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In Reply to: Re: newbie-ish question- phantom center - or just two channel movies ? posted by Estes on March 17, 2006 at 12:54:49:
Regarding use of center channel, is the dialogue any clearer or more distinct with a center channel plus L and R stereo speakers across front?And how does this compare to a phantom center in terms of clearly hearing dialogue?
What I am getting at is that with my stereo TV, dialogue seems to sometime get drowned out. My wife and I have both noticed it, but when we go see films in a movie theater, the dialog is easy to discern.
townsend
Follow Ups:
I agree with blue_z. it is the quality of your setup that matters.If you are using your TV speakers to watch movies then that is the problem.
There are old movie theatres with properly set up Stereo that sound wonderful. The point with stereo is not just two speakers, but when set up correctly, the speakers should "disappear". This is where all the audiophile talk comes regarding "imagining". When I used a stereo setup only, I could hear people walking BEHIND the two people talking in the foreground! Discerning speech was not a problem.
So that leads us to the next question, what is your current setup??
Sony 32" color TV + Panasonic DVD player. Since this set up is in built-in cabinet, close to corner and on same wall with fireplace, it is not possible to add separate stereo system due to space limitations.Upstairs in my music listening room, I have a NAD T 751 surround sound receiver, a pair of Monitor Silver 5s speakers, and a Marantz DV-8300 "universal" DVD player.
I plan to upgrade my DVD player in the next year or two to one that "upconverts" and has the latest version of HDMI (1.3?), and then add a display device. I am sitting out the display issue for now, awaiting the 1920 X 1080 plasma, and will wait further for prices to become more reasonable.
I can't decide whether to buy a center speaker or do the phantom center, hence my question. I can't really have rear speakers in a room so small (it's essentially an upstairs bedroom).
townsend
You are talking about the upstairs system, correct? The room is so small that you can't have rear speakers, correct?I would say, just go with stereo, set up so the two speakers appear to "disappear." The down side may be that the listening position may not allow for this, in which case go for the center to "anchor" dialogue to the screen.
The other option is grab a speaker from another system & use it as the center to test what works for your situation, before buying a dedicated center.
Thanks for your advice.Yes, I am talking about the upstairs system, which is set up in a "spare" bedroom (approximately 11' by 12').
I do have an older Boston Acoustics speaker I can set up and test as a center speaker, before committing to purchasing a dedicated center speaker.
townsend
If you are going to set levels, remember you need a sound pressure meter. Radio Shack has one that is not very expensive. Just please don't tell me you can set the levels by "EAR" because NO ONE CAN! You need a sound pressure meter.
Seems like the wife is telling you that you need to upgrade the home audio system.The quality of the electronics and speakers can have as much effect as the configuration (phantom versus "physical" center). With tube amps and dipole L&R front speakers, 99.9% of dialog is quite clear in my setup.
Perhaps the midrange (voice) frequencies are suppressed (or too much bass and treble) in your setup?
BTW a large video screen between the speakers will adversely affect the sound. Not just imaging, but also tonal! I was testing out what a 50" diagonal LCD/DLP rear-projector TV would "sound" like by using a piece of plywood stood up between the speakers. Besides having a flattened image, a saxophone recording seemed off-tone on a few notes.
Regards
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