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Youthman - enjoy your vids! Improvement tip for much better sound from your theater!: Extend back riser further foreword. Remove back seats ENTIRELY, move front row seating to back riser to 2/7th's length dimension, and put couch in front row, closer than pressent main seating area! Should easily get better sound from ALL; seating locations, removing boomy low fidelity rear seating next to back wall. Your new main seating area/sweet spot is the back row, AWAY FROM BOOMY BACK WALL!! oh, and getting rid of 3 seat config with center seat in direct middle line of room is also a no go!! Go 4 seat wide configuration! You're welcome AudioAlexander
I appreciate the suggestions Brian. When I built my Theater Room 16 years ago, I made a commitment that if I could not fit my entire family, we do not need to build a theater room. We are limited on the depth of the room so I have to work with what I have available unless we eventually sell our home and build a bigger room. I understand the front row is not in the optimal placement, but I physically cannot go any further back. I love the immersiveness it provides and I have yet to have someone over for a demo that was not impressed (recently had 5 people over for demos). Not having a middle seat is definitely not going to happen. I’m not sure why you would want to sacrifice two seats by moving them off center rather than having a very dialed in center position.
@@Youthman Hello Youthman!! (btw, J.I.L !!! , indeed!!) You have an awesome system and space, that indeed looks very enjoyable, as you say! (all that matters in end) So congrats!!. Of course, everyone has different goals, tastes, lifestyles, clearly, and It's all good! Yup, we all ultimately end up with vastly different EVERYTHING in their systems/rooms, my experience proves. So personal preference and choices clearly rule in the end, yes! -as it should be. The whole middle seat removal suggestion is not obviously conducive for 2 ch music dedicated listening in your symmetrical room width setup, yes. However , going 4 seats wide ,and eliminating that center IS, however, likely maximizing the fidelity from your multi ch theater sound , if that's your main application in that space. I was merely suggesting working around the acoustical space laws, which dictate that sitting dead center of the room boundary is the single worst acoustic spot from freq response stand point (nice and peaky, with the worst nulls, and peaks too) Thus I recommend 4 instead of 3. The back row next to a back wall will of course always be bass boomy with reduced fidelity from those seats there, was the rest of the suggestion. Nice chatting with you! Keep the great vids coming!!
@@YouthmanWow! I didn't know that. That is tight! Course one could go 2 outside theater seats flanking larger center "love-seat" style chair!??? Then there's always slimmer profile line seating. Doubt that works for you though. Still, there's always the 2 rows of couches with throw pillows approach!! Lol! Fun fun fun! 🙂
As a retired member of the AES (Audio Engineering Society) I was curious to see what your recommendations where. Overall I found your presentation useful. However I'd add one basic recommendation: Simply increase the volume of your center speaker just a bit. This simple adjustment usually works! I'll note that db(SPL) readings are very difficult to take. They should involve multiple measuring points with a high quality mic, analyzed at least on a 1/3 octave device and even then are notoriously hard to interpete. I'll add one point where I DISAGREE with you. Do NOT/NEVER just buy a more expensive center channel speaker alone. All the front speakers need to be matched (LF, C, RF). Those 3 speakers need to have the same "voice" and should be ALL from the same manufacturer/series. My best
Every speaker has a "voice" or tonal signature. Even the finest speakers made sound somewhat different and on less expensive speakers that difference can be dramatic.@@doyouluvit
Having set up a Surround sound system at the outset in the early 1990's, I remember this recommendation way back then. So from that date forward, my center channel has been a 12" three way that matches my left and right channel speakers.
@@stevet7487 You did it right!!!!! Although I've found a decent subwoofer cuts down on costs quite a bit. I did that for a friend's setup years ago. Matched the front three with good bookshelf speakers and added a subwoofer. Crossover is best set at 80HZ I've also had surround sound (5.1) since the early 90's and always used cheap surrounds for the back two channels. No regrets - not that much of interest there
The coffee table blanket idea also applies to a hardwood or tile floor between you and your center channel and TV. If you put or have a soft rug or something similar on that hard floor between you and your TV, it will also help greatly at reducing floor reflections, which also muddle up the sound. Of course that goes along with room treatments all over, as you mentioned. The biggest improvement I've found, besides just having a really high quality center channel speaker to start with, is moving it forward to the edge of the table, chest, cabinet, shelf, or stand that it's on, and making it as close as possible to ear level and angle towards you. It amazes me just how many people like to push their center channel all the way back against the wall on top of a cabinet or on a shelf, and try to "hide" it behind something like a small plant, a picture, or other knick knack, as long as it doesn't block the view of the TV, that's "all" that matters, some people think!... And then even doing that they STILL think that it's gonna sound good and actually be intelligible, lol! Ridiculous!
I agree a rug is definitely needed if you just have hardwood floors. Way too many reflections. Let’s be honest, at one point we probably didn’t know this information either which is the entire point of this video. We all have to start somewhere.
100% agree. Incidentally, I have the same centre channel. Upgraded from a smaller Klipsch RC34 which I moved to a other smaller room. Love your channel and most of all, honesty. Been heavily invested into home cinema and have 2 theaters at home. Mainly Klipsch. I follow much of your advise and multi-team meetings with other enthusiasts and experts and have learnt a lot. Here in South Africa, it's a developing trend and information is limited. Hence, I relied heavily on your channel. You collaborated with many of the other you tubers on this topic so I have had a wholistic tutelage. Thanks so much👌
Mr. Stevens, I couldn't agree more with all of your suggestions here. After trying several center channel speakers from a cheap single bookshelf speaker, the pair of cheap bookshelf speakers connected in parallel, a super cheap "center", a couple others and the Emotiva C1+ I run now. Absolutely the Emotiva C1+ is the best I've had and I'm happy with it. Spending the extra was well worth it. Crossover and level is the next to make it the best it can be. Someday, Good Lord willing and back breaking effort, I'll be able to install a separates system with a powerful amp on the LCR speakers for an even better audio experience for my family. Wishing you all the very best, Kevin
A Yamaha has my favorite option to turn the "Front Presence" on. These are two speakers over your Left and Right channels that are additional "center" speakers. This originally was intended to allow a left and right dialogue shift, but it also raises the voice into the center of a larger screen. This BY FAR, helped me increase the volume and perceived size of the center channel. I wish all receivers had this option.
Angling the center up made a huge difference. It was straight at my knees before and it sounded good. But when a friend suggested that a flat firing center wans.t the best, and we angled the center up more, it made a very big difference. All great tips.
I actually found it better with my smaller center (2 4” woofer and 1” compression horn tweeter to change it TO the Large speaker setting. This opened up the lower frequency sliders in the EQ settings for it in my AVR and let me boost the bass which helps especially make voices feel more natural and deep.
Solid advice. I'd also recommend considering having identical speakers for the L-C-R channels, ideally at the same height and depth. You can avoid a ton of issues that way, and it's sometimes cheaper to buy 2 pairs of good bookshelf speakers (gives you a spare speaker in case one fails too).
Not a ton of options for this, but from cheaper to more expensive one could try a Kali IN-5 horizontally, or a KEF LS50 or Genelec The Ones at any size or orientation.
But what if you have 2 towers and a center ? I have 2 R625FA's and a 504CII. Thr 504cii has a 5.25 woofer & towers have a 6.5 woofer which match my RP-600Miis 6.25 woofer I use for SL,SR,SBL,SBR,FWR,FWL
That’s exactly what I did. I bought two pairs of Polk ES20 and use three for LCR. Best move I ever made for my home theater. Dialogue clarity and immersive soundstage improved considerably over any traditional center channel I’ve owned.
