Is Center speaker a waste of time with ProLogic ? (2 Viewers)

BrianGC · Apr 16, 2003

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 · Apr 17, 2003

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 · Apr 17, 2003

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.

BrianGC · Apr 17, 2003

For movies I consider the center speaker to be the most important speaker in the system

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

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Michael Reuben · Apr 18, 2003

From reading the Beginner's FAQ, it seemed that ProLogic wasn't very highly thought of.

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.

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Andrew Pezzo · Apr 18, 2003

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.

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

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Bob McElfresh · Apr 18, 2003

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 · Apr 18, 2003

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 · Apr 18, 2003

So dont get the idea that you should buy a higher-end center.

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

M.

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Phil Iturralde · Apr 18, 2003

So, I bought six JBL Studio Series S26s, to anchor the Fronts, Side Surrounds, Rear Center (pair wired in-series) and a timbre-(voice)-matched) JBL S-Center, ... so I can playback the encoded blockbuster 5.1 & DD-EX / DTS-ES-(matrix/discrete 6.1) DVD(s) and achieve near 100%** 360-degree Front, Center , Side Surround & Rear Center timbre-match seamless surround effects. This setup is very effective because you can hear the intricate precise pin point location, anywhere within the 360° sound field around you that the Dolby Labs DD-5.1/6.1 Mixing Engineer encoded in the DVD mix (Lord of the Rings / DD-EX; Star Wars I & II / DD-EX; World is Not Enough / DD-EX; Stargate UE / DTS-ES-discrete; Rush Hour 2 / DTS-ES-discrete; etc.)

Phil

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BrianGC · Apr 18, 2003

Well, I see this thread got moved. Not sure why, in my mind it started off as a question about my prologic receiver setup.

Anyway, I did mention above I was considering the JBL N26IIs and the N-Center. I guess I left out the part about the tight budget. My receiver is a Sony STR-DE315 and I don't want to replace it at this time.

I suppose my real question should have been would adding the Center be a waste of money at this time when I can't install the surround speakers for now on my ProLogic receiver. Sounds like it would be worthwile to have it, even without the surrounds.

99% of the time I've had the receiver, the only thing hooked to it was headphones. But I recently got my 1st DVD player (Pan CP72) so the thought of getting some decent speakers came up.

Thanks,
BrianGC

Andy Kim · Apr 18, 2003

Hi,
I think when you go from stereo to a pro-logic center, you'll notice that a whole wack of what you're going to be hearing will come from the center channel (more so than 5.1).
Pretty much everything if not all things in-phase will come from the center.
When I converted from stereo to prologic, I did notice the sound stage decrease. The lateral pans (sounds going from left to right and vice versa) were less pronounced when I introduced the center channel. But with the center, the dialogue is fixed on the screen so that's good.

BrianGC · Apr 19, 2003

The lateral pans (sounds going from left to right and vice versa) were less pronounced when I introduced the center channel

I wonder if you would notice the same effect if you had a newer receiver but still only used the Front L/R, Center, and Sub? I might possibly get a new Budget 5.1 receiver, but I can't stress Budget enough. lol

BrianGC

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