Matched multi channel speakers

[superchad]

Many if not most suggest at minimum matching center and fronts and still many champion the entire system but I doubt most would pass a blind test with unmatched speakers within reason during a listening test, I am curious what others think, again I say within reason as surely some obviously mismatched systems would show imbalance. I think people believe they can hear better than they can proove and would not pass this callenge. In full disclosure I have owned 3 matched systems, 2 gypsy systems with no more than 2 matched speakers in up to 7.1 and now own matched fronts and center with all surrounds matched from another vendor.

[eugovector]

Plenty of discussion on the topic here already: http://www.hometheatershack.com/foru...ant-music.html

[tonyvdb]

I am one of those people who agrees that matching speaker brands at least is important but in the same breath my center channel speaker is not matched to the rest of my system and so far has not caused me any reason to want to change it. but as Marshall has already pointed out there is a detailed topic going on this very subject and its good information.
I personaly think it is more the quality of the speaker than matching them. if you have higher end or at least good quality speakers I doubt it will be noticeable.

[superchad]

While I see you link, I participated in that thread and it wasnt exactly a lengthy dicussion so I was hoping to hear from more folks. Tony I agree to an extent that higher quality speakers may become easier to integrate but sometimes, infact many times the higher level gear will show sharper differences in character which may actually amplify mismatched items. If care is given to any choice of speaker again I doubt most could identify a mismatch.

[russ.will]

I've always had a bee in my bonnet about supposedly matched speaker packages, because due to any number of factors, they never do match.

It's the centre in particular that annoys me, because unless it is exactly the same speaker as the front stereo pair and mounted at exactly the same height, it simply won't tonally match any more than your front pair would if you mounted one of them 2ft lower or closer to a wall than the other.

That most centre speakers are in entirely different sized cabinets with different driver layouts means there's little chance the sound will match at the main listening position, never mind off axis. There's even less chance with surrounds mounted on the the wall above your head.

Russell