This is a disappointing outcome since I own the c2+ but I really appreciate such an honest review. Normally people will have a hard time talking about the negatives when they received a product directly from a manufacturer. So my respect for you Erin continues to go up! Me and my partner haven't had any complaints but then again we don't sit too wide from the center of the speaker, at most 3 feet from center in width. I sure hope they fix this issue in the C2++ version or C3 variant and if that happens I'll be sure to trade mine in for it. Been a fan of yours since the Monolith subwoofer reviews and so glad that you remain objective and true to the data regardless of the outcome! Hope you have a wonderful Holiday Erin!
I own this center channel. Not one issue from any angle. Yes it is powerful and the clarity is great (80 hz crossover). Trust that the numbers can't be heard in real life.
@@ErinsAudioCorner nah... In a home theater application dialog can be heard throughout the entire house when the door is open. This review makes it sound like the sound drops out completely which is not the case. All my seats to include the risers are clear and audible. Does my sweet spot sound better... Yes, but will people lose any sound from the center... absolutely not. Respectfully, this center just works.
@@Gypsyman40 I have a home theater. I demoed these from the seats in my HT. There is a clear difference in the sound from the center seat to the sides. I never said the sound goes away. I said there is a difference in what is heard between the seats. The data explains why. 6-10dB difference from dead on to 30 degrees is quite a bit. If it doesn’t bother you that’s great. It doesn’t mean it’s not real, though. ✌️
Same here. I just switched from the C1+ to this C2+. Zero issues, at all. I appreciate folks who run data but in the real world it just doesn’t translate to anything that affects how this sounds
I swear I was sitting here thinking the same thing. I’ve had MANY center channels that were a let down and this one rocks with clarity and output. I have a thousand watt monoblock powering this center channel and I listen at or close to 0db on a regular basis. So I don’t understand the numbers in this review. I know this reply is a year late to the party but I just had to chime in since I agree with your assessment.
Man, I didn’t realize how huge that was! I wish more companies utilized AR to see them in your space, it’s pretty ready to do nowadays, and some companies do (Amazon themself does it for certain products).
Dude, great review. I was always a fan of this speaker and considered it for the next generation speaker change in my theater. That dispersion angle is super important for me.
Nice Erin. I hope Emotiva takes your data and fixes the C2+ especially if they send you the C1+ and measures better. I would definitely consider switching to a C2++ or a C1+ if the data shows it's good. That said with Dirac and my seating position being in the sweet spot I am pretty happy with my speaker. Thanks for all your hard work and honesty
For a budget $400 speaker, you can do a lot worse. Would love to see the C1+ as it's cheaper, and may be a more realistic option for people since center speaker placement may be limited. I do hope you find better centers in the future with improved dispersion. I've seen plenty of setups with the center speaker placed way up high above the TV, or way, way below, pointing at the listener's knees. I can only imagine the output loss, and having to bump up the center trim by +5-10db to compensate.
Erin, I sure hope that Emotiva sends you a C1+ to test and review. I really - really like mine. I also have a pair of the Emotiva T-Zero towers and I think that I hear the C1+ has a better mid range than the towers. I feel the towers could benefit from the same mid driver the C1+ has. If I had the $ I would set-up a pair of C1+ as a stereo pair with a sub woofer or two. Thank you for all of your work! Keep going!
That ughhh at the beginning is so real it was painful. I wanted to give him a hug not even a minute into the video. You can tell Erin wanted to pull what is left of his hair out 😂😅. He doesn't like to put a hurting on a popular speaker brand.
Erin! Thanks SO MUCH for putting out reviews of speakers in the mid-to-high dollar range. I'm thrilled and grateful that you are making great use of your Klippel. Your reviews are by *far* the best. Reminds me of "The Audio Critic" magazine. I can't give a stronger compliment!
Oh, I love what Peter Aczel and David Rich did three decades ago publishing The Audio Critic. I bet if Aczel was alive today he would endorse whole heartly Erin's reviews.
Man, I wish I was smart enough to understand all the numbers you cite in your reviews :-) I do appreciate your reviews though, I just take the summaries and run with them. Thanks for the content!
Fingers crossed we'll get to see a review of its little brother! Speaking of the Klippel and DIY, have you ever thought about trying to design something using it as a reference and then releasing speaker plans to your patrons? Maybe you already do that, not sure how much DIY audio you get into with home high fi
It's not something I really have time to get into but is something I would like to do at some point. I initially was going to buy a CNC setup so I could create designs and release the plans publicly but even a DIY CNC that's worth a darn is an easy $1k.
These bigger center speakers are made to be listened to at a distance. Like easy 6 to 10 feet away and it's best to have it above the screen angled down towards the listening position. Off axis issues are really only noticed when.you are sitting close to the speaker and if you have to sit close then.you should go with a smaller speaker. Also if you turned this speaker vertically all that would change.and coaxial speakers have completely other issues than source point or on or off axis issues. Like generally poor bass output.
Something doesn't add up here, 1500 Hz has a wavelength of 9" . . . which means the CTC spacing of the mids is 1/2 a wavelength, there should actually be ok agreeance between those drivers at that frequency. Emotiva states the mids cross from the woofers at 350 Hz and to the tweeter at 3200. 1500 is dead center in the passband of the mids and shouldn't cause this issue. Look at the 1099 you reviewed, it has 5" drivers right next to each other with no issue, just the characteristic narrowing directivity. This layout is the preferred solution to having a horizontal version of an LCR speaker because the tweeter/mid combo can be rotated and still perform well. I might go so far as to say that the mids might be wired incorrectly. Just doesn't seem right to me.
Lobing starts at 1/4 wavelength but most use the 1/2 wave rule. Speakers have entered beaming by 1/2 wavelength and well into beaming by full wavelength. Look at Scanspeak’s data sheets for their drivers and you can see what I mean. The issue at 1500Hz from what I can tell is likely caused by the cabinet and above that is combing.
@@ErinsAudioCorner Ok, so I think we agree that CTC spacing isn't the issue at 1500 Hz, it just seemed like you were saying it was in the video. We expect beaming, it should generally be gradual with increasing frequency, not like what we see at 1500 Hz. I like the idea of cabinet issue much better. In speakers I have built, I have experienced cabinet issues that look exactly like this with a dip before a spike and then settle. Are the mids in their own air cavity, and is it stuffed?
Very nice. I still think the Emotiva line up of speakers would work for me in my living room. But overall it's reassuring to know some of the faults. I do have a question, some of the frequency response can be adjusted in your AVR right? Given the AVR has that feature.
Some of it can, yes. Wherever you see the directivity index measurements are linear then you can. The further from linear they are (peaks, dips, wild shifts), the less the off-axis response matches and the less EQ'ability they have.
For best center channel performance in a home theater shouldn’t we stop trying to make “center channel speakers” work and instead simply use three of the same bookshelf speaker for LCR with multiple subs?
