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Center channel

Since I did a 6.1 setup, my wife has complained that she has trouble understanding the dialog of certain cable movies that are in 5.1 or 7.1. I have a handsome KEF Reference 204/2C center speaker sitting just outside the media room, the metal frames that used to support in the garage, and a spare pair of Clear Day Shotgun speaker cables. So I think I’ll reinstall the 204/2C center channel, using an Ayre A7e integrated to drive it. The Bryston SP3 processor has a balanced center output. The 204/2C was designed to match the big Reference 207/2s, but seemed to blend seamlessly with my 107/2s. I’ll see how it does with high-passed KEF Reference 1s augmented with HGS-15 subs. The 204/2C is rear ported with a 6.5” center Uni-Q driver and two 6.5” drivers to either side, so it could run full range but more likely I’ll declare it small in the SP3 menu. It’s about 3.5’ long and weighs nearly 80 pounds! I hope for an attractive setup that sounds as good as it looks and satisfies my wife’s complaints.
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Showing 5 responses by dbphd

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dbphd OP
1,619 posts
 
The answer to your question, miller carbon, is that she did not.  Only the input of the Ayre KX-5 preamp that is set to by-pass invokes surround.  The DX-5 DSD can go directly to the preamp via balanced analog or through the Bryston SP3 processor via HDMI that returns balanced analog to the preamp.  The QX-5 Roon endpoint goes directly to the preamp via balanced analog.  Cox cable goes to the SP3 via HDMI and is always in surround mode.  IIRC, she has never complained about dialog when a disc is played in 6.1 using the DX-5.

The 204/2C is now inplace and looks very handsome, but it is not yet connected.


 
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dbphd OP
1,619 posts
 
The Bryston SP3 manual has a number of appendices, one of which informs me it does both Neo6:Cinema and Dolby Pro Logic. I’ve tried Neo6:Music, and it generates plausible surround from stereo. I think I’m going to try balanced from the SP3 to a Schiit Vidar in monaural mode to drive the 204/2C. Reviews seem to suggest it would be a good match. The last time I used the 204/2C it was bi-wired to a Parasound JC-1.

I have three JC-1s, a JC-2, and a JC-3 I want to sell.
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dbphd OP
1,619 posts
 
The KEF Reference 204/2C is now driven by a Schiit Vidar in balanced monaural.  My usual practice is to set all speakers at 75 dB SPL C, but to achieve that I had to trim all speakers except the center to 0 and trim the center to -10 -- I need to study the SP3 manual more to understand why the center seems so hot.  As auxinput suggested the center is set to large and surround to Dolby Pro Logic for movies.  I played Legends of Jazz in Dolby Digital and Chailly's Mahler 2nd in dts Digital.  Switching Legends between stereo and surround did not change the sound, but the Mahler sounded a bit flat when switched from surround to stereo.  The piano black 204/2C appears imposing sitting between the pair of rosewood Reference 1s.    
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dbphd OP
1,619 posts
 
My wife and I agree that we prefer the sound when the center channel is off. I’m going to try replacing the Schiit Vidar with a JC-1, the amp I previously used with the 204/2 when it blended seamlessly with the pair of 107/2s, all driven by JC-1s. I don’t recall how to biwire the 204/2C, but looking at it there’s a solid wire jumper between LF and MF and a cable jumper between MF and HF that I may have added. So it might be biwire goes to MF and HF with jumper to LF.  I know I biwired the 107/2s, so I probably biwired the 204/2C.
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dbphd OP
1,619 posts
 
The problem was the amp. With the JC 1 amp driving the KEF 204/2C integration with the KEF Reference 1s is seamless whether playing Blu-rays, e.g., Mahler’s 2nd with Chailly conducting, Legends of Jazz, or cable. Superb 7.1 sound, with wide and deep soundstage, and fine detail. Speech is natural, like real people talking.
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