My old Center speaker is on the way out and needs to be replaced (foam surrounds need replacing). I've haven't used it much as I could never get it to sound as good as it does with my main floor-standing speakers performing the task instead. So looking at crazy (but fun) options like installing a B&W CT7.3 in an old fireplace.
Current speaker setup is quite old with:
Mains: 14 year old JBL Ti-600
Center: JBL Ti-100 I want to get rid of.
Surround: Paradigm Mini-Monitor v3 bookshelf's on stands
Front presence: JBL 75SAT satellite speakers
Sub: Yamaha YST-SW320
AVR: Yamaha RX-V667
Note I have no room for Surround back speakers so instead I use front presence speakers because they give me dialog lift for the TV which is unfortunately above an old fireplace. Not ideal to have it up high above fireplace obviously but it is the only sensible location in my lounge. So I've mounted it as low as it will go and still be just above the top of the fireplace.
Always hated not having full range sound coming from the center speaker so I've been trying to work out what to do to replace my center channel. We have an old gas fireplace we have disconnected due to it's costly gas supply. Always annoyed me that we now have this non functional thing just sitting there but have to have something there or you have an ugly 2'x2'x2' block and concrete hole in the wall. The opening if i remove the gas heater is 610mm wide by 570mm high and about 600mm deep. To conceal a speaker in here it needs to be designed for the task with no rear/side bass porting etc. Found someone selling some Ex-Floor Demo B&W CT7.3 for NZ$1000 each (US$647). These are designed for cabinetry install and are a full range 3 way speaker. size is 606mm wide, 360mm high and 285mm deep so it just fits in the width and I was going to Cut up some MDF type board into a stand to position it at the top of the opening with a slight upward tilt to raise the sound a little. Then just cut and paint a board to surround the front and hide the exposed concrete at the edges of the opening. May also add some foam of some kind to the inside walls of the fireplace to reduce any sound problems caused by the hollow space behind the speaker.
Hopefully it will sound ok but I don't know what angle to set the speaker to. Either direct at the listeners ear or above their head to try to lift the speaker sound higher.
