Coaxial center channel or MTM

I am going to build a center channel for my nomex 164 mk2. I have a hypex fa 122 2channel plate amp with a dsp that i intend to use as x over.
I was thinking that a good Coaxial driver would be a good fit with better off axis response than a ”normal” mtm center channel but i cant really decide and would like to know the thoughts from more knowlagable people.
The new sb acoustic mt19cp looks interesting?
Its worth noting that i live in a apartment so i will never reach any high spl
 
FWIW/YMMV, etc., built a lot of small high SQ (for the times) L-C-R 'HT' systems before HT became a 'thing' along with mono/stereo TV audio speakers with co/tri-ax FR drivers my choices with the latter the most popular when opting for the higher priced whizzer, true 3 way, units.
 
I don't use a center channel, but I am using the SEAS Prestige T18REX for the AV system which is sold as the Loki III kit from Madisound. It would be easy to use the same for a center channel. If a HP filter is applied, the impact of a moving waveguide (the woofer cone) is minimized. The imaging with the two mains is good enough for me to bypass having a center channel speaker.
 
In a 5.2 system the center channel does most of the speech and vocal,work so it is arguably the most important speaker. Make sure you make it as good as the LR speakers. A good coax images better over a larger area than a MTM. The driver out of a Tannoy Series 600 is a good choice if you can find one on the ‘bay. The Seas coax aren’t bad either. The full range drivers are also an option for you. Don’t worry about frequencies below 100hz. It’s all about intelligibility of the voices!
 
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Center should be as close to the mains as possible. So why you don't build a 2way with the tweeter and midrange of the original speaker? And keep the tweeter over the midrange driver ... it's just 105mm more height.
Unfortunetly i have at most 220mm of height between the tv and the tv cabinet so that wont work.
Are you adding the center channel for sound effects or intelligibility? I'm curious if the Nomex 164 mk2 work well for two channel TV dialogue intelligibility.
I want a center mostly for the off center seats because i watch a lot of movies with friends. And also so i can boost dialogue when watching at night.
The nomex 164s used to be great for tv dialogue in the last room they where used but this appartment are made with concrete and bricks (in process of sound treating) so when there are a lot of sounds on the content i am watching the dialogue suffers.

And i dont intend to use it to play deep so i dont think the moving waveguide will be noticable
 
The only SOLID solution is to swap to Coax for Center AND main speakers!
Get some used KEF speakers and just use the Coax, add your existing lf speakers for a 2,5/3way concept.

Or find a way to make space for the Center.

Or live with a constricted situation.
(herizontal behaviour of a laying 2way or different speakers Main/Center)
 
Sideways MTM is from the marketing department, not the engineers. They don't work well.

dave
That's my experience as well. If you're listening off-axis at all, it's the equivalent of standing on a ladder or laying on the floor were the speaker placed vertically. A coaxial or full-range driver suffers much less from this.
Hi Dave.
 
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That is why i looking at coaxials and a 3 way W(MT)W would require a 3 way x over and i am not confident at designing a good x over that would match up to the 164s and troells center channels are way to deep to fit my setup. Maybe if its easier i could make a analogue x over between the woofers and a digital x over between mid/woofers and tweeter? But wouldnt a good coaxial driver be easier and maybe perform better than multible cheeper drivers for the purpose of a low spl center channel used down to around 80-100hz?
And IamJF, i know that would be optimal but i am happy with the speakers i have and i personaly am doubtfull of the importance of identical speakers after dirac and the different positions of the speakers (close to wall and usually just below a big smooth tv with the tv cabinet right below).
 
I'm not disagreeing with what's been said, but it's OK that you accept using a different speaker. You should aim toward giving them similar response and acoustic properties. Is dirac going to analyse these differences and compensate your centre channel separately before it makes acoustic recommendations? In any case I'd want to tune it manually as much as possible first.
 
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Unfortunetly i have at most 220mm of height between the tv and the tv cabinet.......I want a center mostly for the off center seats ..... this appartment are made with concrete and bricks
OK, then want to control directivity to a specific width, so do a plan view of the angle required to 'spotlight' just this width to ensure that any side reflections begin behind the listener's ears and preferably get rapidly diffused/decayed.

22/2.54 = 8.661", so assuming you need 30 deg for the baffle height then it controls down to ~10^6/(30*8.661) = ~3849 Hz/-6F, though if filling any gaps between the TV, cabinet you can include all this height.

c = 10^6/[a*b]

a = wall angle in deg

b = mouth/baffle width [or height] in inches

c = -6 dB frequency
 
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And IamJF, i know that would be optimal but i am happy with the speakers i have and i personaly am doubtfull of the importance of identical speakers after dirac and the different positions of the speakers (close to wall and usually just below a big smooth tv with the tv cabinet right below).
A Coax will sound different in the room as your main speakers. Even after Dirac. You will hear that with a source moving from left to right in the scene.
I'm sure you will still have fun watching movies with friends. And it's still a compromise I would not do 😉

At least plan your center so that you can achieve the goal with the next speaker upgrade. (it's diyAudio ... there WILL be the next speaker upgrade sometime🤓)