2. home-theater
  3. 134604-63913

What Center Channel are you using in your Home Theater?

Hi all you Home Theater enthusiasts out there. I am looking for your help and experience!

I am using an all GoldenEar set up in my HT, with Triton Ones for my front L & R

their XXL center channel

with their in-wall for sides and rears, and even have 4 Atmos speakers in my ceiling, with an additional center channel above my XXL in the ceiling.

The reason I have put a 2nd CC in the ceiling is that I just do not hear the dialogue very clearly from my XXL on the floor.

Look, I have heard many times that one has to have the same matching speakers for the front BUT I really watch a lot of movies and believe that I were to get a really clear center, I would be ahead of the game as the dialogue would be clearer, and I could then hear the voices better than what I have now.

I am an "older" gentlemen, (now those 2 words really bother me, but I may as well be as honest as I can with all of you), so what I want is to hear the dialogue as well as possible. As my HT is dark, I am really not as concerned if the speakers do not match as no one will "see" them, we only "hear" them.

What would you suggest that I get? In your opinion, what are the best center channels out there now?

Steve

PS

I am upgrading my front L & R to the GoldenEar Triton Reference shortly, so now is the time to get a new CC if possible.
I am using a Classé 5300 to push my front 3 channels + my rears.
128x128eternalcamper

Showing 5 responses by soix

soix
8,862 posts
 
Are you getting the B&Ws?  I'd wait until you choose your L/R speakers first.  But if clarity is paramount and you don't care about matching...

A used Aerial CC3 would be a good option.  Too bad there was one here just recently.  A couple other options:
https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-LSiM-706c-Midnight/dp/B0067XUYC8

https://www.aperionaudio.com/speakers/verus-grand-center-channel-speaker

As mentioned above, make sure you have settings properly set if you haven't already. 

soix
8,862 posts
 
Sorry, didn't read your whole post before.  Do you have the center speaker angled so that the tweeter is firing toward your ears?  Assuming you do, I suspect there's something wrong with the ribbon tweeter in your XXL (or somewhere further up the chain, but that seems less likely).  The reviews I've read of that speaker are very positive and praise it specifically for its clarity, so I highly doubt another center speaker will solve the problem.  And if the L/R speakers sound clear to you without the center then it's not your hearing either.  Best of luck in figuring this out. 
soix
8,862 posts
 
Is the center speaker located on the floor angled upward so it points toward your head?

soix
8,862 posts
 
So, is your center speaker now sitting flat on the floor?

soix
8,862 posts
 
Having this center speaker "almost" at ear level is not sufficient.  Having your ears even slightly above the tweeter will result in a big loss in perceived detail from the listening chair.  It is most important that the tweeter be at the same level as or aimed directly at your ears with this speaker.  In fact, if you read John Atkinson's review of the Triton Reference you'll notice he actually propped the speakers up from behind to get the tweeters pointing more inline with his ears to achieve good treble balance.  Feeling like a broken record here so I'm done.  Best of luck. 

More to discover