Speaker Integration in HT

[Mark_1042]

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but how important is it to have matching speakers in an HT rig?

I've been looking at building a pair of Mini Statements, but unfortunately the center channel will not fit due to limited cabinet space. Height is the limiting factor - I have about 8.5" - 9" of height available, and the Statement center has a height of 11". Mounting above the TV is not an option.

The Zaph ZDT 3.5 has a center channel that would fit perfectly into my cabinet, I'm just not sure if it would "blend" well with the Mini Statements. I have been considering just building the entire ZDT 3.5 kit, but just prefer the look of the Mini Statements. Not to mention the glowing reviews the speaker gets, and that I am intrigued by the TL midrange and ribbon tweeters (which I have never heard before).

Another option would be the Triune center channel, but I had wanted to stick with a WM/TW configuration.

Any thoughts? Or if anyone knows of a Statement "Slim" Center Channel design somewhere, that would be great.

[cjd]

I would be worried that the unusual setup on the Statements would not blend as well with *any* center, though it's hard to tell.

Many people don't seem to mind minor mis-matches - how noticeable this would be to you I can't say.

I have 3 identical speakers in my HT (behind the screen), and am vaguely annoyed by anything else - even horizontal placement mismatch.

[Jim Holtz]

The voicing by the designer is probably more important for the center channel of a home theater and is IMHO much more important than exactly matched speakers. The center will carry up to 70% of the sound in movies and all the dialogue with the primary sounds being in the vocal band. Surround music is a completely different discussion.

If you're interested in Mini's for the mains, I'd suggest you look at one of Curt's many other center designs on his website. However, I don't know of any center channel speaker that's designed to be placed in an entertainment center. An in-wall design would come the closest. If it has to go in an entertainment center, be prepared for many compromises in sound quality.

HTH

Jim

[impala454]

Jed managed to cut out about a 1/2" of height (as well as sealed it) on the Statements Center but I swear someone else did something similar, I just searched for a while and couldn't find it.

[madmac]

The voicing by the designer is probably more important for the center channel of a home theater and is IMHO much more important than exactly matched speakers. The center will carry up to 70% of the sound in movies and all the dialogue with the primary sounds being in the vocal band. Surround music is a completely different discussion.

If you're interested in Mini's for the mains, I'd suggest you look at one of Curt's many other center designs on his website. However, I don't know of any center channel speaker that's designed to be placed in an entertainment center. An in-wall design would come the closest. If it has to go in an entertainment center, be prepared for many compromises in sound quality.

HTH

Jim

I agree with Jim totally!!.

[madmac]

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but how important is it to have matching speakers in an HT rig?

I've been looking at building a pair of Mini Statements, but unfortunately the center channel will not fit due to limited cabinet space. Height is the limiting factor - I have about 8.5" - 9" of height available, and the Statement center has a height of 11". Mounting above the TV is not an option.

The Zaph ZDT 3.5 has a center channel that would fit perfectly into my cabinet, I'm just not sure if it would "blend" well with the Mini Statements. I have been considering just building the entire ZDT 3.5 kit, but just prefer the look of the Mini Statements. Not to mention the glowing reviews the speaker gets, and that I am intrigued by the TL midrange and ribbon tweeters (which I have never heard before).

Another option would be the Triune center channel, but I had wanted to stick with a WM/TW configuration.

Any thoughts? Or if anyone knows of a Statement "Slim" Center Channel design somewhere, that would be great.

I have matching speakers now but did not for years and I must say, It makes one helluva' difference. This is especially true for music and concerts. :T

[Deward Hastings]

Here’s another contrarian opinion for you:

Good stereo music reproduction requires two good full-range speakers, Left and Right. That’s the way music recordings have been mixed and delivered for the past 50 years.

Good home theater sound track reproduction requires one good center channel speaker (or a “phantom center” from two good L and R speakers), acceptable LF, RF, LR, and RR speakers, and a subwoofer. That’s because the “voice track” (and basic “scene sounds”) is mixed to the center channel, and everything else (LF, RF, LR, RR, sub) is “effects”.

There is not a lot of overlap (unless you go the “phantom center” route). The quality of the L and R speakers will determine the quality of the system for music; the quality of the center (if present) and the sub will determine the quality of the system for HT. For accurate voice reproduction the “conventional” (meaning common) horizontal MTM, placed in a semi-open “equipment cabinet” under the video display, ranges from “poor” to “as bad as it gets” . . . and how well (or how not-well) it “matches” the Left and Right speakers is generally not the (most significant) issue.

It is commonly the case that the addition of a poorly conceived and executed center channel actually degrades the overall performance of the combined music/HT system with good quality L and R speakers. An actually good center speaker, however, will significantly improve the HT presentation. Almost any speaker that is satisfactory for music will do fine for L and R HT duty. A good HT center, however, will not look or behave like good L and R music speakers . . . the requirements (especially those posed by physical placement) are substantially different. The center speaker should be optimized for natural-sounding reproduction of human voice as placed in your listening environment, and your “judgment” of it should be “blind” (although if it “looks like” a HTIB center it’s almost certainly bad).

[AdelaaR]

Jim and Deward are right ... a center channel should be damn good.
I've been listening to a slight variation of the original Statement center channel, suspended in the air above my screen, for a week now and I must say that the thing sounds amazing!
Bare in mind that with the transmission tunnels it's impossible to install the Statement CC inside a cabinet.

[cjd]

I don't know of any center channel speaker that's designed to be placed in an entertainment center

The Khan-center is.

And I missed a word before: I don't know how you'd quite get that special voicing of the Statements with anything other than a Statement center (with adequate space behind/around it, of course) - the way I said it before sounded like nothing, not even a Statement, would match. Oops.

[Mark_1042]

So many good responses here, I hadn't been expecting so many replies. And let me say that it is always an honor to get a reply from one of the designers.

I had forgotten about the TL mid on the center, I imagine this wouldn't bode well in a cabinet. Like Madmac I went for years with mismatched centers (or without one entirely) so am looking to do more of a "proper" HT set up this time around.

At this point I'm thinking the ZDT 3.5 will be my best bet, since the size of the center will work best with my current arrangement. The center positioning in the cabinet will not be optimal, but I have a couple brainstorms that may offer better positioning when watching movies.

Hopefully I'll get the chance to build the Mini Statements at a later date, the reviews really have me interested in what they sound like. There are so many interesting speaker designs that I want to build, I just have to pick one to start with. :B

[Mark_1042]

Jed managed to cut out about a 1/2" of height (as well as sealed it) on the Statements Center but I swear someone else did something similar, I just searched for a while and couldn't find it.

Unfortunately, with Jed's redesign the width becomes an issue. Thanks for searching, tis much appreciated. I'll have to have another look around and see if I can't find anything.