Ideally yes, you want an unobstructed view of the image, and sound path to your ears. This is why I recommend getting the center close to the bottom of the screen.
You can mount the center above. There has been some discussion on this- and which is best probably is something only you can answer for yourself. I prefer below, mainly because my screen is close to the ceiling. Having the center close to the ceiling is like having your L/R mains close to the side walls, it may cause more unwanted reflections. It would also put the relative distance of the tweeters between the center and mains a lot further apart.
Unless you have something in the way, or are really tall, you could go with a higher riser and be fine, say 10" or 12". You'd need an interim step- but it would give you the clearance you need.
With my riser at 9" and ceiling height of 90", I still have 81". This is very comfortable for my height of 73". You should be better off with a 96" ceiling height.
Last edited by dllewel; 09/27/06 10:30 PM.
