is no other reason or justification for them.

I kinda disagree. There are good ways to make center channel speakers, and using a regular bookshelf in its preferred orientiation (usually vertical) is one of them.


One obvious way to make center channel speakers is called "M-T-M" with the tweeter exactly centered between two woofers or midranges which one sees quite often and turns out to be usually not so good.

Quote:
At real movie theaters, they typically use identical speakers for the front three speakers.

Agreed.

Quote:
If you want to degrade the sound, use a dedicated center channel speaker.

There are ways to make good center channel speakers. Please see:

http://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/center-channel-designs-1

 

[Jack D Ripper]



Quote:
Originally Posted by arnyk  /t/1517504/bookshelf-speaker-as-a-center-channel/0_100#post_24348981

 

...

I kinda disagree. ...

 

I did not say that it is impossible for a center channel to sound good.  I stated that the reason for the typical horizontal center channel was for the space that people commonly have for it, not due to it being inherently good for sound quality.  And since it is typically different from the front right and left speakers, in those cases, it is not an ideal situation (ideally, either the center should be like the front right and left, or the front right and left should be like the center).

 

In your case, which is unusual, presumably, you selected the three center channel speakers not because you thought they sounded better than the vertical speakers with the same or similar drivers, but because they fit your space better.  Is that correct?

 

It is also worth mentioning that you do seem to agree that having identical speakers, at least for the front three, is best.  I think that departing from that always involves a degradation of sound, though if the differences are very small, then it will be only a small degradation of the sound.

 

[Panda House]

I agree, besides my 260 towers which use the same driver as the 60 bookshelf only they have two instead of one I use identical speakers all the way around. For a little bit I had used Mirage Omnisats as wide and FX surrounds and could hear the difference when say a helicopter flew around

Now with 7 60 bookshelfs and 2 260 towers the transition is seamless.