phantom center channel

Johnmcelfresh wrote: "With my processor (as many others) you tell the unit the center is "phantom" and the information is routed to the L+R fronts (in mono, I would assume). Therefore, no information is lost."

There are signals in the center which, due to the distance between the two sources, is somewhat out of phase electrically but which, if reproduced by the separate speakers, will sum/interact acoustically and give a correct signal at the ear of the listener. When these signals are combined electrically, as with your processor, the signals tend to cancel and cannot be recovered. Information is lost.

Kal

Edesilva-

I do not disagree with your philosophy. However, I only recommend using the number of speakers that correspond to the number of discrete channels in the source. Thus, for stereo, only two. For 3.0 (MLP and LS SACDs), 5.0 and 5.1, I find a center amp/speaker essential for coherent reproduction. I eschew DPL and other matrixing modes but DD/DTS sorta come along free with the full amp/speaker array. Or course, I am also talking about using a full-size center channel speaker identical to those used for the main L and R.

BTW, my experiments with the 3.0 SACDs were the most convincing of the necessity for a center channel but creating a phantom center with them was as unsatisfying as deriving the center signal from the stereo tracks. Several doubters have heard this advantage clearly in my main system.

Kal

Eldartford-

We are on the same page. I was trying to emphasize that a real center channel source with a center channel speaker is superior to either a phantom center or a real one derived from a 2channel source.

As for recovering what 'should' have been the center channel signal, I have found only a few devices which will do this to my satisfaction. Merely feeding a sum signal or using DPL without lots of trim options don't cut it with me.

Kal

BTW, to get back to the OP's query: If he is mounting the center channel inside an 'entertainment center,' these subtleties may be irrelevant.

Kal