Great tips youthman. I was aware of most of them already but had not thought about the blanket on the coffee table that is right in front of me, so I will be using that tip from now on. I've also read the tip that it's best to not get coffee tables with a solid front panel since that is a huge flat surface to reflect sound back at the screen instead of allowing it to come into the room.
I've never had an issue with any movie Nolan has directed. And I don't have a very expensive system. RBH made a great center (r56ci) and it makes all dialogue crystal clear.
@@dperr338Oppenheimer was actually pretty dry and straight forward. Visuals, acting, message were good but not on the edge of your seat like his other movies. More like “a beautiful mind”
I demo'ed the 504C and the 504C II. Ended up returning the II and keeping the original. Me and the wife thought it was clearer. I paired it with the RP8000s in the front stage and used RP5000s for the surrounds and rear surrounds. I use the Polk Audio OWM3s for my .4 Atmos. Sounds great!
Extra tip.....you can also adjust your "crossover" frequencies to a higher level to cut out lower frequencies that can also distort the clarity of a center channel adding to the effect of setting it to a "small" speaker. Love your stuff as always Mr. Youthman!!
Thank you so much for this video. Just an additional comment, I’m running an SVS Ultra Center and I’ve dropped the crossover to 60Hz. I am running dual PB-1000 Pros and I found that a capable center gets very clear if it is in small format at 60Hz because it keeps some of those vocal bass notes from going to the monster subs. Most people tell you to set crossovers to 80Hz but on multiple setups (SVS, JBL and Polk) I’ve found that 60Hz center crossover instead of the 80Hz is clearer.
Great video, Michael. I had issues with this and the level matching really helped me. I also added a 3 channel amp (Emotiva BasX) to my LCR and it made a world of difference as well. Best money spent so far. Seemed a lot clearer taking the load off my AVR.
What avr are u using with this set up? I'm not liking the dialogue currently on the dennon 6700h. Sometimes it good other times the lower tones on voices sound muddy and sometimes hurts my ears at certain hrtz. I've tried lower the crossover, raising the crossover. Doing this while watching a movie with my wife, annoys her and me honestly. I've done all that is suggested in the video as well.
Wow I just moved my coffee table out of the line of sight and I had no idea how much it was affecting the sound.Now I have to figure out a way to get her not to notice it’s in the other room. Thanks for that tip!
My Vizio M51 Soundbar, the Center or Soundbar speaker is 80% of the home theater sound. It sounds very good with Movies and Music even Bluetooth music. The 2 small rears for Dolby Atmos and DTS are important too. Adding the Onkyo receiver and 12" subwoofer was a big game changer now sounds Awesome.
Moved my center speaker close to the edge of my entertainment center, then played Close to the Edge by Yes, and all is right with the world, at least for now. Thanks.
Great advice, I built my first 5.1 system 25 years ago,now have an older denon,no hdmi to even adjust the center Chanel a bit louder,but tilted it up to ear level and helped a lot. My wife he's the sub and getting older in hearing didn't help, got a new c3nter speaker, Boston, and is better.the new TV only has hdmi,no analog to adjust .denon,I'm a musician buy trade, and without letting the world sell me everything new,I'm bummed, I've had great stuff since 1999.most of it was before it was even broadcast capital in the day
Yup, the CC is very important. In my living room which is the main system for movies. But i hav 2 full range speakers 7 1/2 feet apart are angled to the center position and it sounds awesome. I got rid of my regular CC and won't be going back.. Ear level is Key.. AWEsome, info🙂
Wow, been doing home theater setups for decades and I am today years old realizing that you shouldn't have a center speaker too far back if there is reflective surface underneath and ahead of it. I just pulled my center speaker forward, flush to the table. :D Never too old to learn new things!
Mike your right about setting all your speakers to small even if you have large speakers because alot of low end eats alot of that power up subwoofers are made for that purpose
Thanks for the tips! Also, after maximizing the center channel, sometimes the source content can sometimes be the reason it can be hard to hear dialogue. VOX had a good video on that (though the title overstates the case) called, "Why we all need subtitles now".
Man that is some damn good tips I’ve got the Center speaker and it’s sort of facing my knees. I got some of those foam rubber rises from Amazon now. It sounds much better for example when you’re watching apocalypse now as the helicopter comes from the rear speakers to the front left centre front right rear it’s perfect so thank you very much. You have just saved me £450 for a B&W Center speaker Bower and Watkins
Thx. I've moved the TV (which has OK inbuilt speakers which vibrate the screen itself ..Sony A90J) forward as far as possible just now. As I understand my Marantz manual, setting the center to Small will normally route its lows to the Mains not the sub. If you have[ LFE + Mains] set THEN the lows will be removed from the mains and go to the sub. If you have mains with good low extension e.g. to 40Hz then they are probably better at most bass than using the sub. Just use the sub for the dedicated LFE signal. On the center level from recent UA-cam movies which have 5.1 you can go into the movie's settings and toggle 5.1 on or off. When I have 5.1 on, although the movie has 5.1, the centre channel is too low. Turn 5.1 off and bingo..the center is fine, BUT you lose the proper surround. Netflix movies have no such problem. Anyone have a solution other than messing with my carefully balanced levels in the AVR?
Regarding the blanket on the coffee table, I hadn't thought of that before. I'll be implementing this tip, with a modification: instead of a blanket, an array of irregularly-shaped, sound-diffusing snacks.
Great advice! Another cheap way of angling your speakers is using rubber door stops! they dont rattle and you can change angle somewhat with them and they stay in place.
Thanks so much for you expert advise. I made the adjustments you referenced and it really changed my system for the best. The sound was always great, but now it's much, much better!
Using a Small speaker size is very correct. You briefly touched on 80 vs. 70 vs. 60 MHz. I learned something very useful that proved to be most beneficial. The human voice has depth as well as mids and highs. Upon changing my Center to 60MHz (instead of the 80MHz that is most commonly recommended) I got Phil Collins's voice from an SACD to match the mains! You don't want to rely on a Subwoofer to give you voice! I agreed with all else though. Try lowering the crossover to 60 MHz like you briefly mentioned and you may hear vocals that match the bigger mains and no longer disappoint. Try this challenge. Get Phil's voice in Center channel to match mains! That suggestion was originally from Gene DelaSala so when I tried I found the magic 60MHz.
I put my center at 60hz as well. Changed the sound for the better. But I have 4 4" drivers too. I'm guessing some center channels won't like that frequency.
@@Youthman Cutting the center crossover frequency is not wise. Try it with a full band and you will immediately hear what is our nature. A male voice contains low frequencies. If we cut them off, it will be about the subwoofer, but it was not designed for speech sound to come from there. That's why it will make a humming sound. If you're watching a movie with a dedicated LFE channel, the best, most realistic setting is full band, for all loudspeakers, try it. For this, adjust the volume of the subwoofer as well.
I’ve just now watched one of Gene’s videos specifically about bass management, and he and his guest insist on crossing over no less than 80Hz, even when using tower speakers capable of going much lower.
With cinema 50, they got rid of small and large speaker setting. Auto calibration set center, front left and right speakers to full range. Would you change them ,if so what hz? I have klipsch 450c and rp250f
@@Youthman I am, very much. Let me ask you something. The center speaker you showed off here is one I’ve been eye-balling as I’m a big Klipsch fan. I have a center with 2 woofers. What advantage does one with 4 woofers give?
