Do I need a new/ different centre speaker?

[Cricketbat70]

I've had my home cinema set up for over 10 years now but have never been particularly happy with dialogue when watching film and TV.
For my wife it's now got really hard for her to hear dialogue, she wears hearing aids.
We stopped using the home cinema for a while and just used the TV speakers as the dialogue was clearer but she is struggling with that now. So at the weekend I connected a Qacoustics QM4 sound bar to the TV and my wife finds this so much clearer with the dialogue. The question is do I need a new centre speaker or do some settings need tweaking?

My AV set up
Yamaha DSP-AX761
Eltax Monitor III front speakers
Eltax HT2 bipolar surround speakers.
Cheap as chips wharfedale centre speaker from RS. I know the general consensus is the same make of speaker for everything when it comes to home cinema but the wharfedale was all I could afford at the time.

 

[Symples]

I have an Onkyo AV receiver and one of the settings allows my to adjust the individual volume of the centre, front and rear speakers.

See if you can do that before purchasing a new centre speaker.

PS.. I increased my centre speaker by 3dB

 

[Cricketbat70]

I have an Onkyo AV receiver and one of the settings allows my to adjust the individual volume of the centre, front and rear speakers.

See if you can do that before purchasing a new centre speaker.

PS.. I increased my centre speaker by 3dB

Right from the word go I've had my centre speaker set at max. I didn't use the auto calibration mic, I couldn't even find that now🤣

 

[Messiah]

No matching centre and not calibrated correctly. Aaaah. lol

In all seriousness, if the issue is with the centre speaker (set to max) AND the TV then I am not sure it would make a massive difference getting a new centre - but I would suggest matching the centre anyway.

It suggests a hearing issue but then she can hear fine with the soundbar. Odd.

Do the vocals sound fine to you?

Would certainly look to calibrate it correctly and go from there.

 

[Cricketbat70]

No matching centre and not calibrated correctly. Aaaah. lol

In all seriousness, if the issue is with the centre speaker (set to max) AND the TV then I am not sure it would make a massive difference getting a new centre - but I would suggest matching the centre anyway.

It suggests a hearing issue but then she can hear fine with the soundbar. Odd.

Do the vocals sound fine to you?

Would certainly look to calibrate it correctly and go from there.

If I was to match the centre it would have to be eBay. Since Brexit I don't think eltax have been available in the UK. Oh if only I had the money to replace all my speakers a full Qacoustics set up is so appealing.
I will have to see if I can find that calibration mic. I am a bit of a hoarder so it will be around somewhere.
I do find the dialogue a bit muffled myself.

 

[Messiah]

Does it happen with all source material?

Perhaps you could swap out the centre with one of the left/right speakers just to see if it makes a difference - or (and probably simpler) put the receiver into stereo and cut out the middle speaker just to see if that makes a difference.

Number of tests that can be done I suppose. 😊

 

[abacus]

If you have access to manual eq of the centre channel try boosting the 100-300Hz range.

Bill

 

[Jasonovich]

I've had my home cinema set up for over 10 years now but have never been particularly happy with dialogue when watching film and TV.
For my wife it's now got really hard for her to hear dialogue, she wears hearing aids.
We stopped using the home cinema for a while and just used the TV speakers as the dialogue was clearer but she is struggling with that now. So at the weekend I connected a Qacoustics QM4 sound bar to the TV and my wife finds this so much clearer with the dialogue. The question is do I need a new centre speaker or do some settings need tweaking?

My AV set up
Yamaha DSP-AX761
Eltax Monitor III front speakers
Eltax HT2 bipolar surround speakers.
Cheap as chips wharfedale centre speaker from RS. I know the general consensus is the same make of speaker for everything when it comes to home cinema but the wharfedale was all I could afford at the time.

If you're unable to find the calibration mic, I would suggest, testing first the front speakers without the surround and centre.
If you have the clarity of the large left and right, proceed with the small speakers and finally the centre. I assume you don't have a subwoofer.
Hopefully this should reveal the weakest link.
Have fun 😊

 

[Symples]

Right from the word go I've had my centre speaker set at max. I didn't use the auto calibration mic, I couldn't even find that now🤣

Then try reducing the volume on the front and rear speakers 🔊

 

[Cricketbat70]

If you're unable to find the calibration mic, I would suggest, testing first the front speakers without the surround and centre.
If you have the clarity of the large left and right, proceed with the small speakers and finally the centre. I assume you don't have a subwoofer.
Hopefully this should reveal the weakest link.
Have fun 😊

Well I have a sub that has been used once, Rach said "we've got neighbours, you're not using that" after I tested it out years ago with a scene from a Star Trek film, when they jettison and blow up a warp core. it's now a plant pot holder🤣 it's only a small Paradigm sub.
I had these wild ambitions of making a bracket for it and putting it under the floor, as we live in an old Victorian terrace with a suspended wooden floor

 

[Jasonovich]

I love my subs, I have four HiFi systems, threeof those have subs but yeah my missus will go nuts too, beam me up Scotty 👍😊