Use Center Channel or Phantom Center Channel

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I am considering using the Phantom Center Channel option rather than a true Center channel speaker for much of my multichannel listening. I would like your observations, and comments about pluses and minuses, any pitfalls or problems based upon your experience or even theory about using either scenario.

When using my Oswalds Mill Audio OMA New Yorker Prototype speakers in stereo versus the no Center Channel speaker (I think my Onkyo 885 defaults to a Phantom Center channel) for movies the sound is quite close (almost identical). In this way the L,R, and C channels all have the same sound and character.

I have been comparing this option as I have been experimenting using my Nola LCR Reference Center Channel speaker in the horizontal and the vertical orientation to see how it mates with my OMA New Yorker Prototype speakers.

There is a definite difference in the sound of my Nola LCR Reference Center Channel speaker and my OMA New Yorker speakers. I think that I am getting a better mating of the sound of the Nola LCR Reference speaker in the vertical orientation with the OMA New Yorker speakers but this in part may be due to the height (on the speaker stand) being more in keeping with the New Yorkers.

The Nola LCR Reference speaker is a three way, four driver with open baffle mid and tweeter (dipole design). The speaker uses a 1" aluminum/magnesium dipole dome in an open baffle, a 4 1/2" tri-laminate cone operating as open baffle dipole, and Twin 6 1/2" bass drivers in separate sealed chambers. By comparison, the OMA New Yorker speakers are each a 2 way compression horn design with a horn tweeter/midrange and 2 15" woofers that are horn loaded as well.

The Nola LCR Reference speaker is about 10% of the cost of each of the OMA New Yorker speakers. It (at least in the set-up with my monoblock amp) has a drier sound, open, but thinner, less rich, and with less depth than the OMA New Yorker speakers. The New Yorker speakers are much more efficient, agile, probably faster, with a fuller, richer sound, and considerably more bass.

The OMA New Yorkers may be a little bass heavy for some voices, but they seem to offer more depth to things and they also seem to mate pretty darn well with the Nola Viper IIA speakers (which use the same tweeter and midrange as the LCR Reference, but they use Twin cast-frame aluminum 220mm (8.67") bass drivers, in a sealed system).

Thanks for any of your experiences, comments, observations, and suggestions.

Rich