Frontal Incline Center Speaker

[walter duque]

I was wondering why my speaker company makes all their center speakers with a frontal incline. Seems to me that's the only company that makes them like that. What would be the pros and cons on that design? Or does it matter at all?

CC – 4 WC center channel uses newly developed Focused Array™ tweeter technology to deliver state of the art performance. Key to large screen viewing is high output capability without compression. Dual 6” Quiet Cone™, cast wool/carbon drivers employ oversized motor systems to provide wide dyamics without compression; excellent full range performance and wide dispersion. Differential internal crossover optimizes driver performance and eliminates uneven sound distribution or lobing for unequaled dialogue intelligibility. Focused array™ tri tweeter assembly provides enhanced power and clarity. An 11 deg. frontal incline allows for optimum placement either above or below projector screen. Additional performance features include 3/4” thick front baffle, 49lb MDF enclosure, special resonant suppression coatings, select capacitors and precision inductors.

 

[GranteedEV]

Well, look at the picture in your sig! The tilt is to put you in the vertical sweet spot when the center is not at ear height. You center is almost a foot below the tweeter on your stereo mains. By tilting it up, your ears are more likely to be on the same forward axis as the other speakers.

Almost all speakers are a mess on the vertical axis where lobing and general driver directivity dominate, so they measure flat ONLY if you're directly in front of where they are "aiming".

This is mainly the case when two drivers are arrayed vertically. In your case your center isn't vertically lobing in the crossover (it's lobing horizontally) but the three tweeters are lobing with each other anyways.

How big/audible is the difference? Well you can listen for yourself... try to find content concentrated near the regions where drivers would lobe, and listen with the sloped center flipped upside (pointing down).

Beyond that, the more lively the room, the more it will mask lobing on a general scale. Deader rooms would probably make the effect more audible.

The other thing about sloped baffles, and this applies to speakers in general, is that they are a physical method of time alignment.

 

[walter duque]

Well, look at the picture in your sig! The tilt is to put you in the vertical sweet spot when the center is not at ear height. You center is almost a foot below the tweeter on your stereo mains. By tilting it up, your ears are more likely to be on the same forward axis as the other speakers.

That makes sense. Not that I ever paid attention to it, but since you mentioned it the center does sound like it's coming from the same level as the mains, although it sits a foot lower. Thanks..

 

[theJman]

I was wondering why my speaker company makes all their center speakers with a frontal incline

Is that Source Loudspeakers by chance?

 

[walter duque]

Is that Source Loudspeakers by chance?

Yes they are.

 

[theJman]

Yes they are.

They're releasing a new center in a few weeks. I might pick that one up, and a few of their satellites, to make a 3.1 system. How is the quality and sound of the ones you have?

 

[walter duque]

They're releasing a new center in a few weeks. I might pick that one up, and a few of their satellites, to make a 3.1 system. How is the quality and sound of the ones you have?

I've been using Source for about 15 years. I went trough a number of upgrades over the years. I am sure you know John Sollecito which used to be JSE Infinite Slope till he changed to Source. Quality, what can I say, it's tops. These are handmade speakers, build to order. Soundwise for me I am very happy with them. I have certain needs that these speakers can provide me with. To me they sound great and can handle lots of power. If I feel at time to turn it up to +6db and don't have to worry about blowing a tweeter or anything else. We're not talking about inexpensive speakers here. I don't have any interrest in any other brand, like I said to me they are great. The center does have a retail of 1K.

 

[zieglj01]

Yes they are.

A 49lb mdf enclosure is impressive.

 

[j_garcia]

Looks like about the same 4 degrees as M&K used to have. Same 4 degrees that Auralex MoPads are. In a center it would be because most people put it on something that has a surface immediately in front of it, in other words, not flush with the front of whatever it is sitting on. This reflects sound and will cause immediate alterations of what you here even before the first wall/floor reflections. As a main it means you point them straight and they have toe built in I suppose.

My speakers are 38lbs each

The other thing about sloped baffles, and this applies to speakers in general, is that they are a physical method of time alignment.

For time alingment, the slope would need to be along the main axis of the drivers if it were in a verticial configuration and that doesn't apply here. They are all tilted on the same axis (except for two of the tweeters).

 

[TLS Guy]

I was wondering why my speaker company makes all their center speakers with a frontal incline. Seems to me that's the only company that makes them like that. What would be the pros and cons on that design? Or does it matter at all?

CC – 4 WC center channel uses newly developed Focused Array™ tweeter technology to deliver state of the art performance. Key to large screen viewing is high output capability without compression. Dual 6” Quiet Cone™, cast wool/carbon drivers employ oversized motor systems to provide wide dyamics without compression; excellent full range performance and wide dispersion. Differential internal crossover optimizes driver performance and eliminates uneven sound distribution or lobing for unequaled dialogue intelligibility. Focused array™ tri tweeter assembly provides enhanced power and clarity. An 11 deg. frontal incline allows for optimum placement either above or below projector screen. Additional performance features include 3/4” thick front baffle, 49lb MDF enclosure, special resonant suppression coatings, select capacitors and precision inductors.

It works Walter. You do need to have a slope, when the TV screen has to go where the speaker should be.