LUNA Duo Center with EXL towers and Lunas as surrounds

[rsmt2000]

Just wondering if anyone has the combination as I mentioned above or an opinion how such a system would sound like.

This is going to ba a 5.2 system in a large open lay out living room and the center channel speaker is going to sit on a fire place mantel which I hate but something I need to live with until I figure out a better plan?

I am more worried about Luna Duo as a center channel to keep up with the EXL towers.

It will be mostly used for regular TV/streaming music and occasional movie with bluray disc's etc..

[Bruce Watson]

Just wondering if anyone has the combination as I mentioned above or an opinion how such a system would sound like.

This is going to be a 5.2 system in a large open lay out living room and the center channel speaker is going to sit on a fire place mantel which I hate but something I need to live with until I figure out a better plan?

I am more worried about Luna Duo as a center channel to keep up with the EXL towers.

It will be mostly used for regular TV/streaming music and occasional movie with bluray disc's etc..

For what you are listening to, I would say that yes, the Luna Duo can keep up just fine. The reason I say this is that much regular TV sound is stereo (or even mono) in a 5.1 wrapper. If you watch an evening news program for example, stand up and walk around and put your head next to your 5 speakers (L/C/R/RS/LS) in turn. If it's legitimate 5.1, you'll hear dialog only on the center channel, and not on L or R, and certainly not on the surrounds. If it's stereo in a 5.1 wrapper, you'll hear dialog on all three front speakers. They do this so that people without sound systems at all (just the speakers in the TV itself) can still hear the news. A Duo center will handle this just fine, and it won't make much of an improvement if you upgrade to any of the Horizons.

For sports on TV, I've been amazed at how poorly the major networks handle sound. It's mostly really poorly done 5.1, but there are some exceptions. Most college basketball for example, uses the center channel for the announcers like they should, and they try to do 4 channel surround sound of the arena, which they totally botch. It's way compressed, and most of them have "pumping" problems from poorly setup compression. It's really irritating that they spend so much money for the right to broadcast, then spend so little on the sound they are sending out from the network.

OTOH, my wife loves to watch skating, especially national competitions and olympics. But she hates the announcing. So we just drop the center channel out of the mix and all she gets it the music and the arena. This, unlike basketball, works quite well.

Someone who watches football will have to address that. I haven't see a football game in at least two decades.

Streaming varies like you'd expect, but the major streamers like Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+, etc. do pretty well. It's all compressed, and not lossless. But will still take good advantage of a center channel if there is one. But most people still think the audio from disc (HD bluray, or 4k bluray, or the occasional surprising DVD even) is noticeably better than the audio from the best streamers.

My conclusion is that for all of TV (broadcast, cable, steaming) the Duo is probably good enough to easily keep up with the ELX towers, which will themselves be under utilized.

I can't talk to streaming music as almost all of it is aimed at someone other than me. I'm a classical guy and still listen to most of my music from discs. And that is almost entirely stereo, so no center at all in that mix.

Where upgrading to the Horizons might help is Bluray discs. With ELX towers in HT mode, the Duo is the weak link in that chain, and for HT, the center should not be the weak link. But it depends on how much HT you're talking about. If it's a lot, then go Horizon. If not, the Duo should be fine.

Personally I was using a Duo with my old S2s and it was great. Right now I'm wrestling with issues in upgrading that media room, so it's all in boxes. What I can definitely say about the Duo is that it punches way above its weight class, so don't underestimate it.

[davef]

Just wondering if anyone has the combination as I mentioned above or an opinion how such a system would sound like.

This is going to ba a 5.2 system in a large open lay out living room and the center channel speaker is going to sit on a fire place mantel which I hate but something I need to live with until I figure out a better plan?

I am more worried about Luna Duo as a center channel to keep up with the EXL towers.

It will be mostly used for regular TV/streaming music and occasional movie with bluray disc's etc..

I do not recommend the Duo as a center with the ELX Towers, it will really struggle to keep up dynamically and the majority of dialogue AND effects are produced by the center. The better option if you can not fit the Horizon, is the Sierra-2EXv2 center or the LX center.

Hope this helps!

[rsmt2000]

Is a custom one off slim horizon being offered Dave?

[davef]

Is a custom one off slim horizon being offered Dave?

Unfortunately and with much thanks to California's response to the Covid pandemic, we can no longer offer custom one-off builds. The mandatory shutdowns and major issues with lumber wrecked our domestic cabinet maker...

