340SE center

[Gov]

Dave, this may be a silly question, but do you consider this center to do even better with dialogue in HT than the 340SE at high SPL's? The reason I ask is because I find dialogue on some movies at near reference to be a bit unintelligable at times on my 340SE. Maybe its my room or maybe its my aging ears I have tried it with and without MCACC room correction. With MCACC it sounds more rich, so I use it. Just wondering how much better this center will be with HT. Thnx.

[choirbass]

Dave, this may be a silly question, but do you consider this center to do even better with dialogue in HT than the 340SE at high SPL's? The reason I ask is because I find dialogue on some movies at near reference to be a bit unintelligable at times on my 340SE. Maybe its my room or maybe its my aging ears I have tried it with and without MCACC room correction. With MCACC it sounds more rich, so I use it. Just wondering how much better this center will be with HT. Thnx.

Hm.. I really am just guessing here, so I'm sure I'll be corrected. But wouldn't listening to something constantly at near reference levels really just give the impression of seeming distorted when you're sitting close enough to it? Reference levels are very loud, louder than I'm comfortable listening to anyhow.

That was meant for Dave, so I digress.

[Gov]

Hm.. I really am just guessing here, so I'm sure I'll be corrected. But wouldn't listening to something constantly at near reference levels really just give the impression of seeming distorted when you're sitting close enough to it? Reference levels are very loud, louder than I'm comfortable listening to anyhow.

That was meant for Dave, so I digress.

I usually am somewhere between -5 and -15dB from reference level, so not really ever at 0dB

[davef]

Dave, this may be a silly question, but do you consider this center to do even better with dialogue in HT than the 340SE at high SPL's? The reason I ask is because I find dialogue on some movies at near reference to be a bit unintelligable at times on my 340SE. Maybe its my room or maybe its my aging ears I have tried it with and without MCACC room correction. With MCACC it sounds more rich, so I use it. Just wondering how much better this center will be with HT. Thnx.

The STC is a HUGE step up from our CMT-340C. That said, we need to determine the cause for what you are experiencing. It could be the speaker, or your room / placement or even your electronics. If we can determine that the 340 SE is reaching its limits, then yes -- the STC will definitely solve the problem as it is capable of far greater output levels. However, if this is room or electronics related, I doubt the STC will resolve the issue.

Try moving the center to a different location in your room just to determine if intelligbility at very loud listenining levels is improved.

[Gov]

The STC is a HUGE step up from our CMT-340C. That said, we need to determine the cause for what you are experiencing. It could be the speaker, or your room / placement or even your electronics. If we can determine that the 340 SE is reaching its limits, then yes -- the STC will definitely solve the problem as it is capable of far greater output levels. However, if this is room or electronics related, I doubt the STC will resolve the issue.

Try moving the center to a different location in your room just to determine if intelligbility at very loud listenining levels is improved.

The 340SE is on a mopad at the edge of the top HT equipment rack, just under my wall mounted plasma. I have a Pioneer Elite SC-05 that has a very robust ICEPower amp section. I am using the receiver's room correction and have engaged a slight x-curve. Dialogue at a loud volume seems to sound best this way.
I guess the best way to describe what I hear at times is a harshness with some movie soundtracks, again, only at very loud SPL's. I really do not think my receiver is running out of gas, since it is only dialogue understandability and not everything centered in the center channel. I am thinking maybe the 340 is at its limits or nearing it. I guess it would be hard to tell for sure

[choirbass]

The 340SE is on a mopad at the edge of the top HT equipment rack, just under my wall mounted plasma. I have a Pioneer Elite SC-05 that has a very robust ICEPower amp section. I am using the receiver's room correction and have engaged a slight x-curve. Dialogue at a loud volume seems to sound best this way.
I guess the best way to describe what I hear at times is a harshness with some movie soundtracks, again, only at very loud SPL's. I really do not think my receiver is running out of gas, since it is only dialogue understandability and not everything centered in the center channel. I am thinking maybe the 340 is at its limits or nearing it. I guess it would be hard to tell for sure

I really wouldn't think the amplifiers themselves would be overpowering the speaker @ 130w@8ohm max, and even then I would be iffy of that honestly (since manufacturers do tend to mislead in one way or another). I would look more to what Dave is leaning towards, too. (media sources, speaker placement, etc) Even too much demand being placed on the avr with the volume that high, dunno if that would even be at all it. The avr seems capable, and the 340s are pretty sensitive @ 92db@1w, 240w 8ohm max continual, 400w 8ohm max peak. I'd be deaf with them at that level at only one meter or closer lol. It could just be something simple, like wiring or interference even (I wouldn't know much about that, but again it could just be something simple). Maybe power only the center speaker or l+r fronts, or both, see if that makes any difference. (it would change the load on the amplifiers, psu, etc. might help.. or not lol, not sure otherwise)

From amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Elite-.../dp/B001GBYVB6

Multichannel Simultaneous Power Output Total 630W (1kHz, 1% THD @ 8Ω)
130W x 7 Direct Energy HD Amplification (20Hz - 20kHz, 0.09% THD @ 8Ω, FTC)

(unless those are the wrong avr specs, whichcase I apologize)

[HiroPro]

The 340SE is on a mopad at the edge of the top HT equipment rack, just under my wall mounted plasma. I have a Pioneer Elite SC-05 that has a very robust ICEPower amp section. I am using the receiver's room correction and have engaged a slight x-curve. Dialogue at a loud volume seems to sound best this way.
I guess the best way to describe what I hear at times is a harshness with some movie soundtracks, again, only at very loud SPL's. I really do not think my receiver is running out of gas, since it is only dialogue understandability and not everything centered in the center channel. I am thinking maybe the 340 is at its limits or nearing it. I guess it would be hard to tell for sure

Have you tried it with both positions of the EXBAC switch? You'll have to temporarily remove one driver to get to the xover. On the xover PCB there is a switch. Flip it to the other position and see if it helps. I think it's the right side midwoofer you remove looking at the baffle. I have a strange feeling this is your issue. Do the people's voices sound... "honky" ?

HINT when you remove a driver untap each screw half way. Slid driver out slightly so you can hold the edges of it's basket while it hangs on the screws.Then remove the BOTTOM ones first. Then remove the last two screws while holding the driver basket edges. Be careful not to hit the cone. It's center of gravity is a little weird for people that haven't handled a driver before.

GOOD LUCK!

[Gov]

Have you tried it with both positions of the EXBAC switch? You'll have to temporarily remove one driver to get to the xover. On the xover PCB there is a switch. Flip it to the other position and see if it helps. I think it's the right side midwoofer you remove looking at the baffle. I have a strange feeling this is your issue. Do the people's voices sound... "honky" ?

HINT when you remove a driver untap each screw half way. Slid driver out slightly so you can hold the edges of it's basket while it hangs on the screws.Then remove the BOTTOM ones first. Then remove the last two screws while holding the driver basket edges. Be careful not to hit the cone. It's center of gravity is a little weird for people that haven't handled a driver before.

GOOD LUCK!

Yes, "honky" is a good descriptor. Also, "edgy" would too. How would turning off EXBAC help with that? Maybe Dave can chime in here. I am beginning to think that room acoustics may be playing a big part in this.

[HiroPro]

Yes, "honky" is a good descriptor. Also, "edgy" would too. How would turning off EXBAC help with that? Maybe Dave can chime in here. I am beginning to think that room acoustics may be playing a big part in this.

How do you know it's turned on? It could be set to off. I believe the center channel ships with it turned on. Don't quote me on that. It would be EASY to ship it in the off position for a center when testing/shipping by mistake. I believe on is the switch flipped AWAY from the resistor.

I betcha that's it. Where do you have it in your room? Picture would be great.

And owhh... the xover is on the post plate I think. just remove it. My advice for driver removal though is a good one if you ever have to do it.

Dave describes you issue perfectly in his product literature.

EXBAC Defined: the front baffle of a loudspeaker creates diffraction losses as longer (lower frequency) sound waves travel along the surface of the front baffle rather then beam forward. This creates problems because these lower frequencies (usually located in the critical midrange response) are 6dB down from the higher frequencies which beam forward. Placing a loudspeaker on top of a TV amplifies these problems by effectively increasing the size of the front baffle, thus creating an effect where vocals can sound nasal and thin. Our EXBAC circuit actually compensates from these losses resulting in an incredibly clean and natural sounding midrange, even when the speaker is placed atop a TV.

Nowhere I've seen in the literature does it tell you what position is on or off from what I've read. I could have missed it. I'm pretty sure it's on with the switch is flipped AWAY from the resistor or towards the closest edge of the PCB. I just used my ears to tell when I used those speakers for a customer. It's really a good idea to turn it off if your center is open to the room on a center channel stand for example in a room with a projector.

PS I think the only dif between the mains and center is the position of that switch, the sticker on the back and the box it comes in.

[chas]

Nowhere I've seen in the literature does it tell you what position is on or off from what I've read. I could have missed it. I'm pretty sure it's on with the switch is flipped AWAY from the resistor or towards the closest edge of the PCB. I just used my ears to tell when I used those speakers for a customer. It's really a good idea to turn it off if your center is open to the room on a center channel stand for example in a room with a projector.

PS I think the only dif between the mains and center is the position of that switch.

For the record here is a recent post by Dave on EXBAC:
http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/sho...7&postcount=18