Center channel suggestions and help

[gamalot]

Hi Steve. Looks like you have plenty of room so I suspect size is not an issue.

I don't know what effect you want to achieve but friends are very happy with center speakers such as the 9849s or ones that incorporate a Mantaray horn such as from a Model 14 and the 414-8C woofer.

If your need is for big then I guess you are on the right track with the 511 and a dual 414 set up but that seems like allot of speaker for the center duty to me.

If I had the room to do it I would have my 19s up front, 15s in the rear and a 9849-8D at center. Think I could rattle the rafters with all of that in most living rooms. My need would then be to find a much better then average HT receiver capeable of bringing out the best of the Altecs.

Gary

[Steve Mac]

Most of you guys know what I got.
The big honkers in the mid bass thread and the stonehenge Vs with 605s in the back.
Front Speakers
Rear Speakers

All that's lacking to be a real homage to Altec is a cool center channel speaker. I'm thinking that being that the frequency response for a center channel is not low and is not high that an old stock Altec studio monitor may be the best center channel possible.(511 with 2-12? or 511 with 15?) I'm thinking that in the 50s there were a lot of mono speakers sold and they might be easier to come by. What d'ya think? Maybe if you dudes know of something somewhere at a reasonable price...keep me in mind. Appreciate it!

[notloudenough]

Steve,
I couldn't make out what your running on the front end. (I'm not sure if it's your pic or my screen probably a combo of both.)And I haven't been around long enough to know what speakers or reciever \preamp-amps your using. I did see the 605's and they are the same thing I'm running for my surround.
I would suggest using a center channel speaker that is exactly the same as your left and right.This is exactly what Altec did in the theaters right ? The old saying that it will only reproduce dialog just doesn't hold true anymore. At least not with the new recievers that are out now. Your center channel will reproduce everything that the left and right will anyways. Let the electronics decide what you hear.

[bfish]

I'm not too into HT, but I'd echo 866239's suggestion...match the mains. If you don't want to do that literally, then at least pursue it tonally with a 511 over a 515, crossed just like the mains. Your video medium will influence the layout choice, with the goal of locating the audio source as near as possible to the center of the picture, to give an illusion of realism to the dialog.

[donaldpatten]

Hi Steve
I agree match the mains (605s) . My center has a smaller box to fit the space under a 42" flat screen so in theory I give up low end. My wife likes the mid range cranked up on the XO , to make speech more intelligible . We use it for TV and HT.
Don

[djgaloot]

9844 studio monitor
806/811 and two 414s. 800hz crossover.
That is what I am planning to use with my Altec Malibu front speakers and Bolero rear surrounds.
I have the components but need to make the cabinet.

[bfish]

No need to dwell on the obvious, but it's worth a mention. Since A7s always get the bass-shy rap, what better use than where you don't need low bass. Seems like these days everyone has something negative to say about A7s, but when it comes to the vocal and dialog band, they...well...they ARE A7s.

They also fit the "cool" and "Altec homage" requirements.

Just a thought.

[notloudenough]

Steve,
I'm sorry for ******** you out suggesting that the center should be the same as the mains. Had you only knew you could've built three instead of two.
What you can do is get a 511/515 combo like you want and just turn it up to match left and rights. I bought a Pioneer 1017 and just the different speaker setting overwhelmed me. Let alone that it came with it's own calibration mic and sets everything up in five minutes with a touch of the button.(speaker distance, volume, eq,reverb,size and xover points.) Is it perfect? Probably not. But it gets me in the ballpark pretty quick. Plus the possibilities of abuse are emence.

[Steve Mac]

Hey guys...thanks for chiming in.
Uh, I cringed when the suggestion to create another monster came in.
866239...here's a brighter pic:
Front Speakers
Gary(gamalot): Yeah, I think bfish' comment that it should match tonally is why I had a 511 combo in mind.

"866239": I was unaware that these guys are sending subwooferish signal to the center channel. Guess I don't know nuttin about surround. Knowing how screwy the industry is I should know to over design. If you saw me cursing while I was bending the walls...just a one guy operation...you might have a little pity.
Dave: It seems to me you are on the right track. I'm hoping this time to find an old box with a 511 in it. Did altec make a 15 and 511 in the 50's in an old studio monitor option? I can't remember seeing one. I suppose 1-old 9845 would do the trick...
Don...thanks and would like to see some pics of the layout!

[SD-50]

...since no one has yet asked...is that a Martin, and which model?