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Center channel with projector TV


colterphoto1

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I'm in a HT design quandry. In my gallery/big screen room, I will have a Canon projector TV for my photo clients and wish to use this room as a 'nicey' HT for family viewing. My Cornwall/RC7 system for concerts and bang-bang movies will be in basement, so the gallery system doesn't have to terrorize the neighborhood. There will be a KSB1.1 system in the bedroom, so this will be the THIRD HT in the home, albiet the one with the largest screen. This is a nice, 15x20 room.

I'm thinking of either using my Maple RB3's as mains with Definitive Bipolar surronds, or just go nuts and put in big Klipsch towers RF7 or RF5.

The problem is this- with a pull-down 100" diag screen for viewing over an operational gas fireplace, where in the world do I put the center channel speaker? I'd just get a smaller cabinet and put it on the mantle, but the screen is not acoustically transparent (hey, I got it at a close-out for $150). Should I just resign myself to setting the centre speaker on a small angled stand in front of the fireplace when I want to do movie viewing? Thanks

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You could try going centerless (saying NO on center channel in your receiver/preamp) and see how that sounds. The preamp will create a phantom center. It can work under the right circumstances - your main listening area is centered between the speakers. If you get off axis very far, the phantom center effect won't work. Give it a try with what you have now and see if it works.

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After experiencing the wowing effects of a proper center speaker with RC7, I would hate to forego this important channel. Has anyone experimented with using a pair of center speakers on the sides of the screen? I'm thinking here of maybe positioning two in-wall speakers at the lower outside corners of the screen. Or would this just muddy the important dialog channel by creating time-delay effects for listeners seated off axis?

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I feel that placing a center speaker on an angled riser in front of the screen is perhaps the best way to go in this case. Other than the fact that you have to move the center speaker when you want to watch a movie, this is a better approach than having two speakers on either side of the screen, and no doubt cheaper in the long run. Having banana plugs on the speaker wire will make moving the heavy center and connecting it a lot easier than bare wire. Instead of a stand, where the center is elevated, try just sitting it on a riser ( like an angled wedge ). You can use an inexpensive laser pointer to aim the speaker so that the horn is aimed at the right height when seated. Just tape it to the top of the center, and turn it on.

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Nothing is more important to great HT than a center speaker that matches your left and right fronts. Since upwards of 75% of the total sound on modern DVD's, there is no way that a phantom channel can rival a proper center speaker. But, make no mistake, a phantom channel IS better than a wimpy center... even if it is a scaled down center designed to go with your left and right mains.

Some people have split speakers to put the bass bin on the floor where it gains strength... and the tweeters and midrange in horizontal custom enclosures (mounted at a downward angle) above the screen.

Making a horizontal center that is angled up from the floor works best when there is only a single row of movie seating. I have been using the laser pointer trick since before lasers were cheap. I have also used a Styrofoam head mounted at my usual "head in the sweet spot" location.

Oh, yeah, and 121 Hz sound at 20 Hz does wonders for HT as well. -HornEd

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Thanks for the advice gang. Per your responses, no, I really don't have the room for paired 'center' speakers at the sides or below the screen, and I despise the idea of foregoing the critical center channel (thanks Ed.)

I've decided just to be slightly inconvenienced and put an RC5 (just so it's not so damn heavy- the RC7 is a MONSTER) on an angled stand when doing critical movie viewing at this location. This system will mainly be used for clients viewing their photographs, so the stereo mains (+ maybe some surround effects) will suffice for the 'mamby pamby' muzak I play for consultations. When using the system for date-night viewing, it won't be so tough to drag the center into position.

Thanks for the laser pointer idea. I've been using the pythagorean theorum to calculate the height and angle of the wedge. laser much easier. For those forgetful types, here's my Dad's Purdue University Engineering version of the theorum:

"The hum of the hair of the two hides is equal to the hair of the hippopotamus hide."

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You say the screen is a pull down unit that will reside over a fireplace. If I understand the setup correctly, where does (will?) the bottom of the screen stop in relation to the fireplace mantle (I'm assuming you have a mantle). My thought is that if there is enough room, you could place the RC5 or RC7 on the mantle. If you don't have a mantle - even better. You can build one or buy one that can serve your purpose.

Just a thought.....

Tom

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On 3/10/2004 1:51:33 PM Tom Adams wrote:

You say the screen is a pull down unit that will reside over a fireplace. If I understand the setup correctly, where does (will?) the bottom of the screen stop in relation to the fireplace mantle (I'm assuming you have a mantle). My thought is that if there is enough room, you could place the RC5 or RC7 on the mantle. If you don't have a mantle - even better. You can build one or buy one that can serve your purpose.

Just a thought.....

Tom

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and a very good suggestion indeed that i have implemented more than once on installs.

my center channel is on the bottom of my tv stand. i haven't used my sony kv36XBR450 in a year since i got my sony pj,and will eventually get a KFL-20 and 'HornEd-zontilise' it into a center channel. i will probably remove the tv stand at that time and place the klf-20 on a really short stand or on the 'stage' that my equipment is on. the XBR 36 will go in the living room.

avman.

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The wall is pretty full with the mantle over the fireplace and the screen needs to come down past the mantle to avoid neck strain looking up at the screen.

I'm going to use the laser pointer idea for calculating the angle and build a custom roll-about cart for the centre speaker. Just to get artsy, I'm going to disguise the whole contraption as a wraparound brass fireplace screen, so it won't even look out of place when its in position. That way, it'll be in position to use most of the time. I'll probably be using it to watch movies more than i'll use the fireplace.

Just have to remember to remove the RC5 before pushing the remote button to light the gas fireplace logs! That'd be one hell of an expensive fire!

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