Excellent video, thanks for the tips. I have this same speaker and it's an upgrade from a budgeted one that I had earlier. I'm going to lower my crossover frequency as I think I may have mine set to high at 120Hz.
@@Youthman I settled with 100Hz as the cross over, sounds way better. 80Hz was a little too boomy. I played a bunch of video games with my kiddos over the weekend and played back some music later in the evening and I really like where the sound field is now. I'm probably just not used the amount of Bass that this speaker can handle, lol.
I've got the same centre running yamaha rx2060 aventage...I find changing settings in the parametric eq. Putting up the mid range and bass. Turing down the treble. Better.
This could be just my situation but might be worth a try to some other people but switching from a silk dome tweeter/or similar style to a ribbon style tweeter in the center channel speaker made a night and day difference and all settings where the same before I ran calibration afterwards it was even better. I went from a polk xt30 to an emotiva c1+, I know it's not quite an apple to apple comparison but still might be worth a try.
I am now a ribbon convert. Although I don't actually own any yet. After hearing my friends Martin Logan motion setup in his theater room, I realized there is nothing like ribbon tweeters. The highs are so present yet sweet and natural. Best of all no ear fatigue. My next set of speakers will have ribbons in them.
@@d.j.cantelli8074 each style has pros and cons. Just from personal experiences ribbon tweeters just have something that works great in home theaters. My complete emotiva 7.3.6 cranks and never sounds harsh, just completely natural and effortless.
Best centre channel sound I found is lay 2 bookshelves on their sides, tweeter to tweeter then split the centre channel feed to power both. Voices sound unreal. Mine are ATC SCM 11's used this way.
I would love to change my projector screen material to acoustic transparent screen, and put center speaker behind it. Because no matter if i pinpoint angle by the laser, and maximize height of the speaker as much as it doesn't cover the screen, and if you focus a little, the sound from it always seems like it's coming from under the screen. So putting center speaker behind the screen, and in middle of screen might be huge improvement.
This would definitely be more of an issue if you have a large projector screen. Like 100inch or higher, seeing that there will be more distance between the center of the screen and the speaker.(if placed below the screen) Having a big tv, its not as big of a distance, making it harder to localize. Thats if its right under the screen. If its anything over a foot away theres no hope 😄
@@tuner7961 Yeah, I've got 100 inch, it's about 2 feet distance between speaker and middle of screen so that's a problem. I could imagine that in typical TV which is normally 50-70inch screens wouldn't be the case that much.
Yeah and depending how close you affects it as well. We sit about 9ft away from an 82inch and the center is right under the screen. You cant tell its below it
I want to make sure that everyone, regardless of where you are at in your Home Theater journey, can understand and follow along. I do my best to take complex things and make them simple and easy to understand.
I have a Marantz SR7013 with Dali Oberon speakers and the center speaker on 0dB is way too quiet. The effects of other speakers are just way louder. I just set the center speaker to +5dB and it makes a huge difference. Now I can clearly hear the dialog. I also have all speakers set to small @80Hz and SW to put out LFE+Main at 120Hz. Scary how different a movie sounds with just a dB bump on the center channel 🙂
I've done some of these tips just recently myself. First was bring it forward of the table. The difference was it made it more crisp. Just bought myself some black door wedges to angle the speaker up. I was using something white before and it ended up annoying me.
I believe at some point you had the SVS Ultra Center. I have done most of your suggestions here and run the MC303 Mcintosh. The center still performs just 6 out of 10. Did you feel this center was lacking in your setup?
Hi Youthman I’m just curious about my setup in my family room that’s all off anything being center where I can place the speakers where I can get the best performance from them. All of my speakers and subs are Klipsch reference series. I have r41sa’s r820f’s r25c r51m r41m and 2 r12sw subs and my amplifier is a Yamaha RXV 3800 with about 140w per channel power output with 2 channel’s driven. I’m just wanting to make it sound like I’m in a movie theater with very little room to make it work. Any and or all advice from you is welcome Thank you for your time and and your help.
Thanks for the great video. I currently use a definitive technology CS-9060 which has an 8" built in powered subwoofer. 32HZ to 42KHZ, 8 OHM, 91db. Should I set it to Large or Small?
@Youthman thanks a bunch. Another question: since the CS-9060 has an upward firing sub, would it affect the overall performance if I was to angle it slightly upward toward my ear level using isolation pads? If so, which one would you recommend that can handle its 26lbs weight?
If your left and right speakers are in the same brand of manufacturer ok even if the center channel maybe a different model Like klipsch 8000f left and right speakers with a 504c 2 center channel speaker
Hi, great tips on the center speaker placement. Can I ask if I can hook up a pair of stereo speakers to replace a single unit center speaker? How you can give me some light to this. Thanks.
Thank you for the kind words, Michael. Unfortunately that would not be a good idea. Google comb filtering. The short version is when you take two speakers, put distance between them, and play the same frequencies, they end up, canceling each other out in certain frequencies.
Hey i have a Onkyo RZ50 with the (dreaded?) DIRAC live whose software is just terrible. I have Martin Logan fronts and a large ML Center. Will definitely try your tips etc. Do you recommend etc. having (or finding in my case) someone come out and do the calibration for you?
If you increase the volume, we often perceive it as being clearer. High sensitivity alone shouldn’t change the sound characteristics of a speaker. Curious if you had them level matched?
@Youthman I ran Audyssey xt32. With the Primes, if I got close to reference, say -15, I had to run for the remote. With the 210c, I can get even closer and be ok.
Sir I have a question for you concerning center channels and I would appreciate your advice. When I recently got deep into the home theater game I went the klipsch RP series route due to being new into the hobby as well as they have some of the best DEALS and discounts at times that others do not offer so price dictated the path I took. But, since having the RP-405c I have always fiddled with volume and what not and as I spend more and more of my time and energy in my setup I am noticing how unimpressed I am with the sound discrepancy I am receiving from the RP-450c when going from seat to seat. So I am watching videos from Erin's audio and others about centers and it looks as tho the SVS Prime & Ultra as well as the Monolith THX-365c offer what I may be looking for. - so my question is, if I were to take either a SVS center or the Monolith center and replace my RP-450c.... Would I notice a huge difference in brand separation sound signature from my left and right RP-280F?
the best thing i did for clarity was buy a pair of $10 500W car tweeters with crossover and put them in series with my rear speaker towers, sounds phenomenal
My recommendation if you don’t have the funds to buy them all at once, get your front left and right, then a subwoofer, the. Center and finally surrounds.
spent a decent amount on a full paradigm system, big center channel, integra receiver....the center channel voice performance sucked so bad, i had no ability to help it in any way. hated that system for that reason. im sure now receivers have some sort of way to address this, but back in 2004 integra did not.
I am considering the RP 504C v1. I have Jamo S809 towers and Dirac. Do you think it's wise to go to a Klipsch center? Hoping to avoid timbre issues with Dirac. S83 center is decent after EQ but the soundstage is too narrow
DIY is the least expensive option. They work great if you are handy. GIK or ATS Acoustics are popular if you want them prebuilt or want design options.
How do you properly level match like what should the starting DB be of sound coming from the speakers? Cause as you know you can raise the volume up and down which can mess up results I’m not sure how to properly level match manually like what steps to take
I remember when you first had a 5.1 channel setup! Lol!!! Congratulations! Anyways, I wanted to know what Sound Addicted pads you would recommend for that RP-504C II speaker that you have.
