I've had my Triton2, SuperSat 50c, and surrounds. I love my Tritons but I'm not in love with the Sat50c as a matching center for the Tritons. will they ever make a quality center to match the Tritons maybe something with a sub?

Glad you love your Triton Twos! I do too.

If you are not happy with the performance of the SuperSat 50C as a center in a TritonCinema system I can only presume you have the system set up incorrectly. The 50C is designed to have the center channel low frequencies produced by the pair of L/R Tritons, creating a "phantom" center channel bass speaker. This gives the system all the benefits of a full range center with none of the many negatives associated with a large, full range center speaker.

If you want a sub with your center speaker, we suggest using a ForceField 4 and wiring the center speaker through the sub's high level input/output, and then now selecting the Center as "Large" in your bass management settings. Make sure to locate the sub somewhere close to the 50C center speaker.

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and planning to buy a Triton Cinema 2 system soon. My local dealer is suggesting I use an Aon 3 instead of the SuperSat 50C for the center, as they feel the lower midrange/upper bass (which contains the deepest part of some vocals) is lacking on the SuperSat 50C. They have sold many Triton 2s and many Triton Cinema systems, although I guess that doesn't guarantee that they have them set up properly.

I will be buying the Triton 2s regardless (as they sound better than anything else in their price range to me), but would like to make sure I am making the right choices when it comes to the center and surrounds. I could also get Aon 3s or SuperSat 50s in place of the SuperSat 3s for surrounds, if it made an appreciable difference.

Thanks,

Your dealer is confused. Playing the center channel bass in mono through the left and right main speakers creates a phantom location of those frequencies between the left and right speaker (right where the center speaker is located). There is no reason for those frequencies to be reproduced by the center speaker and doing so causes the center speaker to be too large for 95% of the home theater applications (and, some argue, not as well suited for its primary task). An Aon 2 or 3 as a center is fine, although physically not acceptable for most setups. Same as using Aons for surrounds/rears. I use SuperSat 50's as my surround speakers because the larger speakers still fit acceptably in my room, not sure there's much sonic benefit.

Thanks for the quick reply! Just a couple follow up questions if you don't mind.

1. There is an argument (from what I've seen in other forums) that the vocals should be reproduced entirely by the physical center channel to have the most accurate imaging during movies (obviously any frequency range below vocals would be far less important in this regard). I'm not an expert on this and I certainly hope the SuperSat 50C can do the job for me as it would fit nicely just below my TV whereas the Aon 3 would require me to rearrange things. I understand the major difference with a Triton Cinema system vs most other traditional 5.1 systems is the ability of the "stereo" subs to image a phantom center whereas this would not work nearly as well with a single separate sub (unless it was under your center channel). I guess I just want to make sure I'm getting the best possible home theatre experience out of my setup. So far I have only listened to music on the Triton 2s in stereo. I will go back to the dealer and ask to have the full Cinema system set up with the suggested 120hz crossover (unless you suggest a different crossover point) and the Triton 2s running full range/Large and see what my ears hear (compared to Paradigm Studio 100 and B&W CM9 systems). I should note that both of the above competitors' 5.1 systems (including sub) are about double the price of the TritonCinema 2 system - I couldn't even find anything close to the TritonCinema 2 price that was in any way competitive. I can't begin to express how grateful I am that Sandy has been able to put this level of performance and quality into a system in this price range. In the current economic climate, it's nice to be able to build a great music/theatre system without overextending financially. I'll let you know how my 5.1 (or 5.2 with the Tritons) listening test goes using the SuperSat 50C.

2. For the surrounds, if it makes a difference I have a room that is 12x24.5x8ft with a large opening in one end/corner and sliding glass doors at the other end on an angle, with the system set up across the width of the room, not the length. I was not planning to wall mount, and was going to use stands. I think the surrounds are less critical than the center, but I guess just wondering if you think it's worth getting the 50s or Aons or should I just stick with the SuperSat 3s and save some $$? Also if you think wall mounting would make a huge difference to the quality of the sound (I know it enhances the bass extension in the SuperSat 3s and/or 50s but does it enhance the sound in any other way), let me know.

Thanks again!

You're welcome - glad to assist.

No shortage of opinions in this business, that's for sure. We have sold a lot of TritonCinema systems with the 50C and there are a lot of very happy listeners enjoying those systems. Hearing is believing, which is a good formula to follow in this industry. Its why Sandy and his team do such a fantastic job - he's a listener and an enthusiast. In answer to your questions:

1. Yes, 120Hz is suggested. Everything you said is correct regarding stereo subs vs single sub off center. It is probably worth mentioning that Sandy's suggested alternative for a full range center is to use a ForceField 3 or 4 subwoofer in conjunction with the SuperSat 50C (using the sub's speaker level in/high-pass out) and locating the sub close to the center/front of the room. One of our favorite dealers tells us that overall, he has never had a better sounding home theater system in his store than the basic TritonCinema Two system - and he has some VERY expensive gear in there.

2. Personally, I prefer surrounds/rears positioned high - gives a more theater-like presentation. Very little difference between 3's and 50's for surround use. Aons will allow a lower crossover point (say 80Hz instead of 120Hz) but I'm not convinced that will make any real difference in the overall sound quality of the theater vs the SuperSat. You are correct about wall mounting (not a huge difference though) and we find most of the time surrounds are wall mounted.

Hope this helps, let us know!