THE REASON BEHIND HAVING A CENTER CHANNEL IN SURROUND SOUND SETUPS

The center channel speaker is often crowned as the most important component in a home theater system. But is it?

Our answer: Absolutely!

A big, bad home theater system can tackle a number of heavy-hitting jobs without one. But center channels are the feather in your cap for a reason. Without one, your soundstage is incomplete and you miss out on vital parts of what you’re watching. If you’re someone who wants those home theater chills and thrills, then a center channel is critical.

WHAT IS A CENTER CHANNEL?

First, what is a center channel? Arguably, it’s the most essential speaker in your surround sound system.

Okay, more objectively: It’s where the action - and conversation - is. It reproduces dialogue and other on-screen effects that come from the middle of the sound space. Around 80% or more of content from a movie goes through the center channel. In a home theater system, the center channel speaker sits above or below your television screen. 

WHAT IS THEIR PURPOSE?

The purpose of a center channel speaker is, in short, to bring your movies and shows to life. It centers the sound in the center of the soundscape. This helps you feel like the sound is coming from the image in front of you, rather than from off to one side.

They contribute not only to clear, accurate dialog but to special effects as well. You’ll get the action from your action movies, thus adding the grandeur that makes films worth watching. You’ll get to hear the movie the way the filmmaker intended.

DO YOU NEED ONE?

Unless you have perfect hearing, always sit in that sweet spot between your left and right speakers, watch only extremely well-mixed movies, and never have guests over that sit anywhere other than on your lap (no judgment), then we recommend a center speaker.

By centering the sound to the image, you become engaged in the movie. Sitting off-center when you don’t have a center channel will throw off the sound and drag you out of the home theater experience. It helps fill the room with the precise effects you want from an action-heavy movie and gives you sharp, accurate dialogue. Movies just aren’t the same without clear dialogue.

Plus, you save the rest of your system from an extra workout: a center channel speaker does most of the work. Since it reproduces the action and conversation, the center frees up your left and right speakers to focus on their jobs. By not splitting the audio information, the result is a soundstage honed to near perfection.

SUMMARY

Though often overlooked, the center channel speaker in a home audio or surround system is the beating heart. You need a decent one to get the definition, accuracy, and clarity from your movies and television shows you’re craving. While not absolutely necessary for all occasions, a center channel will bring you the definition from dialog and action scenes that make having a movie night worthwhile.

If you’re looking for a center channel and want to check out our selection, you can shop those here. Thanks for reading! Have a fantastic day.

https://spencertified.com/collections/center-speakers