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Phantom Center sound better than a center speaker?

I was messing around with my HT setup last night. I have B&W 603S2's in the front with a B&W ASW600 sub. I picked up some Axiom speakers for surrounds and have a VP50 as a center surround speaker for my 6.1 setup. I currently do not have a center but will be getting a B&W LCR600.

Some of my rears have not come in yet so I figured I would break in my rear center surround by using it as my center channel front for a while. I knew the sound would be compressed since the VP-50 has small dual 4.5" mid's while the B&W's have dual 6.5" mid/mid-bass. However I was not prepared to have the sound literally shrink away. I watched TV (analog inputs) and DVD's for grins and came to the easy conclusion that the center I have is not up to the task of keeping up with my front towers.

However, here is my question:

Does a phantom center sound better than actually having a dedicated center speaker in HT? The LCR600 comes with dual 6.5" midbass speakers and a matching tweet but will it have the output to fill out the soundstage? My fronts are only 12' apart and the room floorspace is smallish 16x18 but there is alot of airspace due to vaulted ceilings and no wall between the kitchen and the family room.

Any help is appreciated.

Sorry for the long winded post.

Jeff
hiroshima

Showing 3 responses by eldartford

eldartford
4,262 posts
 
The short answer is "No", but....

This assumes that the center front is the same as the Left and Right speakers. In many cases a solo performer is located in the center channel. It is amazing how well a center sound source images in the space between two speakers, but this is a trick that only works when the listener is critically located. A much more robust soundstage is generated when there is a center channel speaker to reproduce centrally located sound. Also, you can put your Left and Right speakers further apart, again providing a better soundstage.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
sean...For large musical ensembles, a symphony orchestra or the like, lack of a center speaker is not significant. However, where there is a solo performer, vocal or instrumental, or movie dialogue, and that performer is isolated in the center channel (per usual practice) I find a center channel speaker to be essential. Somehow, having two Joan Baezs singing in opposite corners of the room, and asking my brain to pretend she is only one is distracting.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
sean...True, my speakers are further apart than I would put them if I didn't have that center speaker. (The geometry of the room dictates wide spacing, and hence the center channel). However, even with "normal" spacing, I find the "phantom" center to be unsatisfactory unless the listener location is fixed and optimal.
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