Center speaker placement?

[acritzer]

New CS2 came today...can't wait to try it out. In the meantime, I'm rethinking my placement and wondering what others might vote for. My choices are.

1) Below the TV, offset just to the right of center (there's a divider in the entertainement center preventing it from being in the middle). This option is about 1' below my head when sitting.

2) Above the TV, centered on a shelf. This puts it approx 2+ feet above my head. I could MAYBE rig up some way to angle it down, but I don't think it will be very stable.

3) Third option would really involve some thinking...and might be to put the speaker under the TV, but centered, on the same section as the TV. Last resort for this, it would mean having to raise the TV, make sure it was stable, and relocate the shelf that is above the TV.


I guess the overall question is, what's more important, being centered, or being closer to listener height?

[acritzer]

Maybe there's more of an appearance of distance than I thought. After measuring roughly, it looks like the low distance is 22 inches or so...and the high distance might be a tad shorter? Just seems like it's so far away when it's up at the top. Does that make any sense?

[Hammie]

Centered is more important IMO.

I would do above the TV. I had a Polk CSi3 center speaker above my TV and had no issues. If you have it angled calibrate it correctly, it should be invisible anyway.

[acritzer]

I think I have some psychological issue with it up high...keep thinking the sound's shooting over me. Stupid, I know. I'll see what I think with each way.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by acritzer

New CS2 came today...can't wait to try it out. In the meantime, I'm rethinking my placement and wondering what others might vote for. My choices are.

1) Below the TV, offset just to the right of center (there's a divider in the entertainement center preventing it from being in the middle). This option is about 1' below my head when sitting.

2) Above the TV, centered on a shelf. This puts it approx 2+ feet above my head. I could MAYBE rig up some way to angle it down, but I don't think it will be very stable.

3) Third option would really involve some thinking...and might be to put the speaker under the TV, but centered, on the same section as the TV. Last resort for this, it would mean having to raise the TV, make sure it was stable, and relocate the shelf that is above the TV.


I guess the overall question is, what's more important, being centered, or being closer to listener height?

To maximize the audio from your center channel is important IMO. Therefore, you may need to go to some extremes to get what you want. This would mean your last resort. I would build some kind of wooden "stand" that the TV can rest on allowing for placement of your center channel directly below the screen, but centered and directed towards your ears. This stand should maintain itself as some kind of table design with legs to avoid enclosing the center channel. This would be the best method to get the best audio from your CS2.

I think the most important thing is what is important to you. If you are "lazy" (I mean it hypothetically) then off center would be OK, but you will have sacrificed some clarity as it sounds like it would be "boxed" in that location, causing loss of quality dialogue and may make the center channel sound "boomy." #2 is better than 1, but you would need to figure something out to direct it downwards, as 2 feet above your head will require some directional adjustment for the center speaker for sure.

Good luck acritzer!

[peterng]

The most ideal position for any speaker (L, R, C, R, S) is at ear-level, same thing when you hang any picture, it should be at eye-level ... very simple ...but very effective ...

[acritzer]

Well, I relocated the center to the shelf above the TV. Luckily the shelf has a bit of a groove at the front which helps lock it into place when it's angled down. I'm not completely happy with the way I'm propping it up, but it does seem very stable.
Again, I plan to take pics soon. Next up is to think about a SPL meter, and then burn a disc for test tones.

[Buddy Christ]

Originally Posted by peterng

The most ideal position for any speaker (L, R, C, R, S) is at ear-level, same thing when you hang any picture, it should be at eye-level ... very simple ...but very effective ...

If the display is at eye level don't you think its impossible to put the center channel at ear level? Unless your ears are on your chest or on top of your head?

[acritzer]

Originally Posted by Blu2U

If the display is at eye level don't you think its impossible to put the center channel at ear level? Unless your ears are on your chest or on top of your head?

lol, seems like it would be tough.

[Hammie]

Originally Posted by Blu2U

If the display is at eye level don't you think its impossible to put the center channel at ear level? Unless your ears are on your chest or on top of your head?

That's why you get an acoustically transparent projection screen and have the center behind it.

[peterng]

Originally Posted by Blu2U

If the display is at eye level don't you think its impossible to put the center channel at ear level? Unless your ears are on your chest or on top of your head?

I said the most ideal position pal , a little low, a little high from that position is pefect okay ... just don't put them above your head or on the floor , and people they are not perfectly have the same height either ...There are many of "what if" senarios ...do what is best for you ...