Due to an odd placement of my TV on two separate stands, I've been running my system with a vertical bookshelf center channel. I originally was using one of my old M22s but it couldn't keep up with my M80v3 mains. Bought an M5HP and WOW. It keeps up and is an amazing center channel. I highly recommend this setup for the ultimate LCR front stage. Forget horizontal centers, even my waaaay off axis bedtime listening has incredible clarity and imaging. Abandon the large center tv stand/equipment console and get two separate racks with a vertical center channel in between!

We did a room with M80 towers and an in wall M5HP in wall center behinnd an acoustic screen. The M5 is a fantastic speaker for the reasons you say.

Trevor, For a large projector screen (mine) would you recommend the M5ow over say the VP180ow? Have you tried both?

Rich, M80OW. I'd bet you will enjoy a larger, more natural center image similar to the active LFR but off-axis as well.

I tried the M5 bookshelf as a center between the 12' spread of my actives at 14' MLP and it was excellent on and off axis but the image was too localized relative to the actives. Other set-ups of course may offer a different experience or perhaps some prefer more of a "vocal point" experience.

Once you hear the pseudo center image of the actives, it's tough to go back to a traditional center.

I tested an m5ow as a center last weekend between my 2 passive 1100s. I really didn't notice that much difference overall between the m3 and my 180 as far as off axis response. The 180HP puts out more sound but I felt like the m5 sounded more natural on dialogue on movies. I'm splitting hairs but it just seemed a little cleaner vs the 180. Honestly I think if I decided to run a AT screen I would go the m5 route. I've even considered going m5s as LCR and moving my passives to my dedicated stereo room.

On another note about the m5s, in stereo, I moved the tweeters from above ear, level, and below ear. The biggest difference to me was as I moved them lower the soundstage shrunk just a little each time but the imagining improved. I really enjoyed them more at ear level or slightly below.

Shrunk how? Height, width, depth?

I havent tried an VP180OW yet for a job.

I Would go big and let the AVR do its job when you tune the room. Lots you can do after the fact during calibration.

The reason we went with M5IW was the owner wasnt into a built out screen and we had a studded wall to work in.

The other install with 150” AT screen and M5OW LCRs behind was entirely fine with an outboard amp. Impressive even.

My own room has huge matched towers back there and the dynamics from a true center are leaps above a phantom. But I go loud. Similar to M100s I would say. Definitely more than M80s from my experience with them.

Width shrunk

What’s the width of your screen? In the pictures I seem to remember your TV looking something like 50-70”.

With a 12’ spread I would suspect that you’d get a unnaturally wide stage with a mid size TV. Sounds coming from a image on the right or left edge would be way outside the screen boundary’s.

You must have upgraded …. to something in the 150-165 inch range



P.S. as I’ve said before I agree with you on the virtual center. It is the most natural sounding solution for one to maybe three seats. Once beyond that you need a real center to anchor sounds to the center for all seats.

I still have the 55" which I view from 14' away. As I said in another post, I notice no ill effect from the wide spacing. It sounds natch.

Mojo, for a guy who is so into the sound stage and imaging I just don’t get that answer. I find it disconcerting when someone on the left side of the screen is talking and the voice is not coming from the same location but more than a screen widths left of it.

Have you ever experienced what you describe or are you just seeing it in your mind's eye?

As I explained in another post, when something happens off-screen, the visual is off-screen too. So there's no discord taking place in the brain. If something is happening on the left of the screen, the audio is typically imaged in the center.

I say "typically" because I find with the actives, the image could be just left or right of centre depending on how it was microphoned and mixed. If I play that same scene with my 160, that same sound collapses to the center.

Try it yourself and see if you experience a brain schism.

Yes, I’ve experienced it. I when setting up the ALFRs on the long wall I needed a TV for the AV8805. Since I just needed it to see the settings I used an old 27” monitor. Well a 12 foot wide sound stage for a 27” screen doesn’t work! I kept being pulled out of viewing the movie because it was so odd. It was not much better on the short wall with the speakers 10’ apart. I finally put up our old 50” TV which was almost tolerable compared to the 27”. I could at least view a movie but it was not great. Your setup is worse (12’/55” v.s 10’/50”) which is why I’m surprised,

I don't have an explanation other than two different brains.

Well, if the Zombie Apocalypse ever happens, I’m gonna make sure they know how much flavorful yours is over mine!

That's funny!

I'm ready.