How to match center speaker with mains?

[busoni]

Hello all!

How should the center speaker be matched with the mains? Does it really have to be the same model to the mains or alternatives can be selected by means of some criteria? (e.g. same sensitivity to mains, impedance, similar freq. responce etc.)

Your suggestions are welcome

[yetanotherbob]

The reason that people usually recommend that the front three speakers are from the same range (or at the very least from the same manufacturer) is so that they are "tonally" matched.

That is so that the soundstage (eg when a person moves from right to left across the screen while speaking) appears seamless and the centre doesn't stand out or retreat into the background.

A well matched front 3 will actually make you think that there isn't a centre at all. In fact if you can hear the centre speaker working independantly of the left and right then it isn't well set up or is mismatched.

A bit of a basic explanation but hope it helped.

Bob

[busoni]

Yes, actually what you say is very helpfull. Thank you

Currently my center seems to be too "small" for my mains. Sometimes I think it almost "screams".

Anyway, do you have in mind any movie scenes proper for such a test? i.e. someone moving from left to right speaking.