[MDinno]

I do not recommend the Duo as a center with the ELX Towers, it will really struggle to keep up dynamically and the majority of dialogue AND effects are produced by the center. The better option if you can not fit the Horizon, is the Sierra-2EXv2 center or the LX center.

Hope this helps!

Interesting. So a single 6'woofer will outperform dual 4.5. I almost bought the Duo but you guys were out of stock so I went with the 340SE2 over the LX or 2EXV2. I have no regrets.The thing is a monster. So does the same hold true with the 170SE vs the HTM 200SE? I also have the 200SE and it's taken everything I've thrown at it. Very impressed with this little speaker. In fact under $500, maybe more, I don't see a better center.

[davef]

Interesting. So a single 6'woofer will outperform dual 4.5. I almost bought the Duo but you guys were out of stock so I went with the 340SE2 over the LX or 2EXV2. I have no regrets.The thing is a monster. So does the same hold true with the 170SE vs the HTM 200SE? I also have the 200SE and it's taken everything I've thrown at it. Very impressed with this little speaker. In fact under $500, maybe more, I don't see a better center.

Woofer size is only a very small factor amongst many other characteristics when considering dynamic range. One must also consider excursion, MMS (moving mass), thermal capability, cabinet tuning, ported vs sealed, and of critical importance, the air-spring created by the internal volume of the cabinet.

In the case of the Duo, it was specifically designed to be as slim as possible - as such, the internal cabinet volume is minimal and thus limits the movement of the woofers in comparison to a speaker with much more cabinet volume like the LX or Sierra-2EXV2.

The center speaker in a home theater system receives not only the dialogue, but most of the effects as well.

The Duo is a terrific speaker, but to use it as a center with ELX Towers thus limits the overall dynamic range of the entire system. Not a good match. It would be like purchasing a Ferrari SF90 and putting low speed rated tires on it.

[MDinno]

Woofer size is only a very small factor amongst many other characteristics when considering dynamic range. One must also consider excursion, MMS (moving mass), thermal capability, cabinet tuning, ported vs sealed, and of critical importance, the air-spring created by the internal volume of the cabinet.

In the case of the Duo, it was specifically designed to be as slim as possible - as such, the internal cabinet volume is minimal and thus limits the movement of the woofers in comparison to a speaker with much more cabinet volume like the LX or Sierra-2EXV2.

The center speaker in a home theater system receives not only the dialogue, but most of the effects as well.

The Duo is a terrific speaker, but to use it as a center with ELX Towers thus limits the overall dynamic range of the entire system. Not a good match. It would be like purchasing a Ferrari SF90 and putting low speed rated tires on it.

I have to ask because there's a DUOV2 on E-Bay right now that I'm thinking about grabbing. How does it compare to my HTM? I was gonna move the HTM to my rear surround and use the DUO as the center. Should I even bother?

[SunByrne]

I have to ask because there's a DUOV2 on E-Bay right now that I'm thinking about grabbing. How does it compare to my HTM? I was gonna move the HTM to my rear surround and use the DUO as the center. Should I even bother?

I own several Duo v2s and a pair of HTM200s. The HTM200 is a fantastic speaker for the price, but in terms of overall quality it's not in the same class as the Duo. For center channel duty the difference between the two will be pretty substantial. However, as Dave said, the center carries a lot in an HT setup and as lovely as the Duo is, if you can get an even beefier speaker in there, it's usually worth it. (I upgraded my center from a Duo V2 to a Horizon and it's a noticeable step up.)

[racrawford65]

Made the same upgrade (duo v2 to Horizon RAAL to Horizon ELX v2) and each has been a big improvement. Using the duo and a pair of HTM200’s at my place in Brazil

[davef]

I have to ask because there's a DUOV2 on E-Bay right now that I'm thinking about grabbing. How does it compare to my HTM? I was gonna move the HTM to my rear surround and use the DUO as the center. Should I even bother?

Duo / DuoV2 is, without any doubt, the better speaker when it comes down to clarity, detail, accuracy, even bass response.

A bit off topic, when you say move the 200 to a rear surround, you don't mean a rear center, correct?

[MDinno]

Duo / DuoV2 is, without any doubt, the better speaker when it comes down to clarity, detail, accuracy, even bass response.

A bit off topic, when you say move the 200 to a rear surround, you don't mean a rear center, correct?

No I meant a surround not rear center. I would have gotten another one to complete it. So the DuoV2 is the superior out of the two which I figured but the specs indicate the 200 can handle more power and has just as much bass. It's what got my curiosity. I knew the ribbon tweeter makes a big difference with detail.