Center Channels

[jonathan]

What's the best center channel you guys have heard? I'm interested in building a CC for my 42" plasma. I'm looking for something with great off-axis response so that you don't have to be sitting exactly in the middle of the room to have a great experience.

The Cynosure appeals to me (slim and wide), but sub 200hz performance would be better. I like to see designs specifically for CC performance, rather than just laying your main down on its side and calling it a CC.

What kind of configuration generally yeilds best off-axis response for a CC?

jonathan

[Jim Holtz]

> What's the best center channel you guys have
> heard? I'm interested in building a CC for
> my 42" plasma. I'm looking for
> something with great off-axis response so
> that you don't have to be sitting exactly in
> the middle of the room to have a great
> experience.

> The Cynosure appeals to me (slim and wide),
> but sub 200hz performance would be better. I
> like to see designs specifically for CC
> performance, rather than just laying your
> main down on its side and calling it a CC.

> What kind of configuration generally yeilds
> best off-axis response for a CC?

> jonathan

The best center channel design is W-M/T-W. If you really want a great center channel and can stand the size, this is the one.

<A HREF="http://www.cyberfrogs.net/files/3way">http://www.cyberfrogs.net/files/3way</A>%20tower%20dennis%20murphy%20sealed%20center.pn g

<A HREF="http://www.htguide.com/forum/showpos...postcount=1388">http://www.htguide.com/forum/showpos...postcount=1388</A>

A smaller one that would also be exceptional is here:
<A HREF="http://www.selahaudio.com/id115.html">http://www.selahaudio.com/id115.html</A>

HTH

Jim

[AJ]

What ever you do stay away from 2way MTM's. Very bad for off axis responce.

[wingnut]

> What's the best center channel you guys have
> heard? I'm interested in building a CC for
> my 42" plasma. I'm looking for
> something with great off-axis response so
> that you don't have to be sitting exactly in
> the middle of the room to have a great
> experience.

> The Cynosure appeals to me (slim and wide),
> but sub 200hz performance would be better. I
> like to see designs specifically for CC
> performance, rather than just laying your
> main down on its side and calling it a CC.

> What kind of configuration generally yeilds
> best off-axis response for a CC?

> jonathan

I'm far from an expert, but I can tell you that I've done a lot of tinkering with hifi and home theater over the past 20 years, and I've never heard a horizontal speaker array, that IMHO, sounded acceptable. Bottom-line, it's very, very difficult to get a horizontal array to sound comparable to a vertical array (all other things being equal). In theory, a co-axial arrangement would be the best option if low profile AND good dispersion characteristics are desired. The goofy interaction of drivers in a horizontal array, from an engineering standpoint, is tough to overcome.

[jonathan]

> The best center channel design is W-M/T-W.
> If you really want a great center channel
> and can stand the size, this is the one.

> <A HREF="http://www.cyberfrogs.net/files/3way">http://www.cyberfrogs.net/files/3way</A>
> %20tower%20dennis%20murphy%20sealed%20center.png

>
> <A HREF="http://www.htguide.com/forum/showpos...postcount=1388">http://www.htguide.com/forum/showpos...postcount=1388</A>
> A smaller one that would also be
> exceptional is here:
> <A HREF="http://www.selahaudio.com/id115.html">http://www.selahaudio.com/id115.html</A> HTH

> Jim

Great links, thanks sooo much...I think the smaller Selah Audio kit would suite me better. Took me while to get all the way through the htguide thread. So what is it about the 3-ways that give such great off-axix?