Center channel mounting ideas

[MDS]

Before I can actually buy a new TV and begin upgrading my audio components I have to solve the problem of where and how to place the center channel speaker and I am open to ideas.

I had the wall unit below built with a hutch with the thought of placing the center in the hutch. Now I'm not so sure I like it and want to figure out a way to use just the base unit for the open modern look.

- I can't easily mount the center on the wall due to odd stud spacing and the fact that I'd need a very long and deep shelf for a substantial center.
- I could change the base to have 2 rows of three compartments but due to width restrictions, the compartment for the center could only be 20" wide and about 8.5" high which limits my choice in speakers quite a bit.
- I'm now thinking maybe some type of stand that could go behind the base unit and be tall enough to clear the TV. I haven't found anything like that anywhere.

Any ideas?

 

[Adam]

MDS, you could consider having the TV mounted above the top of the base unit, either on the wall or on stands. That's what I'm thinking about doing, as the component console that I'm considering (StudioTech U22D) doesn't really allow me to put a center speaker in the component area. However, the U22D does allow for two vertical bars to be installed behind it that will hold a wall-mount for a TV.

I also did a quick visual measurement of the Toshiba 47hl167 (the TV that I'm considering), and my current center channel seems like it's just low enough to fit below the screen if both the speaker and TV are sitting on the same surface.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Before I can actually buy a new TV and begin upgrading my audio components I have to solve the problem of where and how to place the center channel speaker and I am open to ideas.

I had the wall unit below built with a hutch with the thought of placing the center in the hutch. Now I'm not so sure I like it and want to figure out a way to use just the base unit for the open modern look.

- I can't easily mount the center on the wall due to odd stud spacing and the fact that I'd need a very long and deep shelf for a substantial center.
- I could change the base to have 2 rows of three compartments but due to width restrictions, the compartment for the center could only be 20" wide and about 8.5" high which limits my choice in speakers quite a bit.
- I'm now thinking maybe some type of stand that could go behind the base unit and be tall enough to clear the TV. I haven't found anything like that anywhere.

Any ideas?

Are these the speakers you will be using, including the center? Are the left and right as they are, on the floor, no stands?
If so, I'd discourage the center above as it is or on the wall even though you could span the stud space with the same wood used on the hutch, stained and finished then mounting the speakers a sit is way too far off the center line of the L/R speakers. I would suggest the centers on that hutch or the base of it and a shelf built with matching material over it for the TV; this way, the fronts are at equal height at least.

 

[MDS]

The speakers are my current JBL speakers and were just placed next to the wall unit to get an idea of how things would look. The JBL center is rather small and when I upgrade I'm hoping to find something a bit more substantial (bigger drivers). I'm not too worried about the sound yet because the mains can be elevated slightly on stands or may even be taller when I buy new ones. I can angle the center downwards using the Auralex MoPads which I have already purchased.

However...there are so many trivial little 'problems' that make it difficult. I thought I had it all figured out when I had that unit built but now I am not so sure.

1. Base unit cannot be any wider than it is (66.5") as you can see it totally covers the wall. The hutch is tall (meant to hold a 46" LCD) and dominates the fireplace next to it.

2. If I build another base unit and ditch the hutch I could change the layout so the center can go in the base unit - but due to the width it cannot be any wider than 20" - I'd have three compartments, 19", 20", 19". The height of the compartments ideally shouldn't be higher than 8.5"; otherwise the height of the base is too tall and the center of the screen would be well above eye level.

3. Originally I was going to mount the center on a shelf. The stud spacing is goofy - 16" from corner, 24" to the second stud, another 24" to the third stud, and then 16" to the final stud before the fireplace. I had bought a 'floating' shelf 48" long so it could be attached to three studs BUT a floating shelf cannot be more than 8" deep for that length. I don't think using giant brackets will look all that nice but they would be a requirement to mount a long and deep shelf capable of holding a center like the MTS-01 center from SVS - 24" wide, 12" deep, and 10" high.

