Thank you for your help/validation, and it sounds like I’ve got things pretty well dialed in. I am using an 80Hz sub crossover in the receiver, so the sub is taking more than just LFE. I did a sweep tone and discovered a phase issue with the sub, and now everything’s sounding good – very even response comparing the sub to the fronts, no crazy boominess like you said. Part of the problem with the room, aside from acoustics, is the seating. It’s all over the place, and there’s probably no seat actually within the sweet spot – this is part of why I’m excited to finally have a center channel.

I am looking to boost the center though. After trying it a bit absolutely flat (same response as fronts), it turns out I would not describe the issue so much as dialogue clarity, so much as that I always watch movies with the volume lower than reference levels. That means that the loud score and effects are at my upper volume limits for what I’d like, but still lower than it was “intended for”, while dialog is often simply too quiet. So I ride the volume button, up, down, up, down, through the film – doable, but a drag. At the moment I’m testing boosting the center 1.5dB to see if that helps get the dialog up to good levels without unduly distorting anything else that’s coming through the center. It may be I can’t get one without the other, and I’ll just ride that volume button some more.

I’m mostly looking for OT moments to try out the surround setup, particularly hairy_hen’s mixes. Venturing outside the OT, I’m waiting to give Master and Commander a listen, because I hear glowing things about that.