Home Cinema Poisoning my System?

Cwlondon: Yes, the ideal would be to use 3 identical speakers up front. And one the these days, we may get a substantial quantity of well-recorded multichannel sound that makes good use of that center channel. The trouble, of course, is that a central tower speaker (or a bookshelf speaker on a stand) would have to go in exactly the same place that home theater places the video monitor. Hence the small horizontal design of center-channel speakers.

Two years ago I sold my separate stereo preamp and modest receiver based ht system. I wanted to simplify (reduce the number of components & speakers) and also wanted to take advantage of the quality that my l/r mains could bring to ht. I'm currently using a Meridian 561 pre/pro and a 508.24 as a transport. This combination sounds very close to the 508.24 used with an analog preamp (SF Line 1 used prior to 561). My mains are Thiel CS7.2s, my center channel is from Aerial Acoustics (CC3B), and my surrounds are Paradigm Ref ADPs. They're not matched but everything blends well for HT. I have a front LCD projector so there is no problem with a monitor between my Thiels, and I move my stand mounted center out of the way when I want to listen critically in Direct two channel mode. I'm considering the addition of an analog preamp that has a HT throughput so I have more options to upgrade my digital 2 channel front end and possibly improve the sound at the same time. If I could do it over again I would have spent less money on a high end pre/pro and used the difference to get a better preamp w/HT throughput. If you do blend your SL3s into a HT system I would consider ML's 'Cinema' center.

I started out with a mid fi home theater system and upgraded everything while trying to improve my two channel quality. Eventually I found that I did not need a center channel speaker. I use Avalon Eidolon's and they are about 66" into the room and I have a perfectly coherent front soundstage and can use a high quality 2-channel tube amp in front. In my opinion too much is made of matching the amps and speakers front to back. Most of the sound at the rear is thunder, cars and bullets. Also I'm more into classic and foreign film rather than the current crop of lousy stories with computerized special effects. I use my old speakers and tube amp for the rears and am very happy. The only compromise that I have had to make is that speaker placement is wider than I would like for two channel ( my screen is 9' wide). Some of the early jazz stereo recordings were recorded without any center stage info and when I listen to these recordings there is a hole in the sound stage. I don't use a preamp at all. I have a processor for HT and my Accuphase has a preamp built in so I switch my interconnects when I change from HT to two channel.

Connect your av processor through the tape loop of your analog preamp if you dont have a processor loop. This will let you control volume with the processor when watching movies. If, like me, you are using low powerred tube amps for your stereo system(which are gonna become the two mains in a HT set-up) make sure to set these speakers to the position ''small'' this will send the bass to the subwoofers and free up lots of power. Unlike music, movie playback requires a great deal of power for the constantly varying SPLs, it can really tax your amp to reproduce a loud explosion. As for the center channel it is really unnecessary and highly overrated. Unless your speakers are broken and cannot image properly, I don't see why they wouldn't be able to create a 'phantom' center channel by puting the dialog in between your two speakers(most av pro have a phantom center channel option) . I have a center channel that I don't even use because when I turn it on I find the sound becomes disconnected from the two fronts and the voices sound congested. Save your money don't buy one, or if you really think you need one try it first before you buy, more and more people are changing their views about center channels and are getting rid of them. 'Nough said... I have to listen to the new Sade cd I just bought, but not before I whatch Gladiator with my wife... Happy Holidays!!!

I have a Rowland Coherence 2 pre-amp which has a bypass circuit. I have the HT processer send the output for the mains. This way the processor(Theta Casa 2)controls the volume. I disagree with the previous poster who discounted the importance of the center channel. Using it gives a much more coherent soundstage for dialogue and effects. It's true, most good processors have a "phantom center channel mode" for those systems without a center, but at least in my system it doesn't work nearly as well. You do need a good center, and some HT people recommend a separate subwoofer for it. My main amps are Rowland 9Ti's. The only shared components are the subs. I have dual REL Stentors running off the Rowland monos and I have a second input into each, running off of a Y-connector out of the processors LFE channel. Both of the systems sound great. Next, of course, is taming the room, but that's a whole other issue. David