Center channel: above or below the TV?

[gearyt]

Having a projection, I have no below
I'm a top kinda guy

[XSilentCobraX]

Mine is below the tv, but it is right under the TV, so voices stil sound like they come from TV and not center speaker

[moviefan]

Originally Posted by Brian Cash

i have mine is mounted above on a tilt towards the couch and chairs

Me too. I have on-wall speakers (Klipsch SLX), that have a tilt feature.
The important thing is to get the center speaker as close to the screen as possible, whether abovw or below. The configuration of the TV itself may dictate this.
Also, don't forget to turn off the TV speakers!

[Blu-Raider]

Originally Posted by richteer

Hi all,

I've always assumed that center channel speakers would sound best under the TV, rather than above. Is this a valid assumption, or does it not make a difference?

Hate to give an oblique answer, but imo the perfect speaker setup is one where sound direction becomes almost indiscernible. In other words -- If you put your center channel speaker a foot from your face, the speaker would distract from the entire home theatre experience. When you go into a movie theatre exactly where is the center sound coming from? If you can't tell then it's perfect.

Above? Below? It doesn't matter. You should place your center channel where the sound is clear and crisp but doesn't distract from the video.

Just two cents.

[richteer]

Thanks for the responses, guys. The reason why I'm asking is because I'm considering the Martin Logan Stage as the center channel, and it's about 12" high. I'm having a bugger of a time finding a rack that I like that also has enough room for the Stage to be placed under the TV (but not too close to the floor).

[Heart&Soul]

Mine is above.

[reburn]

Mine is about to mounted on ceiling facing down towards seats...

[David Craig]

I've had it "6 feet off the floor and 2 feet to the left" of the TV. This was on top of a bookshelf.

Currently I have it "6 inches from the floor, centered" below the TV.

Seems to sound EXACTLY the same in either position.

Go with whatever is easiest. Try to point it towards the listening position if possible, but even that is not too important.

[Beta Man]

[QUOTE=David Craig;700630]I've had it "6 feet off the floor and 2 feet to the left" of the TV. This was on top of a bookshelf.

Currently I have it "6 inches from the floor, centered" below the TV.

Seems to sound EXACTLY the same in either position.

[QUOTE]


You might want to consider seeing an Audiologist, and I'm not being facetious.... many people have varying levels of hearing loss in one or both ears, and rarely do the two ears hear identically well for all ranges of tone. I had a center speaker placed 4 feet to the left of center, for a few days while awaiting my order at the local Audio shop to arrive, and it was painfully obvious.

[richteer]

Originally Posted by David Craig

Go with whatever is easiest. Try to point it towards the listening position if possible, but even that is not too important.

One doesn't spend a couple of grand on a speaker and settle for "whatever is easiest" when it comes to placement! :-) Whatever sounds best is my criterion; aesthetics and ease of installation come second.

[BinaryLinguist]

Originally Posted by Rustmonsteru

Mine weighs in at nearly 50lbs. (Rocket RSC200), so that would be below.

Same speaker as me, but I have mine mounted above the TV with the Peerless mount.

[kingofgrills]

Ideally, the front speakers (left, right, and center) should all be ear level to the seated viewing position. As mentioned previously by George Costanza, this typically means the center channel would reside behind the screen, which is largely impractical. In my current setup, the center channel resides below the screen. At least when there are close ups on faces, that puts the center channel closer to the mouths on screen.

Whether you choose above or below the screen, try to keep the height difference between the front channels as close to level as possible. That way, any panning back and forth on the front channels, such as a car driving by, will not suddenly rise or fall based on the center channel position. That can really detract from the surround sound experience.

[musicman1999]

[QUOTE

Go with whatever is easiest. Try to point it towards the listening position if possible, but even that is not too important.[/QUOTE]

Bad advice.

bill

[Tyler2106]

Above the tv is best but if it isn't to low to the ground then below is ok...but make sure you have the tweeter pointing at the listeners ears...so tilt it down if on top and tilt up if below the tv...

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by kingofgrills

Ideally, the front speakers (left, right, and center) should all be ear level to the seated viewing position. As mentioned previously by George Costanza, this typically means the center channel would reside behind the screen, which is largely impractical. In my current setup, the center channel resides below the screen. At least when there are close ups on faces, that puts the center channel closer to the mouths on screen.

Whether you choose above or below the screen, try to keep the height difference between the front channels as close to level as possible. That way, any panning back and forth on the front channels, such as a car driving by, will not suddenly rise or fall based on the center channel position. That can really detract from the surround sound experience.

+1

A reference setup would ideally have three identical speakers(or at least three identical tweeters) for Left-Center-Right all placed at the same height(generally ear level). Of course this is usually only possible in a front projection system.

[sj001]

Interesting, didn't give this much thought before, mine is above, possibly is may be about 2 feet above ear level if you are sitting watching the TV. Maybe I will have to look into moving it... but it's just kind of how the entertainment center is built.

[mr peepers]

yeah, mine is above. but my tv is mounted kinda low i think in comparison to other people's setups and/or recommendations.

i wouldnt fret about it too much. i think its more aesthetically pleasing having it below the tv, but some people's configurations just dont allow the room for it.

[MaleManGuy]

Originally Posted by richteer

Hi all,

I've always assumed that center channel speakers would sound best under the TV, rather than above. Is this a valid assumption, or does it not make a difference?

that's an option too ;-) hehe

[Invincible0427]

mine is on a shelf above the tv. sounds good to me.

[richteer]

Originally Posted by MaleManGuy

that's an option too ;-) hehe

Good idea, I hadn't thought of that. I tried Krazy Glue, but it didn't hold very well. :-( I'm get some epoxy resin (Goop) later today and try it. Hopefully I'll be able to see enough of the screen to follow the movie!