Matching the center channel to the fronts

You said you are planning to use your system for 70% music, but does that mean 2 channel music or multichannel music? If you intend to use your system for mostly 2 channel music, then as others have said, I think it would be a big mistake to downgrade your front mains to match the center channel. Get the best front mains you can afford and don't worry about voice-matching them to the center channel speaker -- it is a non-issue if you are only using the center channel speaker for movies.

On the other hand, if you are listening to multichannel music (SACD or DVD-A) then the center channel speaker becomes more important, but even in that case, I would not recommend compromising the front mains at all for the sake of matching to the center channel.

That said, I am not so sure about the idea of watching a movie in "phantom center" mode with no center channel speaker. Around 80% of the soundtrack (especially the dialog) is directed to the center channel speaker. Having that speaker close to the video screen ensures that dialog will emanate from the actors' mouths, not from somewhere else.

Javachip said:

"That said, I am not so sure about the idea of watching a movie in "phantom center" mode with no center channel speaker. Around 80% of the soundtrack (especially the dialog) is directed to the center channel speaker. Having that speaker close to the video screen ensures that dialog will emanate from the actors' mouths, not from somewhere else."

If stereo speakers are located properly for imaging, the voices are going to come from the actor's mouths, not somewhere else. That's what stereo imaging is. If you can't place your speakers properly because of space limitations, then it would be better to keep some speaker in the centre. I would also agree with the rest of the post.

Thanks for the advice...I intend only to listen to 2 channel music. It was my inclination to pick the fronts and just go with whatever center channel fits. It will still be better than my current center, even if its a class down from the fronts. But now, picking the speakers...that's the hard part.

"But now, picking the speakers...that's the hard part."

Many would say, that's the FUN part.

We're in this hobby because we enjoy it, right? (Right?)

:)

I am running my center information through my front speakers at this moment and have had great success. I have listened with and without many times before and the only real difference when the center is removed is the loss of sound information that is dedicated to the center channel. This loss is most noticable in action movies, the lack of detail or the energy created by my center speaker was missing. Making the towers do .5 tims more work leads to some information getting lost. It made a big difference to me. Plus, without a center channel, you cant raise or lower the level of the dialouge dedicated to the center channel. I am letting a friend borrow my speaker cables right now, but when i get them back i am going back to a 5.1 system.