Yes absolutely. 5.1 and Dolby atmos surround sound is 10 times better than horrible 2 channels especially for blockbuster movies

 

Center speaker is very important for movies since it handles most of the dialogue. How much room (height) do you have on that shelf and are you interested in changing the shelving unit for more room ? Simple answer is to try out the C22 (7.13" high) from a dealer who will allow you to return it. On Amazon for $75 and it is an Andrew Jones speaker but has relatively small 4" woofers. For example, Emotiva C1 (5.25" woofers) is typically recommended as a good cc but it is taller at 7.75" high and costs $300.
Consider a sub-woofer as the next step.

 

I havent used a center in over a year- once i built speakers that image well its way more natural just my 2cents.

 

Opposing View: Given your basement's current configuration, display in corner with towers narrowly separated and viewing position at an angle to the display, a center channel may not deliver much improvement.

Especially since the TV is on a stand with little/no space for a CC unless placed on a shelf lower in the AV furniture.

You do not want the CC to be the inferior/limiting factor in the system else it detracts, not helps, the audio.

I would only try it from a outfit with a very easy and cheap return policy.

Have you considered a different room arrangement, wall mounted display, etc., more conducive to a HT system?

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Opposing View: Given your basement's current configuration, display in corner with towers narrowly separated and viewing position at an angle to the display, a center channel may not deliver much improvement.

Especially since the TV is on a stand with little/no space for a CC unless placed on a shelf lower in the AV furniture.

You do not want the CC to be the inferior/limiting factor in the system else it detracts, not helps, the audio.

I would only try it from a outfit with a very easy and cheap return policy.

Have you considered a different room arrangement, wall mounted display, etc., more conducive to a HT system?

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This is exactly what I was thinking, or worried about. The layout of the basement doesn’t lend itself to an ideal HT setup, which is why I thought the 2.1 configuration was likely my best bet. The towers located where they are is obviously better than nothing at all or a soundbar, but it won’t live up to what I’m sure everyone on here would want. Here’s a shot from further back showing how narrow the room. I may decide to grab the C22, it’s only a $75 gamble.

 

I would absolutely get a center channel, either the Pioneer SP-C22 or if you can find one the Pioneer SP-EC73. This should give you consistent tonal characteristics between the L/R and Center. I would only consider something different if you wanted to upgrade the L/R speakers in the near future.

 

Don’t put the speakers in a corner, move them apart so their distance is the same as your distance from the screen, and then add a center channel. Discrete channels will always sound better than phantom channels.

 

yes, get a center. Go with a 3 way: emotiva C1+, monoprice, Polk LSiM706

 

Multi-channel (surround sound) is engineered/encoded with center channel content which can be up to 70% of the surround sound .

Besides making dialog clearer and easier to hear, a center channel is very important towards creating an accurate soundstage that pinpoints voices, instruments, and movements up, down, back, forth and around the surround sound system to the left, right, and rear of the room. The more accurate the soundstage, the easier it is for our eyes, ears and brains to associated what we hear and see....providing a much more immersive AV experience. Otherwise, without a center channel the center content is sent to the L/R so soundstage accuracy is dependent on how good the stereo soundstage is and whether you are satisfied with it.

Given the quality and advances in surround sound recording and engineering, my opinion is every surround system should/will benefit from having a center channel speaker to play the center channel content. Hope that makes sense and helps.

 

Nice bar!
What's on tap [emoji16] ??

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Nothing on tap, but the bourbon collection isn’t too shabby

 

Move the tv cabinet and tv to the middle of that wall. Corner placement is horrible no matter what. And you can easily have surround sound. And have seating opposite the tv.

 

Was just about to say the same thing. I worked as a music recording engineer for 34 years, everything was stereo. I much prefer surround for TV/movies. Phantom center and stereo downmix is not nearly as good as 3 channel when properly decoded via Dolby surround. Tell the AVR there is just front L/R and center. Set up your room correctly and get at least a center channel.

How to set up a room

Straight talk about finding the ideal loudspeaker placement and listening position.

realtraps.com

 

Good price on the center channel here

Amazon.com

 

Thanks, I saw that Amazon is offering free returns no questions asked, so I decided to order it for a direct comparison with my C2+ since the C22 appears to have decent measurements

Pioneer SP-PK22BS Speaker System HT Labs Measures

HT Labs Measures Satellite Sensitivity: 86 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz Center Sensitivity: 88.5 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz This graph shows the quasi-anechoic (employing close-miking of all woofers) frequency response of the SP-BS22-LR satellite (purple trace), SP-C22 center channel (green trace), and...

www.soundandvision.com

 

I went ahead and ordered the C22, it should be here Wednesday.

While I understand the location of my system is not ideal, I think based on the layout and furniture it’ll stay as is. The recliner towards the front of the second pic is where I sit, so I do have the angles so that the speakers are directly aimed at me with the sub in the corner behind the TV stand. I’m sure this isn’t ideal, but it is the best use of space according to the Mrs., and that’s really all that counts in the end.

I had a 5.1 setup for about 15 years, and I must say that I can’t remember a time I felt I really missed it. Given it wasn’t a high end setup, but it wasn’t horrible either. At the same time I don’t watch nearly as many movies as I used to, so I don’t need the fully immersive experience I loved in the past. Hopefully the CC will add a little to the experience, and I’ll make sure to share my thoughts once it’s up and running.

I appreciate everyone’s advice and perspective!

 

Furniture layout could be done with the TV centered on the wall and it would look and sound better, no offense to your wife. How many people need to sit in that room and watch TV on a regular basis?

 

Honestly, 99% of the time it’s just me. She’s had a few offsite meetings with her team and uses the TV to share her screen, but that’s maybe 1-2 times a year. At this point it’s basically my area, she works from the main level of the house, and unless I need a second monitor I work from this space. Meaning I usually hang here if we aren’t watching something together.

 

Your basement looks very similar to mine....well nicer, but the layout is similar. If you want 5.1 surround some furniture rearrangement is in order. Move the TV setup and speakers to the same backwall where the video machine is on, but between the pictures. Move the couch and or the chairs to opposite wall, whatever fits most comfortably. Then you'll need to buy some matching bookshelf speaker. In this case the Pioneer from the same series the BS22 would be ideal if it's still available although any halfway decent speaker would do for surrounds. You would need to either put them of stands to raise them above the couch or better mount them on the wall. Wires could be run along floor baseboards using white plastic wire hiders. This is where stands would work better for disguising the wires while wall mounting has the potential for better sound and is less space intensive.

You could also do this setup on the side wall, but it tends to 'close off' the room with a barrier of seating to watch TV. The backwall setup also has the advantage of allowing viewing from the bar.

 

If you can’t get the tweeters lined up on the same horizontal plane or if it isn’t the same exact speaker as the L-R, then I would go with phantom center. Adding a different type center channel or putting one off-axis, or both, would do a much worse job of creating the front soundstage than having the center channel content come from the L-R. Unless it’s a perfect match on a perfect linear plane, it’s an unnecessary addition. Detrimental, in fact.