Dedicated sub for center channel?

[jsantos615]

Hi All -

I have an extra 8" Powered sub that is just sitting around. I was thinking of hooking it up to the center out on my processor and then sending the high pass signal to my amp to power my Monitor Audio BR Center channel. The sub would be sitting in my cabinet under my center channel speaker and I'd set the speaker size for my center to large.

Have any of you ever experimented with this? What it worth your time?

Cheers -

joe

 

[sparky77]

Does the sub have speaker level inputs, if so use those for the input and then the speaker level outputs to the center channel, that way the subwoofer is handling the highpass crossover for the center.

 

[Midcow2]

What are you trying to achieve?

The center out is normally for voice conversation. Some of the centeres have a bass subwoofer ( example Def Tech CLR3000) to provide a full range of vocal sound on the center channel with sub, mid, tweeter.

If you are only going to drive a sub, it seems most of the normal voice range 4,000Hz -18,000Hz will be well above the upper limit of the sub.

 

[Exit]

For reference, lower male vocals can reach down to 80 Hz according to music frequency charts.

I have an 8” powered subwoofer on my center channel because my center is small and doesn’t reach down to my 80 Hz crossover. I have it set to small because it bottoms out with low bass. Getting it set up right is a pain. I basically set my Yamaha receiver’s YAPO to generate test tones at different frequencies. I then turn down the center subwoofer until its output matches that of the other speakers in the surround sound setup. I have got a large room so an 8” woofer doesn’t cut it for full range sound anyway, even if it didn’t bottom out. I use an SVS PB12+2 for all bass below 80 Hz.

If you had a small room and good full range mains, then an 8” subwoofer on the center channel might allow you to get buy with just that center subwoofer versus a system subwoofer where all speakers are set to small. You could experiment and find out if you liked it.

 

[Midcow2]

I was think about phone lines...

For reference, lower male vocals can reach down to 80 Hz according to music frequency charts. ...

And even in phone lines I misquoted they clip at 4K Htz on the upper limit not lower. So you are probably right and then yes you could use a su for lower male voice notes.


Cheers,

 

[Alex2507]

I've never even contemplated such a thing but thinking about it is making me a little excited.

What ever happens I hope mikec doesn't find this thread. All it's gonna take is one more sub in Manila to make the whole planet lop sided.

 

[mike c]

I've never even contemplated such a thing but thinking about it is making me a little excited.

What ever happens I hope mikec doesn't find this thread. All it's gonna take is one more sub in Manila to make the whole planet lop sided.

err, too late - found it. but don't worry... mains first, before center

 

[sparky77]

Gee I was actually considering one sub for each channel, considering I have over 30 emminence lab12's sitting in my basement, some of which are supposed to go for pro audio reinforcement.

The basic point is if your center channel has a high crossover point it wont hurt to use a small sub with a higher crossover point to take some load off the center speaker trying to reproduce the full range. I guess we have to wait for the op to try something and get back to us whith what he thinks.....