Would a center make a big difference in a 2.1 system? Currently own the Sierra-2EX.

[natetg57]

Hmm, I don't see the Luna Duo on that page.

Whoops, my bad. I forgot about the difference between the regular Luna center and the Luna Duo Center

[j0nnyfive]

Hey Adam!

A center channel may or may not give you that extra something you may be looking for. I'll play devil's advocate here and say that you can have a very fine system without a center channel. There are pros and cons. Speaker design and speaker placement is an exercise in balancing compromises.

I would make a good politician, right? Helpful, yet vague.

[diesel79]

I think one can get good results without a center, but if you can accommodate one it’s a no brainer to use one for HT in my opinion. I absolutely love my RAAL Horizon paired with my EX’s for movies. I honestly couldn’t imagine not having it. It adds a level of clarity that is incredible.

My friend who is an installer came over for a demo yesterday. He said he has never heard anything like my setup in his life.

[j0nnyfive]

If you're always sitting in the sweet spot right between your 2 mains, a center wouldn't make a big difference as the Sierras image very well. A center helps with multiple seats off axis as it anchors the dialogue to the middle for those not in the sweet spot.

Yup.

Adam, I wonder what could be causing the dialogue issues. I have the Sierra-EX speakers (stereo pair) and they sound insanely clear to me. With movies, music, everything. Heck, I have some horn speakers that sound good, but they are not as clear as Ascend speakers, and I have no dialogue issues with those either.

I think center speakers are sorta like room correction software. The bigger difference you hear, the more acoustic issues you probably need to work on. Not saying you shouldn't get a center, but that you may have some acoustics problems that need ironed out.

I guess what I'm saying is... you should NOT be having dialogue intelligibility issues with speakers of this caliber (in my opinion). If I have misunderstood, my apologies. But, the solution to your problem may be free.

[white_darren]

I guess what I'm saying is... you should NOT be having dialogue intelligibility issues with speakers of this caliber (in my opinion).

I don't think he's experiencing issues of clarity, probably more an issue of level. Depending on how the audio was mastered, sometimes vocals can be somewhat recessed compared to the rest of a movie soundtrack. If you set volume levels relatively low to tame the special effects it can be harder to hear the dialog in the quieter scenes. If you crank up the volume to understand the dialog, then you get blasted out of the room by the special effects (which isn't desirable if you're trying not to wake the baby or annoy the neighbors).

If this is the situation, I doubt a center channel will make much difference. Some AVRs have a setting to boost vocals or a setting to auto-level the volume that may help.

[j0nnyfive]

I don't think he's experiencing issues of clarity, probably more an issue of level. Depending on how the audio was mastered, sometimes vocals can be somewhat recessed compared to the rest of a movie soundtrack. If you set volume levels relatively low to tame the special effects it can be harder to hear the dialog in the quieter scenes. If you crank up the volume to understand the dialog, then you get blasted out of the room by the special effects (which isn't desirable if you're trying not to wake the baby or annoy the neighbors).

If this is the situation, I doubt a center channel will make much difference. Some AVRs have a setting to boost vocals or a setting to auto-level the volume that may help.

Aha! Great point. Yep, if you want to quiet the big booms, you get tiny little voices. Dynamic range compression can be a life saver. (Keep your wife from killing you!)
Again, though, I'm not trying to talk you (Adam) out of getting a center speaker if you want one, but I think it's a good idea to get everything working right first (acoustics and settings wise). From your 2.1 setup, IMO, everything should be plenty loud and plenty clear.

[jimb]

I don't think he's experiencing issues of clarity, probably more an issue of level. ...

If this is the situation, I doubt a center channel will make much difference. Some AVRs have a setting to boost vocals or a setting to auto-level the volume that may help.

This is where you might have an advantage with a physical center - to set it a couple dB higher.

[j0nnyfive]

I dunno, Adam. Limited on funds, always sitting in the sweet spot, and limited on funds... and always sitting in the sweet spot. Been there, done that. I would check those settings, first. Lots of systems have dialogue settings. You could take that money and put up some surrounds! You would definitely hear a difference, and it would be a difference that you're actually SUPPOSED to hear (here I go again, spending other people's money) lol

[adamk77]

I dunno, Adam. Limited on funds, always sitting in the sweet spot, and limited on funds... and always sitting in the sweet spot. Been there, done that. I would check those settings, first. Lots of systems have dialogue settings. You could take that money and put up some surrounds! You would definitely hear a difference, and it would be a difference that you're actually SUPPOSED to hear (here I go again, spending other people's money) lol

Thank you everyone and j0nnyfive.

Because I've never owned a surround sound system or even a center, I was under the impression that it would wow me. Even if I had the budget, the space won't accommodate a full surround sound system, so I was looking to add a center as a consolation Christmas gift to myself. But after reading the replies here and my research elsewhere, I think I'll be disappointed.

Also, I keep reading that the center is the most important channel in a movie because it's the workhorse speaker of the system. So if I was to get it, I don't want to skimp on it. I'll just have to save a bit longer for a full surround setup with a nice center once I can move to a place with enough space.

[j0nnyfive]

Hey Adam!

You're welcome! Hey, would you mind posting a pic of your setup? You can get a lot of good input that way. Lots of sharp audio people here, and some regular folks with good, practical advice. And a few crazies (like me). Okay, maybe I'm the only crazy.

I really don't want to talk you out of getting a center. I just want to see if we can "fix" whatever the problem might be, for free, before we start throwing more speakers in there.

Then, after we "fix" things, what you could do is TRY a center channel to see what that does for you. It might just rock your world. But, if you have some issue going on right now, we want to figure that out first. In my opinion.

But, I do agree with you that if you're going to get a center... better make it a good one.
You don't want your L/R speakers outshining your most important home theater channel. How embarrassing.

Okay, do you mind posting a pic? Also, what settings are you using in your AVR? Or are you using an AVR? Are you using any room correction features? (Sometimes, those features can backfire on you)