Steve Dallas
Major Contributor
I think you are missing my point. I know exactly what centers are made to do. I own an MTM, a 2.5 way and a true 3 way version. All have had usage over the years, and all are still quite "Usable" to hear voices and center channel sounds. Not all are ideal or the same of course.
The flaws of an MTM do matter for sure, but just not to the extremes some are claiming.
In other words, there are also OTHER flaws of small living room theatre usage that are even bigger than the dispersion of a center speaker, yet they do not even get mentioned.
If one sits a good bit off axis of the center speaker in most small to moderate living rooms, they are then sitting DIRECTLY in front of ONLY the left or right main speaker, and that issue dwarfs the limited midrange dispersion of a cheaper MTM speaker, at least in my experience.
I have found that at a "PROPER DISTANCE" the limited MTM dispersion, is NOT as grand an issue as some claim.
Sitting far too close to the TV and speakers creates more of an issue for sure, but it creates other larger issues.
Small rooms and close sitting distance create multiple speaker issues, not limited to just MTM dispersion.
Absolutely all the right points hit in this post. I could not agree more.
This is the reality of of living with a +/- 15 degree dispersion center channel:
How Bad are those MTM Center Speakers in Practice in Reality? Revel C25 Content Inside
A plot showing, say 25 degrees, is greater than +/- 18 degrees. (I.e. You do not need to double the values as it is relative to being “off of the centerline”.) yeah the total width in all listening positions across my seating area is 36 degrees (actually a hair under that) so 18 degrees from...
www.audiosciencereview.com
And:
How Bad are those MTM Center Speakers in Practice in Reality? Revel C25 Content Inside
A plot showing, say 25 degrees, is greater than +/- 18 degrees. (I.e. You do not need to double the values as it is relative to being “off of the centerline”.) yeah the total width in all listening positions across my seating area is 36 degrees (actually a hair under that) so 18 degrees from...
www.audiosciencereview.com
Short version:
There is not much content in the affected area--at least that most people care about. And, sitting too close to any side speakers is far more of a problem, and this is an unfortunate reality in many rooms we use as home theaters.