Home theater speaker placement?

[janikphoto]

has anyone tried their center channel ABOVE the television?

 

[SpruceMoose]

Yes. It sounded odd. Back underneath.

 

[Thocom]

There are some processors (My Yamaha RX2000 does it) where you can set the placement up in the software, in other words, you physically place the speaker above the TV and tell the software to make it sound lower (or higher). I was skeptical. I was super surprised how well it works. I really don’t know how it’s done, magic I suppose, but sure enough.. it works.

 

[janikphoto]

Well, my center directly below the television still sounds like it is coming from below the image. I suppose it would just sound too high the other way. I have thought about putting identical centers above and below… I wonder if that would destroy soundstage? Make the center too big, too ambiguous?

 

[E-Stat]

A visual of the system would help. Perhaps you need to raise both center and monitor. At what height is the center?

 

[janikphoto]

A visual of the system would help. Perhaps you need to raise both center and monitor. At what height is the center?

I had it directly under the screen, to the point where you could slip a single piece of paper between. The FL and FR were a bit lower, but no vocals come through them. You can get right up on each speaker and hear the info... they didn’t seem to pull the soundstage down. It’s strictly just voices in situations where the center is pulling all the weight.

 

[E-Stat]

I had it directly under the screen, to the point where you could slip a single piece of paper between. The FL and FR were a bit lower, but no vocals come through them.

Where I was going with that is in terms of absolute height. You definitely don't want the center significantly below your ear level when seated. Last weekend, I went to a home show where there was a fancy home theater room with theater seating and projector. The center, however, was literally 8 inches off the floor!

Naturally, the center and screen work in tandem as to where they are placed vertically. As a point of reference, here's my arrangement. It's kinda dark, but the Magneplanar center is from ~ 27 to 35 inches above the floor and actually could go a pinch higher and not obscure the bottom of screen.
edit: I just added another set of spacers above the cable box to move them up about an inch.

 

[toddalin]

There are some processors (My Yamaha RX2000 does it) where you can set the placement up in the software, in other words, you physically place the speaker above the TV and tell the software to make it sound lower (or higher). I was skeptical. I was super surprised how well it works. I really don’t know how it’s done, magic I suppose, but sure enough.. it works.

Are you sure it can make it lower?

I have a Yamaha RX-Z9 and it has the capability to raise the center channel (center channel lift) by sending some of this information to the two height speakers placed above the two mains. But there is no provision (that I remember) that lets you use the two mains to lower an elevated center channel.

 

[Thocom]

Are you sure it can make it lower?

I have a Yamaha RX-Z9 and it has the capability to raise the center channel (center channel lift) by sending some of this information to the two height speakers placed above the two mains. But there is no provision (that I remember) that lets you use the two mains to lower an elevated center channel.

Now I’m going to have to double check.. I thought it could go up OR down, but I could be mistaken

 

[jazzmans]

back when I last used a surround system, I found the best way was a pair of speakers flanking the tv right and left.
My last surround receiver was even wired to drive two center channels.
Of course, this was back in the days when big screens were 30-40" before the flat screen revolution.
maybe a pair top AND bottom?

 

[Duane]

Are you able to angle the speaker in any way (up or down depending on placement)? I owned a Pioneer crt rear projection set and had placed a very heavy Aerial Acoustics CC3B on top and angled it downwards and it was perfect. Voices came from the screen.

 

[Spiceman50]

Yes, and as others have said above. It sounded unnatural to me.

 

[sqlsavior]

All this is a good argument for a "phantom center", especially if nobody sits to one side or the other.