The most important speaker in a HT is.... (1 Viewer)

[Reginald Trent]

Mike Knapp wrote:

"Reginald,

Does agreeing with me frighten you as much as it does me?"
------------------------
No Mike, it doesn't frighten me at all. Especially when you're right.

 

[Lewis Besze]

No, but I think its a way of telling which speaker is playing the biggest role overall.

When all 5 are playing a typical DD track?

 

[Chris Tabor]

Its a process of elimination, which one can you live most without....Yes when all 5 are playing a dd track the center is the easiest to "re-create" somewhere else. Some could say the sub is but I doubt too many mains can dip into the low-low end so basically without the sub you lose more of the track than you do without the center. I'm not saying the sub is most important, it comes down to how you interpret the original question but looking harder into it I think the mains carry the most "responsability" of any speaker.

 

[Mike Knapp]

When all 5 are playing a typical DD track?

A center channel may be as important as the L/R in a 5.1 situation but it is useless in a 2.0 DD track.

The question posed was which is the most important speaker in a HT. Not which is the most important on a 5.1 soundtrack that was being played back on all 6 speakers.

In order to determine which is the most important we must determine which of the speakers can be eliminated with the least effect on the sound presentation. So lets examine each speaker...

Subwoofer: You can select "no sub" and have the LFE channel routed to your mains. Sure it wont go as low but the info will still be there.

Center: Again, you can opt out of a center speaker by selecting the "phantom" mode. Sure the voices will be off center if you arent in the sweet spot, but you will still hear them.

Surrounds: If you dont have surrounds the spatial effect of the soundtrack will be reduced but you will still get most of the needed information from the remainder of the system.

Main L/R: Without these you have no place to re-direct the center or the subwoofer if you lack them, plus they play a vital role in the front soundstage.

The mains are by far the most important speakers in a home theater. They act as one to fill the front with sound and carry off screen dialog and sound ques when used in a 5.1 situation.

Mike

 

[Chris Tabor]

Let me also add, by interpreting it the way I feel Lewis is I see where he is coming from. If you HAVE to run your setup in true dd or dts without faking or sending any channels somewhere else, yes, the center would play a large role. Basically, you could look at it as what if during the movie you had to pull the wire from one of the speakers out of the back of your receiver/amp and you choose the center. Now you have a movie that you can't hear any dialogue.

 

[BenK]

Now if all 5.1 speakers have to remain then I would want my center to be the best speaker in my system.

The initial question can be interpreted in different ways obviously but theres no need to analyze the crap out of it. The way I understood it is how Lewis is seeing it which is best summed up above. The center speaker gets more information sent to it plain and simple. But if there were to be only one speaker (two in the case of R/L counted as one) in a HT enviroment the mains would be the best choice. If the question was list order of importance I personally would go:

Center
Mains
Sub
Surround

Enough said.

 

[Chris Xolotl]

w/o reading through this thread.

1. Left and Right Speaker
2. Sub
3. Rears
4. Center

I put center last, because I can eliminate the center speaker on my amp and have it sent to the L and R's and usually it sounds better that way.

The center is only important to me for listeners sitting askew of the center. But bully for them.

 

[Mike Knapp]

Im not sure if this will help or simply add to the confusion but...I had a home theater BEFORE there even was a center channel or a subwoofer. I had an outboard Dolby Surround processor. It used the standard stereo signal to create a phantom center and then added one surround channel into two rear speakers (the rear channel was mono).

This was the birth of home theater as we know it, it was also over 20 years ago. The center channel speaker is a Johnny-come-lately when it comes to home theater audio. The subwoofer (used as an LFE channel) came to the party even later still although many people were using what were called sub/sat systems and getting some additional slam that way.

Mike

 

[Lewis Besze]

A center channel may be as important as the L/R in a 5.1 situation but it is useless in a 2.0 DD track.

The Outlaw 950[isn't that what you have?] decodes this signal in DPL or DPLII,so why would be "useless"?

Look my whole "argument" is based on the fact that modern soundtracks directs about 70% of the entire track to the center channel.Now if you wanna fold that info to your mains,that's your perogative,but if you don't[like me]get a center channel that is is agood as your mains,otherwise you soon feel like it's the weakest link in the "chain",and you may start to blaim the concept instead of the hardware.
So in sum it up,if you think center is important get the best you can,if you don;t think that don't bother with it,but make sure you sit in the middle.

 

[Mike Knapp]

I agree with your last few sentances....scary isnt it?

Mike

 

[Lewis Besze]

Scary? Not the least, we agreed in the past,you just don't know it.We still maintain disagreemant on these however:
Stereo vs Multi ch.
Denon Vs Marantz
14th Floor Vs Matrix
.....and Blair Witch Project,
Oh and how could one forgett Moulin Rouge["lacks poetry in their soul"]?
No, I don't wanna reignite these discussions at all,I'm comfortable with your opposing views on all these.

 

[Reginald Trent]

The fact is the mains are the only speakers that you can setup alone in your system and still have it qualify as a HT.

 

[Lewis Besze]

The fact is the mains are the only speakers that you can setup alone in your system and still have it qualify as a HT

Yeah, for some!

 

[Reginald Trent]

I don't think you can do that with a center speaker alone.

 

[Topher]

Reginald makes a strong point... even if it doesn't follow the original question, I know if I could only have 1 in my setup it would be the l/r. You can reproduce most everything through those, I can't imagine watching movies or listening to music with only the sub or only the center (I won't even mention the surrounds). Hotly debated topic, but IMO the most important speaker in your HT is whatever floats your boat. It's purely subjective.

 

[Lewis Besze]

I don't think you can do that with a center speaker alone

It seems you didn't "catch my drift".

 

[Jerome Grate]

At the chance of being repetitive, I would have to say they all compliment each other and therefore, fronts, surrounds and sub, (in my case subs). It all depends on the mood you're in and what movie you are watching or music you are listening too.

 

[TimMc]

How about...

The most important speaker is you, in the store, when you say "Yup, I'll take 'em".




OK, if we all have to vote, can you really have any system w/o L&R Mains? We lived w/o a center, w/o surrounds, and w/o a sub (but I got better ;-). Can't do it at all w/o the Mains...