Center Placement Question

[avaserfi]

Recently I have been reading up on placing center channels in the TV stands and have read very mixed information about the situation. Currently I have my center (rear ported) sitting on top of my rack right in front of my display. Wednesday my new rack is supposed to be arriving and has a center bar that can be recessed so the center channel can be placed on the level of the rack.

My previous understanding of situations like this was they are bad, putting a speaker in a box isn't healthy for sound quality, but after looking into it more it seems that there are mixed opinions. I plan on trying this out myself when the rack arrives but was wondering if anyone had any input before I get everything set up, out of curiosity.

 

[MDS]

I've had the center both above and below the TV. When it was above it was not enclosed and when it was below it was on a shelf in a wall unit. Honestly I don't think it matters all that much after calibration.

Now theory says that the center is better placed above the TV because humans are less able to localize exactly where a sound originates if it is above our ears. Therefore, placing the center above will make it less obvious that the sound is coming from the box on top of the TV and more like it is coming directly from the mouths of the people on screen.

Enclosing a rear ported speaker in a rack or wall unit type setup can affect the sound slightly if there isn't enough space for the port to breathe but what can you do if that is your only option? The studiotech stand looks like it has a rather large opening for ventilation and that should also do well for giving the center's rear ports room to breathe and work effectively.

 

[avaserfi]

Thanks MDS.

I figured I would give it a shot with proper room to breathe. I would prefer the center above, but since that isn't possible right now I just have it below and angled up. I haven't had any trouble with improper localization, hopefully that doesn't change when I drop it 5-8 inches in the new stand.