What's a good center for ZRT 2.5 Mains

[syzygylock]

Hi all,

Several months ago, I have built LCR with NatP and SL/SR with Dayton RS621.

Problem is that one of my co-worker came, listened and want to get them off of my hands. It hurts but I was thinking of the possibilities and now I am speaker less and came back here.

I want something different, hopefully better than the NatP. The problem is that I am a bit strapped for cash at the moment, so my options are:

1. ZRT2.5 for LR maybe get more later? What's a good center to compliment the ZRT 2.5s?

2. SR71 x 5

It's not that I don't like the NatPs; I love them, but I want to experience more. Any opinion would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

[wigginjs]

A simpler question might just be... Music or Movies?

[benchtester]

Hi all,

Several months ago, I have built LCR with NatP and SL/SR with Dayton RS621.

Problem is that one of my co-worker came, listened and want to get them off of my hands. It hurts but I was thinking of the possibilities and now I am speaker less and came back here.

I want something different, hopefully better than the NatP. The problem is that I am a bit strapped for cash at the moment, so my options are:

1. ZRT2.5 for LR maybe get more later? What's a good center to compliment the ZRT 2.5s?

2. SR71 x 5

It's not that I don't like the NatPs; I love them, but I want to experience more. Any opinion would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

The ZRT2.5 would be the way to "experience more". The Scanspeaks (both tweeter and woofers) are incredible clear.

I am sure you can find a good center channel. But I prefer the voices coming from the L and R speakers. With a good system, you get smoother stereo placement of the sound. (i.e. Voices are positioned where the actors are, not in the center.)

[syzygylock]

I use it evenly across movies/music/game. I want to ultimately have a 5.1 system, so if there's an upgrade path for ZRT2.5, I can survive 2.1 for a bit.

[benchtester]

I use it evenly across movies/music/game. I want to ultimately have a 5.1 system, so if there's an upgrade path for ZRT2.5, I can survive 2.1 for a bit.

You might take a look at Jed's Revelator CC:

http://www.clearwaveloudspeaker.com/Minuet5B/Minuet5CC.html

[ClosetSciFiGeek]

Do These For Similar Money

http://www.zaphaudio.com/DLR/

[syzygylock]

Bump for additional helps. I took a look at MinuetCC and it uses different Mids, well, very close but not the same. Is there a more matched center for the ZRTs?

Thanks,

[LunarD]

Do the 2-way ZRT in a sealed cabinet. Change the height to 14" and change the depth accordingly to keep the same internal volume. It won't go as deep as the 2.5 way, but with a sub for HT, I doubt you will notice.

John

[JonW]

syzygylock,

LunarD just beat me to this by a few minutes…

One option is to build a third ZRT but make it much shorter. For example, keep the baffle the same around the tweeter and woofer. Then have the cabinet no taller than the distance from the top of the normal cabinet to the bottom of the woofer. So your center would then be maybe 14” tall, possibly less. You would loose bass output relative to the regular ZRT’s but that’s about it. If you are crossing to a sub at 80 Hz you might be able to get away with significantly less volume. Adding depth to the cabinet could recover some of the lost volume. Use Unibox or WinISD to figure out the bass situation.

If the center will be near a big TV or wall, the baffle step compensation (BSC) issues are another story.

The center that benchtester linked to is likely to sound quite similar. You may not be able to hear a difference at all. I’m planning on building a 3 way center channel with Scanspeak drivers (to match the design in my avatar, on the left). But we’ll likely all be dead of old age before I get that one finished.

[syzygylock]

Thank you all, I will look into this and see. Man this hobby is expensive

[Licinius]

Thank you all, I will look into this and see. Man this hobby is expensive

Only when you can't settle for less than Revelators ;x(

[ClosetSciFiGeek]

If you are strapped for cash why not make the ZDT 3.5's. Zaph offers a center channel design as well and you could build some RS150 based surrounds. This would be a good sounding system that is fiscally responsible.

[syzygylock]

I am ok with strapping for cash, I have built the Nat Ps and now I want to see thing from a higher tier rather than something that's in the same league as the NatPs. I will be adding more when I have enough cash, so all I need is patience.

[Bear]

I am ok with strapping for cash, I have built the Nat Ps and now I want to see thing from a higher tier rather than something that's in the same league as the NatPs. I will be adding more when I have enough cash, so all I need is patience.

Keep an eye on JonMarsh's NeoD CC Mk2. If you read through the Ardent thread, you can see how the SS 8531 compared to the ER18NX. The SEAS speakers are much cheaper and did very well in comparison. Jon is refreshing the Modula MT design using them, as well, so that may be an option to consider if you have a bit of patience.

[buzzardmountain]

FYI......here's John's reply to the same question I posed to him in regards to the center. I hope he doesn't mind me posting the PM.....if so, I'll delete:

That's 2 channel only. Though if you did want a ZRT center, you could put it in the sealed 20 liter box, center the woofer and move the tweeter as close to the woofer as possible, then use the lower baffle step comp option. 2.0mH on L10, 5 ohm L8. The vertical polar response is tall enough to be used sideways as a center and there would be minimal response change from the driver location change on the baffle. I know a couple people who did that with success.

I'm still new to this and trying to do as much research I can trying to understand the above reply without asking/bothering John with anymore trivial questions.......lol