Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Dual center channels?

No...definitely no room for that...dang. Would a center channel from another company work? RBH or one of those high end companies?

Can you hook up one of your mains to the center position just to make sure it is the 150.

Drew, ditto Rick Widner's suggestion and expand on it a bit. You have enough speakers to experiment a little(the amplifier and power has nothing to do with this). Take your M2 surrounds and place one vertically as a center and then also place two of them directly at the side of the TV connected in parallel.

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Would a center channel from another company work?

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I wouldn't go that route, it will work but the sounds may not match as well as the VP150,
As Rick mentioned, there have been many problems with Yamaha receivers and Axioms centers, Imo before you go out and spend more on a center, if possible hook up another non Yamaha receiver and see what happens.

I'll come right out and say it: I think it's a positioning issue. My VP100 doesn't sound nearly as good if it is firing straight out from the TV. Flipped over on its back is better, and even better is pointed at the listener.

While you could try a center from another manufacturer, you'll likely have the same issues if you're restricted in placement. A reason not many people have replied on this line is that not many people (not anyone currently active?) have gone that route.

What exactly is it that you are missing? Is the dialog not centered on the screen? Is the volume level off from the other speakers? Is the dialog unclear? Does it not have bass impact that you expect? If you play music through it, does it sound different from the other speakers in some way?

You also might try a different crossover point on the center, or even set it to large. Others on here have found changing the x-over a little to make things "click".

Drew, I have a much lower-end Yamaha than yours, paired with the Epic 80-600. To my ears, the VP150 stands up quite well to my mains. And the 80's are killer.

If you could please tell us more about what you are disappointed with. Is it the actual tone, volume, or impact of the speaker? You were a little vague.

As the others have asked, what are your settings? You don't seem to acknowledge them when they ask you this. I can't stess enough how IMPORTANT this is. Also, make sure the speaker is protruding PAST the front of the TV.

Did you use the YPAO auto adjustment? It is notoriously bad, and may REALLY throw things off. Start by shutting it off and set the system up manually. Do you have an SPL meter? If not, get one.

Apart from the standard x-over and small/large settings, you can also adjust dynamic range (low/normal/max), centre channel "width", centre channel "raise", and certain EQ frequencies.

Again, you need to address these issues FIRST. Adding more amplification, or a second (or different) centre won't solve your problem if the settings are messed up. After all this, if you still don't like the sound of the 150, by all means buy something else. You won't have any trouble selling it.

I calibrated the system myself with an SPL meter, the X-over is at 80hz set at small. I've tried a number of different options but they don't seem to be effective. I did not come to this decision lightly. But I am wondering if the center is a little damaged. I've noticed some very slight distortion coming from one of the tweeters even at relatively low volumes during high frequency hisses. And when I had originally purchased it, there was a lot of distortion coming from one of the woofers, which I fixed by loosening the screws. I've toyed around with the different audio options available in the reciever but they only seemed to make it worse so I left it as it was.

Please note that my problem is not a dramatic one. The center is simply not theatrical sounding. I spent nearly 4500 on my system and expected a bigger more theatrical sound. I get a great sound in two channel but it lacks the envelopment of a movie theater, whereas in it's 7.1 set up it is the opposite problem. I've been toying around with my system since I bought it in september and have not yet been able to get the 150 sounding as big as the M60's. This seems also to have been a problem in some of the reviews I read. Audioholics.com hooked up two 150's and reported great results which led me to believe that that could be a very good solution to my problem. Perhaps it is more than I need to do, but I have become keen on doing it on the assumption that it would definitely be an upgrade.

I know that mdrew prefered the sound of M3 centres run in parallel compared to M22's.

This is what I ordered for my system, mabey order a couple M3s and wire them in parallel and see if you like them? (one above the screen one below).

First try the M2 suggestion from JohnK, perhaps try running your M2's in parallel above and below the screen to see what it would sound like.

I think Bugbitten has M3s paired with his M80s as well.

Edit: Regarding your desire to order another VP150, if wired in parallel you would need a separate amp just to drive the VP150's as their overall impedance would be 3ohms.

Drew, thank-you. That certainly sheds more light on your situation, and what you've done to solve it.

In reference to the Audioholics article, I think you pretty much answered your own question regarding the centre. Order a second 150 and try it. That way, you can see if you like the 2 together, AND you can compare it to your existing one to find out if there really is something wrong with it. Kill two birds, so to speak. If it doesn't work out, you've got 30 days for return.

Oh, and before buying a stand, cobble something together with a milk crate or such, and see how it sounds first.