5.1 Surround Sound: Turning off (just) the announcers

[y2k8]

I just learned this week that people with 5.1 Surround Sound systems can turn off the center speaker and watch sports with all the audio but free of annoying announcers. Seems the dialogue is all in the center channel.

https://sixcolors.com/post/2014/11/how-to-make-tv-sports-announcers-shut-up/

So I very much would like to live in a world without announcers, but I rather just get a 5.1 sound bar instead of an entire system.

My question to those with 5.1 sound bars (like Sonos Arc) - Can you turn down the center channel and get the same effect? 

Any audiophiles out there who can advise on this?

 

 

[Jet_Engine1]

Great question!!

[IndianaJet]

@y2k8

Not to sound all snobby, but I have a pretty high end Samsung sound bar that's about 5 years old (It's actually Dolby Atmos 5.1.4).

Using the remote, there is a way to adjust the sound level of each of the individual speakers, including the center channel, but I've never tried to completely mute any of the speakers.

I will give it a go this weekend....but my guess is that the higher levels sound bars will all have this function buried somewhere in the controls.

Sonos is a pretty damn good brand, I wouldn't be surprised if it has this function.

[y2k8]

46 minutes ago, IndianaJet said:

@y2k8

Not to sound all snobby, but I have a pretty high end Samsung sound bar that's about 5 years old (It's actually Dolby Atmos 5.1.4).

Using the remote, there is a way to adjust the sound level of each of the individual speakers, including the center channel, but I've never tried to completely mute any of the speakers.

I will give it a go this weekend....but my guess is that the higher levels sound bars will all have this function buried somewhere in the controls.

Sonos is a pretty damn good brand, I wouldn't be surprised if it has this function.

That would be awesome if you could report back. I was on the phone with Polk about their new soundbar and the person said you couldn't do it. She didn't really follow what I was talking about so she may be wrong. 

[kelticwizard]

Please delete.  Didn't realize he was talking about a wireless system.

[Maxman]

On 10/20/2021 at 12:13 AM, y2k8 said:

I just learned this week that people with 5.1 Surround Sound systems can turn off the center speaker and watch sports with all the audio but free of annoying announcers. Seems the dialogue is all in the center channel.

https://sixcolors.com/post/2014/11/how-to-make-tv-sports-announcers-shut-up/

So I very much would like to live in a world without announcers, but I rather just get a 5.1 sound bar instead of an entire system.

My question to those with 5.1 sound bars (like Sonos Arc) - Can you turn down the center channel and get the same effect? 

Any audiophiles out there who can advise on this?

 

 

I have a 5.1 bose system. Going to the game this week but I will try this out very soon. Interesting, I hope it works. Thanks.

[IndianaJet]

Forgot to come back to this.  Unfortunately, at least with my system, I cannot completely mute the center channel.  It lets me lower the volume in each speaker inside the bar, but not completely mute any of them.

It appears to be more of a fine tuning tool then anything else.

[WestCoastOffensive]

Annnnd...Brockmire....is cool with it.

[kelticwizard]

On 11/2/2021 at 1:41 PM, IndianaJet said:

Forgot to come back to this.  Unfortunately, at least with my system, I cannot completely mute the center channel.  It lets me lower the volume in each speaker inside the bar, but not completely mute any of them.

It appears to be more of a fine tuning tool then anything else.

Hate to seem silly, but if the connection to turn off the center channel is internal and too hard to reach, there is the possibility of simply tying a pillow over the center channel for football broadcasts.  At least you'll be able to tell what it sounds like before you invest in a new sound system that enables you completely mute the center channel.

[The Gun Of Bavaria]

For those of us with wired systems, what if you just unplug the center channel speaker?

[IndianaJet]

2 minutes ago, The Gun Of Bavaria said:

For those of us with wired systems, what if you just unplug the center channel speaker?

That should work provided the audio signal coming out of whatever source you have is true surround and not just stereo sound split into the 5 channels.

Problem with soundbars is you can't simply disconnect one of the speakers inside the bar.