BrianGC

Is Center speaker a waste of time with ProLogic ?

Hi,
Will there be any benefit to having a center speaker on a Prologic receiver when you have just the front L/R and Center but no surround speakers?

Thanks,
BrianGC

ChrisAG

Most dialogue is output from the centre speaker, which makes the presentation sound more natural if you are sitting off to the side (not directly in front of the TV).

Michael Reuben

For movies I consider the center speaker to be the most important speaker in the system. Surround effects are fun, but the center speaker is where the story happens.

In fairness, though, there's a school of thought that prefers to replace the center speaker with a properly focused pair of left and right speakers to create a "phantom" center. The major limitation is that you have to be sitting in a "sweet spot" to get the effect. And I've long suspected that this approach is appealing primarily to people who don't have a really good center speaker. (There's a tendency to skimp on the center, but I'd spend as much -- or more -- on that speaker as on any in the system.)

M.

"Most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything." -- Chinatown

"What kind of movies would there be if everyone in them had to do what we thought they should do?" -- Roger Ebert

HTF Beginner's Primer and FAQ

BrianGC

From reading the Beginner's FAQ, it seemed that ProLogic wasn't very highly thought of. So, I wondered if the Center speaker was as useful on a ProLogic system?


I think I'm going to get JBL N26II speakers, and the N Center if I decide to go with a Center. I'll most likely get one of the new Sony SA-WM500 Subs as well.

BrianGC

Michael Reuben

On the contrary, it was the state of the art for many years before the arrival of discrete multi-channel formats. When ProLogic processing first arrived, it was a major step up in HT sound.

M.

"Most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything." -- Chinatown

"What kind of movies would there be if everyone in them had to do what we thought they should do?" -- Roger Ebert

HTF Beginner's Primer and FAQ

Andrew Pezzo

I could not agree more with this. Why would you skimp on a speaker that handles most of the audio in movies and TV?

Bob McElfresh

Most people agree that the center is the most important, used speaker for HT.

But... you really want your front 3 speakers to be as close to identical as possible. More and more DVD's are sending dialog to the L/R speakers if the actors are shot wide in the scene. If the center and L/R to not tone-match (usually meaning designed to work together), it blows the illusion of being in the scene.

Some have argued, and I have to agree, that it's actually better to have 5 identical speakers for your system than trying to have a high-quality center, a step down for the L/R, then budget speakers for the rear.

So dont get the idea that you should buy a higher-end center. A set of budget but tone-matched speakers can do a great job and likely save some $$. (That you can put into a better sub for the impact it brings.)

Hope this helps.

Danny Tse

I am currently using a Technics SA-690 Pro-Logic receiver (with two sub outputs!!) for my stereo setup. There's a Dolby Pro Logic 3 mode that one can chose, which folds the surround effects into the front L/C/R speakers. Haven't tried it yet though.

Michael Reuben

It's certainly a viable approach, but it's not always a practical one. For example, if you're using floor-standing tower speakers, getting an additional one to use as a center will present major positioning issues in most setups. Even if you have the space to stand a tower on top of your TV, directing the sound properly will be a major challenge -- and if the dialogue sounds detached from the screen, the illusion is destroyed just as effectively as if the speakers aren't properly matched.


I don't think anyone here has suggested that. The point is simply not to skimp on the center.

M.

"Most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything." -- Chinatown

"What kind of movies would there be if everyone in them had to do what we thought they should do?" -- Roger Ebert

HTF Beginner's Primer and FAQ

Phil Iturralde