I had the zeros. They had great bass and the highs were fantastic. I can't explain it but the mids were lacking. It sounded extremely scooped out. I wonder how the b1+ and t1+ compare to the zeros🤔
I don't like what they did either. Plus the impedance dips very, very low around 150Hz (we need beast amp to power it properly and keep distortions low). I just wonder why Emotiva didn't go just one slightly bigger mid that has higher efficiency. That way the freq resp would be more linear and impedance wouldn't dip so low. Also why ported woofers, since center channel doesn't really reproduce low frequencies. Damn it, let's test the C1 - I have a feeling it will perform better
My RZ50 has zero issues powering this beast. Dialogue is super clear and it sounds better than my old RP-504C. I do sit in the sweet spot though never outside 20-30 degrees
Awsome review, I just purchased the T1 Plus towers, I’ll see those on Friday, but the C1 Plus has been temporarily unavailable at Emotiva for a while now. So…just playin the waiting game and unfortunately starting January Emotiva has a price increase…Was considering the C2 as it is in stock, but in light of the data you provided, I now see that the C1 Plus is probably a good match for the T1+ and B1+ configuration from Emotiva. That C2 though looks Massive on the wife’s Lazy Susan, LoL
I just sold C1+ and was finally able to hook up the C2+ that has been in a box for months and months. I have zero regrets. The C2+ is fantastic, as is the C1. I’ve no noticeable anomalies. And I’m off axis, back and forth and all around while this is on. I would recommend it to anyone. I’d have never known there were “issues”with this speaker if I hadn’t watched this video
Thanks Erin! Just suscribed! Great review! I have T1+ Fronts as well as the C2+. Would it be better to use a single B1+ as a center or just not have a center channel at all? My wife and I sit 10 1/2 ft away and 2 1/2 ft both left and right from dead center .
I've had this speaker for about 6 months now. My room is probably treated more than most and after Dirac runs full range the boosted highs and the dip-peak aren't an issue. If you turn on 1/48th smoothing when looking at measurements the dip-peak blends in with all the other dips and peaks caused by the room. What is a problem is the off-axis performance when you're more than 25 degrees from the center of the speaker. However, if you're that far off center you're likely out of the sweet spot and having to accept other compromises already. For example your bass is probably not as good as the sweet spot unless you have 4 subs and spend days tuning. Also you are varying distances from the front left or right, surrounds, and atmos speakers. The off-axis performance of the center channel is just one more compromise so it likely won't make or break the experience. Still, it would be nice to have one less compromise - just pointing out it's not the end of the world. It does sound great on-axis after being tuned.
You are dead wrong. The sound you here at MLP is a combination of on axis and off axis. The makes the c2+ just a bad choice when there are so many better options. On top of that is extremely directional so instead of fooling your brain to make you feel the sound is coming from the screen, it clearly makes you notice the sound is coming from the enclosure. A complete failure as center. Monolith thx 365 is better. And if you want a huge jump at a much higher price get a revel c208 and experience what a fantastic center can really do
@@shaolin95 My room is wider than it is deep and is treated on both sides so I have my doubts whether I would be able to tell a difference between the C2+ and a center without its design flaw at the MLP - the measurements look fine. I use the center every day and haven't noticed the sound coming from the enclosure rather than the screen but I have it at ear level like a sane person, not on the floor. If I were to replace it with the Monolith or Revel you suggest I'm afraid it would not be timbre or aesthetically matched to the rest of my Emotiva speakers. I'm a value buyer and a complete matching Revel system probably would have been 5x the cost for ~10% more performance. Perhaps a complete Monolith system could have been a good way to go, but when I made my choice there was limited objective data on them. I can appreciate wanting to hold manufacturers accountable for bad design and not settling for less when better options exist, but in every system you have to weigh compromises and I think the problems with the C2+ won't be show stoppers for most people and I gave some of the reasons in my original post.
@@miscreant1739 lol you think the c208 is only 10% better....talk about wishful thinking 🤣🤣🤣 The c2 is not even in the same universe. I tested them and many more before picking my center. You are trying very hard to convince yourself the c2 is good. Do yourself a favor, order the c208 from Crutchfield.. It will cost you $12 to return it so basically nothing to lose. But you still be able to experience the world of difference between them. Oh my room is about 50 feet wide and still there is no comparison. The c2 is also terribly boxy directional. The revel imaging and halo is fantastic. Again, not even remotely on the same class.
@@shaolin95 when I said "~10%" I was referring to the system as a whole, but let's go with it. When the C2+ is placed well in a normal room with treatment and good EQ is used and you're sitting in the sweet spot listening at a reasonable level, then I bet we're close to the point of diminishing returns and the experience you get is within 10% of the c208. If my conditions don't match your situation and you're clueless and can't read a frequency response chart and place your center channel on the floor and listen off-axis near an untreated wall then this isn't the speaker for you. You can make up for your mistakes by buying a well-designed center channel that is more forgiving. I never said the speaker was good, my original post talked about its flaws and why I didn't think they'd be big problems for most value buyers, but you've been checking back here and other places for months looking to pick a fight about this speaker for some reason. Since you enjoy arguing so much you should take some time to get better at it and provide some sound arguments for your positions rather than the equivalent of "LOL WRONG".
Nice! C1+ would be great to see as well! Also what centre speaker would you buy in this price range if not these? (And what matching left & right bookshelf’s) can’t put towers in my setup.
I'd see if the C1+ is up to your liking. The B1+ and T2+ speakers are quite awesome. This just falls short when you've got people listening to the side far.
@@ErinsAudioCorner I’m concerned the C1+ won’t be “big” enough with the B1+ left and right’s. But don’t know what other options I have in that price range
Hi Erin, the real question that never gets awnsered in many reviews is how do they actually sound in real life when you sit in the sweet spot? Measurements are fine and all but that does not matter at all if you can't hear the imperfections. The funny thing is that most people are referring to the measurement and tell you it's a bad speaker while all people who actually own the C1+ and C2+ say the C2+ is even better than the C1+ and other centers. So basically my question is: how does the C2+ compare to other centers in the same price range when sitting in the sweetspot? And not by any meassurments but in real life.
@@ErinsAudioCorner Thanks for your quick response! I watched/read both but I must have totally skipped that part for some reason... At what timemark in the video are you discussing this?
@@johandeen6096 I’m not going to watch my video again. But if you check the review on my website I discuss the bass and the HF treble boost. The rest is centered on the off-axis response which does impact the sound at the MLP (reflections matter). Hope that helps.
