Center Channel Placement???

[stripdshirt]

I just put my Samsung LCD above the fireplace and now I'm puzzled as to where put my center speaker?

Can anyone help?

I can't raise the TV any higher due to the fact that there is a 2ft. recessed hole behind it right now(previously used for decorations).

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Thanks in advance

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forum!

Can your receiver power two center channels? When I look at the set-up, the first thing that comes to mind is having a speaker on each side (like a small bookshelf speaker or even in-wall units).

 

[stripdshirt]

Welcome to the forum!

Can your receiver power two center channels? When I look at the set-up, the first thing that comes to mind is having a speaker on each side (like a small bookshelf speaker or even in-wall units).

When you say power two center channels do you mean does the receiver have two center channel outputs?

I'm not sure. I'm running a Yamaha RX-V640 which is 6.1 with 125w x 6

 

[DaveHo]

Above the TV or phantom center. Where are the L/R speakers going?

 

[DD66000]

Phantom center is your only real choice.

 

[stripdshirt]

I figured that...

I've never tried it before, how is the actual sound quality when using it?

 

[no. 5]

Phantom center is your only real choice.

If he is the only one watching.

 

[DD66000]

If he is the only one watching.

Its already NOT a perfect situation, I would never put a screen above a FP. Just way too high. I have a FP (acutally a gas stove), but its on the side wall.
But if he's intent in leaving it there and still wants to use a center, it would have to be in front of the FP, which would only work if he never used the FP.

As for a phantom center, how well it works has alot to do with how good the main speakers are. Do they produce a good solid center image? But even then, if someone is sitting off center the dialog will "pull" to which ever side they are sitting.

 

[no. 5]

Oh I agree, all I'm saying is phantom center only really works for one listening position.

If a center channel was placed immediately above the TV, dialog would at least be centered, and the vertical distance between the LRC tweeters wouldn't be too great, but as you said, NOT a perfect situation.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I started with a plasma above the FP and the center in the firebox but after 2 months of my neck hurting, I took it all down and put it on a better wall.

I hate how a Phantom center sounds vs. a real center.

 

[DD66000]

I started with a plasma above the FP and the center in the firebox but after 2 months of my neck hurting, I took it all down and put it on a better wall.

I hate how a Phantom center sounds vs. a real center.

Yes, it would be a pain in the neck always looking up.
A phantom center can be very good, for the person sitting in the sweet spot, if the mains provide good imaging and are properly setup. For any analog play back there is no center, and even with some DVD-A/SACD disc, its still a phantom center, as they didn't record to the center channel.