@@Youthman I thought those were the pads you recommended to use in your video in order to elevate and angle the center channel so you can hear it better. Do you have any recommendations for doing that for the RP-504C II speaker?
I gotcha. The “addicted” was what caused me not to know what you were referring to. I just looked at the ones I bought for my desk on Amazon and didn’t realize Sound Addicted was their actual name 🤣 These are the ones I use in my office - Sound Addicted - Studio Monitor... www.amazon.com/dp/B0757LTZJJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Very very helpful. I wish my surround sound had that on screen setup like yours! Dang that would make life easier. I’m running a older surround sound setup with a tiny center channel and yea, voices are so hard to make out. I’ll do some of your suggestions and see if that helps! Thank you!
The RC64 III is a nice center. But the SVS is actually a better design due to the tweeter and midrange driver being in a vertical array. Check out Erin’s Audio Corner video called Why Most Center Channel Speakers Suck
@olympicasseater1344 It's a great relievers if that what works your pockets. Start slow with a 5.1. This home theater life can cost made dough. Please take your time n do mega research. Don't listen to people online it mainly has to sound good to you.
I run a Definitive Technology CLR 2500 which has a powered 8" subwoofer built in. The manual says to set this center channel to large. Without any low frequencies being sent to my center, the sub becomes useless.
The problem is that Center channel only has a frequency response down to 36 Hz. So if you said it to large, you’re not going to hear anything blow 36 Hz that is sent to that center channel. Definitely not advisable. I would highly recommend setting it small and letting those lower frequencies be handled by your sub, which is exactly what a subwoofer is designed to do.
Should I set audio setting to All channel stereo or Direct and onkyos intelliVol from 0 to +12DB before using the set up Mic ? My reciever is txnr777 with Klipsch r25C if I get Large center what ones are good?
I personally have never found a use for all channel stereo. The only time you might want to use that is if you had a ton of people over and you just want music playing all around your room.
@Youthman okay thanks. My friend is partially deaf but even to me sometimes some movies are just super low and I live in a apartment so I'm just trying to figure out how to set everything up so I can hear everything clearly I have to polk audio moniter 40 2 for fronts, and the klipsch r25c for center, and a 8 inch nuance powered sub 2 no name speakers for the surround left and right. Thought about getting either klipsch 504 center or klipsch 8000 for left and right and use the polk audio book shelf moniter 40 for surround front left an right. But not sure what to do or how to spend my money
I use r.e.w. to measure my speakers. The frequency response shows all my speakers at the same level. When I use my s.p.l meter and the audyssey level match on my denon it's different. Which should I use?
It's best to give the different settings a listen and then decide for yourself what sounds more even. I compared my ypao calibration to my manual one and preferred the manual one better for some reason.
It's occasionally difficult to get good dialogue sound from a 2.1 system in 2 channel stereo due to disc formatting. Top Gun Maverick is a good example. Lots of great sounds with low volume dialogue. With my older Denon AVR 3805 I have limited adjustability. How would you address that without simply cranking up the volume?
If you have the ability, you can boost the vocal frequencies. Granted, in a two channel setup this may effect everything but the dialogue may become more clear.
Hey Youthman! Just a quick question: i saw in one of your videos you mentioned you saw some people having 3 center channels. Is that something you recommend? Let’s say 3 identical center channels placed horizontally (one above the screen & 2 right under the screen) - thoughts? 🙌
I’m not sure that was me that said that. I’ve never seen three center channels used in a system. Typically people ask if it’s a good idea to add to center channels, and the answer is always know because of comb filtering which is basically where certain frequencies are canceled out. Not a good idea. What is a great idea is having three identical speakers as your left, center, and right channel.
MAXIMIZE the Sound From Your Center Channel Speaker | 5 TIPS
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Youthman - enjoy your vids! Improvement tip for much better sound from your theater!: Extend back riser further foreword. Remove back seats ENTIRELY, move front row seating to back riser to 2/7th's length dimension, and put couch in front row, closer than pressent main seating area! Should easily get better sound from ALL; seating locations, removing boomy low fidelity rear seating next to back wall. Your new main seating area/sweet spot is the back row, AWAY FROM BOOMY BACK WALL!! oh, and getting rid of 3 seat config with center seat in direct middle line of room is also a no go!! Go 4 seat wide configuration! You're welcome AudioAlexander
I appreciate the suggestions Brian. When I built my Theater Room 16 years ago, I made a commitment that if I could not fit my entire family, we do not need to build a theater room. We are limited on the depth of the room so I have to work with what I have available unless we eventually sell our home and build a bigger room.
I understand the front row is not in the optimal placement, but I physically cannot go any further back. I love the immersiveness it provides and I have yet to have someone over for a demo that was not impressed (recently had 5 people over for demos). Not having a middle seat is definitely not going to happen. I’m not sure why you would want to sacrifice two seats by moving them off center rather than having a very dialed in center position.
@@Youthman Hello Youthman!! (btw, J.I.L !!! , indeed!!) You have an awesome system and space, that indeed looks very enjoyable, as you say! (all that matters in end) So congrats!!. Of course, everyone has different goals, tastes, lifestyles, clearly, and It's all good! Yup, we all ultimately end up with vastly different EVERYTHING in their systems/rooms, my experience proves. So personal preference and choices clearly rule in the end, yes! -as it should be. The whole middle seat removal suggestion is not obviously conducive for 2 ch music dedicated listening in your symmetrical room width setup, yes. However , going 4 seats wide ,and eliminating that center IS, however, likely maximizing the fidelity from your multi ch theater sound , if that's your main application in that space. I was merely suggesting working around the acoustical space laws, which dictate that sitting dead center of the room boundary is the single worst acoustic spot from freq response stand point (nice and peaky, with the worst nulls, and peaks too) Thus I recommend 4 instead of 3. The back row next to a back wall will of course always be bass boomy with reduced fidelity from those seats there, was the rest of the suggestion. Nice chatting with you! Keep the great vids coming!!
With my room being only 13’ wide, 3 seats is as wide as I could go anyways
@@YouthmanWow! I didn't know that. That is tight! Course one could go 2 outside theater seats flanking larger center "love-seat" style chair!??? Then there's always slimmer profile line seating. Doubt that works for you though. Still, there's always the 2 rows of couches with throw pillows approach!! Lol! Fun fun fun! 🙂
As a retired member of the AES (Audio Engineering Society) I was curious to see what your recommendations where. Overall I found your presentation useful. However I'd add one basic recommendation:
Simply increase the volume of your center speaker just a bit. This simple adjustment usually works!
I'll note that db(SPL) readings are very difficult to take. They should involve multiple measuring points with a high quality mic, analyzed at least on a 1/3 octave device and even then are notoriously hard to interpete.
I'll add one point where I DISAGREE with you. Do NOT/NEVER just buy a more expensive center channel speaker alone.
All the front speakers need to be matched (LF, C, RF). Those 3 speakers need to have the same "voice" and should be ALL from the same manufacturer/series.
My best
why do we need the same speakers? thanks
Every speaker has a "voice" or tonal signature. Even the finest speakers made sound somewhat different and on less expensive speakers that difference can be dramatic.@@doyouluvit
Having set up a Surround sound system at the outset in the early 1990's, I remember this recommendation way back then. So from that date forward, my center channel has been a 12" three way that matches my left and right channel speakers.
