James R. Geib
Stunt Coordinator
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2002
- Messages
- 105
Revel makes them. Wilson Audio makes them. Sonus Faber makes them. In fact, every major manufacturer of home theater speakers includes a horizontal center speaker in their line-ups.
Why??
For one, they add to a home theater's overall effect in a good way, if it is a well-made speaker. A horizontal center speaker can, and in fact does in my system, project excellent dialog and sound effects, seeming to emanate from the very lips of the character on screen.
Secondly, they fit in smaller places than floor-standers. They fit on top of 35" televisions, like mine, much better than 40" floor-standing speakers. I have large floor-standing speakers in order to maximize my enjoyment of two channel stereo music. They sound damn good!
The quest for audio nirvana has produced some very large speakers. It is well-documented that the loudspeakers regarded as the best sounding speakers in the world are large, floor standing speakers. At least when one is talking about the audiophile communities' opinions.
Wilson Audio's Watt Puppy and Sophia, Sonus Faber's Amatti Homage, JM Labs Grand Utopia, and dozens of others are very large speakers, and none would fit atop a 61" Samsung DLP display! Owners of these speakers seeking audio bliss, who want to add 5.1 to their systems for the family to enjoy M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs", would have to add a horizontal center speaker to their system if their display device was anything but a plasma or front projector.
Now, I will not argue that 5 identical speakers can produce a better image and better over-all sound, but it is not always practical to have 5 identical speakers, unless they are smaller than floor-standers. Again, unless one has a front projector and a screen transparent to sound waves. If that were the case in my own home theater, I would not hesitate to convince Paradigm to sell me one Studio 100 for my center. However, I have a typical display which does not allow placement of a large floor-standing speaker for my center channel. Were I to plop down another Studio 100 in the center position of my home theater, I would miss half the action on screen! I opt for the horizontal center option as my only option, which sounds very, very good!
In my case, the horizontal center speaker is the only way to go sans phantom. It is much better than a phantom center to me. I have lived with both options, and a real speaker in the center makes a huge difference. Even though it is a horizontal configuration, my wife and I thoroughly enjoy each and every movie we watch, unless it is simply a bad movie.
A case can be made for using a horizontal, center speaker. It is a fine choice for those choosing to use one.
Five identical speakers may be better in some ways, but there are always alternative compromises which can make home theater owners extremely satisfied with their set-up, and a horizontal center is one of them.
James R. Geib
Why??
For one, they add to a home theater's overall effect in a good way, if it is a well-made speaker. A horizontal center speaker can, and in fact does in my system, project excellent dialog and sound effects, seeming to emanate from the very lips of the character on screen.
Secondly, they fit in smaller places than floor-standers. They fit on top of 35" televisions, like mine, much better than 40" floor-standing speakers. I have large floor-standing speakers in order to maximize my enjoyment of two channel stereo music. They sound damn good!
The quest for audio nirvana has produced some very large speakers. It is well-documented that the loudspeakers regarded as the best sounding speakers in the world are large, floor standing speakers. At least when one is talking about the audiophile communities' opinions.
Wilson Audio's Watt Puppy and Sophia, Sonus Faber's Amatti Homage, JM Labs Grand Utopia, and dozens of others are very large speakers, and none would fit atop a 61" Samsung DLP display! Owners of these speakers seeking audio bliss, who want to add 5.1 to their systems for the family to enjoy M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs", would have to add a horizontal center speaker to their system if their display device was anything but a plasma or front projector.
Now, I will not argue that 5 identical speakers can produce a better image and better over-all sound, but it is not always practical to have 5 identical speakers, unless they are smaller than floor-standers. Again, unless one has a front projector and a screen transparent to sound waves. If that were the case in my own home theater, I would not hesitate to convince Paradigm to sell me one Studio 100 for my center. However, I have a typical display which does not allow placement of a large floor-standing speaker for my center channel. Were I to plop down another Studio 100 in the center position of my home theater, I would miss half the action on screen! I opt for the horizontal center option as my only option, which sounds very, very good!
In my case, the horizontal center speaker is the only way to go sans phantom. It is much better than a phantom center to me. I have lived with both options, and a real speaker in the center makes a huge difference. Even though it is a horizontal configuration, my wife and I thoroughly enjoy each and every movie we watch, unless it is simply a bad movie.
A case can be made for using a horizontal, center speaker. It is a fine choice for those choosing to use one.
Five identical speakers may be better in some ways, but there are always alternative compromises which can make home theater owners extremely satisfied with their set-up, and a horizontal center is one of them.
James R. Geib