@@ErinsAudioCorner Thanks, that helps. Would you agree that when using this kind of speakers in a 100% HT setup (movies) you won't really use the lower frequencies (below 80hz, crossover at 80hz or higher with small speaker setup) as this is driven by a dedicated sub? I just ordered the T2+ towers and thought the C2+ would be the best to match the towers. I did read many reviews on the T2+ and others in this price range. They seem very good and even match or outperform many higher end speakers but I didn't watch any reviews on the C2+... But reading about the measurements i'm having second thoughts. On the other hand, many people who own this center say it's very good. I'm running the Elac debut C6.2 and F6.2 towers (and 4 b6.2's as surrounds powered with a denon 3600h) right now but I'm not so impressed with the center (did you test these? Can't find a review on your site about the debut's) . It sounds a bit tincanned. Nothing special so far. The F6.2 sounds good as far as I can tell since I never heard any other speakers. Other then some 20k B&W speakers that my father in law owns lol. Would I be better off getting another center with the T2+ towers? For example the monolith THX365 or the C1+? I'm sitting 100% sweet spot all the time and have enough room to place the speakers anywhere I want. On the other hand, If I return the center I will probably pay at least $100 in shipping costs. To be honest buying new speakers is a complete shot in the dark for me. I can't drive to a store to test most brands simply because many brands are not sold here (Europe) and need to be shipped from the U.S. I went with the C2+ to complement the awesome T2+ towers so the front stage matches. I'm running a SVS PB2000 pro sub and getting my second one later this month. Reading reviews makes everything ten times worse because everyone recommends another speaker. Everyone who owns the C2+ think it's awesome and others who just read reviews say it's garbage. I would say my (your) ears are the true measurements and all sound is very subjective. I hope my new T2+ and C2+ works out in my room and are an improvement over the ELACS. ETA next week.
@@mikedinno8413 I got them in place and they sound fine. This whole science and meassuring things have some use but the final judgement is always your ears. Been diving into REW to get the best bass reponse in my room and once I got it i did not like the sound. I don't care anymore how any graph looks My ears will have the judgement. But it would be best to try every speaker out in your own room and then make a desicions. Unfortunately thats almost impossible for me.
What a sad state of affairs. An engineering company who DEFINITELY knows better clearly made this speaker to follow what markets/sells (big size, multiple drivers with improper crossovers based on spacing) - completely and diametrically opposite to proper speaker design, especially for a center. Shameless money grab, giving consumers what they think they need. The realistic situations where this design would be preferred over the C1+ (which isn't ideal either, the W/M crossover is still too high at 550Hz) are so incredibly rare and narrow that they practically don't exist. When exactly would that be??? In a huge room with no side-wall reflections and sitting 20+ ft away wanting to get 100dB? Who needs that? It's not even linear on axis!! AND the tweeter can't keep up with the mids and woofers as your measurement shows - another clear sign this is marketing over engineering. Thanks so much Erin for calling them out - and keep up the good and honest work!!!
Hi Erin. First of all, thank you very much for honest review. I was considering C2+ because of positive feedbacks and attractive price point. But, they are out of stock right now, plus I not really limited in budget. Could you recommend any alternative that has good dialog clarity and build quality even if it is more expensive? I was considering Wharfedale Evos, but I was not sure about how hard they are to work with (couple of reviewers pointed out that they are extremely sensitive to how you positioned them in the room), plus they have a "warm" sound reputation and I'm not sure if it is good characteristic for Home theater, since I don't care too much about music for now. Thank you!
Honestly, at this point I think the Kef R2c might be the best center I have tested/reviewed so far. But that's a small pool of options from myself as this C2+ is probably only my 3rd or 4th center. I hope to keep testing more as I go along.
Really interested in the C1+ if you can get your hands on it! I'm recommending the T2+ to a friend who's building a new speaker setup, probably a 3.1 or a 3.2 channel system. I'd kind of assumed that the C2+ would be the center to pair with the T2+ since they're the bigger speakers in the lineup, but he's probably not going to want to have to sit in the sweet spot to watch movies and TV.
Please Please do one of the KEF center speakers. I'm really curious. I finally pulled one of my desktop q100's to serve as center duty for my system and I'm really digging at the MLP and I'm hoping (the entire reason I put it in there) my family and guests will appreciate the sound more because of it more. Much stronger, not so phantom, center imaging, and for music my receiver has wide spread which spread the center to the LR.
Hi Erin, in the name of linearity and good dispertion, is there any chance you would review Magnat LCR 100-THX? Speakers are claimed to be designed with Klippel system. Also very interesting feature is 42mm dome tweeter in small waveguide. Cheers, Lukas
I just don't understand where they were going with this design. Output like you say, but they could have made a much better speaker by just using a larger midrange like a 4" or 5" instead of the dual smaller drivers. They could have avoided midrange comb filtering, and probably the midbass cancellation as well by squishing the bass drivers together further. That would have gotten the same output potential, but an actual decent center channel design. I can't believe companies are actually paying engineers to design stuff like this.
@@tomnwmi that’s just it though, would the design changes I mentioned actually negatively affect marketing? IMO emotiva speakers are already some of the ugliest on the market. I don’t see how changing up some driver sizes and spacing would make them look any worse. The c1+ already looks like that. Maybe they were trying to differentiate the two? I guess if their customers don’t notice then it doesn’t matter but it’s just disappointing to see.
Dude that speaker is freaking humongous! What the hell! It's that even necessary? I was actually thinking of pairing this with my JBL 570 but went with the 520C that goes with the JBL 5 series. Could not be happier to be honest.
I can definitely see the need for something bigger than a 520c in large rooms, but this Emotiva really is massive. If you're going this far with home theater, why not just use a full size tower behind a projection screen?
You should offer a consultation service in addition to the Patreon members access. If or when I would want to buy my next item I wouldn't mind calling you for a second opinion for a fee of course.
Hi Erin, just curious if you have the SVS Ultra center in your queue for review? Would like to compare the data versus this center channel. You do great reviews. 🍻
@@ErinsAudioCorner Thanks for the reply. I listened to it for awhile and subjectively I liked it, but you do great work and was wondering what the data would look like. 1 more question: I assume you perform you testing with a great power amp. If you pick your favorite speaker data, then rerun your testing with the speaker hooked to a an “underpowered” amp or average AVR…would the new speaker data be terrible or just minor issues that eq could fix? - By underpowered, I mean if the speaker recommends 300w and you hook up an 60w or 80w amp. Thanks again.
The biggest problem is horizontal vs vertical dispersion. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t with center speakers. A concentric single speaker is the solution but people don’t like the aesthetics of a small square box in front of them. Manufactures build what sells, and sleek looking speakers with a bunch of great looking drivers sells. Eq the dips parametrically and move on. Can’t understand why the manufacturer didn’t do it themselves?
I currently own a Martin Logan Motion 30 and am very underwhelmed by it. I considered this center as a replacement but now am on the fence about this C2 + as well. Is there a center you'd recommend as an obvious upgrade to my current Motion 30?
Not all horizontal center speakers are bad. A typical 3-way horizontal center works perfectly fine. The issue here is the use of 2 midrange drivers. Also, the "bad" MTM design is only poor off enter. It's faults are greatly exaggerated.
