The centre speaker

-
Just a quick note on the use of the centre speaker.
It has already been mentioned countless times that one should use a speaker with the same drivers as the front pair, or at least the same tweeter as the fronts.

As for how to place it, some basic principles:

- it should be on a stable, non-resonant surface. That means that if you are using some Ikea console, or a sonorous Queenie glass / metal equipment rack, you are not doing yourself any favors. You may think that this rack is on spikes, but the SHELF isn't. And usually it is made of MDF, glass or other potentially resonant material.
- use some form of isolation - that means you can place it on something which de-couples it from the surface that can resonate. Budget options include a pair of rubber door-stops, or those $2 blue pads from Daiso. More expensive and highly effective options will be those Auralex MoPads. I have already recommended them to a few other friends, and they have used them with great success.
- direct the centre towards your ears, this will enhance the illusion that the sound is coming from the centre of your screen.
- the topic of using two centres comes up rather often. In this case Two is NOT better than one. Google up "lobing" and you can read all you want on it. In essence, INTERFERENCE
- how about vertical vs horizontal?
- actually the ideal situation is to use the same speaker as the front pair. Even if we use the same drivers as the fronts, by virtue of the horizontal position, or the design (often even if the same drivers are used, the crossover design is different). However due to space, aesthetics or other reasons, centre speakers are often horizontal with a single tweeter and two woofer cones.

Try using another bookshelf of the same design as the fronts if you can. Or like the HTM4s of the B/W 800 series, it is the same speaker as the 805s but laid horizontally but with the tweeter one top. Another solution is offered by KEF, where their speakers are co-axial. That IMO, offers a truly solid speaker design. But it will still something not offer the same sound, simply because the speaker is not in the same box, the position is compromised.

However these days with the advent of auto-eq, small differences in tone can be ameliorated and you can get a seamless front soundstage.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

KEF LS 50 Meta review and comparison with the LS50

-
Image
The original KEF LS50 was one of those landmark speakers, a pocket rocket which performed at a much higher level than what it’s price tag might indicate. The original LS50 has been widely reviewed, and is well regarded by audiophiles everywhere.  However it does have some bite in the treble and lacks some deep bass, and works better for music which does not go too deep or with a sub to reinforce the bass. But what it does have is fabulous imaging, which allows you to how off great soundstaging, depth, and definition. If you are into details, you’ll love them. The coaxial design is also wonderful for those who sit a bit off axis. The construction is a marvel in itself and with a modern design, a beautiful gloss finish and a quality build. No wonder it’s loved by music lovers the world over. Now recently KEF has introduced the new KEF Meta. This is an updated version of the original and whilst it can look deceivingly the same, there are significant differences. First a link to the offici
Read more

Dynaudio Heritage Special Speaker Review

-
Image
Dynaudio is a company that has been in the speaker business for more than forty years and prides itself on making most of its components in house, especially the drivers and most of the cabinetry. Through the years they have developed many beloved components for their top end products and have also distilled them down to the masses whenever they launch a special edition. So they have adopted a similar format and take some of their finest drivers, an Esotar 3 tweeter and a woofer derived from the Evidence range and placed them into a more traditional walnut veneer speaker for us to sample.  Thus the Heritage Special (HS) was born. The catch ? Well there are two.. firstly it’s by no means cheap, even though it uses choice components. Second there are only 2500 pairs so if you’re waiting to get one, don’t ! And that’s the sum of my review if you may. If you’re a Dynaudio afficiando, just plonk down the deposit that had planned for the annual summer holiday and get this instead. Now reader
Read more

Haiku fan review II - Mounting a Fan and Using more than one Fan

-
Image
A long long time ago, you had but a handful of choice of fans, and well, they mostly looked the same. The luxury fan market was almost non existent and then Haiku came along and all that changed. My original review is linked here:  Haiku fan review - how to choose a fan Since then, things have moved on and now we are into the fourth generation of the Haiku fan, or fifth if you count the more budget orientated version as well.  Well let's mention what is still present first. The cool, sleek design is still here. And you get both composite ABS blades, as well as bamboo options. It is still a DC motor, with the attendant energy savings, and the silent motor. But most importantly for most buyers, it still looks good. So what is new?  The size options have increased, from 52", 60" and now 84". You still get the option of a longer stalk for higher ceilings, but the longer mount  which extends from 40 to 70 cm comes with a rather bulbous base, instead of the mo
Read more