Center Channel Speaker: Above or Below?

[MR.MAGOO]

As long as the center channel speaker is aimed toward the ears, is there any difference in placing the speaker above or below the TV? Currently mine is on a small shelf on top of TV, I'm thinking of placing it directly below the TV aimed up.

 

[lovinthehd]

I've done it both ways, I'd go with whichever you find more aesthetically pleasing.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Try it both ways. If your L/R speakers are equally high as the center above, then you'd have a better panning across the front.
My center is lower than the L/R as I cannot put it above the screen. I think that is noticeable even aiming it up.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I would try it both ways too. As mentioned, the biggest thing will be the difference in tweeter height. Different speakers will respond differently, but usually within 16" should be ok for good panning. Closer the better though.

 

[Aaron_Hunt]

both or below is not a a big problem. I usually place it where the sound is clear and crisp. You could also mounted it on the wall and facing it through the couch or sofa.

 

[panteragstk]

Closest to ear level would be best. I've also tried both and don't really notice a difference unless one is closer to ear level.

 

[TLS Guy]

I thought about this a lot in the design of my home theater.

The screen is at optimal height which is with the bottom of the TV 30" above the floor. The tweeters of the mains are 36" above the floor and so 6" above the bottom of the TV.

So at first you would think the having the center below the TV would be optimal.

However the heads of people talking are almost always towards the top of the screen. The center coaxial driver is right above the top of the TV, and the speaker's front panel angles the drivers over the listening area. Room coverage is much better with the speaker above the screen rather than below.

I'm lucky in that the sound never localizes to an individual speaker. The fact that the center is above the TV pulls up the sound stage to pretty much the center of the TV. For center dialog the speech seems to be coming right out of the mouths pf the actors/presenters.

So I have to admit to a strong bias for centers to be above the TV, especially in bigger rooms.

 

[shadyJ]

If you are going to keep the center on top, one thing you can do is scrap that horizontal center and replace it with another one of the SM65 speakers, and then tilt the speaker to aim toward your listening position. That might help clarity in dialogue and other sounds.

 

[TLS Guy]

If you are going to keep the center on top, one thing you can do is scrap that horizontal center and replace it with another one of the SM65 speakers, and then tilt the speaker to aim toward your listening position. That might help clarity in dialogue and other sounds.

I think what you say is correct. This is a side view of my center.

This is the speaker layout.

The design ended up being 2.5.5 way. The lower driver is two way, with cross to the tweeter at 2.8 KHz. The upper driver is the bass BSC 0.5 way active and the tweeter of the upper unit is 0.5 way to equalize out the dip at 9 KHz and the slightly falling response above 10 KHz.

Unfortunately those SEAS prestige coaxial drivers are not easy to implement. Centers though are just a tough acoustic challenge.

The end result was not too bad though, and blends seamlessly with the mains.

The design gives it a good off axis response and good coverage of the listening are. So one seat is as good as the next. Being a TL it is only 8 db down at 20 Hz.

 

[Pogre]

2nd vote for another SM65 for a center channel. I got a matching bookshelf recently and have gotten into watching more movies. For me, it made quite a difference in sq.

 

[TLS Guy]

2nd vote for another SM65 for a center channel. I got a matching bookshelf recently and have gotten into watching more movies. For me, it made quite a difference in sq.

That is a good plan if you can do it. Centers are a problem, most way short of the mark. A big problem is expense. People seem reluctant to spend on the center, and yet is is a bigger problem to design and build than the mains. Three bookshelves if they are any good solves a lot of problems.