Video Asylum

Posted by Rich H (R) on August 10, 2004 at 18:30:31

In Reply to: Home thaeter heresy? posted by rico on July 29, 2004 at 07:56:04:

Greetings.

I too subsist without a center channel.

I use a 42" plasma in a modest-sized room. My goal is always for the sound to match the picture, to adhere to it naturally and believably. That includes having the sound appear proportionate to the image. When I watch those store set-ups with a 42" screen or smaller, flanked by big-assed floor-standing speakers on either side, I usually know it's going to be a discontinuous experience. On goes the ubiquitous Gladiator demo and the sound is HUGE. I'm surrounded by a full-sized army, yet I'm watching these tiny little figures on screen. My brain doesn't put the two together.

To that end I went with some classic Spendor LS 3/5s for my L/R. They do exactly as I expected the little guys to do: voices have that rich, organic, Spendor "rightness" and realism. So much of movies is dialogue and it's great just nailing the midrange to sound so believable, natural and unhyped...yet crystal clear. Voices have just the right fullness and body to sound "person-sized."

Plus, they image really well and maintain good sound off-axis.

I've been planning on buying another Spendor 3/5 for my center, for as coherent a tonal balance as possible. But those little suckers are pricey (especially with the birds eye maple finish I went for), and only sold in pairs.

After living with this set-up and comparing it to many others I'm not so sure I'll bother buying a center channel. Center channels are a trick to get just right, in terms of placement, coherence and placing the sound on the screen. In the vast majority of 5.1 set-ups I find myself aware of the center channel, that the dialogue feels "pulled" to above or below the screen, wherever the center is placed.

Whereas with my Spendors placed a nice distance directly to the sides of my plasma, the phantom image lays smack dab in the middle...laying right "onto" the screen. Dialogue, appears to be coming right from the actor's lips, with no center-channel fake boxiness. Luckily even off axis the sound doesn't stick to the speakers and the Spendors still image enough to maintain a coming-from-the-visuals illusion. So, no center channel needed there as well.

I will be borrowing a 3/5 to try for a center, but given how well my 4.0 set-up has been working compared to so many other types, it'll have to really work and add to the experience.

(BTW, I work in film sound effects editing, and often work in a professionally-installed 5.1 M+K set up at work. However, I still find it does not match the picture/sound seamlessness I experience at home).

Sorry for the ramble.

Rich H.