I love your honest truthful reviews I have the emotiva t2 c2 and e2 they are great speakers for the price I'm about to upgrade my home theater and have narrowed it down to 2 brands perlisten was on my short list but 7000 for 1 tower out of my price range so it's down to atlantic technology 8600e towers and center with the 8200 surrounds or the arendal 1723 towers center and surrounds have you heard either brand or do you plan on doing a review of any of these brands soon
Get the revel c208 on sale. Vastly superior to the arendal "center" and also better than the 8600ec. I just finished testing them and will be packing the 8600 today to send back
No. A single driver, coaxial, or drivers close together, would be better for off axis listening. It would be optimum if the center channel was vertically positioned like towers or bookshelf speakers.
@@ErinsAudioCorner I have mine crossover at 60hz and it’s probably one of the best center channels I have ever own and it’s pretty dang big and has some weight to it. So be careful when you lay it down so you don’t crush your fingers like I almost did 😂
I can't imagine an AMT on its side would be a good idea, given their tendency to have different vertical and horizontal dispersion (citation needed) Coaxial speakers might be ok though, I'm sure it just depends on the speaker.
^ agreed. It really does depend on the speaker. Assuming a 2-way bookshelf, most would fare better than this wrt horizontal dispersion but it's really up to the design and how well integrated the tweeter and mid are.
For best center channel performance in a home theater shouldn’t we stop trying to make “center channel speakers” work and instead simply use three of the same bookshelf speaker for LCR with multiple subs?
This is *exactly* why objectivists (only the measurements matter) keep saying you can't trust your ears. You *can't*. You have so many biases (OH! It looks SO COOL! My wife was impressed by its size! My friends think I'm rich!), and your brain then lies to you.
The visual representation of the measurements exaggerates the audible effects. The dip and spike has never been an issue because it's barely audible with actual content. The possible elevated high frequencies would be noticeable, but then Audissey or Dirac are probably taming that too.
The issue isn't so much with the non-linearity as it is the off-axis response which hinders the purpose of a center channel speaker with multiple seats. Otherwise, yea, I can get why people would like it because the few on-axis issues aren't terrible and the price is solid for the overall performance *otherwise*. Trade-offs.
In a stereo setup like a music system you are still between the two speakers listening to music so is kind of being on axis with the center. Very different from the issue with a center where when you are off axis, you are already in a position where on of your ears is away from both speakers
Not all of them are. I think the biggest thing is they have such a wide radiation pattern that they really almost need to be sloping downward on-axis so that the in-room response will also slope down. Otherwise, you wind up with a boosted treble region. Some dome tweeters have the same effect but typically ribbon-type tweeters are "worse" in this regard (or better, depending on your preference).
ELAC, KEF, concentric drivers win here. Bookshelf speakers, a small tower like the t0 or t1 works really well! Think about the shape of a person, you want to mimic that if you want natural sounding vocals/speech. The polk centers like the r400 and l400 are decent, better than most.
@@sturdyvw none of those are true concentric only center channels. They may have a concentric drivers but still mixed with standard drivers spaced apart which would still cause the spacing between drivers issues Erin talked about.
This is a disappointing outcome since I own the c2+ but I really appreciate such an honest review. Normally people will have a hard time talking about the negatives when they received a product directly from a manufacturer. So my respect for you Erin continues to go up! Me and my partner haven't had any complaints but then again we don't sit too wide from the center of the speaker, at most 3 feet from center in width. I sure hope they fix this issue in the C2++ version or C3 variant and if that happens I'll be sure to trade mine in for it. Been a fan of yours since the Monolith subwoofer reviews and so glad that you remain objective and true to the data regardless of the outcome! Hope you have a wonderful Holiday Erin!
I really and truly appreciate that! Thanks for the continued support.
I own this center channel. Not one issue from any angle. Yes it is powerful and the clarity is great (80 hz crossover). Trust that the numbers can't be heard in real life.
Dude. You can clearly hear the difference when you sit to the side. The numbers aren’t voodoo.
@@ErinsAudioCorner nah... In a home theater application dialog can be heard throughout the entire house when the door is open. This review makes it sound like the sound drops out completely which is not the case. All my seats to include the risers are clear and audible. Does my sweet spot sound better... Yes, but will people lose any sound from the center... absolutely not. Respectfully, this center just works.
@@Gypsyman40 I have a home theater. I demoed these from the seats in my HT. There is a clear difference in the sound from the center seat to the sides. I never said the sound goes away. I said there is a difference in what is heard between the seats. The data explains why. 6-10dB difference from dead on to 30 degrees is quite a bit. If it doesn’t bother you that’s great. It doesn’t mean it’s not real, though. ✌️
@@ErinsAudioCorner I respectfully agree. I appreciate the time and data you provide. Thanks for the conversation as well
Same here. I just switched from the C1+ to this C2+. Zero issues, at all. I appreciate folks who run data but in the real world it just doesn’t translate to anything that affects how this sounds
Don't care about your data, I had Klipsch, SVS, and Emotiva C+2 are the best by far no matter where I sit.
I swear I was sitting here thinking the same thing. I’ve had MANY center channels that were a let down and this one rocks with clarity and output. I have a thousand watt monoblock powering this center channel and I listen at or close to 0db on a regular basis. So I don’t understand the numbers in this review. I know this reply is a year late to the party but I just had to chime in since I agree with your assessment.
Man, I didn’t realize how huge that was!
I wish more companies utilized AR to see them in your space, it’s pretty ready to do nowadays, and some companies do (Amazon themself does it for certain products).
Yea, it’s definitely an oversized center channel.
Just cut up some cardboard and make a box the same size as the speaker.
Me either.... LOL
That’s what she said….
I have the C1+ in my living room setup and would be curious how that measures up. I don't have any complains and the B1+ as L/R work great as well.
I'm considering the b1+ and c1+ for my setup...still liking yours? Not sure if the b2+ would be a better match with the center or not
Thank you for the review! Not many channels testing center speakers.
Dude, great review. I was always a fan of this speaker and considered it for the next generation speaker change in my theater. That dispersion angle is super important for me.
Nice Erin. I hope Emotiva takes your data and fixes the C2+ especially if they send you the C1+ and measures better. I would definitely consider switching to a C2++ or a C1+ if the data shows it's good. That said with Dirac and my seating position being in the sweet spot I am pretty happy with my speaker. Thanks for all your hard work and honesty
Thank you for the support.
Sadly they instead made an even worse c3+ :/
These center channel reviews have been eye opening. Thank you very much!
Glad to hear it!
For a budget $400 speaker, you can do a lot worse. Would love to see the C1+ as it's cheaper, and may be a more realistic option for people since center speaker placement may be limited. I do hope you find better centers in the future with improved dispersion. I've seen plenty of setups with the center speaker placed way up high above the TV, or way, way below, pointing at the listener's knees. I can only imagine the output loss, and having to bump up the center trim by +5-10db to compensate.
