RS Says matching fronts and centre is a load of.....

[admin_exported]

Hey

I have been having problems with matching my diamond 9.1's to the centre speaker color I want, and everyone, including managers started a debate, on how people say the fronts need to match the centre for tonal match.

I ended up walking out with some alumni 2's for the rears to match the 9.1's as they impressed in size and GF friendly and child friendly.

But still so confused about the centre.

You guys say its a must, but people that work and live in industry say its not a must?

 

[ear]

certainly if i had 2 fronts that i didn't like very much I wouldnt match the center.I'd go for a center eich i liked it's sound

 

[Anonymous]

Listen with your own amp and cables, making up your own mind. Having a matching centre does make audio more seemless. Take into mind RS also swear by gale speaker cable....

Just Demo, see what you think!

 

[Messiah]

It certainly is a must. Using a centre that does not match tonally is very noticeable.

Would you imaging using two different speakers as a stereo pair??

If you are unsure, try it.

 

[daveh75]

canada16:
Hey

I have been having problems with matching my diamond 9.1's to the centre speaker color I want, and everyone, including managers started a debate, on how people say the fronts need to match the centre for tonal match.

I ended up walking out with some alumni 2's for the rears to match the 9.1's as they impressed in size and GF friendly and child friendly.

But still so confused about the centre.

You guys say its a must, but people that work and live in industry say its not a must?

Let me guess,RS don't have stock of the Diamond 9CS?

RS staff may work in the industry, but i've always found their product knowledge somewhat lacking......

 

[Anonymous]

They had no 9 series.

But the ms alumni looked and sounded amazing, even in the rubbish shop, so they are a must.

I cant even find the rosewood 9cc for under 100.00, so I dont think its worth it TBH.

Thats why I am confused, I am seting up my system tommorow and as it stand right now:

Walnut 9.1's walnut pearl

Alumni 2's for the rear.

Pioneer vsx819

sky hd/ps3

ateca bordeaux walnut

So its the centre, I cant decide, and dont want beech or black, I would rather have nothing TBH.

I am so confused.

 

[Andrew Everard]

So run the system without a centre, in phantom centre mode, until you find a matching speaker. It'll sound almost as good, and certainly better than it will with a mismatched centre speaker.

Or you could even go for a 10CC

 

[daveh75]

Well personally, i would rather do without a centre speaker,than one that's a tonal mismatch.
Maybe worth keeping an eye out for one second hand or on Ebay etc......

 

[Frank Harvey]

Having a matching centre is one of the most important aspects of a speaker setup. M&K, who make some ofthe best packages around purely for movie soundtracks, always have identical left/centre/right speakes. This is to ensure consistency in panning sound effects, and correct, matching timbre for voices whether they're on or off the screen.

How can you argue with that?!

 

[John Duncan]

So a shop didn't have the matching centre and tried to sell you something they *did* have in stock?

AE's advice is the best - have no centre rather than one that doesn't match...

 

[Anonymous]

I ran 2 MS speakers and a kef centre for years quite happily, then started reading up in readyness for an upgrade read how important it is to have all front the same etc, so did a little experiment and took out the kef and run it in phantom mode, there was an mediate difference in SQ.,,,,,, Do glad I got the same speck now.

 

[professorhat]

I think the key is in the definition of the word "matching". If we're talking it must be from the same manufacturer, then I'd also disagree that as a must. I ran a Mission / Tannoy hybrid for some time and it "matched" just fine. It took quite a while to find that combination though, I can tell you.

However, I suspect everyone here is talking about a "matched" system in that the front speakers and the centre speaker are tonally balanced. Without doubt the easiest way to do this is to buy a system from the same manufacturer - it just makes sense, especially where the manufacturer has already taken the time to ensure that balance is there and working.

However, when it comes down to a system not being balanced because something isn't in stock, that's really when questions need to be asked.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeh, I see were you guys are coming from.

You dont want a soft centre against a high pitch one do you.

Will keep looking around and hope something comes up.

 

[Sorreltiger]

Another issue is that the centre speaker carries much more information than any others most of the time. It's a mistake not to prioritise it.

 

[Anonymous]

Finally almost up and running and wanted to thank eveyone that helped me chose my system.

I bought some silver anviversary cable and the alumni 2's from rs, but told them I did not want the centre.

So this is my system so far, and will be finished tonight.

Ateca bordeux - walnut

PS3

SKY HD

DVD Player

Pioneer VSX-819

Wharfedale 9.1 Walnut

and the alumni's for the rear with wall brackets.

Cant wait to give it a proper test in the morning (not to early)

Thanks again guys,

 

[Nick_Shepherd]

How do you know if a speaker is a tonal match? (without hearing it?)

I bought MS Alumni package from RS but told them I dodnt have enoght punch or range from the front speakers (I had used Tannoy M2'S previously).

