Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Center Channel

If you have more than one viewer or seating is not a sofa centered on the screen yes you need one.

If one listener you can get away without one. Same performance as in a stereo phantom image.

Follow Dolby recommendations.

Soundtracks are not mixed for a phantom center.

I agree with Mojo. Start thinking about the future room and save up some $.

I've gone without a center channel a couple of times in different rooms/configurations. It worked OK. Then I added a center - it worked better. Do you "need" one? - nah. Will your HT sound better with a center? dialogue - yes. Music, probably not.

What I like most about having a center channel speaker, is the ability to bump up the center a couple DB's over the R/L. I like to do this so I can hear dialogue a bit better.

Yeah, from my a/b testing that is what I am finding. it's movies and dialogue. I guess I will have to build something to fit all the components plus a center channel, something that fit in this odd space.

Thats why I am not selling my M100's that don't fit my space. They are the best speakers. I'm thinking it'll be 8-12 months, maybe more if i'm smart, before I move. A dedicated home theater will be required in the new house.

I plan to visit the Axiom factory in the next year or so, as I have business nearby...hopefully the border opens back up.

IMO a centre channel for HT is really key. The larger the tv/screen, the larger the centre channel.

In our recent addition of a 77" LG, i've found the aged VP150 to be a bit 'thin' in the middle. I was going to boost the output a bit to see if that helps. I also need to give myself a bit of time because the location of the centre is now lower from where it was before with our previous setup. However, that being said, the location of the VP150 is just about equal with the tweeter heights of the M60s on either side of the LG. Previously it sat on top of an old RPTV and it was positioned above the M60 tweeter height.
Part of what i'm hearing is difference from my previous reference point for sound from the centre channel. My first impressions are, it isn't better, but rather worse. I'll give it some time and see if i change my mind on that.
Part of the other problem is the LG screen height. Being up a bit higher means the centre sound is coming from below and and not up top so my perspective of dialogue during movie playback is changed. I'm not certain i feel like the sound is coming from the 'screen' area as much as it was before.
This is the same conundrum that people with big projection screens run into as well. If the screen is so large that you have to put the speakers and centre channels way off the sides, top and bottom (not behind the screen), then it anchors the sound very differently.

I also have a vp150v4 (onWall) under a LG 77” ...
it sound great. ... no complaints

Eye level (and therefore ear level) is about 25% from the screen’s bottom and the 150 is about an inch below the screen some what in line with the M2 mains.

You can't possibly know how much better no center sounds with properly placed active omnis until you try it. It's more diffuse...more natural. In my set-up, that centre image holds up to the outer boundaries of the fronts...maybe more...I haven't tried. That's two seats away from MLP.

I agree with passives a centre is needed unless the fronts are placed real close to each other relative to MLP. Then, there's really no imaging to be had so a centre is quite useless.

Rebulx, you need active omnis for your new place.

=
Agreed, Mojo.

I can add a bit more detail here.
The plan was to replace the VP150 with a VP180 (9.5" H).
The media console is 28"H.
There would be a 2" H between the VP180 and the screen.
So, centre channel total height is approx. 37.5-38" (presently i put the VP150 on 4 hockey pucks to raise it up). As such, the screen starts at 40" off the ground and goes up from there. I would say that eye height is around the bottom 15%, no more than the bottom 20% of the screen.

Options
I could lower the screen by those 2" which would make a marginal difference in putting the screen closer to the centre channel (the spouse feels like the screen is a bit high anyway but frankly if you sit in in the front row at a theatre, it's far worse for having to look 'up').
or
the media console has a top shelf with a cloth fabric front which was designed to put a centre channel or sound bar inside. The VP150 can fit but i haven't yet measured to see if the VP180 would.
Soundwise putting this inside the cabinet (open at the back though) is also not ideal. It would also lower the centre channel significantly and likely i would have to get one with an upward angle.
It would become quite the experiment.

Once i get a few things cleaned up i can post a photo.

I am sure many here think the upward angle idea is a good one. I know it isn't but perhaps there is no other option. Sounds to me like you need to go with active omnis.

What about an in-wall centre?