4. I've seen the kind of mounts that Adam is talking about and some of them look nice but again I wonder about how high that places the screen. Also, the StudioTech and BDI units are somewhat expensive even though they are made of MDF. My unit is solid wood and actually was cheaper even though I had it custom built to my specifications.

5. If I ditch the hutch and put the center on the base unit in front of the TV, again it will have to be rather short or it will cover the bottom portion of the screen. The solution to that is to use a riser with the TV on the riser (like the pictures of croseiv's setup) and the speaker below. If the speaker is somewhat large we are back to the problem of the screen being too high. Argh!

6. If I had a center stand that could sit on the base unit behind the TV that would probably look clean but it would have to be 32" tall to clear the top of the TV. I haven't seen anything that tall.

Sorry to ramble on but these are all the issues I have been struggling with. It's damned if you do and damned if you don't. Basically what it comes down to is I have to seriously limit my choice for new speakers to be somewhat small (like the little JBL I have) OR make things large enough to hold a decent size and deal with the fact that the TV screen is now too high in the air.

 

[jimfitz]

Use the hutch, it looks great and will hide the wires.

 

[MDS]

Use the hutch, it looks great and will hide the wires.

I am leaning that way but actually I messed up there too. I had it built to perfectly enclose a 46" LCD with just a little space on the sides. Once again I am second guessing myself and think I should have made it capable of enclosing a 52" since I will be 11 feet away.

 

[mtrycrafts]

The speakers are my current JBL speakers and were just placed next to the wall unit to get an idea of how things would look. The JBL center is rather small and when I upgrade I'm hoping to find something a bit more substantial (bigger drivers). I'm not too worried about the sound yet because the mains can be elevated slightly on stands or may even be taller when I buy new ones. I can angle the center downwards using the Auralex MoPads which I have already purchased.

However...there are so many trivial little 'problems' that make it difficult. I thought I had it all figured out when I had that unit built but now I am not so sure.

1. Base unit cannot be any wider than it is (66.5") as you can see it totally covers the wall. The hutch is tall (meant to hold a 46" LCD) and dominates the fireplace next to it.

2. If I build another base unit and ditch the hutch I could change the layout so the center can go in the base unit - but due to the width it cannot be any wider than 20" - I'd have three compartments, 19", 20", 19". The height of the compartments ideally shouldn't be higher than 8.5"; otherwise the height of the base is too tall and the center of the screen would be well above eye level.

3. Originally I was going to mount the center on a shelf. The stud spacing is goofy - 16" from corner, 24" to the second stud, another 24" to the third stud, and then 16" to the final stud before the fireplace. I had bought a 'floating' shelf 48" long so it could be attached to three studs BUT a floating shelf cannot be more than 8" deep for that length. I don't think using giant brackets will look all that nice but they would be a requirement to mount a long and deep shelf capable of holding a center like the MTS-01 center from SVS - 24" wide, 12" deep, and 10" high.

4. I've seen the kind of mounts that Adam is talking about and some of them look nice but again I wonder about how high that places the screen. Also, the StudioTech and BDI units are somewhat expensive even though they are made of MDF. My unit is solid wood and actually was cheaper even though I had it custom built to my specifications.

5. If I ditch the hutch and put the center on the base unit in front of the TV, again it will have to be rather short or it will cover the bottom portion of the screen. The solution to that is to use a riser with the TV on the riser (like the pictures of croseiv's setup) and the speaker below. If the speaker is somewhat large we are back to the problem of the screen being too high. Argh!

6. If I had a center stand that could sit on the base unit behind the TV that would probably look clean but it would have to be 32" tall to clear the top of the TV. I haven't seen anything that tall.

Sorry to ramble on but these are all the issues I have been struggling with. It's damned if you do and damned if you don't. Basically what it comes down to is I have to seriously limit my choice for new speakers to be somewhat small (like the little JBL I have) OR make things large enough to hold a decent size and deal with the fact that the TV screen is now too high in the air.

I know where you are coming from designing these cabinets to fit but then miss something in the process.

would the height of the TV with its legs be as high as the space in the hutch? If not, you could build a shelf and under it for the speaker, then the TV on the shelf?