They sold me a pair of Cambridge Audio SL20's. Are these a 'tonal' match????

 

[matthewpiano]

I personally believe the safest approach with 5.1 or 7.1 speaker systems is to keep to the same manufacturer and, where possible, the same range for the entire set-up. It generally gives the best sound and ensures that instead of thinking about how the fronts sound, or how the centre sound, you end up simply immersed in the action and atmosphere of the film.

As for some of the comments about RS, I think the sweeping generalisations that get made about them are unfair. Like any big retailer they have some staff who are more knowledgable and more helpful than others. This industry is full of characters, each with their own take on the best approach to AV and hi-fi. The trick is to find the salesman who seems to understand your needs the best. Given their aggressive pricing on TV sets Richers represent some of our biggest competition at one of our 2 stores, yet I would never make unfair sweeping accusations against them.

 

[Nick_Shepherd]

So does anyone think I have been ill advised to change the front pair of Alumni for the Cambridge Audio? If it is really bad advice, it may have ruined the set up!

 

[Anonymous]

matthewpiano:I personally believe the safest approach with 5.1 or 7.1 speaker systems is to keep to the same manufacturer and, where possible, the same range for the entire set-up. It generally gives the best sound and ensures that instead of thinking about how the fronts sound, or how the centre sound, you end up simply immersed in the action and atmosphere of the film.

As for some of the comments about RS, I think the sweeping generalisations that get made about them are unfair. Like any big retailer they have some staff who are more knowledgable and more helpful than others. This industry is full of characters, each with their own take on the best approach to AV and hi-fi. The trick is to find the salesman who seems to understand your needs the best. Given their aggressive pricing on TV sets Richers represent some of our biggest competition at one of our 2 stores, yet I would never make unfair sweeping accusations against them.i wish there was a branch of richer sounds where i live , i agree its a little harsh to critisize them for not always having a salesperson on hand that knows everything about a.v. , much of which is about opinions anyway , their price matching and cheap warrantys are hard to beat , and theres a store near most people , its easy to take that for granted ...

 

[Anonymous]

I stopped buying anything from RS a long time ago - the sales people have zero technical knowledge neither the inclination to help (this is my branch in Croydon).

 

[Frank Harvey]

Nick_Shepherd:So does anyone think I have been ill advised to change the front pair of Alumni for the Cambridge Audio? If it is really bad advice, it may have ruined the set up!Yes. As I've mentioned below, a matching s of speakers is extremely important. All they've done is sold you a pair they exclusively deal with to complete your package. You need MATCHING speakers that benefit YOU, not the speakers that benefit THEM.

And it's not too hard to ask for a least two knowledgeable members of staff in a store - it's the manager's job to make sure they have decent staff. What's the use of someone who knows nothing in a hi-fi/AV store?

 

[Vimeous]

As I originally expanded from pure hifi to home cinema I ran a centre speaker from a different manufacturer for quite some time. I found it dissapointing but I lived with it as the speaker was free!

As soon as I could afford it I switched to my current centre which goes very well indeed despite the generation gap. The front sound-field is much more even with frontal transistions being reasonably seamless.

Likewise I can hear my current rears are no match for the front three both in terms of quality and tonality. Eventually I plan to upgrade those too although blue-ray has got in the way of that budget somewhat. Fortunately it's much less irritating than the mismatched centre so I can live with it for now

I'd certainly recommend all your speakers come from the same manufacturer and the main front three at least from the same range to get the most enjoyment from your setup.

 

[Anonymous]

I got the black 9.1's off ebay, so I caved in.

But my MS Alumni 2's for the rear are amazing, when I sit in the middle, its like the tv sound but better and all around me.

So I got to say the rears seem to be a good match for the Diamonds.

Just need a sub now, again have no idea what I am looking for, need something thin as needs to fit down the side of the sofa,, kids eh!

 

[Richer Sounds]

Hi,

I saw some of your comments on this thread and wanted to take this opportunity to respond.

Our main focus should always be on the specific requirements and / or budget of each individual customer and, whilst opinions on certain equipment or configuration may indeed vary from person to person, we always endeavour to give honest impartial advice. I can assure you we would never intentionally mislead our customers, especially as we would have absolutely nothing to gain in doing so - not to mention being extremely poor customer service!

Of course, if anyone is unhappy with any advice they've received from one of our sales team then please do let me know and I will do my best to resolve to your satisfaction. My e-mail address is john.p.clayton@richersounds.com.

I feel it is also worth noting that we serve many thousands of customers each week, the majority of whom are happy with our customer service and advice, and would therefore respectfully invite any customers to visit one of our stores to gauge their own opinions on our service.

Many thanks,

John Clayton
Operations Director
Richer Sounds