Centre speaker matching

blorg

I need to get a centre speaker for my new Yamaha RX-V640 receiver. The Heybrook HBC1 from www.richersounds.ie looks like a good deal – I’m just concerned about matching my Tannoy Mercury 2 mains.

It’s 6 ohms, my mains are 8, don’t know if this is an issue (I presume I just turn down the db on the centre to compensate)? Tonal matching would I presume be a bigger issue – the Yamaha has a centre equaliser to help with matching but I’d prefer to get something that didn’t need it.

Ideally I’d get one of the matching Mercury MC centres, but they are discontinued now and hard to find – postage from the UK sites that they are available on puts them around GBP 10 over the HBC1 which I would think is likely a better speaker.

The Tannoys that I can get for around GBP 10 over the Heybrook are actually Mercury MXMCs - which are the next generation from what I have in any case, so I don't know if matching with them would be that exact.

Any opinions on this combination, and centre speaker matching in general, would be appreciated. Should I go with the Tannoy from a matching point of view, or would I be better off with the Heybrook. (Other speaker suggestions, sources, etc. also much appreciated.)

Kali

Your right, tonal matching is the big issue, ideally you want something with the same overall sound structure as your main speakers, which is derived from the drivers and crossovers used, cabinet size and material, etc. matching numbers between different speaker designs may not always result in a matching sound.

Personally I'd go with the new Tannoy centres you mentioned... as long as they're not radically over-hauled, I'd say they'd be perfect, its likely they use the exact same cabinet and drivers anyway?

blorg

Thanks for that advice Kali. I was on to Richer Sounds, and they reckon that the Heybrook would be a good match, (the best of their range) as it has a similar tweeter to my Tannoys. Obviously it's in their interest to sell me something, but what would you think of this assurance.

I am presuming that I can measure matching through the test tone? My current centre (just a magnetically shielded two-way JPW monitor) sounds very like my rears (Wharfedale Diamond Pro) on the test tone, but quite different from my fronts.

Kali

Don't really have enough free time to go checkin on the web for you the exact specs of each speaker, but if they are similar then thats a step in the right direction, however look at the overall frequency of the speakers as well (remember that centre speakers do more than just voice)... overall though I doubt you'd be disappointed... I'd still be inclined to go for the newer Tannoy personally tho (if its just a matter of 20EUR).

Test-tones are mostly for speaker placement issues, making sure levels are correct for the listening position... its never going to give you a good picture of the speakers characteristics, play an all-out action film instead

blorg

Thanks for the advice Kali, the main reason for my considering the Heybrook option is that it looks like an overall better speaker than the Tannoy; bi-wirable vs not, Kevlar vs. coated paper woofers, better frequency response (50Hz-22kHz against 68Hz-20kHz for the Tannoy).

The place I can get the Tannoy for 60 GBP does the Heybrook for 95 GBP - so all in all the Heybrook for 99 EUR looks like a 'better deal'.

However all this is moot if the Tannoy would fit in with my existing speakers better.

MartinHSabag

I second every word that Kali said.

I just wanted to say that personally I would prefer to have no center at all (work in Phantom mode) than having a center that doesn't match tonaly.

If your front speakers create a good imaging the purpose of the center is mainly to widen the sweet-spot for of axis listeners, thus not only those sitting in the sweet-spot will get the correct sound stage and image.

I've tested it with my set-up (N804s front and HTM-2 Center) and with and without the center the differences are really minimal (when sitting in the Sweet-spot of course) and you can really tell that the center is missing in unplugged performances DVDs like the Corrs Unplugged where all the vocals come from the Center.

The main problem with a non-matching center is when a sound passes from side to side (a car/plane moving from one front speaker to the other through the center) - there and then is when you are going to feel the difference because the car/plane will change it's sound going from one speaker to the other, and not really when the sound is "static" i.e just vocals or something else is comming fro a different type of center.

Just my 2 cents...

blorg

Thanks for the advice. I think from what you have both said I will go for the Tannoy centre.

Just one final question - if I had the option of getting a third Mercury M2 (second hand - exact same speaker as my left/rights) how would this compare to a 'proper' centre. Magnetic shielding isn't an issue as I'm using a projector.

MartinHSabag

It would be the best !

THX standard fro example - requiers 5 identical speakers all around.
Multi Channel music like SACD as well.

This would be the ultimate matching.....

I wish I could stand another 804 in front of the TV....:D