Yes, good imaging negates the need for a center channel. Now ditch all the surround stuff and get good 2 channel and it will sound and image way better still.
I rarely use center channel with processor
I set up my processor, nad m17 v2i, so that I can alternate between six channel or five channel(without center). I’m finding that my mains which are B&W 802D3, don’t really need the center channel for most streaming. I am biamping with tubes and solid state so that may be helping the quality
The vocals come through just fine on the main speakers. Overall things sound better. It’s easy to toggle back-and-forth for purposes of excluding the center.
Does anyone else not use a center speaker because it is better to use only the mains? I will admit I occasionally use the center channel sometimes when I need the vocal sound to come through better but it rarely happens.
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I wrote about this effect in my blog, but I should reall expand on it. You are right, with one major exclusion. A well matched center channel being on or off is inaudible but only when you listen in the ideal listening location. What the center channel should do is let you listen from a variety of listening angles (relative to the television) but still have the dialog come from the center. By the way, I have a very well matched center, so no, it does not sound better or worse when the center is on or off for me so long as I'm directly in front of the television. Lying down the nearest speaker dominates and shifts the sound stage. https://speakermakersjourney.blogspot.com/2024/06/what-good-is-center-channel-speaker.html |
Definitely! One should use the center speaker only when the source material has discrete center channel content. OTOH, don't eliminate it if there is such content. Such manipulations can achieve only chance, sporadic success. |
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