anyone have front and back center channel (1 Viewer)

[jlohojo7]

I currently have a a 7.1 setup but I was thinking about adding an additional matching center channel behind our seating bc the amp I have my center channel on has another channel i could use. What do you all think about having a front and rear center channel? good or bad idea? would that throw off the sound or should I just buy a second sub. thanks for your input.

joe

 

[chuckg]

What sound would you put on a center rear channel? I would think your receiver is designed maybe for "presence" speakers, which are additional front center speakers, usually placed up above the movie screen to help get the high frequencies distributed through the room.

 

[jlohojo7]

It would be the same center signal thats on the front. my in-wall and front polk speakers which also are all amp is so lound (which is not a bad thing and I love) kind of drown out the dialog. So my thinking was just having an additional center channel with the same signal as the front would give it and extra added boost.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Calibrate your system first. Get a sound pressure meter and make sure that all your speakers deliver the same degree of loudness to your prime sitting position.

 

[chuckg]

Yes, step one is to set your system properly so that all the speakers are producing sound at the same level. If you still feel that the center is not loud enough, just set it a few dB louder.

Then, if you still want more, put that extra center channel speaker right there with the existing center channel speaker. If that doesn't do it, you can try using the extra speaker in the back of the room, but remeber that this will likely destroy the illusion of having the sound come from the people who are speaking.

Let us know how it goes!

 

[Martino]

I think that sending the exact signal from the center channel to a duplicate speaker located in the rear will cause you all kinds of strange behavior, none of which would be too desirable.

As for examples:

Any front channel pans (like a car zooming by), would produce a strange sound behind you that is not meant to be there.

Most of the dialog is located in the center channel, so you may get a strange, echo effect if you duplicate this channel behind you.

In some concert material, the surrounds create an atmosphere of "being there" - and this would be lost if the center channel music is now coming behind you as well.

When designing a sound stage, the engineers only have 1 center channel - front and center - that they are using to create their sound stage. I would keep your setup as close to that design as possible.

 

[jlohojo7]

Well it should be here friday and I will be gone for the weekend so I will let you all know on monday. Ideally I would have it sitting next to the one in the front however my theater is upstairs and would be next to impossible to run a wire over there with the way my house is built (believe me I have thought this through)I had to do all the wiring in preconstruction, so the only possible way is to put it in the back. I understand what you are saying about sound direction though. worst case scenerio i put the thing on ebay.

Another query though is it best to set the sub at +or- db

I cant wait for my new 8.2 setup !!

thanks
jj

 

[JohnRice]

I'm baffled

 

[jlohojo7]

im not gonna lie to you guys..........it sounds awesome!!! I am really excited to watch a full movie. I popped in the matrix and swordfish on blu ray and i love it. it kind of lets me relax a little bit more not straining to hear the sound from the single front speaker but at the same time it still seems like all the dialog is coming from the front. As for adding the sub on the opposite side of the couch I should have done that a long long time ago wow what a difference to the people sitting in that side of the room.

thanks guys
joe

 

[Jeff Gatie]

No offense, but you could have saved the cost of the speaker by calibrating your system to balance out the levels between your speakers. 99 times out of 100, when the mains are overpowering the dialog it is because the mains are calibrated too hot compared to the center. 10 minutes with an SPL meter or a self-calibrating receiver would be all it takes to cure this problem.

I also can't fathom how having the dialog coming at me from both the front and back could ever sound "awesome", considering dialog by its very nature should be anchored to the screen.

 

[JohnRice]

Deaf ears Jeff.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

It's almost as if he put everyone on "Ignore" before posting the thread.

 

[David Willow]

Probably the same way someone loads the back of their Civic with subwoofers and thinks it is 'awesome'.

 

[chuckg]

I get the same effect by turning my chair backwards, and watching the reflection of the TV in the sliding glass door back there....it is, like, you know, bitchin, dude. wink.

 

[Holadem]

I like to have the TV upside down myself.

--
H

 

[jlohojo7]

you would almost think so now wouldn't you.

Its a good thing I didn't pay for your opinion. One smart remark most definitely deserves another.

regards
jj

 

[Jeff Gatie]

You're the one who bought a new speaker instead of calibrating your system, so in a way you did end up "paying" for something that you could have got for free.

 

[jlohojo7]

i didnt exactly have an spl meter handy nor If I did would I begin to know how to use it properly, besides I like buying new stuff. Its not going to hurt anyone plus if not I cant always use it upstairs I can use it for my surround sound in my bedroom or living room.
Just to let you guys know that I have it turned down and have watched many movies with friend who also have systems themselves and it doesnt give the illusion that the sound is coming from behind you as you would think.

All that really matter is what I think and I like the final result. So thanks for your opinions I didnt know I would get so many sarcastic and negative people on this thread. Guess you get what you pay for.

 

[JeremyErwin]

Oh how I remember that special frisson I felt when I first tore open the package of my shiny new Radio Shack SPL meter.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

You ask for an opinion, then complain when you get one, and you call us negative?