In a smaller sized rooms
14 x 20 or less, and IF your setup allows for a Ghost or Phantom center ch, its a matter of taste. IMO. I use one now matched to my mains and rear/surrounds in a 5.1 config.
Having just such a room size more or less, Ive done each setup, from 2.1 and up, to 5.1, with and without a center ch speaker. I do prefer a center ch speaker if I have a choice. Primarily for the added dimension and greater distinctiveness derived from it.
What bugs me more so than no center ch is how 7.1 processors (the current rage) work as 5.1 systems. They dont seem to have the same discrete/separated ch info, and more so seem to react as merely an older pro logic or surround sound field that has much less integral or distinctively differing ch info.
Ill be adding some dipole surrounds to my own rig asap and move my surrounds to be either actual rears, or vice versa. Its like you lose the rear of the sound field a lot more often setting surrounds towards the rear of the room sans actual surrounds . The pity here is this is not made mention of during any reviews Ive seen on such receivers and processors. With DVDs this isnt as large an item, yet it doesnt go without notice for sure. Consequently I am forced to switch about thru the available sound fields while viewing pretty often DD, DTS, Neo six, etc.to attain a more satisfactorily dispersed field.
Also, having one available for use, Id use it for sure. Not having one though, the price tag for such a matched unit in the past prevented me from getting one. I wasnt disappointed greatly by not owning one then either.
I guess Im saying we can be happy and have a nice array either way, with or without the center speaker, but Id not sell it if it was a matched unit, and on hand now.
Having just such a room size more or less, Ive done each setup, from 2.1 and up, to 5.1, with and without a center ch speaker. I do prefer a center ch speaker if I have a choice. Primarily for the added dimension and greater distinctiveness derived from it.
What bugs me more so than no center ch is how 7.1 processors (the current rage) work as 5.1 systems. They dont seem to have the same discrete/separated ch info, and more so seem to react as merely an older pro logic or surround sound field that has much less integral or distinctively differing ch info.
Ill be adding some dipole surrounds to my own rig asap and move my surrounds to be either actual rears, or vice versa. Its like you lose the rear of the sound field a lot more often setting surrounds towards the rear of the room sans actual surrounds . The pity here is this is not made mention of during any reviews Ive seen on such receivers and processors. With DVDs this isnt as large an item, yet it doesnt go without notice for sure. Consequently I am forced to switch about thru the available sound fields while viewing pretty often DD, DTS, Neo six, etc.to attain a more satisfactorily dispersed field.
Also, having one available for use, Id use it for sure. Not having one though, the price tag for such a matched unit in the past prevented me from getting one. I wasnt disappointed greatly by not owning one then either.
I guess Im saying we can be happy and have a nice array either way, with or without the center speaker, but Id not sell it if it was a matched unit, and on hand now.