So I'm in need of an entertainment center, problem is, I'm having issues determining how to place my center channel into the mix. My goal is to build the piece myself so that I could build my center channel into it. The enclosure is 32" wide by 9" tall by 12.5" deep, so it takes up a fair amount of space. When trying to place that into a 24" high by 60" wide design where the speaker is centered and placed just under the top of the entertainment center (so it's as close to the TV as possible) I have next to no space above and next to the speaker for anything else. The issue is that I have 2 amps, a blue-ray player and a game console or two to fit into this cabinet as well. So I guess my questions are: what is the best arrangement for this setup? Should I place the speaker on top of the cabinet and mount the TV above it (possibly placing the TV too high)? Or should I make the entertainment center a bit taller and wider to get the space I need?
My concerns with the speaker on top of the stand: will it look strange to have a large (tall) center channel mounted under a TV that is a fair bit wider than it is? And If the stand is 20"-24" tall and the speaker is 9" tall, will that place the TV too high for a decent viewing position from a standard couch?
My concerns with mounting the speaker inside the stand: In order to have enough space to actually use the stand for other items, it needs to be taller or wider (or both). At 60", it seems fairly wide as it is (I should also note that I do NOT currently have a TV for this stand, I'm building it ahead of time for a TV in the 55" range).
This is a shot of my center channel sitting on top of my dresser. The dresser top is 65" wide for a reference.
Any help on how to approach this matter will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!