But you can do much better with them Monolith 365c though
Great review and yes I’d like to see that review. Seriously considering B1+ and either C2+/C1+ for front sound stage
Erin, I sure hope that Emotiva sends you a C1+ to test and review. I really - really like mine. I also have a pair of the Emotiva T-Zero towers and I think that I hear the C1+ has a better mid range than the towers. I feel the towers could benefit from the same mid driver the C1+ has. If I had the $ I would set-up a pair of C1+ as a stereo pair with a sub woofer or two. Thank you for all of your work! Keep going!
Thanks! 🙂
@@ErinsAudioCorner Thank you! A good job deserves recognition. "Don't just have a good day - have great day!" - Blue Shirt Guy :-)
That ughhh at the beginning is so real it was painful. I wanted to give him a hug not even a minute into the video. You can tell Erin wanted to pull what is left of his hair out 😂😅. He doesn't like to put a hurting on a popular speaker brand.
Haha. Nah, this was just the third speaker I had created a video for that afternoon and I was gassed. 😂
Erin! Thanks SO MUCH for putting out reviews of speakers in the mid-to-high dollar range. I'm thrilled and grateful that you are making great use of your Klippel. Your reviews are by *far* the best. Reminds me of "The Audio Critic" magazine. I can't give a stronger compliment!
Thank you very much!
Oh, I love what Peter Aczel and David Rich did three decades ago publishing The Audio Critic. I bet if Aczel was alive today he would endorse whole heartly Erin's reviews.
Not a lot of center channel reviews.. shot in the dark with a sale on Elac unifi 2.0 center speaker and love it
Thanks for teaching as you review. Would be interested in the C1 review and a tzero if possible
Noted!
thank Erin, your channel is great resource
Thank you for that.
Man, I wish I was smart enough to understand all the numbers you cite in your reviews :-) I do appreciate your reviews though, I just take the summaries and run with them. Thanks for the content!
It comes with time. Just stick with it and ask questions when you have them!
Fingers crossed we'll get to see a review of its little brother!
Speaking of the Klippel and DIY, have you ever thought about trying to design something using it as a reference and then releasing speaker plans to your patrons? Maybe you already do that, not sure how much DIY audio you get into with home high fi
It's not something I really have time to get into but is something I would like to do at some point. I initially was going to buy a CNC setup so I could create designs and release the plans publicly but even a DIY CNC that's worth a darn is an easy $1k.
These bigger center speakers are made to be listened to at a distance. Like easy 6 to 10 feet away and it's best to have it above the screen angled down towards the listening position. Off axis issues are really only noticed when.you are sitting close to the speaker and if you have to sit close then.you should go with a smaller speaker. Also if you turned this speaker vertically all that would change.and coaxial speakers have completely other issues than source point or on or off axis issues. Like generally poor bass output.
Something doesn't add up here, 1500 Hz has a wavelength of 9" . . . which means the CTC spacing of the mids is 1/2 a wavelength, there should actually be ok agreeance between those drivers at that frequency. Emotiva states the mids cross from the woofers at 350 Hz and to the tweeter at 3200. 1500 is dead center in the passband of the mids and shouldn't cause this issue.
Look at the 1099 you reviewed, it has 5" drivers right next to each other with no issue, just the characteristic narrowing directivity. This layout is the preferred solution to having a horizontal version of an LCR speaker because the tweeter/mid combo can be rotated and still perform well.
I might go so far as to say that the mids might be wired incorrectly. Just doesn't seem right to me.
Lobing starts at 1/4 wavelength but most use the 1/2 wave rule. Speakers have entered beaming by 1/2 wavelength and well into beaming by full wavelength. Look at Scanspeak’s data sheets for their drivers and you can see what I mean.
The issue at 1500Hz from what I can tell is likely caused by the cabinet and above that is combing.
@@ErinsAudioCorner Ok, so I think we agree that CTC spacing isn't the issue at 1500 Hz, it just seemed like you were saying it was in the video. We expect beaming, it should generally be gradual with increasing frequency, not like what we see at 1500 Hz.
I like the idea of cabinet issue much better. In speakers I have built, I have experienced cabinet issues that look exactly like this with a dip before a spike and then settle. Are the mids in their own air cavity, and is it stuffed?
Very nice. I still think the Emotiva line up of speakers would work for me in my living room. But overall it's reassuring to know some of the faults.
I do have a question, some of the frequency response can be adjusted in your AVR right? Given the AVR has that feature.
Some of it can, yes. Wherever you see the directivity index measurements are linear then you can. The further from linear they are (peaks, dips, wild shifts), the less the off-axis response matches and the less EQ'ability they have.
So do ANY center speakers actually have wide horizontal dispersion? Which should be the main point of a center.
Any typical 3-way with the midrange above or below the tweeter are fine. Also KEF 3-way with the concentric tweeter/midrange.
^ agreed. It's hard to find a good center channel with a lot of output, though, and we are seeing some of those reasons here.
@@JabsJibo Agreed, I used a Kef Q150 as center for 3 years before switching to the Prime center for the increased output. Give a little take a little.
@@ErinsAudioCorner If you do the C1+ it would be neat if you had another large center such as the SVS Prime for comparison.
For best center channel performance in a home theater shouldn’t we stop trying to make “center channel speakers” work and instead simply use three of the same bookshelf speaker for LCR with multiple subs?
but but Zorba says this is center speaker is a gift from the Gods :D
I had the zeros. They had great bass and the highs were fantastic. I can't explain it but the mids were lacking. It sounded extremely scooped out. I wonder how the b1+ and t1+ compare to the zeros🤔
Erin, any EQ recommendations for this and the C1+?
I don't like what they did either. Plus the impedance dips very, very low around 150Hz (we need beast amp to power it properly and keep distortions low). I just wonder why Emotiva didn't go just one slightly bigger mid that has higher efficiency. That way the freq resp would be more linear and impedance wouldn't dip so low. Also why ported woofers, since center channel doesn't really reproduce low frequencies.
Damn it, let's test the C1 - I have a feeling it will perform better
Most speakers dip below 4 ohms. Any 100wpc AVR will power this just fine, due to it's 89+db sensitivity.
My RZ50 has zero issues powering this beast. Dialogue is super clear and it sounds better than my old RP-504C. I do sit in the sweet spot though never outside 20-30 degrees
How does it sounds in comparison to the jbl hdi4500 or klipsch rp-504c?
