[Denis54]

My wife does not want a center channel speaker to "ruin" our decor. She is willing to live with 2 "ugly" speakers besides the TV but that is it. She does not even want to discuss the need for a center speaker. The surround speakers are OK with her as they will be hung on the side walls and that does not bother her.


I plan to buy Paradigm Studio 100 (or 60) front speakers and Studio/ADP surround speakers. I have a Denon 3803. Will I loose much if I do not have a center speaker?


Seeing her reaction to a center speaker, I have not discussed the need for a subwoofer yet.


I do not want to argue too much at this time as she has let me have the basement totally renovated to build a HT and agrees also on the new SONY 40XBR800 I am about to buy.

 

[Mit07]

I think this subject has been discussed to death. If you sit directly between the two main speakers you can use a phantom CC and your system will sound great. The main problem comes when you sit off axis to the main speakers - the CC is needed here to anchor the voices to the action on the screen.


The worst that can happen (or best depending on your perspective) is that your wife will not like the sound without the CC and ask you to get one.


BTW - the dedicated HT you mentioned is the way to go.

 

[9volt]

i've tried running my 100's for a while w/o the center, and on axis i felt it was almost as good to better than with the center. i never sit off axis, so i didn't bother messing with that.


placement of the 100s will effect your sound dramaticly with this setup.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

Toe-in will help make the center image stronger too, although it also tends to increase brightness a little bit, which may be totally fine with you.