Center Channel Questions

[eliteaudio+plus]

I AM INSTALLING A 5.1 SURROUND IN A CATHERDRAL TYPE CEILING. IT'S ALL GONNA BE IN CEILING SPEAKERS EXCEPT MY SUB OF COURSE, BUT I HAVE SOME INDECISIVENESS GOING ON. IF I PLACED THE CENTER IN LINE W/THE REARS IT REALLY LOOKS THE BEST AS FAR AS APPEARANCE. IF I PLACED THE CENTER IN W/THE FRONTS, THEY WOULD NOT BE IN-LINE AT ALL, THE CENTER WOULD BE PROBABLY A FOOT-AND-A-HALF AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AND THE APPEARANCE LOOKS PRETTY GOOFY. I NEVER INSTALLED A REAR CENTER, BUT HAVE HEARD RUMORS ABOUT HOW GREAT THE SOUND IS W/THAT SETUP. IS THIS PLACEMENT OF THE CENTER IN THE REAR, W/O ONE NOT IN THE FRONT BE A MISTAKE QUALITY WISE?

 

[XEagleDriver]

I AM INSTALLING A 5.1 SURROUND IN A CATHERDRAL TYPE CEILING. IT'S ALL GONNA BE IN CEILING SPEAKERS EXCEPT MY SUB OF COURSE, BUT I HAVE SOME INDECISIVENESS GOING ON. IF I PLACED THE CENTER IN LINE W/THE REARS IT REALLY LOOKS THE BEST AS FAR AS APPEARANCE. IF I PLACED THE CENTER IN W/THE FRONTS, THEY WOULD NOT BE IN-LINE AT ALL, THE CENTER WOULD BE PROBABLY A FOOT-AND-A-HALF AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AND THE APPEARANCE LOOKS PRETTY GOOFY. I NEVER INSTALLED A REAR CENTER, BUT HAVE HEARD RUMORS ABOUT HOW GREAT THE SOUND IS W/THAT SETUP. IS THIS PLACEMENT OF THE CENTER IN THE REAR, W/O ONE NOT IN THE FRONT BE A MISTAKE QUALITY WISE?

Elite,

Welcome to the forum!

BTW: "ALL CAPS" text is usually interpreted as the vocal equivalent of YELLING!!


Hopefully this will clear up some misconceptions:

1) TERMINOLOGY. A 5.1 speaker system does not have a rear center speaker. It is composed of two front speakers, one center speaker (in the front), two surround speakers (located to the side of, or slightly aft of the listening position), and a subwoofer (the .1 of 5.1).

A "REAR CENTER", is used to make a 5.1 into a 6.1 speaker system, and two REAR CENTERS (left and right) are used to create a 7.1 system.


2) FRONT CENTER SPEAKER. You do not "have to" use a front center speaker. Almost any audio-video receiver (AVR) allows you to specify what speakers are being used (in the Set-up menu) and once this is done the AVR will adjust the audio signal flow accordingly.

For example, if there is no FRONT CENTER speaker, once the AVR is properly set up, the AVR will take the movie's center channel audio signal split it and send the signal to the two front speakers.


3) REAR CENTER SPEAKER. It is possible, but I would not recommend having a REAR CENTER instead of a FRONT CENTER. A rear center, as used in a 6.1 system, can help to increase the illusion of being immersed in the movie's action, but the REAR CENTER speaker is the least important speaker in creating this illusion. Very little audio content is sent to the rear channel(s) and relatively few movies are recorded in 6.1 or 7.1.

DEFINITELY do not send the center channel signal (most of the movie dialogue) to a REAR CENTER speaker. Because the movie's voices would be disassociated from the screen--kind of like those old Godzilla flicks with the really bad English dubbing, but way worse!


4) To answer your last question: "IS THIS PLACEMENT OF THE CENTER IN THE REAR, W/O ONE IN THE FRONT BE A MISTAKE QUALITY WISE?"
Yes, this would be a big mistake, hopefully as explained above.