Can the hutch be raised, speaker still under the TV? In that case you could build small, short cubes to raise the hutch? Shelf on top of the cube and TV on shelf and still in the hutch?

 

[MDS]

I know where you are coming from designing these cabinets to fit but then miss something in the process.

would the height of the TV with its legs be as high as the space in the hutch? If not, you could build a shelf and under it for the speaker, then the TV on the shelf?

Can the hutch be raised, speaker still under the TV? In that case you could build small, short cubes to raise the hutch? Shelf on top of the cube and TV on shelf and still in the hutch?

Yes and No.

The height of the TV opening is 35". A 46" LCD is roughly 31" and a 52" is roughly 33-34". Either would fit but not if I had a riser. If I did have a riser I wouldn't need the hutch to hold the center speaker.

The problem with the riser on top of the base unit for the TV to sit on is that it would have to be rather high to accomodate a large center. I haven't yet decided on which speaker but looking at the SVS MTS-01 that is 10" high and 12" deep.

The current base is 25.75" high. I can make another one that is slightly lower (maybe 23.25") by reducing the size of the component area. But even then, 23.25 + 12 = 35.25. Add the fact that the center of a 52" LCD is roughly 20" + the height of the stand, the center of the TV would be 55" or more off the floor and that just seems way too high to me.

I think my only real option is to take a loss and build an entire new unit with a hutch that is wide enough for a larger TV and deal with the sound issues by angling the center down towards the listening position.

This sucks.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Yes and No.

The height of the TV opening is 35". A 46" LCD is roughly 31" and a 52" is roughly 33-34". Either would fit but not if I had a riser. If I did have a riser I wouldn't need the hutch to hold the center speaker.

The problem with the riser on top of the base unit for the TV to sit on is that it would have to be rather high to accommodate a large center. I haven't yet decided on which speaker but looking at the SVS MTS-01 that is 10" high and 12" deep.

The current base is 25.75" high. I can make another one that is slightly lower (maybe 23.25") by reducing the size of the component area. But even then, 23.25 + 12 = 35.25. Add the fact that the center of a 52" LCD is roughly 20" + the height of the stand, the center of the TV would be 55" or more off the floor and that just seems way too high to me.

I think my only real option is to take a loss and build an entire new unit with a hutch that is wide enough for a larger TV and deal with the sound issues by angling the center down towards the listening position.

This sucks.

Well, redoing is an extreme option.
From the picture, you have a way to go to the ceiling and you are open to placing the speaker on top, vertical or horizontal.

Another option is to modify the hutch at the top where the speaker would go.
Cut a space in the top with the crown molding to accommodate the speaker.
The speaker would sit on the shelf that the one in the picture is on.
You could dress out this cut out so it would be finished. You could build a variable sloped capable shelf to tilt the speaker down.
Should be way less than a new hutch?

May want to do a mock up of the speaker from cardboard and place it up there to see how it would look?

Or, another though is to build a platform that would just accommodate the speaker, that would stick out from that top shelf enough to place a tilted speaker on; no cutting into the hutch is required.

 

[MDS]

The opening in the hutch is 30" wide and 12" tall which is sufficient for even the largest center I can envision purchasing. However, I messed up by convincing myself that the 46" TV is all I need. Now I think I better get the 52" given my 11 foot seating distance.

The only remedy for that is to build a new hutch that is wide enough for the 52". If I do that, problem solved, except that I am wondering if there is any way to dispense with the hutch entirely since its real purpose is solely to provide a place for a center speaker.

I do like the wall unit and these guys do a good job. You can't really see it in the picture but wire management is a snap and they will be almost totally invisible. They built it exactly to my specs - it's just that my specs are not quite what I think I need now.

C'est La Vie. I'll end up selling it for half of what I paid for it and build another one almost identical but with slightly larger dimensions for the hutch and slightly smaller dimensions for the base. Sometimes I have to actually see the finished unit to determine if it it was I think I want. I wish they could build me a prototype out of balsa wood before I commit to the real build.