@@stevet7487 You did it right!!!!! Although I've found a decent subwoofer cuts down on costs quite a bit. I did that for a friend's setup years ago. Matched the front three with good bookshelf speakers and added a subwoofer. Crossover is best set at 80HZ
I've also had surround sound (5.1) since the early 90's and always used cheap surrounds for the back two channels. No regrets - not that much of interest there
Couldn't agree with you more. All speakers should be from the same manufacturer and L. C. R should be the same. Cheers 🍻 🍁 Eh.
The coffee table blanket idea also applies to a hardwood or tile floor between you and your center channel and TV. If you put or have a soft rug or something similar on that hard floor between you and your TV, it will also help greatly at reducing floor reflections, which also muddle up the sound. Of course that goes along with room treatments all over, as you mentioned.
The biggest improvement I've found, besides just having a really high quality center channel speaker to start with, is moving it forward to the edge of the table, chest, cabinet, shelf, or stand that it's on, and making it as close as possible to ear level and angle towards you.
It amazes me just how many people like to push their center channel all the way back against the wall on top of a cabinet or on a shelf, and try to "hide" it behind something like a small plant, a picture, or other knick knack, as long as it doesn't block the view of the TV, that's "all" that matters, some people think!... And then even doing that they STILL think that it's gonna sound good and actually be intelligible, lol! Ridiculous!
I agree a rug is definitely needed if you just have hardwood floors. Way too many reflections.
Let’s be honest, at one point we probably didn’t know this information either which is the entire point of this video. We all have to start somewhere.
100% agree. Incidentally, I have the same centre channel. Upgraded from a smaller Klipsch RC34 which I moved to a other smaller room.
Love your channel and most of all, honesty. Been heavily invested into home cinema and have 2 theaters at home. Mainly Klipsch. I follow much of your advise and multi-team meetings with other enthusiasts and experts and have learnt a lot. Here in South Africa, it's a developing trend and information is limited. Hence, I relied heavily on your channel. You collaborated with many of the other you tubers on this topic so I have had a wholistic tutelage. Thanks so much👌
Mr. Stevens, I couldn't agree more with all of your suggestions here. After trying several center channel speakers from a cheap single bookshelf speaker, the pair of cheap bookshelf speakers connected in parallel, a super cheap "center", a couple others and the Emotiva C1+ I run now. Absolutely the Emotiva C1+ is the best I've had and I'm happy with it. Spending the extra was well worth it. Crossover and level is the next to make it the best it can be. Someday, Good Lord willing and back breaking effort, I'll be able to install a separates system with a powerful amp on the LCR speakers for an even better audio experience for my family.
Wishing you all the very best, Kevin
A Yamaha has my favorite option to turn the "Front Presence" on. These are two speakers over your Left and Right channels that are additional "center" speakers. This originally was intended to allow a left and right dialogue shift, but it also raises the voice into the center of a larger screen. This BY FAR, helped me increase the volume and perceived size of the center channel. I wish all receivers had this option.
isnt that the same as center spread on Denons (mainly used for upmixing stereo to dolby surround )
Angling the center up made a huge difference. It was straight at my knees before and it sounded good. But when a friend suggested that a flat firing center wans.t the best, and we angled the center up more, it made a very big difference. All great tips.
100% nice job!
I actually found it better with my smaller center (2 4” woofer and 1” compression horn tweeter to change it TO the Large speaker setting. This opened up the lower frequency sliders in the EQ settings for it in my AVR and let me boost the bass which helps especially make voices feel more natural and deep.
Solid advice. I'd also recommend considering having identical speakers for the L-C-R channels, ideally at the same height and depth. You can avoid a ton of issues that way, and it's sometimes cheaper to buy 2 pairs of good bookshelf speakers (gives you a spare speaker in case one fails too).
I too prefer LCR. Most cannot accommodate that, especially if they have a TV (which most do)
Not a ton of options for this, but from cheaper to more expensive one could try a Kali IN-5 horizontally, or a KEF LS50 or Genelec The Ones at any size or orientation.
But what if you have 2 towers and a center ? I have 2 R625FA's and a 504CII. Thr 504cii has a 5.25 woofer & towers have a 6.5 woofer which match my RP-600Miis 6.25 woofer I use for SL,SR,SBL,SBR,FWR,FWL
That’s exactly what I did. I bought two pairs of Polk ES20 and use three for LCR. Best move I ever made for my home theater. Dialogue clarity and immersive soundstage improved considerably over any traditional center channel I’ve owned.
Great tips youthman. I was aware of most of them already but had not thought about the blanket on the coffee table that is right in front of me, so I will be using that tip from now on. I've also read the tip that it's best to not get coffee tables with a solid front panel since that is a huge flat surface to reflect sound back at the screen instead of allowing it to come into the room.
Glad you enjoyed the video Chris
6th tip: somebody needs to start a petition that movie directors *cough* Nolan *cough* need to raise the volume on the dialogue!
It’s not about raising the volume, he often intentionally muffles the dialogue. It’s like his signature.
I've never had an issue with any movie Nolan has directed. And I don't have a very expensive system. RBH made a great center (r56ci) and it makes all dialogue crystal clear.
This is why I quit watching Nolan films. Heard great things about his newest film but I don’t care, I like to hear dialogue in the movies I watch.
Yep 😂, or just don’t have Mr. Matthew McConaughey utter any jumble mumble monologues ! 😅
@@dperr338Oppenheimer was actually pretty dry and straight forward. Visuals, acting, message were good but not on the edge of your seat like his other movies. More like “a beautiful mind”
I demo'ed the 504C and the 504C II. Ended up returning the II and keeping the original. Me and the wife thought it was clearer. I paired it with the RP8000s in the front stage and used RP5000s for the surrounds and rear surrounds. I use the Polk Audio OWM3s for my .4 Atmos. Sounds great!
Extra tip.....you can also adjust your "crossover" frequencies to a higher level to cut out lower frequencies that can also distort the clarity of a center channel adding to the effect of setting it to a "small" speaker.
Love your stuff as always Mr. Youthman!!
Thank you so much for this video. Just an additional comment, I’m running an SVS Ultra Center and I’ve dropped the crossover to 60Hz. I am running dual PB-1000 Pros and I found that a capable center gets very clear if it is in small format at 60Hz because it keeps some of those vocal bass notes from going to the monster subs. Most people tell you to set crossovers to 80Hz but on multiple setups (SVS, JBL and Polk) I’ve found that 60Hz center crossover instead of the 80Hz is clearer.
Great video, Michael. I had issues with this and the level matching really helped me. I also added a 3 channel amp (Emotiva BasX) to my LCR and it made a world of difference as well. Best money spent so far. Seemed a lot clearer taking the load off my AVR.
Great to hear it!
What avr are u using with this set up? I'm not liking the dialogue currently on the dennon 6700h. Sometimes it good other times the lower tones on voices sound muddy and sometimes hurts my ears at certain hrtz. I've tried lower the crossover, raising the crossover. Doing this while watching a movie with my wife, annoys her and me honestly. I've done all that is suggested in the video as well.
Wow I just moved my coffee table out of the line of sight and I had no idea how much it was affecting the sound.Now I have to figure out a way to get her not to notice it’s in the other room. Thanks for that tip!
My Vizio M51 Soundbar, the Center or Soundbar speaker is 80% of the home theater sound. It sounds very good with Movies and Music even Bluetooth music. The 2 small rears for Dolby Atmos and DTS are important too. Adding the Onkyo receiver and 12" subwoofer was a big game changer now sounds Awesome.
