Center Channel Placement

[sm31]

Wow, my first post! I've lurked here awhile, but I still consider myself a rank amateur...

Without a dedicated space, my HT setup is a series of compromises, but I'm trying to do my best with what I'm allowed. With that in mind, my 50" plasma is contained in a large armoir with an enclosed (with vent holes) back. My center channel (infinity beta c360, sealed enclosure) is currently placed on a shelf above the TV, also in the armoir. Fortunately, the base of the TV is only about 24" high, and the shelf for the center channel is about 4" above the top of the TV so it's not "too" high. And at this point I have no other options for relocating the beast, so it has to stay on the shelf above the TV anyway.

My question is in regards to the space the center channel is sitting in. It amounts to a 3 sided box perhaps about 18" inches deep, and around 48" inches wide (my panasonic plasma has 3/8" to spare on each side...phew!). Right now the "box" is empty except for the center channel. Since the armoir has doors on it, I "own" the realestate. Would there be any benefit to including some type of sound absorbing material in the back or around the sides of that area? Is it worth my time?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. My understanding of the way sound behaves is minimal at best, so I had to pose the question for my specific issue...

Thanks for reading!!

 

[Gohanto]

Well a simple test would be to just stuff some absorbant material behind it and see if you can tell a difference. Likely you won't is my guess, but worth checking.

If you'd like to optimize that position though, make sure the speaker is as far forward as possible, and raise the back of the speaker slightly so that it's pointed directly toward ear level at the listening position. This helps with locking the center channel with the TV mentally, and the sounds from the speaker are going to hit the walls behind it at angles instead of directly bouncing off the back wall and out so the reflected sound will be more diffused and less likely to distract from the direct sound of the speaker.

 

[no. 5]

Packing the cabinet space around the center channel with rigid fiberglass or other acoustically absorbent material would be helpful in improving sound quality, because putting the speaker in a small resonant space highly corrupts the intended frequency response of the speaker, and the absorbent material will lessen the resonances.

A better option would be to have a panel, with an opening cut for the center, enclosing the space where the center is. However, that may require an EQ curve to work properly.

 

[lsiberian]

congrats on such a nice center channel speaker. I love the infinity Beta series and would love to have a 360 for my center. currently on the 250. I will upgrade some day I swear it!

Every space and area effect the acoustics of a speaker. Especially the enclosure. Some acoustical padding might make a large difference in sound, but it might not be positive. I answer your question with another question. Do you like the way it sounds now?

If the answer is yes than quit messing with stuff. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Don't spend your money on what isn't bread and your labor on what doesn't satisfy. In other words if you like the sound leave it alone.

As far as tilting it goes. I don't suggest doing this with a 40lb speaker. It just sounds like a bad idea. Especially tilting it foward.

 

[Midcow2]

Another Amoire set-up

Wow, my first post! I've lurked here awhile, but I still consider myself a rank amateur...

Without a dedicated space, my HT setup is a series of compromises, but I'm trying to do my best with what I'm allowed. With that in mind, my 50" plasma is contained in a large armoir with an enclosed (with vent holes) back. My center channel (infinity beta c360, sealed enclosure) is currently placed on a shelf above the TV, also in the armoir. Fortunately, the base of the TV is only about 24" high, and the shelf for the center channel is about 4" above the top of the TV so it's not "too" high. And at this point I have no other options for relocating the beast, so it has to stay on the shelf above the TV anyway.

My question is in regards to the space the center channel is sitting in. It amounts to a 3 sided box perhaps about 18" inches deep, and around 48" inches wide (my panasonic plasma has 3/8" to spare on each side...phew!). Right now the "box" is empty except for the center channel. Since the armoir has doors on it, I "own" the realestate. Would there be any benefit to including some type of sound absorbing material in the back or around the sides of that area? Is it worth my time?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. My understanding of the way sound behaves is minimal at best, so I had to pose the question for my specific issue...

Thanks for reading!!

Right now (it is going to change compeltley in a month or two), I have similar but not the same set-up. I have a 37" LCD in an Amoire with a large center speaker (Def Tech CLR3000) over the TV in a three sided box so to speak. The center speaker also has an upfiring subwoofer, but I have about 4-5" overhead space. I haven't put any special acoustic or sound absorbing material, only tune and equalized all speakers with SPF. I do not notice any resonance due to the cabinet and the sound quality from the center speaker is already at an excellent level. You situtation may be different, but my amoire is very solid and seems to add no addtional noise interference or resonance.

It is black and if you look closely you can see it above the TV

Good luck!,

MidCow2

 

[Shock]

I know you're stuck in your placement of electronics, however if getting that plasma out of the armoir is a possibility then you might consider it. I personally love plasma since I mainly watch movies in low light situations, however they get extremely hot. All this heat has to go somewhere and if there's no place for it to get out effectively you're going to put more strain on your equipment than you intend to.

Another problem with putting the center above the tv is that all that heat is going to be fed directly at it. The hotter it gets the less efficient it's going to become.

If you have no other options, than packing it in insulation will help the heat transfer from the tv to the speaker, however will not help the tv basking in it's own.