Awsome review, I just purchased the T1 Plus towers, I’ll see those on Friday, but the C1 Plus has been temporarily unavailable at Emotiva for a while now. So…just playin the waiting game and unfortunately starting January Emotiva has a price increase…Was considering the C2 as it is in stock, but in light of the data you provided, I now see that the C1 Plus is probably a good match for the T1+ and B1+ configuration from Emotiva. That C2 though looks Massive on the wife’s Lazy Susan, LoL
I just sold C1+ and was finally able to hook up the C2+ that has been in a box for months and months. I have zero regrets. The C2+ is fantastic, as is the C1. I’ve no noticeable anomalies. And I’m off axis, back and forth and all around while this is on. I would recommend it to anyone. I’d have never known there were “issues”with this speaker if I hadn’t watched this video
Thanks Erin! Just suscribed! Great review! I have T1+ Fronts as well as the C2+. Would it be better to use a single B1+ as a center or just not have a center channel at all? My wife and I sit 10 1/2 ft away and 2 1/2 ft both left and right from dead center .
Using a trigonometry calculator you should be in the "safe zone" up to around 44" left or right of the center line at 10' away
@@shaolin95 Thanks for the calculation. Looks like I'm viewing in that zone. Thought I may have blown it the center channel.
I've had this speaker for about 6 months now. My room is probably treated more than most and after Dirac runs full range the boosted highs and the dip-peak aren't an issue. If you turn on 1/48th smoothing when looking at measurements the dip-peak blends in with all the other dips and peaks caused by the room. What is a problem is the off-axis performance when you're more than 25 degrees from the center of the speaker. However, if you're that far off center you're likely out of the sweet spot and having to accept other compromises already. For example your bass is probably not as good as the sweet spot unless you have 4 subs and spend days tuning. Also you are varying distances from the front left or right, surrounds, and atmos speakers. The off-axis performance of the center channel is just one more compromise so it likely won't make or break the experience. Still, it would be nice to have one less compromise - just pointing out it's not the end of the world. It does sound great on-axis after being tuned.
You are dead wrong. The sound you here at MLP is a combination of on axis and off axis. The makes the c2+ just a bad choice when there are so many better options.
On top of that is extremely directional so instead of fooling your brain to make you feel the sound is coming from the screen, it clearly makes you notice the sound is coming from the enclosure.
A complete failure as center.
Monolith thx 365 is better. And if you want a huge jump at a much higher price get a revel c208 and experience what a fantastic center can really do
@@shaolin95 My room is wider than it is deep and is treated on both sides so I have my doubts whether I would be able to tell a difference between the C2+ and a center without its design flaw at the MLP - the measurements look fine. I use the center every day and haven't noticed the sound coming from the enclosure rather than the screen but I have it at ear level like a sane person, not on the floor. If I were to replace it with the Monolith or Revel you suggest I'm afraid it would not be timbre or aesthetically matched to the rest of my Emotiva speakers. I'm a value buyer and a complete matching Revel system probably would have been 5x the cost for ~10% more performance. Perhaps a complete Monolith system could have been a good way to go, but when I made my choice there was limited objective data on them. I can appreciate wanting to hold manufacturers accountable for bad design and not settling for less when better options exist, but in every system you have to weigh compromises and I think the problems with the C2+ won't be show stoppers for most people and I gave some of the reasons in my original post.
@@miscreant1739 lol you think the c208 is only 10% better....talk about wishful thinking 🤣🤣🤣
The c2 is not even in the same universe. I tested them and many more before picking my center. You are trying very hard to convince yourself the c2 is good.
Do yourself a favor, order the c208 from Crutchfield.. It will cost you $12 to return it so basically nothing to lose.
But you still be able to experience the world of difference between them.
Oh my room is about 50 feet wide and still there is no comparison. The c2 is also terribly boxy directional. The revel imaging and halo is fantastic. Again, not even remotely on the same class.
@@shaolin95 when I said "~10%" I was referring to the system as a whole, but let's go with it. When the C2+ is placed well in a normal room with treatment and good EQ is used and you're sitting in the sweet spot listening at a reasonable level, then I bet we're close to the point of diminishing returns and the experience you get is within 10% of the c208. If my conditions don't match your situation and you're clueless and can't read a frequency response chart and place your center channel on the floor and listen off-axis near an untreated wall then this isn't the speaker for you. You can make up for your mistakes by buying a well-designed center channel that is more forgiving. I never said the speaker was good, my original post talked about its flaws and why I didn't think they'd be big problems for most value buyers, but you've been checking back here and other places for months looking to pick a fight about this speaker for some reason. Since you enjoy arguing so much you should take some time to get better at it and provide some sound arguments for your positions rather than the equivalent of "LOL WRONG".
Nice!
C1+ would be great to see as well!
Also what centre speaker would you buy in this price range if not these? (And what matching left & right bookshelf’s) can’t put towers in my setup.
I'd see if the C1+ is up to your liking. The B1+ and T2+ speakers are quite awesome. This just falls short when you've got people listening to the side far.
@@ErinsAudioCorner I’m concerned the C1+ won’t be “big” enough with the B1+ left and right’s. But don’t know what other options I have in that price range
Hi Erin, the real question that never gets awnsered in many reviews is how do they actually sound in real life when you sit in the sweet spot? Measurements are fine and all but that does not matter at all if you can't hear the imperfections. The funny thing is that most people are referring to the measurement and tell you it's a bad speaker while all people who actually own the C1+ and C2+ say the C2+ is even better than the C1+ and other centers.
So basically my question is: how does the C2+ compare to other centers in the same price range when sitting in the sweetspot? And not by any meassurments but in real life.
I discussed that in the review. And I wrote about it on my site as well.
@@ErinsAudioCorner Thanks for your quick response! I watched/read both but I must have totally skipped that part for some reason... At what timemark in the video are you discussing this?
@@johandeen6096 I’m not going to watch my video again. But if you check the review on my website I discuss the bass and the HF treble boost. The rest is centered on the off-axis response which does impact the sound at the MLP (reflections matter). Hope that helps.
@@ErinsAudioCorner Thanks, that helps. Would you agree that when using this kind of speakers in a 100% HT setup (movies) you won't really use the lower frequencies (below 80hz, crossover at 80hz or higher with small speaker setup) as this is driven by a dedicated sub? I just ordered the T2+ towers and thought the C2+ would be the best to match the towers. I did read many reviews on the T2+ and others in this price range. They seem very good and even match or outperform many higher end speakers but I didn't watch any reviews on the C2+... But reading about the measurements i'm having second thoughts. On the other hand, many people who own this center say it's very good.
I'm running the Elac debut C6.2 and F6.2 towers (and 4 b6.2's as surrounds powered with a denon 3600h) right now but I'm not so impressed with the center (did you test these? Can't find a review on your site about the debut's) . It sounds a bit tincanned. Nothing special so far. The F6.2 sounds good as far as I can tell since I never heard any other speakers. Other then some 20k B&W speakers that my father in law owns lol.
Would I be better off getting another center with the T2+ towers? For example the monolith THX365 or the C1+? I'm sitting 100% sweet spot all the time and have enough room to place the speakers anywhere I want. On the other hand, If I return the center I will probably pay at least $100 in shipping costs.
To be honest buying new speakers is a complete shot in the dark for me. I can't drive to a store to test most brands simply because many brands are not sold here (Europe) and need to be shipped from the U.S. I went with the C2+ to complement the awesome T2+ towers so the front stage matches. I'm running a SVS PB2000 pro sub and getting my second one later this month.
