TV Speaker as center channel?

[sublime1]

My new LCD HDTV has non-removable speakers along the bottom. I haven't been using them because I have two main, and two surround speakers, plus a sub-woofer. But then again, I don't have a center channel speaker, although my 5.1 receiver has an unused output.

So would it be a terrible crime against humanity to use an RCA Y-splitter to send the output from the (one) output on the receiver to the (two) audio inputs on the TV?

My wife doesn't much care for my little "issues" with A/V so would not be highly tolerant of a new box.

Or does the center channel have some deeper mystery I do not yet comprehend?

Tom

 

[mtrycrafts]

My new LCD HDTV has non-removable speakers along the bottom. I haven't been using them because I have two main, and two surround speakers, plus a sub-woofer. But then again, I don't have a center channel speaker, although my 5.1 receiver has an unused output.

So would it be a terrible crime against humanity to use an RCA Y-splitter to send the output from the (one) output on the receiver to the (two) audio inputs on the TV?

My wife doesn't much care for my little "issues" with A/V so would not be highly tolerant of a new box.

Or does the center channel have some deeper mystery I do not yet comprehend?

Tom

Well, yes, it is doable. A Y cable is cheap to experiment with. Make sure you do get the audio from the center channel and program your receiver that you have a center ch speaker, not a phantom one. Then you would have to level match all the channels again. Just make sure you don't over drive the audio as TV amp is low wattage. As to audio quality, don't expect much.

 

[mpompey]

What receiver are you planning to use with the TV? What about the rest of the speakers in your setup? Will the TV's speakers match the timbre of the rest of your setup?

 

[markw]

While you might be able to coax some sound out it it, it probably won't satisfy.

Center channel speakers tend to be beefy for a reason. In a HT environment, the center speaker does the bulk of the work. Most of the sound you hear eminates from it as does virtualy all the dialog. Also, it tends to provide an "anchor" for what's going on on scren.

You may find out that it's drowned out by the other speakers in the system, both in volume and clarity, and when you try to compensate for by kicking it up a notch or two, you may well bring their faults to light, center stage you might say.

You might explore the phantom center channel options on your receiver.

 

[mfabien]

...
My wife doesn't much care for my little "issues" with A/V so would not be highly tolerant of a new box.

Or does the center channel have some deeper mystery I do not yet comprehend?

Tom

Concerning your wife, I fully understand. My experience is to bargain... get her to accept in return for something else she wants.

It was already said, in a previous post, that the Center Channel is very important in a 5.1 system. Not only for dialog in programs, sports or movies but,
- for concerts in 5.1, the singer or soloist comes through in the Center Channel and
- in action scenes, a vehicle, say coming from the left and going to the right, will be heard from the Left Front then Center Channel then the Right Front respectively and for this, as well as dialog and music, there should be compatible sound.

This is called timbre and is best achieved by selecting a Center Channel speaker of the same make as the front speakers and usually identified as being pared as a Center Channel for a given set of Front speakers by the speaker manufacturer.

Any other solution will come second best and most likely subject to improvement.

 

[Nick250]

IMO you are far better off not bringing the TV speakers into the mix and just stick with a phantom center untill you can get a matching center. Hell, even if do have a matching center and are seated in the sweet spot the best sound may still be achieved by turning off the center and just going with the phantom center. I have played with this myself and it's a close call which sounds better, phamtom with center set to "none" or with the center engaged.

 

[sublime1]

Thanks to all -- good advice

I appreciate the nice lesson in what center channel does and my options from thoughtful respondants. I learned a lot.

Tom