Moved my center speaker close to the edge of my entertainment center, then played Close to the Edge by Yes, and all is right with the world, at least for now. Thanks.
Great advice, I built my first 5.1 system 25 years ago,now have an older denon,no hdmi to even adjust the center Chanel a bit louder,but tilted it up to ear level and helped a lot. My wife he's the sub and getting older in hearing didn't help, got a new c3nter speaker, Boston, and is better.the new TV only has hdmi,no analog to adjust .denon,I'm a musician buy trade, and without letting the world sell me everything new,I'm bummed, I've had great stuff since 1999.most of it was before it was even broadcast capital in the day
Yup, the CC is very important. In my living room which is the main system for movies. But i hav 2 full range speakers 7 1/2 feet apart are angled to the center position and it sounds awesome. I got rid of my regular CC and won't be going back.. Ear level is Key.. AWEsome, info🙂
Wow, been doing home theater setups for decades and I am today years old realizing that you shouldn't have a center speaker too far back if there is reflective surface underneath and ahead of it. I just pulled my center speaker forward, flush to the table. :D Never too old to learn new things!
I learned something new every day. Glad you found the video helpful.
im looking into upgrading my center chennel...i really like the center that you are using...
One of the best audio channels (no pun)out here. Hands down.
Thank you for the kind words
Mike your right about setting all your speakers to small even if you have large speakers because alot of low end eats alot of that power up subwoofers are made for that purpose
Thanks
I add a passive sub to the center channel. It really fills out the sound!
Thanks for the tips!
Also, after maximizing the center channel, sometimes the source content can sometimes be the reason it can be hard to hear dialogue. VOX had a good video on that (though the title overstates the case) called, "Why we all need subtitles now".
Man that is some damn good tips I’ve got the Center speaker and it’s sort of facing my knees. I got some of those foam rubber rises from Amazon now. It sounds much better for example when you’re watching apocalypse now as the helicopter comes from the rear speakers to the front left centre front right rear it’s perfect so thank you very much.
You have just saved me £450 for a B&W Center speaker Bower and Watkins
You need to do more videos like this in your sitting room. Because most people watching your videos will have a sitting room setup👍
That’s exactly what I mention at 45 seconds into the video 😉
@@Youthman oh yes I know you did👍
I agree with you. 😉 Filming another video in the living room as we speak.
Klipsch r34c and 504c double channeled sounds absolutely amazing..I have this setup. More immersive sound. Playing music or movies sound much better.
Thx. I've moved the TV (which has OK inbuilt speakers which vibrate the screen itself ..Sony A90J) forward as far as possible just now.
As I understand my Marantz manual, setting the center to Small will normally route its lows to the Mains not the sub. If you have[ LFE + Mains] set THEN the lows will be removed from the mains and go to the sub. If you have mains with good low extension e.g. to 40Hz then they are probably better at most bass than using the sub. Just use the sub for the dedicated LFE signal.
On the center level from recent UA-cam movies which have 5.1 you can go into the movie's settings and toggle 5.1 on or off. When I have 5.1 on, although the movie has 5.1, the centre channel is too low. Turn 5.1 off and bingo..the center is fine, BUT you lose the proper surround. Netflix movies have no such problem. Anyone have a solution other than messing with my carefully balanced levels in the AVR?
Very good tip to angle up my center channel speaker,wish I did it 10 years ago. Thank you
Glad you found it helpful
Regarding the blanket on the coffee table, I hadn't thought of that before. I'll be implementing this tip, with a modification: instead of a blanket, an array of irregularly-shaped, sound-diffusing snacks.
That should work too and it’s more practical 🤣
@@Youthman if the snacks are particularly crunchy then it's also a formidable test of the speaker's clarity 😋
Thanks Youthman ... These small changes made a big difference... take care!
That’s awesome!
Great advice! Another cheap way of angling your speakers is using rubber door stops! they dont rattle and you can change angle somewhat with them and they stay in place.
Great idea with the door stops!
Got Wharfdale Evo 4 LCR. The centre channel 4.C made a huge difference.
Thanks so much for you expert advise. I made the adjustments you referenced and it really changed my system for the best. The sound was always great, but now it's much, much better!
Your presentation is superb! You are succinct & totally clear to make everything totally understandable.
Thank you kindly
Using a Small speaker size is very correct. You briefly touched on 80 vs. 70 vs. 60 MHz. I learned something very useful that proved to be most beneficial. The human voice has depth as well as mids and highs. Upon changing my Center to 60MHz (instead of the 80MHz that is most commonly recommended) I got Phil Collins's voice from an SACD to match the mains! You don't want to rely on a Subwoofer to give you voice! I agreed with all else though. Try lowering the crossover to 60 MHz like you briefly mentioned and you may hear vocals that match the bigger mains and no longer disappoint. Try this challenge. Get Phil's voice in Center channel to match mains! That suggestion was originally from Gene DelaSala so when I tried I found the magic 60MHz.
My LCR in my theater room is set to 60Hz
I put my center at 60hz as well. Changed the sound for the better. But I have 4 4" drivers too. I'm guessing some center channels won't like that frequency.
@@Youthman Cutting the center crossover frequency is not wise. Try it with a full band and you will immediately hear what is our nature. A male voice contains low frequencies. If we cut them off, it will be about the subwoofer, but it was not designed for speech sound to come from there. That's why it will make a humming sound. If you're watching a movie with a dedicated LFE channel, the best, most realistic setting is full band, for all loudspeakers, try it. For this, adjust the volume of the subwoofer as well.
I’ve just now watched one of Gene’s videos specifically about bass management, and he and his guest insist on crossing over no less than 80Hz, even when using tower speakers capable of going much lower.
Everyone has different preference. It’s whatever measures the best when integrating with your subs.
Thanks bro. I enjoy watching your channel. Greetings from Russia.
Thank you. This is the best advice I've seen on center channel issues.
Thanks I’m glad you found the video helpful
Very helpful video really take my center speaker to the next level.
I thought my speaker was not great.
Thank u so much 👍👍
That’s awesome! So glad to hear the video helped you improve your sound.
With cinema 50, they got rid of small and large speaker setting. Auto calibration set center, front left and right speakers to full range. Would you change them ,if so what hz? I have klipsch 450c and rp250f
Very very helpful thank you so much.
Glad you found the video helpful Rodney
I absolutely love this guy. Great tips, going to make sure my center is close to the edge when I get home!
I love you too Matthew. I appreciate the kind words and I’m glad you’re enjoying the videos.
@@Youthman I am, very much. Let me ask you something. The center speaker you showed off here is one I’ve been eye-balling as I’m a big Klipsch fan. I have a center with 2 woofers. What advantage does one with 4 woofers give?
I added a line out converter from center and added a soundbar to center channel and it got a volume knob which is handy.
Excellent video, thanks for the tips. I have this same speaker and it's an upgrade from a budgeted one that I had earlier. I'm going to lower my crossover frequency as I think I may have mine set to high at 120Hz.
Awesome. Try different crossover settings to see what sounds best in your room. Let me know what you find out.
@@Youthman I settled with 100Hz as the cross over, sounds way better. 80Hz was a little too boomy. I played a bunch of video games with my kiddos over the weekend and played back some music later in the evening and I really like where the sound field is now. I'm probably just not used the amount of Bass that this speaker can handle, lol.
