Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater M60 for Center Channel?

Does anybody out there use a M60 as a center channel? I'm thinking about using this approach instead of the standard M60/VP150 setup. All three M60s would sit upright below a projection screen. My room is not wide (approximately 10.5 feet) so I don't think off-axis dispursion would be a concern.

System is used 50/50 between movies and audio (CD, SACD and DVD-A).

What are your thoughts?

Thanks.

How far back would you be sitting from the front row of speakers?

Hell yeah! Having the front 3 channels be intentical is an HT ideal. It would sound better than any purpose-designed center you can buy.

Seating will be around 11 feet from the screen (10 feet from the M60).

Absolutely!

Sounds like an amazing setup you're putting together!

If three identical front speakers are ideal, then why I have not seen anyone having three M2/M3/M22s for front? These are bookshelves and therefore pose less difficulty with TV/Screen placement.

Haven't been around long, have you?

Wait for JohnK to show up.

Actually haanhvu, that type of setup is very common for HTIB (Home Theater In a Box) setups. Where all 5 speakers are an exact match.

MrBooBoy...that setup sounds like it has the potential for greatness. You'd have a very seamless blend between all three channels. I'd love to hear your feedback once/if you do this arrangement.

Out of curiosity, how high up will your screen be placed then?

I haven't gotten the tape measure out yet...however, I'm thinking the bottom of the screen would be a foot or a foot and a half above the speakers.

I'm not understanding. Are you going to lay down the M60? Corrent me if I"m wrong but if this is the case your tweeter would lay on the far side thus throwing off the pitch.

In reply to:

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What are your thoughts?

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You lucky dog...

No...all three M60s would be standing up. A projection screen would be mounted on the wall above/behind the speakers.

There are a few other people running 3 identical speakers across the front. F107...something among others. I would have been one of them if I had been able to get a fully shielded woofer in an M2.

The people who run 3 of a kind (or 5 of a kind) swear by it.

OK...I'll bite. How high is your ceiling? How big is your screen? I'm also having a tough time visualizing this. My screen is five feet tall, which leaves a total of 4 feet spread between the top and bottom.....not enought room for an M60...not really even an M22 (standing up). Please explain....

Well I'm running 3 M22's across the fronts. Sounds great!
Its stunning when ships and voices move seamlessly from one side of the room to the other.

I've actually got an M22 at the left edge of a 25'' TV. Psycho-acoustics being what they are: the voices still sound like they're coming from the TV and I haven't had any complaints from the people I've invited over about the CC sound being de-localised from the TV.

I was at a fancy audio place the other day and they demoed Return of the King on a huge projector screen for me with the rotel flagship separates. They didn't really have an answer when I asked them why they weren't 3 Jamo floorstanders across the fronts below the screen iso 2+ a center channel.

TurboDog1...

I will be using a much smaller screen (approximately 42 inches tall). My room just isn't big enough for a giant screen. Thus, with 9 foot ceilings, 37" M60s, I will have about 29 inches to play with between the ceiling and the top of the speakers.

David, I got here late, but your proposed setup with M60s all across the front is one I've suggested before with a projection screen, and should be ideal.

Let me caveat, I am not trying to talk you out of this....I'm jealous of the sound you'll have. I just want you to consider how this is going to affect your movie viewing.

You state that your screen is 42" tall. General standards for projector screen placement suggest that viewer eye levels be at about 1/3 the way up the screen. Assuming a seated eye-level of 38", that puts the base of your screen at about 24" from the floor. This is why I was asking about your screen size and voicing concern. With an M60 in the center, you are going to have the base of your screen at about eye level, whic is not usually recommended. Think about a movie theater and the fatique you get in your neck if you are too close to the screen and you have to look up the entire time.

Now, there are options. If this is a dedicated home theater, you could adjust the height of your seating by building a riser (stage), which would adjust the eye-level. You could also consider something like an M22 as your center. You would get similar sound w/out the bass....not necessarily a problem w/ movies and voice. Then again, you could just go w/ your proposed setup and take it as an acceptable compromise to get the audio experience you're seeking.

Good luck w/ whatever you do. We're all envious of the proposed setup.

I agree w/ what you're saying...
Maybe it's worth looking into this:
http://www.stewartfilm.com/product_information/projection_screens_18.html

There're screens that allegedly you can put the center channel behind them w/o any significance audio loss; just like a movie theater.

I like the idea of having all three front speakers the same.

~Jaime

I want in!!!

Lets see...

1 M60 - $450
1 projector - $2500
1 screen - $1000

oh yeah...I'm almost there...now I just need one thing. $MONEY$

link

I wonder if a pair of m22s for center will be a better choice. The cost is about the same... and you'll have more possibilities w/ them...


~Jaime

Has anyone ever tried a QS8 as a center? Just wondering what good or bad results this may offer.

I've tried QS8s as fronts before...simply because I had to wait longer for my M60s. It really isn't a good idea. You lose all sense of directionality. In essence this means that the voices don't "stick" to the characters on the screen. Put another way...its distracting as the voices fill the room but don't seem like they're coming from the actors.

Yes, the screen placement that I am considering is certainly a compromise. While I previously mentioned my usage percentages at 50/50 between home theater and audio, it is actual more tilted to multi-channel audio. Thus, my thought process on have three M60s up front. However, I don't have the space (or the additional $ for a second set of amps, CD player, and speakers) for a dedicated listening room, so it must double as a viewing room. Since I am currently using a wall mounted 42" plasma screen that is approximately 50" off the ground, I felt the higher screen may be something I could live with.

Thanks for your input...it is much appreciated.

I would recomment it, I'm using a M80 for the center, and it was a dramatic change over the VP150. As mentioned having the 3 fronts are ideal, at least to me.
My main seating area is approx 15', but could be closer if I wanted.

I wish I could remember which movie I saw a few years ago that had one of those 2nd disc special features segments about the music in the sound track, it had none other than John Williams as the conductor, and during the mixing they showed a bank of three Nautilus speakers across the front. Rather impressive indeed. After that I'd noticed a number of other "special features" discs showing the mixing process using banks of three monitors (rather than floor standers) in somewhat smaller mixing rooms. Almost looks like std. operating procedures-maybe.

So Yup, three of a kind, tall'uns or short'uns are used by the Moviemakers, so why not us?!

I've been using three M3s across the front with great success myself, sounds seamless. I'd reccomend it too.