 

[Tomorrow]

It feels like part of the hobby learning process, MDS. We've been the same route....twice! So now I justify the troubles and costs as part of enjoying the a/v upgrade downslide ().

We had a lovely solid oak/smoked glass cabinet that ever so nicely fit our old Sony CRT and all our then-current equipment. Who wouldathunk we'd be going so large with the tv? So, you just make friends by giving things like that away, or making a few bucks and getting something brand spanking new.

So we had the cabinet (below) made to our specs...before I came over to this dang forum and learned more than I should have. Notice how perfectly the EC35 fits in it's cc cubbyhole. (Pardon the crummy photo...it's all I have on hand at the moment.) And you figured it....when we upgrade our speakers, which I've been wanting to do...the center can't be more than 22.75" wide. Ugh.

My loser's advice? Bite the bullet, ditch the hutch, and design a new modular unit to be built that will allow for change/expansion/contraction, and other unforeseen conditions.

PS: I'm loving that tv you're wanting! Saw it yesterday. Mmmm.

 

[MDS]

I meant to ask you Tomorrow, how high is that stand? That is another thing I've gone 'round and 'round with. My current one is 25.75" and I don't think I'd want it much higher. By reducing the size of the component area I can get it down to 23.25".

I'm trying desperately to follow the 'rules' but there are so many competing requirements.

Just for fun I think I'll post pictures of my $2K solid wood desk for my computer systems. I like it and most people think it is absolutely gorgeous but once again I messed up - it is not deep enough and my long legs hit the back unless I sit with perfect posture and realistically how often does that happen? In my case - never.

 

[Tomorrow]

I meant to ask you Tomorrow, how high is that stand? That is another thing I've gone 'round and 'round with. My current one is 25.75" and I don't think I'd want it much higher. By reducing the size of the component area I can get it down to 23.25".

I'm trying desperately to follow the 'rules' but there are so many competing requirements.

Just for fun I think I'll post pictures of my $2K solid wood desk for my computer systems. I like it and most people think it is absolutely gorgeous but once again I messed up - it is not deep enough and my long legs hit the back unless I sit with perfect posture and realistically how often does that happen? In my case - never.

It's 27.75", including casters, which I highly recommend. (They're largely hidden by the reveal.) The height is another thing I cogitated over and over. It turns out to provide just the right tv viewing height from our chairs (which will of course also might change) and allowed for all the components I wanted to include (which will most assuredly change). Ugh. At least the shelves are moveable.

The bright spot in all this?...my father-in-law is a master cabinet builder! He built that cabinet.

 

[mtrycrafts]

The bright spot in all this?...my father-in-law is a master cabinet builder! He built that cabinet.

Anything rubbing off on you?
Nothing like sawdust, stain and a fine finished project.

 

[mtrycrafts]

The opening in the hutch is 30" wide and 12" tall which is sufficient for even the largest center I can envision purchasing. However, I messed up by convincing myself that the 46" TV is all I need. Now I think I better get the 52" given my 11 foot seating distance.

The only remedy for that is to build a new hutch that is wide enough for the 52". If I do that, problem solved, except that I am wondering if there is any way to dispense with the hutch entirely since its real purpose is solely to provide a place for a center speaker.

I do like the wall unit and these guys do a good job. You can't really see it in the picture but wire management is a snap and they will be almost totally invisible. They built it exactly to my specs - it's just that my specs are not quite what I think I need now.

C'est La Vie. I'll end up selling it for half of what I paid for it and build another one almost identical but with slightly larger dimensions for the hutch and slightly smaller dimensions for the base. Sometimes I have to actually see the finished unit to determine if it it was I think I want. I wish they could build me a prototype out of balsa wood before I commit to the real build.

Life is an ongoing learning process, good thing.

Yes, if this is your primary video/audio enjoyment center, you do need a large Tv for 11ft. I view 114" from about 13ft, movies only though. Not so fussy with casual TV programs.

Since you are going larger, consider no frills hutch for speaker on top, or if decoration is an idea to place nice curios on hutch shelves, I guess a new hutch. No need for a new base?