@@007galaxie Try lowering the woofer level instead of increasing the cross freq. I had to have it on 30% (both) to balance out the throw.
I've got the same centre running yamaha rx2060 aventage...I find changing settings in the parametric eq. Putting up the mid range and bass. Turing down the treble. Better.
This could be just my situation but might be worth a try to some other people but switching from a silk dome tweeter/or similar style to a ribbon style tweeter in the center channel speaker made a night and day difference and all settings where the same before I ran calibration afterwards it was even better. I went from a polk xt30 to an emotiva c1+, I know it's not quite an apple to apple comparison but still might be worth a try.
No but for real, Ribbon tweeters are so great for vocals.
I am now a ribbon convert. Although I don't actually own any yet. After hearing my friends Martin Logan motion setup in his theater room, I realized there is nothing like ribbon tweeters. The highs are so present yet sweet and natural. Best of all no ear fatigue. My next set of speakers will have ribbons in them.
@@d.j.cantelli8074 each style has pros and cons. Just from personal experiences ribbon tweeters just have something that works great in home theaters. My complete emotiva 7.3.6 cranks and never sounds harsh, just completely natural and effortless.
TY for the advice, and congratulations on the channel growth.
I just learned something today. Thank you.😊👍
I’m so grateful the video was helpful! Appreciate you Sandy.
Best centre channel sound I found is lay 2 bookshelves on their sides, tweeter to tweeter then split the centre channel feed to power both. Voices sound unreal. Mine are ATC SCM 11's used this way.
If you measure it, you’ll likely see comb filtering.
Very good and detailed info on Center Channel. Well appreciated bro👏🏼👏🏼
I'm learning thank you. I had no idea what Big vs Small speakers mean; appreciate that.
Sounds like a good video idea
Worked exactly as promised. Thank you!
I would love to change my projector screen material to acoustic transparent screen, and put center speaker behind it. Because no matter if i pinpoint angle by the laser, and maximize height of the speaker as much as it doesn't cover the screen, and if you focus a little, the sound from it always seems like it's coming from under the screen. So putting center speaker behind the screen, and in middle of screen might be huge improvement.
This would definitely be more of an issue if you have a large projector screen. Like 100inch or higher, seeing that there will be more distance between the center of the screen and the speaker.(if placed below the screen) Having a big tv, its not as big of a distance, making it harder to localize. Thats if its right under the screen. If its anything over a foot away theres no hope 😄
@@tuner7961 Yeah, I've got 100 inch, it's about 2 feet distance between speaker and middle of screen so that's a problem. I could imagine that in typical TV which is normally 50-70inch screens wouldn't be the case that much.
Yeah and depending how close you affects it as well. We sit about 9ft away from an 82inch and the center is right under the screen. You cant tell its below it
Great advice there. Always awesome content which doesnt get too technical. Thank you ❤
I want to make sure that everyone, regardless of where you are at in your Home Theater journey, can understand and follow along. I do my best to take complex things and make them simple and easy to understand.
@@Youthman❤ awesome. I'll go ahead and move my center channel right away🤗thank you so much ❤
I have a Marantz SR7013 with Dali Oberon speakers and the center speaker on 0dB is way too quiet. The effects of other speakers are just way louder. I just set the center speaker to +5dB and it makes a huge difference. Now I can clearly hear the dialog. I also have all speakers set to small @80Hz and SW to put out LFE+Main at 120Hz.
Scary how different a movie sounds with just a dB bump on the center channel 🙂
Some American Dad episodes sound weird with Dolby Neural and Neo6.
I just set my amp to all channels. Sounds so much better on my Yamaha than any other channel.
Thank you. Next time I will try with blanket on my coffee table.
I've done some of these tips just recently myself. First was bring it forward of the table. The difference was it made it more crisp. Just bought myself some black door wedges to angle the speaker up. I was using something white before and it ended up annoying me.
That’s great to hear they improved your sound
8361A & Sphere is my plan
8350A's as L&R
KRK 8's as rears
12sho sub
7.1 monitor setup from an RME interface
Thanks for the video. Why not get a smaller center like the Klipsch RP-404C II, if bass is supposed to go to the sub?
This was the system they sent me so that’s what I reviewed.
Great advice Youthman. Also, great vintage home theater photo
Thank you kindly
I believe at some point you had the SVS Ultra Center. I have done most of your suggestions here and run the MC303 Mcintosh. The center still performs just 6 out of 10. Did you feel this center was lacking in your setup?
I have the def Tech with a bass radiator. Should I still set it to small?
I am having issues with sounds. It almsot sounds like a crackle
is Klipsch reference 5.2 with Denon receiver any good
Hi Youthman I’m just curious about my setup in my family room that’s all off anything being center where I can place the speakers where I can get the best performance from them. All of my speakers and subs are Klipsch reference series. I have r41sa’s r820f’s r25c r51m r41m and 2 r12sw subs and my amplifier is a Yamaha RXV 3800 with about 140w per channel power output with 2 channel’s driven. I’m just wanting to make it sound like I’m in a movie theater with very little room to make it work. Any and or all advice from you is welcome
Thank you for your time and and your help.
Would you still recommend setting your center channel to small with a CS-9060 which has a powered sub-woofer?
Absolutely would set it to small. It only reaches down to 32 Hz. That’s not a Subwoofer in my opinion.
Thanks for the great video. I currently use a definitive technology CS-9060 which has an 8" built in powered subwoofer. 32HZ to 42KHZ, 8 OHM, 91db. Should I set it to Large or Small?
I would still set it to small as you want the subwoofer to handle the lower frequencies. That’s what they were designed for.
@Youthman thanks a bunch. Another question: since the CS-9060 has an upward firing sub, would it affect the overall performance if I was to angle it slightly upward toward my ear level using isolation pads? If so, which one would you recommend that can handle its 26lbs weight?
If your left and right speakers are in the same brand of manufacturer ok even if the center channel maybe a different model
Like klipsch 8000f left and right speakers with a 504c 2 center channel speaker
i dont think you listed the foam pad slants in the description
Hi, great tips on the center speaker placement. Can I ask if I can hook up a pair of stereo speakers to replace a single unit center speaker? How you can give me some light to this. Thanks.
Thank you for the kind words, Michael. Unfortunately that would not be a good idea. Google comb filtering. The short version is when you take two speakers, put distance between them, and play the same frequencies, they end up, canceling each other out in certain frequencies.
@@Youthman thanks for your reply. I was thinking of putting both the speakers side by side in the center.
Hey i have a Onkyo RZ50 with the (dreaded?) DIRAC live whose software is just terrible. I have Martin Logan fronts and a large ML Center. Will definitely try your tips etc. Do you recommend etc. having (or finding in my case) someone come out and do the calibration for you?
Hey yall! Got any advice for me? I need a slim centerchannel speaker with exelent clarity. Pls help
I went from a non efficient center SVS Prime to the high efficiency PSA 210c, and the clarity is night and day.
If you increase the volume, we often perceive it as being clearer. High sensitivity alone shouldn’t change the sound characteristics of a speaker. Curious if you had them level matched?
@Youthman I ran Audyssey xt32. With the Primes, if I got close to reference, say -15, I had to run for the remote. With the 210c, I can get even closer and be ok.
