Mixing speakers

[admin_exported]

I have a pair of monitor audio gold reference 10s I'm currently using in a hifi set up but want to turn into an (AV) surround sound set up. I don't have the money to buy a complete set of matching kit and don't really want such large rear speakers in any case. I was just wondering if anyone had any experience of mixing more traditional kit in with style orientated stuff (thinking of monitor audio radius in this case)? Or whether I'd be better off just buying a complete radius set-up?

Thanks

 

[f1only]

A good way would be if you could afford a centre of the same quality & then go for cheaper surrounds, as most of the dialogue comes from the front & centre.

 

[margetti]

Absolutely essential the centre speaker matches the front stereo pair - at the very least from the same manufacturer, and ideally from the same model range. The rears are only for sound effects (unless you're going to be playing a lot of music dvds etc), so matching not as important.

 

[hunnyy]

The matching centre, the GR10 LCR, can often be found at a reasonable (second-hand) price on eee!bay. Failing that, the replacement, the GS10 LCR, costs around £500 new.

Either one of these will tonally match well, and is the route you should best follow.

 

[Nick_Shepherd]

I have Mordaunt Short Aviano 1 fronts with a Mordaunt Short Alumni centre and am yet to hear any problems. They are from the same and use some of the same components and are a tonal match also.

I know people say its best to have them all the same, and I'm sure it is, however, my front three sound great and mix and blend with no problem, at least to my ears.

 

[007L2Thrill]

Nick_Shepherd:

I have Mordaunt Short Aviano 1 fronts with a Mordaunt Short Alumni centre and am yet to hear any problems. They are from the same and use some of the same components and are a tonal match also.

I know people say its best to have them all the same, and I'm sure it is, however, my front three sound great and mix and blend with no problem, at least to my ears.

You are not alone.

I have the complete Tannoy Sensys AV range, but my centre speaker is on a Custom shelf above my TV around 22 inches from the back wall, but the sound never matched the main speakers as it was always lacking treble would be the easy thing to say just no air, but my large main speakers have loads of bass with loads of air, so I brought a replacement tweeter for my centre speaker thinking it was a bad tweeter, well it was the same and I checked the crossover everything was fine.

So around 3 weeks ago I thought I would buy a new centre speaker, so I brought the same one from hyper fi just to see if a new one would be any better. Well they sent me the wrong speaker, they sent me a Tannoy eyris centre, anyway I will get to my point, this speaker sounds more open and a lot better matched to my other speakers then its matching one.

So I am happier with this speaker then the matching one, yes it looks different, but sounds a hell of a lot better.

 

[Frank Harvey]

It'll all depend on the speakers themselves. Yes, the matching centre will always be the best way forward, but sometimes in the case of sub/sat packages with very small speakers, a centre with bigger drivers or more drivers probably will sound better - this is because the centre of the sub/sat package is so small, the driver isn't really up to being able to cope with what it is supposed to do. When it comes to packages like the OP's, it will always better better to get the matching centre.