I like to switch it up, with my morning coffee its 2.1, no center channels. When listening to music that is most everything else I upmix to 9.2.2 (just engaging my front height speakers and wide speakers are KEY for most music reproduction). When listening to bass dominant music like you hear in a club (house music, pop, hip hop) and classic arena rock I go full immersive 7.2.6. The 9.2.2 (with wides) setup presents music like it is being played in front of you like in a jazz club or concert hall. Full on immersive is more like a night/dance club or stadium when using an upmixer.

Music specifically mixed for atmos I listen in atmos 7.2.6.

You guys that leave the center channel off are only thinking of the person in the sweet spot, for everyone else its better if you leave it on. 

https://www.avid.com/resource-center/3-takeaways-on-immersive-music-mixing-with-grammy-winner-darrell-thorp

@asctim

I use the center channel all the time for everything. +1

You are correct, spacing is key. If you look at the pic in my virtual system you notice that all tweeters (L-C-R) are the same level. Many people using center channels place the tweeters at a different level than the front L&R. 

Me, you, and the Chairman of the Board all get it :)

@soix

If you’ve ever listened to to a truly high-end, 2-channel system NONE of them use a center channel speaker because it’s completely unnecessary.

Well its obvious you have never heard a high end system WITH a center channel, don’t blame @asctim. Why do you prefer being trapped in the sweetspot? Once you leave the sweetspot anything meant for the center will be skewed and sound to be coming from the speaker you are nearest, don’t get upset, thats fact.

When you engage a center channel anything coming from the center channel will still sound like its coming from the center, no matter where you are sitting, standing or walking, fact.

You must know that stereo started with 3 speakers not two.

You must know that Meridian has been a proponent of a center channel with their "trifield" upmixer since the nineties.

I am only talking about music NOT movies of course.

Stop please, if YOU prefer two speakers, wonderful, but to slam @asctim , myself, the founders of stereo, Meridian, and Frank Sinatra all in the same post??

No. If you want more reference I can post but think you get the picture. I am not even talking about atmos or surround sound, simply 3 channel "stereo".

The problem with "high end" users of a CC isn’t the speakers, its the setup. The tweeters of all 3 speakers have to be the same height to get the desired effect. Most pics I have seen the center is either too low or too high.

@soix

Please see "Two Track, 3 Channel Stereo" by Paul W. Klipsch. PWK was a proponent of the stereo three-speaker frontal array.

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Audio/Archive-Audiocraft-IDX/IDX/Audiocraft-1957-11-OCR-Page-0026.pdf

@soix 

Let me ask you this — when you’re at a live concert how do you prevent the strings on the left from bleeding over into the woodwinds on the right?

That's the wrong question, the right question is how do you reproduce a live concert experience in your home. The studies have been done, the answer is clear, but it won't matter "to you". You already have the benefit of having two sound cannons pointed at (or toward) your head while it sits locked in a vice. Whatever turns your crank is fine by me.

For those of you with the popcorn following along, if you want to see how the studies done at the USC Immesrsive Audio Lab reveal how to reproduce a live concert experience in your home here is an article from 2009. I am using pretty much the same setup they have at their lab at USC, right down to the room treatments (see the pics in my virtual system):

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/playback-visits-audyssey-and-the-usc-immersive-audio-lab/

More details can be found here:

https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/audyssey-dsx-10.2

@soix

But I suggest you bring your theory to the best speaker manufacturers and see if any of them bite. My guess, after they’re done laughing, will be a big fat NO.

PWK sucks??

OK, let’s go with that, what about the Toole? He has two center channels including a center height, another guy with a setup like mine (go figure)

The COB, PWK, the Toole, @asctim , the THX guy, and the Kota simply prefer the center channel (for music), get over it. The Toole’s layout is below:

https://www.thescreeningroomav.com/single-post/2019/03/06/The-Ultimate-Real-World-Home-Theater-and-Listening-Room

@soix

It doesn’t mean that I’m right, it means I have compared a high end two channel system with an ultimate "real world" high end system and chose to have both. The button on my remote allows me to switch my setup from as few as two channels to as many as 9.2.7 depending on what best suits the content.

It also means you haven’t been able to audition an ultimate "real world" system like mine, the Tooles, or the one at USC in YOUR own home in a properly treated room. The room is 50% of the ultimate experience and hotel rooms at shows are maye real world, but far from ultimate.

So, in a nutshell, don’t dismiss using a center channel for music and I provided many references (COB,PWK,THX,DrT, etc) to help validate my opinion.

@soix

BTW, notice the title of the Toole’s article:

The ULTIMATE "Real World" Home Theater and LISTENING Room

Go look at the pics of my system and its the same setup:

TWO center channels=check

Wide channels=check

Use of front rear and rear monitors as height channels instead of in ceiling=check

VOG channel=check

MLP equidistant from front and back wall=check

Dude that means whatever you think your rocking, it is far, far NOT the ultimate. Serviceable? Probably but LOL.🤡

Me and the Toole can rock everything from stereo, to surround sound, to Auro 3D and Atmos.

Priceless 😎