Mismatched Center Channel

[Stockinv]

I'm a relative newbie. I'm considering the new 802's for my HT. My TV is above my fireplace and the center channel needs to be placed above the TV.
I don't think I can fit a comparable center channel in this location. The weight and size would be a problem. What will be the effects on my system if I go with a lower quality center channel? Any recommendations?

[Stockinv]

Specifically, would an HTM1 center be compatible with the new 802D mains?

[RobP]

Your center channel does not need to be placed above your TV, actually that is a bad place for it. It is usually placed there because its easy. I have my HTM1 on the floor on a sound anchor stand. This gets the center channel closer to the same height to the mains.Now I dont know how much you use your fireplace so that may be a problem.

[greggz]

Technically, if your left and right front speakers are 6 to 8 feet apart, you don’t really need a center channel for HT. (You will almost never get this advice from a salesman )

The purpose of a center channel is for very small or very wide screens. When a screen is very small, just having stereo fronts can make the sound stage seem disproportionately large relative to the picture. If you have a very wide screen and your left and right fronts are 9 feet or more apart, you need the center to anchor the sound in the middle.

If feasible in your room, you would get a much more satisfying front soundstage with just a pair of 802D's 6 to 8 feet apart than you would sticking any of the HTM's in the middle.

[jlee]

While technically I agree with Greggz, in practice, I've found benefits of a center channel.

1. I recently had to go with no center channel for a few weeks when I got rid of my Rotel 1095 amp and was "searching" for a monoblock amp for it.
2. A center channel will allow better overall imaging when certain sounds are meant to image at specific locations in the room. For example, if the center and 1 of the surrounds work together on an image, having the 2 mains and 1 of the surrounds trying to reproduce that exact same image is not quite the same.
3. The soundfield across the main seating area will sound more uniform with a center channel. With only 2 speakers, the center seating position will be optimum but as you move left or right, things get more directional.
4. The processor is supposed to mix the center information into the left and right speakers. I used to have a 1066 and I thought it did a terrible job of this. The relative volumes of the material seemed inaccurate and some information seemed to get lost. The Rotel 1098 does this better, but I still get a sense of some low level high freq. information being "softer" or getting lost... almost as if the Rotel engineers figured 99% of it's owners would be using a center and that particular section of the board that mixes the center into the mains uses cheaper components.

[Stockinv]

I'm new at this so bear with me. When watching a movie, is there different sound going to the mains and the center channel? Doesn't dialogue go mostly to the center channel? Does it also go to the mains, but in lower volume? Or is the volume and sound of the mains comparable to the center?

My 802's would sit about 8 feet apart. I couldn't use the gas fireplace if I placed the center channel on the floor in front of it. The plasma tv would be 50". The only place for the center channel would be above the plasma, which would be relatively high. That's why I'm wondering if I'm wasting money by investing in a quality center channel that may be placed so high up.

[Aussie Geoff]

Stockinv,

Specifically, would an HTM1 center be compatible with the new 802D mains?

Not really - you should get the HTM2D if you can as the difference in the new tweeter / midrange is marked and you will find the HTM1 to be the weak link in your sound stage.

In terms of placement "on the floor" I wouldn't do that - the sound will be boomy / mushy / muffled (pick one!). However there are some great stands (including one from B&W) designed just for the B&W HTM centres that get them off the floor by about 2 feet where they sound great

Geoff

[RobP]

Since you have the new B&W series, you may have received the new brochure as well, did you see how the stduio is setup at Skywalker ranch with the older HTM1's mounted upside down at a angle on the ceiling fo rthe surrounds? Could this be done for the center as well?

[greggz]

Actually, there is a easy solution to this.

If its a done deal that you are buying the 802D's, then just ask your dealer for a loaner/eval center channel speaker (he'd be crazy not to accomodate you when you are dropping $$$ on the 802Ds).

Then try with and without. See which you like better.

[jlee]

>I'm new at this so bear with me. When watching a movie, is there different sound going to the mains and the center channel? Doesn't dialogue go mostly to the center channel? Does it also go to the mains, but in lower volume? Or is the volume and sound of the mains comparable to the center?

It depends on the engineer doing the DVD. For certain DVD's, you can still hear the voices "faintly" in the mains... in others, if you disconnect the center, you will get NO DIALOGUE whatsoever... and other DVD's, the dialog will pan across at times... so you'll hear certain parts of it when the characters are to the left or right. So the answer to your question is "IT DEPENDS!"

>Since you have the new B&W series, you may have received the new brochure as well, did you see how the stduio is setup at Skywalker ranch with the older HTM1's mounted upside down at a angle on the ceiling fo rthe surrounds? Could this be done for the center as well?

Those upside down HTM1's are actually at Abbey Road Studios and is what inspired my upside down SCM1 setup .