I have a nice small HT, but this is as or more important in larger HT
Center Channel Speaker is a MUST HAVE. doesn't matter what your front l/r are.
ANY surround sound program (original or post created), most of the dialog, and center sounds are recorded and sent ONLY to the Center Out. Those sounds do not exist in the front l front r outs. So, while you can create a phantom center image using front l/r, a lot of the volume of the dialog, whatever distinct content was send to the center out, is NOT THERE to use to create the Phantom Center.
You want your center speaker as near as possible to the video, I have found just below works best. I use this small Bose Center Speaker, very unobtrusive, but easy to blend with front via AVR controls.
https://www.amazon.com/Bose-Channel-Speaker-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00005T3NH
there are bigger, perhaps better, perhaps 'timbral matched' ... but I prefer not even being aware it is there visually to seeing a 'better' center speaker, and when volume matched, I, nor any one else have ever been aware of sound character issues
I do change my AVR to 2 Channel Mode frequently, and often find the program sounds better in 2 channel mode. Using 2 Channel, all discrete information, center, rear surround, sub, is sent to front l/r, a 'total' center image is then created. Sometimes cable or the AVr change things that were originally recorded in 2 channel, sometimes the engineers made lousy decisions to 'fill' the space, detrimentally.
Center Channel Speaker is a MUST HAVE. doesn't matter what your front l/r are.
ANY surround sound program (original or post created), most of the dialog, and center sounds are recorded and sent ONLY to the Center Out. Those sounds do not exist in the front l front r outs. So, while you can create a phantom center image using front l/r, a lot of the volume of the dialog, whatever distinct content was send to the center out, is NOT THERE to use to create the Phantom Center.
You want your center speaker as near as possible to the video, I have found just below works best. I use this small Bose Center Speaker, very unobtrusive, but easy to blend with front via AVR controls.
https://www.amazon.com/Bose-Channel-Speaker-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00005T3NH
there are bigger, perhaps better, perhaps 'timbral matched' ... but I prefer not even being aware it is there visually to seeing a 'better' center speaker, and when volume matched, I, nor any one else have ever been aware of sound character issues
I do change my AVR to 2 Channel Mode frequently, and often find the program sounds better in 2 channel mode. Using 2 Channel, all discrete information, center, rear surround, sub, is sent to front l/r, a 'total' center image is then created. Sometimes cable or the AVr change things that were originally recorded in 2 channel, sometimes the engineers made lousy decisions to 'fill' the space, detrimentally.