 Center channel speaker above the TV?
|
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 233
local
|
OP
local
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 233 |
I was under the impression that ideally the center channel speaker should be placed right below the TV. My opinion was probably subconsciously obtained from seeing that configuration in most photos.
I am not ready to get a center channel speaker yet, but right now I am about to mount my flat screen TV on the wall. I need to decide whether to leave room below it for a center channel speaker. However, I don't like craning my neck to look up at the screen and want to keep the bottom third of the TV at eye level. This does not leave much room for a center speaker between the TV and the top of the component table.
Since I have a fairly high ceiling (9.5 ft) I am thinking that it will be feasible (when the time comes) to mount the center above the TV.
What are the cons to having the center above the TV?
I can think of:
- Ceiling reflections.
- Can't use VP180 (but on-wall VP150 would be great).
Axiom M80s + QS8s + VP180 <-- Pioneer VSX-1120-K <-- Squeezebox Touch / XBox360 / Oppo BDP-93
|
|
|
Re: Center channel speaker above the TV?
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,569
connoisseur
|
|
connoisseur
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,569 |
Besides ceiling reflections (the floor will be just as bad if not carpeted) IMO the biggest issue is the height of the drivers. My experience is that center channel speaker placement works best when the speaker is either the same height as ear level at the seating position and/or the midrange and tweeters of the mains form a triangle with the center speaker where the center falls somewhere within the boundaries of the screen. Like the pictures in this post. http://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=158274#Post158274As long as the center isn’t to high above the mains it doesn’t screw up multi-channel music and IMO actually improves movies because it better anchors the center image to the screen since many audio engineers blend some of the center channel information into the mains to even things out.
3M80 2M22 6QS8 2M2 1EP500 Sony BDP-S590 Panny-7000 Onkyo-3007 Carada-134 Xbox Buttkicker AS-EQ1
|
|
|
Re: Center channel speaker above the TV?
|
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 6,015
axiomite
|
|
axiomite
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 6,015 |
My take on this is the horizontal center would have good vertical dispersion, but poor horizontal dispersion. If I get to the left or right of my vp100, the volume goes way down, but it's mounted about 2 foot off the floor, and I can hear it just fine.
|
|
|
Re: Center channel speaker above the TV?
|
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 912 Likes: 4
aficionado
|
|
aficionado
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 912 Likes: 4 |
I was under the impression that ideally the center channel speaker should be placed right below the TV. My opinion was probably subconsciously obtained from seeing that configuration in most photos.
I am not ready to get a center channel speaker yet, but right now I am about to mount my flat screen TV on the wall. I need to decide whether to leave room below it for a center channel speaker. However, I don't like craning my neck to look up at the screen and want to keep the bottom third of the TV at eye level. This does not leave much room for a center speaker between the TV and the top of the component table.
Since I have a fairly high ceiling (9.5 ft) I am thinking that it will be feasible (when the time comes) to mount the center above the TV.
What are the cons to having the center above the TV?
I can think of:
- Ceiling reflections.
- Can't use VP180 (but on-wall VP150 would be great).
Of course, much depends on your set-up, the room itself and the flexibility of how you can place your equipment, however, several times over the years I have experimented with the very question you are asking and I can say unequivocally that regardless of speaker size or type(and I have tried many), placed directly above the monitor AND tilted towards the listening position, for me, always sounded better than below the screen.
|
|
|
Re: Center channel speaker above the TV?
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,420
shareholder in the making
|
|
shareholder in the making
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,420 |
I had my center channel above my TV right near the ceiling on a shelf about ~7'6" off the ground with the M80s on the floor and it sounded good to me and anyone auditioning never said otherwise. I now have the VP150 under my TV in the new house and it still sounds very good, not really any difference as far as I can remember.
Jason
M80 v2
VP160 v3
QS8 v2
PB13 Ultra
Denon 3808
Samsung 85" Q70
|
|
|
Re: Center channel speaker above the TV?
|
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 233
local
|
|
OP
local
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 233 |
Thanks everyone. Good info.
Axiom M80s + QS8s + VP180 <-- Pioneer VSX-1120-K <-- Squeezebox Touch / XBox360 / Oppo BDP-93
|
|
|
Re: Center channel speaker above the TV?
|
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 233
local
|
|
OP
local
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 233 |
With the TV at my preferred height (fairly low) I will end up with a configuration that looks very much like that second picture. So I think I will go with that. My M80s are somewhat wider apart than yours though.
Axiom M80s + QS8s + VP180 <-- Pioneer VSX-1120-K <-- Squeezebox Touch / XBox360 / Oppo BDP-93
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics24,943
Posts442,465
Members15,617
| |
Most Online2,082
Jan 22nd, 2020
|
|
|
0 members (),
555
guests, and
4
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
