Before you posted this, I was going to write my experience with The Matrix. In the pill scene where Morpheus is sitting on the left and Neo on his right, I can clearly hear Morpheus left of center and Neo right of center.

I never had that kind of localization with the VP160 or any of the passives in phantom center mode.

Yes, it is much better to not have the center localized as before.

House of the Rising Sone
Out in the mid or far field
Dedicated mid-woofers are over-rated