Reading reviews makes everything ten times worse because everyone recommends another speaker. Everyone who owns the C2+ think it's awesome and others who just read reviews say it's garbage. I would say my (your) ears are the true measurements and all sound is very subjective. I hope my new T2+ and C2+ works out in my room and are an improvement over the ELACS. ETA next week.
@@mikedinno8413 I got them in place and they sound fine. This whole science and meassuring things have some use but the final judgement is always your ears. Been diving into REW to get the best bass reponse in my room and once I got it i did not like the sound. I don't care anymore how any graph looks
My ears will have the judgement. But it would be best to try every speaker out in your own room and then make a desicions. Unfortunately thats almost impossible for me.
I too am curious about the emotiva C1 Plus seeing as how it only has the single mid-range driver perhaps a cancellation affect wouldn't happen
I reviewed it but didn’t make a video. Link:
erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/emotiva_airmotiv_c1plus/
What a sad state of affairs. An engineering company who DEFINITELY knows better clearly made this speaker to follow what markets/sells (big size, multiple drivers with improper crossovers based on spacing) - completely and diametrically opposite to proper speaker design, especially for a center.
Shameless money grab, giving consumers what they think they need. The realistic situations where this design would be preferred over the C1+ (which isn't ideal either, the W/M crossover is still too high at 550Hz) are so incredibly rare and narrow that they practically don't exist. When exactly would that be??? In a huge room with no side-wall reflections and sitting 20+ ft away wanting to get 100dB? Who needs that? It's not even linear on axis!! AND the tweeter can't keep up with the mids and woofers as your measurement shows - another clear sign this is marketing over engineering.
Thanks so much Erin for calling them out - and keep up the good and honest work!!!
Shameless money grab? This thing is $400.
Thanks!
Well, thank you very much!
Hi Erin. First of all, thank you very much for honest review. I was considering C2+ because of positive feedbacks and attractive price point. But, they are out of stock right now, plus I not really limited in budget. Could you recommend any alternative that has good dialog clarity and build quality even if it is more expensive? I was considering Wharfedale Evos, but I was not sure about how hard they are to work with (couple of reviewers pointed out that they are extremely sensitive to how you positioned them in the room), plus they have a "warm" sound reputation and I'm not sure if it is good characteristic for Home theater, since I don't care too much about music for now. Thank you!
Honestly, at this point I think the Kef R2c might be the best center I have tested/reviewed so far. But that's a small pool of options from myself as this C2+ is probably only my 3rd or 4th center. I hope to keep testing more as I go along.
Really interested in the C1+ if you can get your hands on it! I'm recommending the T2+ to a friend who's building a new speaker setup, probably a 3.1 or a 3.2 channel system. I'd kind of assumed that the C2+ would be the center to pair with the T2+ since they're the bigger speakers in the lineup, but he's probably not going to want to have to sit in the sweet spot to watch movies and TV.
I reviewed it on my website but didn’t make a video for it:
www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/emotiva_airmotiv_c1plus/
Please Please do one of the KEF center speakers. I'm really curious. I finally pulled one of my desktop q100's to serve as center duty for my system and I'm really digging at the MLP and I'm hoping (the entire reason I put it in there) my family and guests will appreciate the sound more because of it more. Much stronger, not so phantom, center imaging, and for music my receiver has wide spread which spread the center to the LR.
I tested the Kef R2c a few months ago. Much better dispersion properties but somewhat limited in output.
ua-cam.com/video/TZTNcEV-TV0/v-deo.html
@@ErinsAudioCorner gotta be more output capable than my q100 bookshelf though, no? And if crossed at 80/90hz probably can get plenty loud?
Could you disconnect one of the mids and maybe even a woofer, for better sound?
I did try that, actually. I didn’t look at the radiation; just the linearity. The strong resonance was there but I don’t recall much else.
Hi Erin, in the name of linearity and good dispertion, is there any chance you would review Magnat LCR 100-THX? Speakers are claimed to be designed with Klippel system. Also very interesting feature is 42mm dome tweeter in small waveguide. Cheers, Lukas
I’ve honestly not heard of that brand. I’ll try to look into it.
I just don't understand where they were going with this design. Output like you say, but they could have made a much better speaker by just using a larger midrange like a 4" or 5" instead of the dual smaller drivers. They could have avoided midrange comb filtering, and probably the midbass cancellation as well by squishing the bass drivers together further. That would have gotten the same output potential, but an actual decent center channel design. I can't believe companies are actually paying engineers to design stuff like this.
Marketing influences design over performances to appeal to the mass market.. So sad.
@@tomnwmi that’s just it though, would the design changes I mentioned actually negatively affect marketing? IMO emotiva speakers are already some of the ugliest on the market. I don’t see how changing up some driver sizes and spacing would make them look any worse. The c1+ already looks like that. Maybe they were trying to differentiate the two? I guess if their customers don’t notice then it doesn’t matter but it’s just disappointing to see.
Dude that speaker is freaking humongous! What the hell! It's that even necessary? I was actually thinking of pairing this with my JBL 570 but went with the 520C that goes with the JBL 5 series. Could not be happier to be honest.
It's dedicated home theater size. I have a 520C, and wouldn't use it in a large home theater.
I can definitely see the need for something bigger than a 520c in large rooms, but this Emotiva really is massive.
If you're going this far with home theater, why not just use a full size tower behind a projection screen?
8:03 I'm actually kind of sad. 😥 I could feel that in my soul.
Curious what your thoughts are on revel 426be and the issues of center channels you bring up??
I wonder how the c1+ does compared to this 🤔 great video 🙂👍🏼
The c1 is better than this flawed c2
Could this be fixed with a crossover refresh like the Fluance Signature towers went though in 2016? Can this center be saved.
You should offer a consultation service in addition to the Patreon members access. If or when I would want to buy my next item I wouldn't mind calling you for a second opinion for a fee of course.
Hi Erin, just curious if you have the SVS Ultra center in your queue for review?
Would like to compare the data versus this center channel.
You do great reviews. 🍻
I sure don’t.
@@ErinsAudioCorner Thanks for the reply. I listened to it for awhile and subjectively I liked it, but you do great work and was wondering what the data would look like.
1 more question:
I assume you perform you testing with a great power amp. If you pick your favorite speaker data, then rerun your testing with the speaker hooked to a an “underpowered” amp or average AVR…would the new speaker data be terrible or just minor issues that eq could fix?
- By underpowered, I mean if the speaker recommends 300w and you hook up an 60w or 80w amp.
Thanks again.
The biggest problem is horizontal vs vertical dispersion. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t with center speakers. A concentric single speaker is the solution but people don’t like the aesthetics of a small square box in front of them. Manufactures build what sells, and sleek looking speakers with a bunch of great looking drivers sells. Eq the dips parametrically and move on. Can’t understand why the manufacturer didn’t do it themselves?
