JBL Factory Center Speakers

[hjames]

Heather KNOWS what to do; she just doesn't want to think about it....

Sure - doing the right thing means 3 x 4341 speakers across the front - acckk!
OR
Selling off the 4341s and getting something lesser that I can have 3 of -
and probably moving to have a better music room - but thats not gonna happen until retirement time!

Of course, it would be doable to make another L200 plus 3 way and just swap systems -I just need the cabinet and another 2234 to do that!

I also should get rid of the shelves I use as a TV stand (and that big HD CRT) and getting something larger and lighter ... but thats not in the budget either.

Ahhh - gotta run to work!

[JBL 4645]

Various films have different types of mixing style because its imposable to make “Apollo 13” (1995) Saturn V rockets sound like the real thing and even thou there’s a few loud moments where Tom Hanks yells out “this is flight surgeon horseshit” it sounds realistic. When the Saturn V is rumbling all around the CM and he says the clock is running its fairly soft against the huge back noise.

Even in “Heat” (1995) it has soft natural spoken clear dialogue and a few loud tense moments with the bank heist “GO” followed by automatic machinegun fire puling away with high showers of metal being chipped away on the bodies of cars and even a few loud glass shattering moments.

When Neil goes to Trejo’s home the dialogue goes down to whispery dialogue moment and I haven’t head issues in hearing this not at the ABC screen 1 Bournemouth Dolby stereo SR via JBL 4675-A nor letterer in the year with the laserdisc played in Dolby stereo and creational not with the DVD in (six-track Dolby stereo digital).

(Unless the background noise level is too high) then yes I would have trouble in hearing because it would be conflicting with the movies soundtrack, just in the same way as you would listen to soft piece of music that starts off soft then grows in loudness then it will mask some portions of the noise background level.

Also have loud speaker that you like and trust with conference one that’s universally flexible both with music and films. What am I saying! “The Sound of Music” (1965) has best of both worlds thou I would stake “Grease” (1977) is better, not necessarily better then The Sound of Music mind you, just using better means of mix with Dolby techniques, thou there’s nothing wrong with the Todd-AO approach.

[Zilch]

Naw, Heather, I'm thinking DIY with 4341 HF and UHF plus a pair of suitable midbass drivers....

[toddalin]

Sure - doing the right thing means 3 x 4341 speakers across the front - acckk!
OR
Selling off the 4341s and getting something lesser that I can have 3 of -
and probably moving to have a better music room - but thats not gonna happen until retirement time!

Of course, its would be doable to make another L200 plus 3 way and just swap systems -I just need the cabinet and another 2234 to do that!

I also should get rid of the shelves I use as a TV stand (and that big HD CRT) and getting something larger and lighter ... but thats not in the budget either.

Ahhh - gotta run to work!

Got Space?

[hjames]

Naw, Heather, I'm thinking DIY with 4341 HF and UHF plus a pair of suitable midbass drivers....

Ahhh - now the ideas ...
But I've already bid and won a center on daBay,
plus - its already been packed and its on the way!
(Looking for delivery & a soundcheck Tuesday)

But if its had a good life and not been treated too rough
'spose I can resell a Cherry finish LC2 easily enough -

Suitable midbass ... that'd have to be pair of LE10s ...
The rest I have ... 'cept a box to cook them ins!

And as to 'got space' query -
actually, not much left!

The leather sofas off craigslist last week ate the room!

[Hoerninger]

Heather,
do you remember the Wall of Sound by Grateful Dead?
You was closer to them than I did. They used JBL.
Resort some spare parts and there is a way.

Todd, your arrangement is very attractive.
___________
Peter

[Zilch]

Suitable midbass ... that'd have to be pair of LE10s....

I wasn't more specific because I don't know. Giskard can tell you what'll work best.

[Gotta ask nice, though. ]

To timbre-match and keep up with 4341 mains, build a custom 4341 center, without the big woofs....

[jblsound]

Got Space?

Looks like you've got plenty. Isn't nice when you can let your main speakers breathe? My room (17.5ft) isn't quite that wide, or so it would seem. There should be a law that sez at least one room in the house should be at least 17~18 ft wide. Not these 13ft wide, or less rooms in typical tract homes.

[Rolf]

Wait ... isn't that what I said in an earlier post???

...every center channel speaker I have had (new JBL, Klipsch, etc) has been a huge dissapointment for me - can;t hear voices clearly.

