Adding Home Theater To 2 Channel System


I have a two channel system that I am very happy with located in a dedicated listening room.  I am considering how to add home theater without giving up the two channel sound that I enjoy.  My main speakers are Avantgarde UNO’s (horn speakers - 18 ohm, 108 db sensitivity). Avantgarde does not make a center channel speaker.  I assume that I will have a problem matching any box speaker center channel speaker with the Avantgarde - my worry is incoherent sound.  Is this something I should worry about?  Are there center channel speakers that might be a good match (I have been unable to find any obvious candidates ohm/sensitivity match)?  Is it likely that I will need to find a new set of front speakers from the same brand as the center speaker?

The rest of my setup: Pass Labs XA 60.8, Audio Research Ref 6 preamp, SME 20/2 turntable, Lumin x1 streamer, Ayon CD player, REL 812/S subs (2)
chilli42
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chilli42,
You may find this link helpful for screens. I use a 100”, tab tensioned model that rises from behind and at the level of my front cabinet. When down, it can’t be seen. 15 minutes to mount the 2 wall brackets and use with an ultra short throw projector and it’s an easy set up to HT. https://vividstormscreen.com/I use full range Voxativ widebanders  the 2 channel and matching doesn’t exist. As already mentioned above, Klipsch sounds close as they use horns and are closer than most brands to matching the efficiency of the Unos and the Vox. Have fun. 

I also have a parasound preamp with bypass for Home Theater.  I disagree with opinions about the center channel, which is important for dialog. I have a dedicated amp for the center channel and KEF LS50 speaker.
OP -

If you want a true home theater experience it’s easily doable and you won’t duplicate it with a 2 channel set up no matter how hard you try.  That said, if you have a great sub set up integrated with your 2 channel set up, you may be really happy with it for movie / TV watching. Would it match a true Home Theater set up, nah, not even close. 
Are the comments on a center channel correct, they are.  Truth is a high percentage of a movie soundtrack mix is played through the center channel, mostly due to dialogue dominating the mix.  Center channels are flawed inherently as they were designed to fit a set up without being in the way of the screen. All that said, most of what the center channel will play is dialogue - a decent center will do all you need, it won’t be anywhere near the same league as a speaker you’d use for your 2 channel listening, but it will do the job intended and do it well. This assumes the Center is used in a true Home Theater set up.  If you went the route of 2 fronts and a center only, everyone is absolutely correct that you should skip the center.
The invention of HT Bypass and really stellar HT room correction will blend mismatched speakers and even amplification extremely well.  Adding gear the right way will have zero impact on your 2 channel set up.  In fact, you won’t even have to turn on your Home Theater Receiver / Processor.  I love both, I wouldn’t give up either when the gear / Technolodgy exists to deliver both with little to no compromise.  Again, if you integrate HT Bypass correctly, keep your beloved 2 channel speakers, when you listen to 2 channel, you never even turn on your Home Theater gear, how does that impact your 2 channel…. The only tricky part can be sub integration with both, but that’s easily tackled if you have subs that allow you to save multiple set ups, one for movies, one for music.

I’ve had 5 Home Theater processor’s / receivers, none have come close to a dedicated 2 channel set up for music, either a pre / amp set up or integrated set up.  That said, running 2 channel with Subs doesn’t hold a candle to the movie watching experience with a HT set up.  If you love that part of the movie watching experience you owe it to yourself to have both, period. Sharing the same room, front speakers is more than doable.
Most that participate in this forum are heavily focused on 2 channel HiFi and that makes perfect sense.  Home Theater for most is a distant second and for some reason is always seen as a massive threat to a 2 channel set up.  Very similar to back in the day when some 2 channel purest would avoid sub woofer integration with 2 channel at all costs. If you went on a Hime Theater / AV forum, you’d get a heavy lean toward HT.  I happen to love both and share the same passion for both equally, seems to be unique as most really lean one way or the other.