Thanks again Lena,

I guess I'm still not sure what you're hearing though when you disable the center when playing DVD-A's so it's hard to know what's going on.

It sounds like it's downmixing the center info, but it's still a guess I guess?

I have 'Under Rug Swept' on CD... I played track 9 'You owe me nothing'... and her vocals are very dominant in the center (except during the chorus where she overlays here vocals left, right, and center).

For my own test...
I then set the 950 to Center -Large, and switched the audio to DPLII-C (since there's no adjustments w/ DPLII-C it should act the same for you).

Her voice is very weakened in the center image since the 950 is trying to play into a center speaker but I don't have one. You can still clearly hear her singing from the mains but it's much quieter (too quiet) and distant sounding.

There's a 2-chan. version on that DVD-A you have right? (I hope), you should be able to do this same trick and then we should have the same reference point.

You'd play the 2 chan. PCM or DD version (if it has one) from the digtal out and set the 950 to convert it from stereo to DPLII-C. Then unplug the center chan. You should hear the same weakened vocals that I described.

How would you say that her vocals from that test compared to the test where you take the hi-res 5.1 DVD-A track and you set the center to NONE (on your DVD-A player, not the 950) and then unplug the center chan.? (testing this you should have the analog input on the 950).

"(My preference). I feel having a center available just broadens your options."

If the player is downmixing the center info I just shouldn't need one. If it doesn't then I'll HAVE (no option) to build a center speaker and buy another amp. Buying another amp to match my main speaker digital amp would be VERY costly (too costly probably) as would be making a center speaker to match my Newfrom Research 645 main speakers.

The center image I have on CD's and DVD's is razor sharp and inherently level and tonally matched to my mains (since it IS my mains). I've honestly never heard a center chan. that made a better center image or could blend as well with mains (usually 'cuz of the center's typical horizontal array design).

What 'options' do you gain other than being able to change the center's level (which I'd want to keep set at the same level as my mains)?

"Azryan, just go to the blackboard and write 100 times. Sony 60” LCD’s are not that bad."
At risk of you not helping me out w/ the phantom center thing anymore, I can't say that the LCD Grand Wega has good black level or invisible pixel gaps. Sorry. I didn't know you had one when I made my comments, but I still stand behind 'em.

Hey, nothing's perfect. I could tell you things that's are 'wrong' in every one of my components incl. my handmade subwoofers.