So, I have just ordered my first Axiom 2.1 system, consisting of a pair of M3s and an EP-350. This is to complement the 50" Panasonic plasma that Santa stuffed down my chimney last month. Our new house is not exactly an ideal space for a full surround sound setup, but I would at least like to add a center channel. My quandry is this: The only place to put the center channel is in a compartment below the screen, housed in the media cabinet. There is space to fit another M3, which will be hidden by a false door that is covered in grill cloth.

Being that this M3 will be enclosed in a cabinet, I have considered three possible ways of minimizing the cabinet resonances:

1. Stuff the port on the M3
2. Line the inside of the cabinet with soundproofing
3. Mount a W3 inside of an MDF enclosure within the media cabinet, thus eliminating the port situation entirely.

Which of these ideas (or combination thereof) makes the most sense?

You know, I kind of like the W3 idea, so I'd love to hear what the smart people on the board think.

J, welcome. I'll suggest to you that almost any room can accomodate two small surround speakers such as the excellent QS4s and that this would be a more significant advance in your listening enjoyment than a center speaker. If necessary, your M3s can form a "phantom" center at least temporarily, which you may find to be satisfactory.

As to the suggested use of an M3 inside the cabinet for a center, none of the alternatives that you propose sound very good(possibly literally). The first point is that the grill cloth on the cabinet isn't likely to be very transparent acoustically. Then, it isn't the port which would really be the problem inside the cabinet, assuming that it had at least a couple inches of "breathing room". The M3 midbass cone would be more of a problem with resonances and diffractions caused by the cabinet surfaces. Maybe if you'd describe the space available in a little more detail an alternative placement could be suggested.

The display and cabinet are currently sitting in front of a rather large picture window that reaches nearly 10 ft. high. There is nowhere to mount a center channel outside of the cabinet without taking heat from the WAF. I can certainly mount some surrounds in the room, but the wide open floor plan and vaulted ceilings are going to make it difficult to hide the wires tastefully. This may be something I add on in the future, but for now I have a new house to furnish! The only reason I was able to score my new Axioms is because the wife said my old speakers didn't match our new furniture. "Gee honey, I guess we'll just have to buy some new speakers then!"

I may still take a tongue lashing when she sees the size of the EP-350. Anyway, I know I'm looking for the lesser of three evils, but it's an evil I must live with...for now.

So the center channel really has to be inside of the cabinet and not mounted on the front of it? As JohnK requested, it might be nice to have greater detail, or if possible, a picture of the cabinet/intended space.

Well, if the cabinet isn't tall enough to allow the TV to sit on a center speaker as if it was a stand, I suppose that your proposal 2. for lining the cabinet enclosure would help. Again, the port itself shouldn't really be a significant problem.

CV: It is just a plasma sitting on a credenza infront of a big window. Perhaps I'll try and get some pics up tomorrow. Very similar to this unit:
http://www.racksandstands.com/Tech-Craft-SWP60-TC0197.html

JohnK: Thanks for your advice. Do you recommend a specific type of material to line the enclosure with? Some type of foam?

Okay, I thought that the "cabinet" was a tall structure that the TV itself would be in, not just on. Now I'm back to the thought that the TV should simply be sitting on the center speaker unless the TV stand wouldn't at least come close to fitting on it.

Since you will not be using surrounds, I don't think there's any benefit to using a center channel. What sound mode would you use from the receiver with a 3.1 system? If you try using a surround mode that has center channel information, I assume you would loose part of the audio information to the non-existing surrounds. I'd just watch movies and shows in stereo mode, and let the m3's do it all, use the extra money to furnish the new place.

If 3.1 is your thing, most receivers will recognize the absence of the surround speakers and down-mix that information into the front right and left speakers.

Other posters are right - letting the dual M3s act as a phantom center would work quite well. It might help with your overall sound during dialogue scenes, in fact.

If you insist on the center channel (which I would endorse), don't worry too much about boundary effects, etc. Just put it in the cabinet and give it a whirl. If the coloration (which I predict will be minimal to non-existent except to the most well tuned ears) bothers you, then you can work on damping and other techniques to minimize the impact of the cabinet. Just plug it in and enjoy, mostly, though. Try to not focus on all the bad stuff - most of which isn't detectable by your average Joe.

I would also echo the advice to consider a set of QS4s or maybe a 5 piece matched set of M3s (two of which could be used as surrounds). WATCHING movies is probably less than half of the experience. While our eyes are more accute to subtle detail than our ears and while our eyes can detect imperfections easier than our ears typically can, it is the sound that really envelopes you in the movie/tv/music experience, making the illusion complete.

There are lots of attractive options offered by Axiom (including custom finishes) that make the surrounds less obtrusive in the decor. I got surrounds with a different finish (Light Maple) because they blend in better on the walls than would a Cherry Finish (which I have up front).

I'd just use a phantom center.

No place for a VP100? I have my VP100 on a shelf below the TV, but have it positioned slightly in front of the shelf. I'm sure opinions differ, but it sounds more than satisfactory to me. I might not be as quick to dismiss the impact of the port in a constrained space.

I like the W3 idea, but I need pictures.

Well, that's because you've got a more discriminating ear than most (something which can probably be said about most of the peeps on a speaker chat board).

I'm just saying that putting the speaker in the cabinet, while not optimal, isn't going to totally destroy the way the speaker sounds - it will just "color" it in certain ways that some might not be quite as prone to noticing.

Nope, no place for a traditional center channel. The compartment in the credenza is tall and narrow, and will only fit a bookshelf speaker. I may just stick one of my old Infinity IL 10s in there and see what I'm in for.

What about putting a center channel above the tv?

As I said earlier, the display sits in front of a large picture window. No place to mount a speaker outside of the unit.

If a normal center channel will block part of the screen, consider a small platform to raise the screen a bit, and your center channel can rest on the TV stand directly in front of the television. That's where my center channel is located, although I was lucky enough that my TV's screen sits just high enough that I don't need to give it an extra boost.

A very valid idea, CV. I will definitely give that one some thought.

Build your own:

Thats pretty slick, Nice work!

Thats a nifty center channel stand that you built.

I saw that post before but never really noticed the detail put into it. You even notched out a place for the power cord!

I have my center channel below my lcdrp, but would like to use a stand like this for dual vp150's

All I can say is WOW!!