2. speakers
  3. 191531-130

What would I gain/lose?

I’ve been running an unusual setup in my second system. It’s a stereo setup 90% used for watching television and 10% streaming. I use two center speakers—Dali Opticon Vokals, driven by a Cambridge Audio EVO 75. The reason for the two Vokals is as follows: speakers are mounted inside a large Salamander cabinet with provisions for a wide Soundbar (56” wide). I’ve tried regular speakers inside the cabinet and they sound boxy, even with acoustic foam and stuffing everywhere. The Dalis sound excellent to my ear—they are front ported and designed for such an application. They also feature a hybrid tweeter that the L/R version don’t have.

the downside of course is that the speakers are only 4 feet apart. I’ve been thinking about standmounts (listening 10 ft away, small room). So I would gain sound the but lose the wide dispersion I’m getting from the Vokals. Again mostly these are used for video so dialog is important.

what say you?

tomaswv
simplystereo's avatar
simplystereo
18 posts
 

Why not get a pair of Opticon 6 mk2?  They're the best speakers dollar for dollar that we have ever heard, and will have a similar sound (but better) than the dual Vokal setup you have going. 

Given how you are using the system, I would also strongly recommend switching that Cambridge unit for a home theater receiver of some sort so you can keep one of your Vokals and use it as a center channel.  Unless you are sitting locked into a sweet spot, watching shows/movies without a center channel is hugely compromised if you are in any way out of the sweet spot.

tomaswv OP
221 posts
 

The idea of a receiver and a LCR system is something I will think about. Trying to stay compact with standmounts that I might eventually move to a smaller office or bedroom.  I have Dali Mentor 6s in my main system and I do like the Dali sound. Thinking of upgrading them to the me Rubikore 6s.  And I am locked into a sweet spot so that really isn’t an issue. 

Ag insider logo xs@2x
mwh777
90 posts
 

This is not exactly on topic but, a parallel situation that I had to address and maybe will be of use for someone else reading this. My very elderly mother had a Salamander cabinet with the space for small speakers above the regular shelves. We tried several different "bookshelf" type speakers but, she could not hear TV dialog well enough. Finally, we tried using a pair of center channel speakers instead of regular stereo speakers and that helped very much. Also, via trial and error, I found cables and cords and even a wall receptacle that provided a more mid-range forward sound.

More to discover