Merry christmas erin 🎄 reviewing the klipsch RP line bookshelf/ center channel would be good.
The monolith thx 365 is far superior. Thanks to these videos I tested them both side by side and the c2+ is going back
Hello is the monolith brighter?
@@Ivy13276 not to my ears.
I currently own a Martin Logan Motion 30 and am very underwhelmed by it. I considered this center as a replacement but now am on the fence about this C2 + as well. Is there a center you'd recommend as an obvious upgrade to my current Motion 30?
Did you end up changing your center channel to a emptiva? If so what are your results
@@AndrewBenson91 Hello. I haven't changed it. To be honest, I'm considering changing my whole setup.
Emo,
Please send Erin a C1+ for review and comparison!
Great review!!! Still one of the best bang for the buck on the market.. :)
The general design of this speaker is "iffy." It's bad enough that it's a horizontal center, but then they dropped the ball even further.
Not all horizontal center speakers are bad. A typical 3-way horizontal center works perfectly fine. The issue here is the use of 2 midrange drivers.
Also, the "bad" MTM design is only poor off enter. It's faults are greatly exaggerated.
Would love to see a review of the ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UCR52 Center Channel, if that’s possible. Great job dude
So which one sounds better. The emotiva c2+ or svs ultra center?
SVS.
I love your honest truthful reviews I have the emotiva t2 c2 and e2 they are great speakers for the price I'm about to upgrade my home theater and have narrowed it down to 2 brands perlisten was on my short list but 7000 for 1 tower out of my price range so it's down to atlantic technology 8600e towers and center with the 8200 surrounds or the arendal 1723 towers center and surrounds have you heard either brand or do you plan on doing a review of any of these brands soon
Get the revel c208 on sale. Vastly superior to the arendal "center" and also better than the 8600ec. I just finished testing them and will be packing the 8600 today to send back
I guess i will need a new media stand that can fit other centers, i had this one on my wish list.
So is it better to have a line array for a center channel????? And can u please specify what u mean crossing down low ??? Hz???
A line array you mean vertical, correct? Because that shouldn’t be a problem with most designs.
Crossing low, yes, frequency (Hz).
No. A single driver, coaxial, or drivers close together, would be better for off axis listening. It would be optimum if the center channel was vertically positioned like towers or bookshelf speakers.
Nope I mean horizontal line aray instead of point sources
Have a look at the KEF Q650C center channel definitely a recommendation
I have one on the way, on loan from Kef. 👍
@@ErinsAudioCorner I have mine crossover at 60hz and it’s probably one of the best center channels I have ever own and it’s pretty dang big and has some weight to it. So be careful when you lay it down so you don’t crush your fingers like I almost did 😂
So would a bookshelf on it's side fair better than these designs?
I can't imagine an AMT on its side would be a good idea, given their tendency to have different vertical and horizontal dispersion (citation needed)
Coaxial speakers might be ok though, I'm sure it just depends on the speaker.
^ agreed. It really does depend on the speaker. Assuming a 2-way bookshelf, most would fare better than this wrt horizontal dispersion but it's really up to the design and how well integrated the tweeter and mid are.
Would love to see a C1+ review
Did you listen to it with a movie? Preferably with a 3.1 or 5.1 etc?
Yea, in my home theater.
@@ErinsAudioCorner Oh ok. Thank you
For best center channel performance in a home theater shouldn’t we stop trying to make “center channel speakers” work and instead simply use three of the same bookshelf speaker for LCR with multiple subs?
No no no. You have a lot to learn
What center channel would you recommend?
If you come across a Revel Voice2, an excellent speaker.
Most 3-way designs with a single midrange above or below the tweeter are fine. Monoprice THX-365C, etc.
Seems like the C1+ is the better choice here by quite a bit.
From Emotiva yes and that includes comparing them to the new c3+ which was another marketing over engineering design
Seems like they made a SPL plank for car audio
Surprised at the somewhat negative findings. Seen pretty unanimous rave reviews on audiophile forums.
This is *exactly* why objectivists (only the measurements matter) keep saying you can't trust your ears. You *can't*. You have so many biases (OH! It looks SO COOL! My wife was impressed by its size! My friends think I'm rich!), and your brain then lies to you.
The visual representation of the measurements exaggerates the audible effects. The dip and spike has never been an issue because it's barely audible with actual content. The possible elevated high frequencies would be noticeable, but then Audissey or Dirac are probably taming that too.
The issue isn't so much with the non-linearity as it is the off-axis response which hinders the purpose of a center channel speaker with multiple seats. Otherwise, yea, I can get why people would like it because the few on-axis issues aren't terrible and the price is solid for the overall performance *otherwise*. Trade-offs.
Is comb filtering an issue an issue with stereo speakers? Possibly worse because the speakers are much wider apart?
In a stereo setup like a music system you are still between the two speakers listening to music so is kind of being on axis with the center.
Very different from the issue with a center where when you are off axis, you are already in a position where on of your ears is away from both speakers
Yeah, I'd be extremely interested in your take on the C1+.
Add me to the list of people who want to see a review of the C1+
Could be a front tower lol but 2 and stand them lil
It is the size of house
When I look at a center channel and see multiple midranges, I walk the other way.
I have no issues. I love my emotiva C2.
👍
Guess you were sent a special edition of it 😂👍😂😂
First? Great review, Erin!
Thanks, Rene! Means a lot coming from you!
For the price its fine. Don't complain once a better one comes out and it's expensive.
It's really not though. Elac centers are all better.
@@sturdyvw Agreed. But again 2 woofers 2 mids. That seems to be the problem.
AMT tweeters are so shrill that alone makes this a non contender. Just my opinion.
Not all of them are. I think the biggest thing is they have such a wide radiation pattern that they really almost need to be sloping downward on-axis so that the in-room response will also slope down. Otherwise, you wind up with a boosted treble region. Some dome tweeters have the same effect but typically ribbon-type tweeters are "worse" in this regard (or better, depending on your preference).
the mere idea of "sweet spot" in a moment of enjoying a movie with family and/or friends is a sign of a**holeness Non Plus Ultra..
I figured that you did not need a comb
Truly a horrible speaker. I knew it would be wonky just looking at it. Don't know why they would put out a product like this.
What center channel speakers do you recommend
ELAC, KEF, concentric drivers win here. Bookshelf speakers, a small tower like the t0 or t1 works really well! Think about the shape of a person, you want to mimic that if you want natural sounding vocals/speech. The polk centers like the r400 and l400 are decent, better than most.
@@sturdyvw none of those are true concentric only center channels. They may have a concentric drivers but still mixed with standard drivers spaced apart which would still cause the spacing between drivers issues Erin talked about.
Typical woofers crossing over under 600hz won't have an issue with lobeing. The problem with this speaker is the duel midrange.
...dual...