Sir I have a question for you concerning center channels and I would appreciate your advice. When I recently got deep into the home theater game I went the klipsch RP series route due to being new into the hobby as well as they have some of the best DEALS and discounts at times that others do not offer so price dictated the path I took. But, since having the RP-405c I have always fiddled with volume and what not and as I spend more and more of my time and energy in my setup I am noticing how unimpressed I am with the sound discrepancy I am receiving from the RP-450c when going from seat to seat. So I am watching videos from Erin's audio and others about centers and it looks as tho the SVS Prime & Ultra as well as the Monolith THX-365c offer what I may be looking for. - so my question is, if I were to take either a SVS center or the Monolith center and replace my RP-450c.... Would I notice a huge difference in brand separation sound signature from my left and right RP-280F?
the best thing i did for clarity was buy a pair of $10 500W car tweeters with crossover and put them in series with my rear speaker towers, sounds phenomenal
I want to build a 5.1 surround setup in segments what speak type should I get first?
My recommendation if you don’t have the funds to buy them all at once, get your front left and right, then a subwoofer, the. Center and finally surrounds.
@Youthman Thanks.
spent a decent amount on a full paradigm system, big center channel, integra receiver....the center channel voice performance sucked so bad, i had no ability to help it in any way. hated that system for that reason. im sure now receivers have some sort of way to address this, but back in 2004 integra did not.
I am considering the RP 504C v1. I have Jamo S809 towers and Dirac. Do you think it's wise to go to a Klipsch center? Hoping to avoid timbre issues with Dirac. S83 center is decent after EQ but the soundstage is too narrow
I might have missed the link but did you have a link for the angled speaker foam wedges?
These are the ones I use for my desktop speakers - Sound Addicted - Studio Monitor... www.amazon.com/dp/B0757LTZJJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
What acoustic treatments for the walls do you recommend?
DIY is the least expensive option. They work great if you are handy. GIK or ATS Acoustics are popular if you want them prebuilt or want design options.
How do you properly level match like what should the starting DB be of sound coming from the speakers? Cause as you know you can raise the volume up and down which can mess up results I’m not sure how to properly level match manually like what steps to take
This video should help - ua-cam.com/video/V481X2RHUcA/v-deo.html
You can keep the mic pointed upward to the ceiling though.
I remember when you first had a 5.1 channel setup! Lol!!! Congratulations! Anyways, I wanted to know what Sound Addicted pads you would recommend for that RP-504C II speaker that you have.
Yes sir! I shared my Journey in a dedicated video. It’s fun to see how far my journey has taken me. I’m not sure what a Sound Addicted pad is?
@@Youthman I thought those were the pads you recommended to use in your video in order to elevate and angle the center channel so you can hear it better. Do you have any recommendations for doing that for the RP-504C II speaker?
I gotcha. The “addicted” was what caused me not to know what you were referring to. I just looked at the ones I bought for my desk on Amazon and didn’t realize Sound Addicted was their actual name 🤣 These are the ones I use in my office - Sound Addicted - Studio Monitor... www.amazon.com/dp/B0757LTZJJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Love your glasses, where did you get? Make and model?
Thank you. Costal. I’m not sure the model. Honestly I can’t stand them. The nose pieces continue to fall off, so I super glued them on lol.
Hey, @Youthman. Your SPL link doesn't work. It is for a klipsh subwoofer instead. Please fix it so I can purchase it using your link.
Thank you let me take a look
I just used the SPL-120 link. It's working.
My biggest improvements were removing it out of a cabinet and put it on top.
Turn off any of the amp effect settings, ie GAME or SCI FI in a Yamaha.
Those are good tips as well
Very very helpful. I wish my surround sound had that on screen setup like yours! Dang that would make life easier. I’m running a older surround sound setup with a tiny center channel and yea, voices are so hard to make out. I’ll do some of your suggestions and see if that helps! Thank you!
Thank you for the kind words Jay
Will adjusting the test tone levels remove the audussy auto calibration settings
No, adjusting trim levels will not discard the settings Audyssey has made.
I've tried some of these they definitely work 🍿
Glad you found the tips helpful
.mike, what do you mean by early reflections? Can you give me some examples
Early reflections is sound reflecting off something (like your coffee table) before it hits your ears.
Best fix for my dialogue clarity was replace the klipch center channel speaker with SVS center lol. Also denon reciever is night and day vs onkyo
What type of denon receiver? I just bought denon avr s760h and i am not sure if this is a good av in 2023?
You are trippin rp64c is amazing
The RC64 III is a nice center. But the SVS is actually a better design due to the tweeter and midrange driver being in a vertical array. Check out Erin’s Audio Corner video called Why Most Center Channel Speakers Suck
@olympicasseater1344 It's a great relievers if that what works your pockets. Start slow with a 5.1. This home theater life can cost made dough. Please take your time n do mega research. Don't listen to people online it mainly has to sound good to you.
it helps when you start off with a klipsch
I run a Definitive Technology CLR 2500 which has a powered 8" subwoofer built in. The manual says to set this center channel to large. Without any low frequencies being sent to my center, the sub becomes useless.
The problem is that Center channel only has a frequency response down to 36 Hz. So if you said it to large, you’re not going to hear anything blow 36 Hz that is sent to that center channel. Definitely not advisable. I would highly recommend setting it small and letting those lower frequencies be handled by your sub, which is exactly what a subwoofer is designed to do.
I'll set it to small and my crossover at 50hz and see how that sounds during my next movie. Great video, and thanks for the tips.
Speakers look awesome
Incredible Ken!
Should I set audio setting to All channel stereo or Direct and onkyos intelliVol from 0 to +12DB before using the set up Mic ? My reciever is txnr777 with Klipsch r25C if I get Large center what ones are good?
I personally have never found a use for all channel stereo. The only time you might want to use that is if you had a ton of people over and you just want music playing all around your room.
@Youthman okay thanks. My friend is partially deaf but even to me sometimes some movies are just super low and I live in a apartment so I'm just trying to figure out how to set everything up so I can hear everything clearly I have to polk audio moniter 40 2 for fronts, and the klipsch r25c for center, and a 8 inch nuance powered sub 2 no name speakers for the surround left and right. Thought about getting either klipsch 504 center or klipsch 8000 for left and right and use the polk audio book shelf moniter 40 for surround front left an right. But not sure what to do or how to spend my money
I use r.e.w. to measure my speakers. The frequency response shows all my speakers at the same level. When I use my s.p.l meter and the audyssey level match on my denon it's different. Which should I use?
It's best to give the different settings a listen and then decide for yourself what sounds more even.
I compared my ypao calibration to my manual one and preferred the manual one better for some reason.
It's occasionally difficult to get good dialogue sound from a 2.1 system in 2 channel stereo due to disc formatting. Top Gun Maverick is a good example. Lots of great sounds with low volume dialogue. With my older Denon AVR 3805 I have limited adjustability. How would you address that without simply cranking up the volume?
Do you have the ability to add a center channel? I think that would help greatly.
If you have the ability, you can boost the vocal frequencies. Granted, in a two channel setup this may effect everything but the dialogue may become more clear.
Hey Youthman! Just a quick question: i saw in one of your videos you mentioned you saw some people having 3 center channels. Is that something you recommend? Let’s say 3 identical center channels placed horizontally (one above the screen & 2 right under the screen) - thoughts? 🙌
I’m not sure that was me that said that. I’ve never seen three center channels used in a system. Typically people ask if it’s a good idea to add to center channels, and the answer is always know because of comb filtering which is basically where certain frequencies are canceled out. Not a good idea.
What is a great idea is having three identical speakers as your left, center, and right channel.