Are speakers on a home theater system interchangeable (1 Viewer)

[VaderCartney]

This is just a random question I had the other day. I don't currently own a surround sound system, but I am looking to get one.

So in a surround sound system, each speaker is designated to a specific output. For example, the center speaker is meant to be a center speaker, the front speakers are meant for the front and the back meant for the back. My question is if you plugged say the right rear speaker into the left front channel, would it play front left audio? And if that's the case if you got a series of random speakers and plugged them into the receiver would they play according to the port on the receiver they are plugged into regardless of what kind of speaker it?

Sorry a random question, but I'm just curious.

 

[Wayne_j]

Yes, the speakers play whatever the port you plug them into says.

 

[VaderCartney]

Yes, the speakers play whatever the port you plug them into says.

So you could make a Frankenstein surround sound system?

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

You could, but it's not recommended.

 

[VaderCartney]

You could, but it's not recommended.

Why is that? Other than the fact that different brands/models of speakers sound different.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

That’s exactly why. You would be very unlikely to get a balanced sound field if the voicing of the speakers is wildly different from one to another.

 

[JohnRice]

You can make the system from all identical speakers, but in most cases, some of your speakers are better than others, even if they're from the same line. As in, maybe you have large floorstanders for L/R and a large center, but bookshelves for surround, since the surround channels don't have the same demands put on them. In that case, it would be a huge waste to use the small speakers in the front and the large ones for surround.

 

[Foxman]

The primary concern is to timber match the speakers in the front soundstage (LCR). The center channel is perhaps the most important speaker since the majority of the dialogue comes from it, however, it is important for the LCR to present a matching timbre much more than the rear surrounds. In the case of certain speaker brands, that means either having a tower for a center channel or finding a compromise when a tower won't work. IE: In my case, I run Klipsch Forte iii's for towers, but Klipsch does not offer a comparable traditional center channel that timbre matches the Forte, so I found a timbre-matched speaker from an independent builder and used 2 Klipsch in-ceiling speakers for my rear surround. Technically my system is a Frankenstein type system running 4 Klipsch 2 sets of 2 totally different types of Klipsch, an independently built center and 2 subs from a completely different brand (SVS), but all of these are designed and built to be comparable. If I were to have used a Bose (or insert your brand) center channel as an example, it would not be very satisfying compared to the sound of the horn system the Klipsch incorporates. As others have stated, even some within the brand do not pair well. I have had one of Klipsch's inexpensive center channels paired with the highly acclaimed RF-7 towers and the center channel sounded awful even though it was the same brand.

 

[VaderCartney]

Thanks for all the answers. I am thinking of piecing together a surround sound set. I plan on gettins peakers from the same brand and make, but I was just wondering if it was possible.

 

[dardardk]

The primary concern is to timber match the speakers in the front soundstage (LCR). The center channel is perhaps the most important speaker since the majority of the dialogue comes from it, however, it is important for the LCR to present a matching timbre much more than the rear surrounds. In the case of certain speaker brands, that means either having a tower for a center channel or finding a compromise when a tower won't work. IE: In my case, I run Klipsch Forte iii's for towers, but Klipsch does not offer a comparable traditional center channel that timbre matches the Forte, so I found a timbre-matched speaker from an independent builder and used 2 Klipsch in-ceiling speakers for my rear surround. Technically my system is a Frankenstein type system running 4 Klipsch 2 sets of 2 totally different types of Klipsch, an independently built center and 2 subs from a completely different brand (SVS), but all of these are designed and built to be comparable. If I were to have used a Bose (or insert your brand) center channel as an example, it would not be very satisfying compared to the sound of the horn system the Klipsch incorporates. As others have stated, even some within the brand do not pair well. I have had one of Klipsch's inexpensive center channels paired with the highly acclaimed RF-7 towers and the center channel sounded awful even though it was the same brand.

Is there enough adjustment in a receiver to accommodate for some variation in speaker output? Obviously not pairing a pair of Klipsch etc with a Radio Shack center.
I have an older Yamaha receiver. How do you connect to Sub's? are they getting the same input or do they act similar to surround sound effect?

 

[bvincenttt]

Is it taboo to have different brand Bookshelves for your front pair than the brand you have for your surround? I don't like the small look of my front pair and would like some beefy boys up front.

 

[dardardk]

Is it taboo to have different brand Bookshelves for your front pair than the brand you have for your surround? I don't like the small look of my front pair and would like some beefy boys up front.

LOL I was just creating a separate post regarding this "taboo"

 

[Marc_Sulinski]

Do they still do dipoles for surround speakers? If so, you would never want to use these for LCR speakers, as they create a diffuse sound field that is really not suited to main channels.

 

[Wayne_j]

You can have different brand bookshelves as fronts as compared to surrounds. Fronts and center channels should be from the same speaker line. Surround speakers can be monopole or bipole.

 

[DFurr]

My advice would be make LCR the SAME speakers and surrounds the SAME speakers.