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Above or below?


totalcomfort

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Going to have a chance to move my center channel above or below my screen. Currently it is above my screen but angled down sharply due to the height. My new center will be smaller but better, and will have option to move it below if I want. My question is who uses above and who uses below and why? Is there any advantage to one way or the other?

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My RC-7 (26" x 12" x 9") has always been below my display. My rack is 60" wide, so space is never an issue.

 

It might be personal preference, but for me it would be strange having it above my display.

 

 

Su5uY8.jpg

Edited by Nismo
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Years ago I had a KLF-C7 on top of my then 32" Sony TV. Even with it angled down, it just never seemed to sound right. Most voices seemed to be coming out of the space above the TV screen and the overall sound didn't mesh well with my then Chrous II's... as side to side pans would cause the sound to jump "up" quite a bit. At the time the KLF-C7 was about 20" or so above the tweeters on the Chorus II's.

Since then I've been able to have full size speakers (Quartets then Forte II's) under my TV's. And in my current setup I have my LCD TV on top of my center LaScala. All of those setups, with the speakers under the TV, sounded much better... And the sound sounds like it's coming right from the TV screen itself.

The common factor to the better sound, in my opinion, was having the tweeter/midrange right at ear level and as close as possible to the bottom of the TV.

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I recently moved my RC-64 from a custom shelf directly above the TV to directly below the TV using it as a riser.  Overall I am pleased with the change.  The move made the front soundstage a tad more seamless.

 

This

 

Family Room Setup with Quartets.jpg

 

 

 

 

to this

 

Family Room with drapes.jpg

 

 

 

Bill

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I think whatever gets it to Ear Level, or, close as you can...

 

Good advice. 

 

Cautions: 1) if it is above, be sure it's attached well and earthquake proof  2) If it is below, make sure you don't slouch in your seat and cross your legs in front of the tweeter, lol.  There should be no obstructions between your ears and the center tweeter -- unless they are nearly acoustically transparent obstructions, like an AT projection screen..

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My KLF -7 is also above my 50" VIZIO TV. Sounds great, I do have my (Emotiva UMC-1) Reciever, center speaker set at: .5 higher than my Fronts and Rear speakers. It is on a wood shelf in a cabinet, (when I figure how to post pictures I will). The speaker is approximately 5" above screen. Plus I have door wedges (rubber), wedged under the rear of KLF-7. The purpose is to increase the downward direction of the sound, so it is straight towards the sitting area and listener ear.

To clarify when watching Cable or Blu-ray (including streaming Netflix or other provider). I find the setting as described, maintains the dialogue very clear as well as life like.

When listening to music, the sound setting isn't required. As my system sounds so clear and alive.

BTW, just received my new Emotiva XMC-1 Reciever. Anyone looking for comments/review feel free to ask.

Sent from my SM-T330NU using Tapatalk

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I've found that having the front three loudspeaker midrange horn axes all at the same height is actually pretty important, even if that means moving the screen around to do it. 

 

Once you get everything dialed in all the way around, the soundstage image is then able coalesce into a single image, but only if the full range loudspeakers all around have carefully been EQed flat within a couple of dB.

 

Unless you have something like a dipole or bipole surround, the timbre should match much better when this occurs, and the sound experience should be much more realistic.

 

Chris

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I think whatever gets it to Ear Level, or, close as you can...

 

Good advice. 

 

Cautions: 1) if it is above, be sure it's attached well and earthquake proof  2) If it is below, make sure you don't slouch in your seat and cross your legs in front of the tweeter, lol.  There should be no obstructions between your ears and the center tweeter -- unless they are nearly acoustically transparent obstructions, like an AT projection screen..

 

 

What they said--Fwiw, I have my RC-7 on top of our Plasma because of the way it blended seamlessly when it was on top of a large RPTV. That said, it was also designed with the dual tilting screws in the back so you could get the correct angle pointing down--I gather the newer models have those screws in the front, but either way you don't want it enclosed too tightly and if on shelf, make sure it's to the edge.

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