Center channel sounds clausterphobic and boxy

[akm3]

I got Mosaic fronts with a Fresco center.

My setup makes me put the Fresco below the TV, which isn't ideal. Consequently, the center channel is coloring the sound and it is a bit 'boxy' sounding (like voices are coming through a tube). It's still VERY good and I wouldn't even whine about it if I didn't switch to 2-channel mode and have the sound stage open up like wide fresh air.

Any tips for what I can do to help?

 

[roberto]

I got Mosaic fronts with a Fresco center.

My setup makes me put the Fresco below the TV, which isn't ideal. Consequently, the center channel is coloring the sound and it is a bit 'boxy' sounding (like voices are coming through a tube). It's still VERY good and I wouldn't even whine about it if I didn't switch to 2-channel mode and have the sound stage open up like wide fresh air.

Any tips for what I can do to help?

Hola...your Mosaics uses the same mid range and tweeter (ATF) than your Fresco ...they should match with no problem. If you have a bump, in the lower mid range, check the switch at the Fresco´s back, or the equalization that you are using at your receiver...if you are not using the eq, then try a different cable between your Fresco. When you use a cd through your system, then you might have a different parameters setted for two channel going to five channels. If you are using your DVD, always use it in 5 channels not stereo when listening via coax, tos, or HDMI. Do not use it in analogue connection, only digital. If you want to listen a cd, then use it 2 channel only. Dolby (prologic) and DTS (neo 6) from two channel analogue going to five channel, sound not too right, and the mixing is not well balanced in my system. This could be your problem too. Happy listening,
Roberto.

 

[tsmooth]

I had the same issue for a while. Come to find out my DVD player was sending over a 2-channel signal that was being cut up by the receiver into Pro-logic IIx. After adjusting the settings on the DVD player, it was a night and day difference.

 

[akm3]

My Lexicon has a mode where it send identical signals to all speakers ('party mode') . That will be a good test to see if I am experiencing room interactions / EQ or confirm a better sonic match.

Obviously they SHOULD be almost sonically identical, so as you point out either the processor is doing 'something' (like applying a THX EQ curve) or the location of the speaker is causing it to sound wildly different.

 

[roberto]

My Lexicon has a mode where it send identical signals to all speakers ('party mode') . That will be a good test to see if I am experiencing room interactions / EQ or confirm a better sonic match.

Obviously they SHOULD be almost sonically identical, so as you point out either the processor is doing 'something' (like applying a THX EQ curve) or the location of the speaker is causing it to sound wildly different.

just apply a pink noise, and you can tell the difference in timbre...do this, put your Fresco for a moment at the left channel and your Mosaic at the center...and listen again, happy listening,
Roberto.

 

[akm3]

Great tip!

I have made some progress. My source is an xbox 360 currently, and it was auto creating, on the fly a dolby digital 5.1 mix out of the 2 channel audio - and doing it poorly.

Changing this to just pass stereo has improved things quite a bit, so now I have more work to do getting the timbres to match. Level balancing will help.

The sound just sounds like it is coming 'lower' then the 2 channel sound - because it is.

-Allen

 

[MiTT]

Allen, why don't you have the X-Box pass a digital signal and let your processor/receiver decode it for real Dolby Digital?

 

[akm3]

Allen, why don't you have the X-Box pass a digital signal and let your processor/receiver decode it for real Dolby Digital?

For a brief explanation, my source is either ripped 2 channel CD audio, or ripped DVD audio for which there is a 5.1 source but the Xbox cannot current pass it so uses to a 2 channel AAC mix. The xbox was taking the 2 channel AAC mix and then reconverting it (poorly) into dolby digital 5.1.

My longer term plan is to upgrade to an AppleTV which CAN pass true 5.1 that is encoded into my DVD rips, and at that point I would have my Lexicon do 5.1 sound instead of creating 5.1 out of a 2 channel source.

The Lexicon is MUCH better at making 5.1 out of 2 than the Xbox is.

Yes, from an audiophile standpoint my source material is complete garbage :ROFL:

(And because I realize my answer is confusing (why do I care about 2 channel audio CD's not blending with the center channel? ) answer: I prefer Lexicon's Logic7 Music decoding to even pure 2 channel even on 2 channel material.) - *IF* I can get it to blend properly.

 

[audiolover[UK]]

The best thing you can do is get rid of the center speaker and use your front 2 speakers, it amazes me how many people try and get a stereo setup so right with great imaging and spot on centered voices then go and use a center speaker which in my opinion undoes all that just because all the fancy amps can run 5.1/7.1 etc doesnt mean it sounds better, alot of it was marketing hype to get everyone to by loads of speakers....cables....amps....etc
ive tried many centres and all of then have that boxy sound not suprising really when you look at the constraints of the box sizes.
also using a centre commonly produces centre channel dominance or for want of a better word mono which is a contradiction to what surround sound is all about.
try movies without a center and sit back and enjoy the sound and not worry about the level or the sound of that pain in the ass centre speaker.
as you have said akm3 with stereo it sounds wide open and that is what your movies will sound like.......:rocker:

 

[Gordon Gray]

Is your center channel placed on a shelf in close proximity to the cabinet walls?

GG

 

[JonFo]

A center below the TV is always at risk of over-emphasized mid-bass, decreased highs and as you note, ‘boxy’ resonances stemming from the cavities formed by the TV above, and cabinets around it.

Placing the Center channel higher is one way to address it.

Another is to ensure any cavities around it are stuffed with absorbent materials (try towels as a short-term test just to see).

Some of your symptoms make me think that there might be an issue with processor setup.

Have you correctly set phase, distance (delay) and all other parameters for the center and L/R speakers?

Having an error of even 0.5’ in the distance settings can skew the imaging balance.

 

[akm3]

What people are describing is accurate. It also makes it sound MUCH more 'mono' and the width the of sound stage just collapses, for the most part, in Center channel mode.
-Allen