2. home-theater
  3. 195406-184892

Optimized Center Channel

Many years ago, I bought a seven channel AV receiver and speakers and voila!  home theatre.  No matter that my room layout is far from optimal or the equipment was more mainstream than high end.  Pop in a Blu-Ray and the system came to life.  My system is now 7.2.4 with very good electronics, and despite technology improvements and investment in better equipment, my home theatre experience leaves me wanting just a bit.  Don’t get me wrong, my system is very, very good, and I can hear Atmos at work much of the time, albeit limited by the audio track and ability of my processor to enhance it.  However, it’s not like sitting in an IMAX theatre and having your visual and auditory senses titillated.  But hey—my space isn’t the best and can’t change, my screen does not go from wall to wall, and I don’t have megawatts going into mega speakers and subwoofers placed all around the listening space to bombard me.

 

As DVDs have effectively disappeared, my HT entertainment is brought into my home via streaming.  I attempted to maximize the process with ethernet to fiber converters, a high-end network switch, a highly modified Apple TV-X streaming box, and quality electronics and cables.  Not the best money can buy (that’s not me or my budget) but pretty darned good.

 

HT constitutes 85% of my entertainment time, the remainder is audio.  The audio side of my house has dramatically improved since I first dipped my toe into those waters.  My latest and hopefully one of the last improvements on the audio side is a new amplifier, a Coda 16, which replaced a McIntosh MC152.  I really enjoyed the Mac, but the Coda is another level altogether (at triple the price, it better be).  The clarity, soundstage and power of the Coda puts a smile on my face every time I sit down for a listen.  It has also added considerable weight, punch and presence to my HT experience driving the front L/R speakers.  The dramatic improvement on the audio side made me wonder…

 

My hearing is nowhere near what it used to be, actors don’t enunciate, I watch too many shows from the UK (I suspect the problem is reversed when they watch American shows) and the dialog is not optimally recorded.  As a result, I have subtitles on all the time.  Surely there is a better way.  Thus, and finally, my question to you in the Audigon HT community: how to overcome the dialog dilemma.  Is a dedicated high-end/ audio quality amplifier to drive the all-important center channel the answer?  My Marantz AV10 processor is by no means shabby, but do the Storms, Trinnovs or Lyngdorfs of the world smooth dialog’s rough edges?  My center speaker is a Focal Kanta 2 connected to one of the three 300-watt outputs on an Emotiva XPA-11 Gen 3 amplifier.

 

I appreciate learning how others live with, or have overcome, the dialog issue.  Thanks for your time and input,

Robert

traubr
traubr OP
48 posts
 

@toro3 and @ghdprentice, thanks for the responses.  The Apple TV-X (see link: https://appletvx.com/) is a whole other device based on the Apple TV.  I learned about it from the WhatsBestForum, and based on the feedback, invested in it.  A key point the designed stresses is NOT to update it without his approval, as he tests them first and alerts the community.  Some updates can cause serious issues, so its best to be aware.  Yes I have played with Enhanced Dialog, and Marantz has that feature as well.  I also use the Audyssey program embedded in the Marantz to balance the room, and it does a good job of that.  There is ability to increase volume from the center channel, and I do that as well.

From AI: To improve dialogue clarity in a home theater, focus on speaker placement, audio settings, and room acoustics. -- I've tried some of that, but it's worth diving deeper.

As to my hearing, it is age-appropriate, with a case of tinnitus served on the side that is distracting but does not impact how well I hear.  I've read enough articles indicating dialog issues in movies or series are fairly common.  As my recent experience pointed to the benefits of a high quality amplifier improving HT sound from the L/R speakers, and my center speaker, interconnects and speaker cable are all very good, I wondered if some dedicated (e.g., obsessive) HT person had taken another step and added a high end amplifier for the center. 

Or, perhaps as in many other areas, this is life today.  I'll keep trying and am glad to learn from and share the experiences of others.  Thanks,

Robert

ghdprentice
8,128 posts
 

OP,

Looking at your system. I would try moving the center up and point the tweeter at your ear level (as someone recommended). My center is low, I used different elastomer pucks to angle it up towards my ears. I have no problem hearing the dialog. 

Keep working... there must be something, Is the center channel tweeter working? You can see my HT under my systems. 

gkelly's avatar
gkelly
511 posts
 

I was amazed at the difference when I put my center channel on its own stand and not on the shelf. 

traubr OP
48 posts
 

@soix, the picture I have in my profile does not do justice to the setup.  The center speaker is pointed up (hard to tell, but it is) and when I'm seated, it aims at my shoulders.  Those are obviously not my ears, but if I recline or sit on the floor, the improvement isn't there.  Placing it on the top shelf is a no-go, as unfortunately it is tall and would block the lower part of the TV. My listening position is about a foot off of center (my room limits that), but the center speaker is almost exactly in front of me.  When I run Audyssey, I create a very tight listening position, and the software does a good job of correcting for me being a bit off center. 

Focal's next level center speaker, the Sopra, has a midrange driver, and might be better for home theatre, but it is even bigger (taller) than mine, and would not fit in my shelving.  I considered it for a minute or two, but I'd take yet another beating doing an upgrade.  Ugh.

toro3's avatar
toro3
398 posts
 

OP: ATV X - had no idea this existed, just assumed you were referring to ATV. Within Audyssey do you have Dynamic EQ enabled? Any offset? Experimenting with this setting helped after my last calibration. 

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