Jump to content

Center Channel


ace168516

Recommended Posts

Do I want a center channel in this setup? (yes it took a year from my last post to fish the optical cable in this wall) My mantle is about 2 inches shallow for an Academy.  The lack of center is not exactly bothering me, but I think it would be better.  WAF is pretty critical, I barely got away with the Heresys as it is.  Since I am under the assumption everyone will say more speakers are better, any recommendations?

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

Normally I would say yes but as mentioned, your mantle is quite narrow.  I would think you would need a descent size center to keep up with the Heresy's.  Another downside is the distance between the tweeter of the center and the mains.  They would be really far apart.  I'm not sure your room layout would benefit from a center.

Edited by Youthman
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i personally never say "more speakers the better". i rock a 3.1 and am just fine with it.  Youth is right though, the center and mains need to be closer in height. so even if you mind a magical center that fits and timber matches, the height distance will ruin your sound stage.

really, i'd just leave it be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just the thought of the Heresies on the floor with balls and dog toys I would say get some sturdy stands and get them off the floor before a ball goes through a woofer. I would suggest a KSP-C6 for a center although I only recall them coming in black. They provide sound and dialogue way above their price range and take up a lot less space than the Academy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm with everybody else here, I'm a bit mixed.

 

I am a firm believer in using a good center channel, but the wife would have a point to not want to have a decent sized center poking into the center of the room due to the narrow mantle.

 

I am less concerned about the point-to-point connections of the L/C/R tweeters because my experience is that with the C up higher, it will "pull" the sound from the L/R up with it somewhat, giving a more "rounded" front sound stage, if that makes any sense.  With that being said, I would bring all three into line as much as possible.  Scrappy said to raise the Heresy's on stands, that makes good practical sense.

 

McD suggested a soundbar.  I am not a big fan of soundbars, but this also seems to be a pretty good idea to deal with the aesthetic problems.  I don't know if it would give a solid center sound or not. 

 

What would you think of this DIY solution, the Quad 4?  It is 9" deep, is less than $200 w/cabinet and has gotten rave reviews from owners.

q44.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have 9" depth on the mantle, I have a decent JBL center from my outdoor theater, I may try that out just to see if I like the addition of a center and then decide what to get from there if I like it..  I have the slant bases for the Heresys but I need to do some test staining to match the speakers.  My wife was pretty excited at the thought of no speakers additional speakers though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I understand exactly your WAF concerns.  My WAF has a very low tolerence.  It helps when she is able to put nick-nacks on it.  :rolleyes:

 

I like your idea of trying out the JBL for the center to see how you like it.  I can usually get away with that as well when I sell her on the idea that it is an "experiment."  B)

 

For $162 shipped + paint and glue, what have you got to lose?

post-58280-0-22660000-1453745105_thumb.j

 

Here is a link to "The Fusion 4 is an amazing sounding speaker" on AVSforum.com (more pictures)

 

post-58280-0-98140000-1453745930_thumb.j

 

I don't know of any Klipsch products which are a direct competitor (4" drivers in a compact box)  to this DIY speaker.  This speaker was specifically designed to address the exact space problems you have.

 

post-58280-0-29900000-1453746298_thumb.j

Edited by wvu80
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could attach some L brackets to the wall just over the mantle or something similar to accommodate a speaker the size of the Academy or C-7, if so desired. I don't how it would affect a speaker over the long term if the fireplace is used often. 

Edited by shiva
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just my .02 worth.  +1 raise the Heresy's off the floor to get the mids and tweeters closer to ear level.  I'm not sure if your exterior walls are 2x4 or 2x6 but you could cut into the wall and gain the inches you need by boxing that wall area in to accommodate the depth of the larger center, making the inset tall enough to be able to angle the center down slightly to better hit your listening position.  You could also replace the mantle with a deeper one, or alter the one you have to protrude out farther than the ends of the mantle, to accommodate the center. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you don't use the fireplace while watching movies...how about another Heresy right in front of the fireplace on the hearth? You could mark the hearth where it is supposed to go so it is readily re-doable, and move it when you want to use the fireplace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...