And the under-achieving center channel of the year award goes to...........

Kevin Alexander · 05-11-2004, 08:37 PM

.....[rips apart envelope and pauses for a second].....the Athena AS-C1 center channel!!!

Can someone tell me how a company can make an awesome set of main speakers in the AS-F2's, but pull up short on the center channel? I finally got around to hooking up the AS-C1 to the system along w/ the AS-F2 mains and everything was perfect w/ the exception of the AS-C1 center. First, it just can't keep up w/ the mains. Second, I detected a slightly constricted "nasality" tone to it w/ dialog. I still have my Paradigm CC-350 and I spent an hour today swapping between the Paradigm and the Athena. I was hoping the Athena would at least match the output of the Paradigm, but it falls a bit short just as I felt it did during the numerous listening sessions I spent in the Best Buy sound corner.

To be specific, the Paradigm was more full sounding, but a little less detailed than the Athena. But the Athena, while more detailed than the Paradigm, had what I describe as a slight "boxy nasaly" tone on some dialog. And again, while the Athena was pleasingly detailed, to me it lacked depth and had me staring at the center channel as if to get a little more presence out of it. I think the Athena AS-C1 center would be a better match for the smaller AS-F1 floorstanders. So for now, I think I will have to stick w/ my Paradigm center channel, and hope that Athena will wise up and put out an AS-C1 mkII. Yes, I won't be timbre-matched across the front, but the AS-F2's are too awesome to give up. For me, they are perfect.

Chuck_W · 05-11-2004, 09:33 PM

My thoughts exactly Kevin! I too love the F2's, but just don't know what to do with this center...I'm just not happy with it. In fact, I emailed Athena recently to express this and asked if they would be coming out with a larger center to better match the F2's. Here's their reply:

Quote:

We haven’t received a single bad press review on the AS-C1 since it was introduced. All of the press said it more than adequately kept up with the high output AS-F2’s. In circumstances where it was getting compressed or being drowned out, the usual culprit was the center channel amplifier in the receiver. We use a Denon 5700 here at the office in a 19 x 25 foot test room. And the AS-C1 seems to keep up fine. Make sure that at least 100 hours of time has expired as the break in ritual changes the tone of the speakers dramatically.

Maybe you could check the settings again, re calibrate the system a bit.

Other than that I have no suggestions for you right now. There are no plans to offer a larger center channel or a different model in the coming future. The drivers in the AS-C1 are the same as the award winning AS-B2, so I wouldn’t know what to change.

They've got me questioning my receiver's capabilities (Pioneer 912). I'm also thinking about investing in an unmatched center but I have no idea what to go with. I really think Athena is missing the boat on this one.

David*RT · 05-12-2004, 12:12 AM

Kevin,
LOL! You're too funny.

Chuck_W · 05-12-2004, 10:01 AM

Would it be that hard for Athena to use the 6.5" woofers from the AS-B2's to create an AS-C2?

Maybe someday...

Kevin Alexander · 05-12-2004, 05:11 PM

Does Athena make any larger centers in their higher lines?

**HTF Ads**

brentl · 05-12-2004, 06:07 PM

Yeah they make another center for the next line up.

Kevin; many of us have written to API to complain. It's a good option for some people, but for people like me that went for YEARS with matching speakers across the front this was a big move down.

I even esked why I wasn't allowed to buy a single in Canada and they said "that's the way it's packaged". Strange thing, I could buy singles in the States!

Brent

Kevin Alexander · 05-15-2004, 11:11 AM

OK, I'm in panic mode now. I need a cost effective, viable replacement for the Athena AS-C1 center channel - it just doesn't cut it for me. Suggestions anyone?....Anybody???

Quote:

We haven’t received a single bad press review on the AS-C1 since it was introduced. All of the press said it more than adequately kept up with the high output AS-F2’s. In circumstances where it was getting compressed or being drowned out, the usual culprit was the center channel amplifier in the receiver. We use a Denon 5700 here at the office in a 19 x 25 foot test room. And the AS-C1 seems to keep up fine. Make sure that at least 100 hours of time has expired as the break in ritual changes the tone of the speakers dramatically.
Maybe you could check the settings again, re calibrate the system a bit.
Other than that I have no suggestions for you right now. There are no plans to offer a larger center channel or a different model in the coming future. The drivers in the AS-C1 are the same as the award winning AS-B2, so I wouldn’t know what to change.

How can equipment designers be so ignorant of their own products? Aren't they supposed to be better than us?

Lee Bailey · 05-15-2004, 03:27 PM

Kevin, could you please elaborate more on your setup? How are your speakers configured on your receiver, etc. Did you use a Sound Level meter to adjust the speakers, or just do it by ear, etc...

John Robert · 05-15-2004, 03:32 PM

Since the AS-F2's are so cheap now, why not buy a pair and use one as center and one as a rear center???

I'm trying this with Totem Forests...

John