I pulled a center klipsch recenty from one HT in our house and replaced it with an Altec 511 horn and compression driver...... VAST improvement....voices very clear now!

It needs another driver to help down low, but overall, I think I am on the right track...

[jblsound]

How good a center works first depends on how good the design is and second its placement. Plus, it never hurts to add 2 or 3db to the center setting in the receiver.
Ever since MC systems came out, the center channel speaker has, for the most part, been the weak link.
Going back to '02, the only center speaker I auditioned, back then, I thought was worth buying was the James Symphonic LCR speaker. I almost bought the Symphonic system, until I read a review of the JBL PS, later that spring.
Of coarse, it took another 4 1/2 years to find a set of PT800s at an affordable price. Having 3 PT800s across the front is superb. Although, I'd like to get a PC600 for a comparision.

[Titanium Dome]

Having 3 PT800s across the front is superb. Although, I'd like to get a PC600 for a comparision.

Yes, it is superb.

[GTekie]

Hi Heather
Looking at your post on centre speakers made me want to add my two cents worth.
In an HT configuration its primary function is to keep the dialog centred to a video image My EC-25
performs this task flawlessly.
In a SACD application it does quite well too although according to Sony it is best to to use 5 speakers the same.
I would make sure the source material and the appropriate decoders are engaged before condeming the EC-25. Perhaps you will have a sale-able speaker.
Over & out

[hjames]

Hi Heather
Looking at your post on centre speakers made me want to add my two cents worth.
In an HT configuration its primary function is to keep the dialog centred to a video image My EC-25
performs this task flawlessly.
In a SACD application it does quite well too although according to Sony it is best to to use 5 speakers the same.
I would make sure the source material and the appropriate decoders are engaged before condeming the EC-25. Perhaps you will have a sale-able speaker.
Over & out

Thanks for the comments!
I'll have a chance to see come Tuesday when the LC2 arrives and I swap it into place over the monitor. If that fails to clear the audio, its the Zilch concept for me - pull out my spare LE85 and 2405 slot and 3133 crossover, snag a pair of 10s and build a center to match the fronts (without a 15, of course)!

[JBL 4645]

I’ve taken a little time to do this rather quick Frankenstein make-over hope you’re not too offended.

I feel a DIY centre will be a bad decision and that good JBL bookshelf types placed in the room along with the re-positioning of the widescreen CRT and matching sets placed above only on horizontal platform fitted and screwed to the width of the front, I see no issues.

Re-run new cable lengths with, a DIY approach is simple and cost effective that won’t bust the bank.

Yes that means place the audio equipment to the back of the room or in different room with only the main AVR for user control while keeping fan noise isolated whether its low SPL db level or not.

Reduce some of the clutter that you’ve gotten so used to and place it room where it’s going to have less interference on the sound waves. Coffee table in different room because that is going to have a few reflections bouncing off, it’s surface.

The small sofa place in different room as that is really standing in the way of left channel, you’d might as well stuff the sofa right up close, because from this view its right in the way. The alternative is to rise the huge JBL onto a box that can handle the weight, and with each left and right placed up higher it should clear the sofa or use some imagination, its not rocket science, I mean why go to all, this trouble only to have the sound blocked.

I have a similar issue on the left hand side in my room, and once I get around to drilling a few holes into the skirting board and to feed the cables though the wall, most of the audio equipment is going into the bedroom, period! It takes up nearly 5 feet 4 inches and I find it unsightly as it’s interrupting with percale frequencies.

[4313B]

Thanks for the comments!
I'll have a chance to see come Tuesday when the LC2 arrives and I swap it into place over the monitor. If that fails to clear the audio, its the Zilch concept for me - pull out my spare LE85 and 2405 slot and 3133 crossover, snag a pair of 10s and build a center to match the fronts (without a 15, of course)!

That's actually not a "Zilch concept" at all and it's a viable solution. We've been doing that since the center channel concept made it into mainstream culture and cable moguls started building home theaters in their new constructions. You would want to use the same network type that is in your 4341's though, and probably alnico tens as well.

Have you simply tried phantom mode? I've found that those large 4-ways are particularly well suited for movie dialogue. I do know what you mean about the dialogue getting lost with certain loudspeaker systems.

Selling off the 4341s and getting something lesser that I can have 3 of -

Well... there's that.

Have you ever heard a PT800/PC600 set?