Best of Luck,
XEagleDriver

 

[TLS Guy]

I AM INSTALLING A 5.1 SURROUND IN A CATHERDRAL TYPE CEILING. IT'S ALL GONNA BE IN CEILING SPEAKERS EXCEPT MY SUB OF COURSE, BUT I HAVE SOME INDECISIVENESS GOING ON. IF I PLACED THE CENTER IN LINE W/THE REARS IT REALLY LOOKS THE BEST AS FAR AS APPEARANCE. IF I PLACED THE CENTER IN W/THE FRONTS, THEY WOULD NOT BE IN-LINE AT ALL, THE CENTER WOULD BE PROBABLY A FOOT-AND-A-HALF AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AND THE APPEARANCE LOOKS PRETTY GOOFY. I NEVER INSTALLED A REAR CENTER, BUT HAVE HEARD RUMORS ABOUT HOW GREAT THE SOUND IS W/THAT SETUP. IS THIS PLACEMENT OF THE CENTER IN THE REAR, W/O ONE NOT IN THE FRONT BE A MISTAKE QUALITY WISE?

It won't matter a darn what you do. A 5.1 system in a cathedral ceiling is insane, and will sound dreadful. It will be beyond all help. Ceiling speaker should only be used for surrounds when nothing else works. The three fronts should never be ceiling speakers, but doing it in a cathedral ceiling is really nuts.

 

[lsiberian]

This my friend is a bad idea.

All you need in a cathedral is a pair of really good speakers.

 

[AndrewLyles]

It won't matter a darn what you do. A 5.1 system in a cathedral ceiling is insane, and will sound dreadful. It will be beyond all help. Ceiling speaker should only be used for surrounds when nothing else works. The three fronts should never be ceiling speakers, but doing it in a cathedral ceiling is really nuts.

For this installation, I agree that ceiling speakers are a mistake. I'm not sure I agree that ceiling speakers are a total buzz kill when used for the front 3 in other situations though.

I've been in a few theaters that have 5 speakers in the ceiling, all matching, and all calibrated properly, and was quite pleased with the result. I think like anything else, ceiling speakers have to be chosen carefully. My parents have a theater that is done with speakercraft, in-ceiling, speakers...all full range, and their media room sounds incredible with no speakers on the floor. (other than a hidden subwoofer.

In-ceiling does not always mean the death of good sounding acoustics.

 

[TLS Guy]

For this installation, I agree that ceiling speakers are a mistake. I'm not sure I agree that ceiling speakers are a total buzz kill when used for the front 3 in other situations though.

I've been in a few theaters that have 5 speakers in the ceiling, all matching, and all calibrated properly, and was quite pleased with the result. I think like anything else, ceiling speakers have to be chosen carefully. My parents have a theater that is done with speakercraft, in-ceiling, speakers...all full range, and their media room sounds incredible with no speakers on the floor. (other than a hidden subwoofer.

In-ceiling does not always mean the death of good sounding acoustics.

It will unless you like to hear voices from upon high.

 

[just-some-guy]

you guys don't know what your talking about. all in ceiling speakers will work just fine. as long as you mount the tv/screen on the ceiling.

 

[walter duque]

You might have a chance of getting a decent sound with the speaker design below. I just have never experienced an all in ceiling speakers system, so I really can't comment.
http://www.sourcespeaker.com/IC244fin10-07.html

 

[Yamaheart]

what is a cathedral ceiling? Too high, I guessed...

 

[XEagleDriver]

High with angled sides

what is a cathedral ceiling? Too high, I guessed...

I can not speak about the OP's home, but in general, it is a tall ceiling with either angled ceiling sides or a dome shaped top--similar to what you find in an old church or cathedral. Makes for some tricky acoustics to place speakers in.

I have a two story cathedral ceiling in a family room which has angled ceiling sides. I ended up placing a 4.0 set of wall speakers in this room. I installed them about one foot above the intersection of the wall and the angled ceilings (front and back)--which points them at the primary listening location near the middle of the room. It works well, considering inherent room limitations.

Like for the OP, tower/bookshelf or even small satelites were not a WA solution in this space, but I was determined to get decent sound to accompany the cliche "TV above fireplace" design the architect included.

This solution, even though imperfect, is way superior to just TV speakers!

Cheers,
XEagleDriver