center channel placement

[mortonconst]

hello there audioholics. i am in an "upgrade pause" at the moment due to lack of budget and so i have begun the tweaking and adjusting phase again. i have a few questions.

1. how can i upload a diagram of my room to my thread so that i can get better feed back?
2. i am considering running 2 center channels. 1 high (def tech CLR2300) and 1 low (klipsch RF7). i would split the signal via component cables from my rxv2065 to my xpa-5. any thoughts? the low channel would be roughly 15" up from the floor to center of speaker (angled up towards listening position) and high channel would be roughly 5' from the floor to the center of the speaker (angled down to the listening position). my listening position is 15' from the screen.

below is my equipment list

samsung 60" led
sony blu ray
scientific Atlanta HD DVR
yamaha rxv2065
xpa-5
def tech BP7006 front mains
dual emotiva ultra 10
Klipsch RF7 center
def tech UIWBPA surrounds

 

[its phillip]

Running two centers sounds like a terrible idea to me. If you want to upload an image use a host like www.imgur.com

 

[mortonconst]

DTS list 2 different 7.1 configurations with 2 center channels. one is a single center channel over the screen and one in the ceiling. the other shows 2 centers on top of each other placed above the screen. if it is such a bad idea, why would DTS show it as a configuration?

 

[Beatmatcher247]

I second that I think this a very bad idea. I think you would hear bad disconnection between two of the same center channels placed that way, more less two completely different ones. The sound would be very un-natural and distracting. Pans from left to right should sound seamless. It should not sound disconnected when the pan pans across the center channel.

I think your money would serve you better to get a center channel that matches your front left and front right speakers. I'm not too familiar with def-tech but think you'd be best served with the center from the family of speakers that your tower belongs to. If you don't like the way that center sounds and if placement is not an issue, placing a 3rd tower in the center would be a good way to go.

If you really want speakers up there, go for some height ones. I wouldn't invest money in this myself as there is not much content out there mixed in 7.1 let alone 9.1. When content starts becoming available, I'd be willing to revisit the idea. I'm holding off on going to 7.1 until content mixed in 7.1 becomes more commonplace.

I'm new to this and still have a lot to learn myself, but this is my opinion on why this a bad idea.

 

[its phillip]

DTS list 2 different 7.1 configurations with 2 center channels. one is a single center channel over the screen and one in the ceiling. the other shows 2 centers on top of each other placed above the screen. if it is such a bad idea, why would DTS show it as a configuration?

Those are modified configurations of DTS-HD. You will not be getting the true separation required by splitting the signal like you have planned. I don't know which outputs you would use on the receiver for the center-surround and/or center-overhead/center-height.

Nobody is going to stop you from trying it of course. If you like it then that's great. I just don't recommend it. If you want to do 7.1, I recommend sticking with the usual extra rear or side surrounds.

 

[AVRat]

I wouldn't do it either, especially since they're two different speakers. The DT up high should be sufficient. I've had my center high and low (just below the screen) and the sound image has always been centered on the screen.

 

[mortonconst]

Those are modified configurations of DTS-HD. You will not be getting the true separation required by splitting the signal like you have planned. I don't know which outputs you would use on the receiver for the center-surround and/or center-overhead/center-height.

Nobody is going to stop you from trying it of course. If you like it then that's great. I just don't recommend it. If you want to do 7.1, I recommend sticking with the usual extra rear or side surrounds.

i was wondering the same thing (how would the signal get decoded with an overhead center??) but i figured those boys at DTS know something that i did not. regardless, i am only set up for 5.1. this all started because i have been bouncing back and fourth between the CLR 2300 and the Klipch RF7. the CLR 2300 is matched better to the BP7006 (that is actually the speaker that they recommend to be used with the BP7006) but the RF7 has more authority or at least that is the way it sounds to me. thanks again guys for the feed back.

 

[just-some-guy]

15' from a 60" ?

 

[lsiberian]

15' from a 60" ?

There was a time when that was huge. Seriously don't put another center in the mix. I wouldn't do it and I'm crazy.

 

[just-some-guy]

There was a time when that was huge.

and too most, it still is. but not too anyone around here.(no offence meant)

i am watching my 65" right now. at 6-7'. but for daily viewing, this is a bit extreme. if i weren't moving, i would get a 40"

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I also agree that using 2 center speakers is a very bad idea.

I actually tried it once using 2 Def Tech CLR3000 speakers. I tried vertically side-by-side and vertically one on top of the other.

It did not sound very good.

Comb filtering is the problem.

Practically everyone, including Def Tech, will tell you it is a very bad idea to use 2 center speakers regardless of placement.

The only people who will tell you differently is Axiom.

Apparently they don't believe in comb filtering and like the idea of using 2 center speakers. why sell just one center speaker when you can sell two, right?