How much higher than ear level can a center channel speaker be before it sounds bad or strange? I know I would have to angle it down toward my ears. Currently my screen is up to my ceiling because it's only 6' 8" tall, and my speaker below it. I'm thinking of lowering screen about 8" and putting center speaker above screen. That would allow my new projector to use less keystone correction, or none at all. Thanks.
Center speaker with front projector setup
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Several things to consider:
1. Where are the L/R speakers in relation to the CC. If you place the CC above screen, (angled down), you'll want the L/R speakers close to similar height, (and also angled down.) This will keep the front soundstage at similar height and ensure that pans across the front soundstage don't move up and down as they move across the soundstage.
2. If the CC is placed close to the ceiling, it will get a disadvantageous bounce off the ceiling. Placement of an absorptive panel on the ceiling, above and in front of the CC, will help reduce the smearing of the imaging caused by the very early reflection.
3. Elimination of keystone correction will have a significantly beneficial effect on picture quality, and is worth the compromise of above-the-screen CC placement, IMO.
Craig
1. Where are the L/R speakers in relation to the CC. If you place the CC above screen, (angled down), you'll want the L/R speakers close to similar height, (and also angled down.) This will keep the front soundstage at similar height and ensure that pans across the front soundstage don't move up and down as they move across the soundstage.
2. If the CC is placed close to the ceiling, it will get a disadvantageous bounce off the ceiling. Placement of an absorptive panel on the ceiling, above and in front of the CC, will help reduce the smearing of the imaging caused by the very early reflection.
3. Elimination of keystone correction will have a significantly beneficial effect on picture quality, and is worth the compromise of above-the-screen CC placement, IMO.
Craig
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I second everything craig said.
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The majority of the midrange and below coming from standard front-firing speakers is omnidirectional, meaning it will radiate in all directions. Try standing next to one of your speakers, or even in back. You can still hear everything except the highs above a certain frequency (which depends on baffle width and other factors). Sure some of that energy is bouncing back from around the room, but a lot of it is wrapping around the speaker also.
Depending on what type of acoustic tiles those are, it may or may not help very much. Link? Either way I would probably suggest adding some diffusion or absorption, or both, on the ceiling at the first reflection point. Otherwise you can get some nasty comb filtering and muck up your center channel clarity.
If you're happy with your sound with your center below and the L/R halfway up, you may be fine with the center above and the L/R where they are. If not, try moving them up. Depending on how high you move them, you may need to treat more ceiling space.
The majority of the midrange and below coming from standard front-firing speakers is omnidirectional, meaning it will radiate in all directions. Try standing next to one of your speakers, or even in back. You can still hear everything except the highs above a certain frequency (which depends on baffle width and other factors). Sure some of that energy is bouncing back from around the room, but a lot of it is wrapping around the speaker also.
Depending on what type of acoustic tiles those are, it may or may not help very much. Link? Either way I would probably suggest adding some diffusion or absorption, or both, on the ceiling at the first reflection point. Otherwise you can get some nasty comb filtering and muck up your center channel clarity.
If you're happy with your sound with your center below and the L/R halfway up, you may be fine with the center above and the L/R where they are. If not, try moving them up. Depending on how high you move them, you may need to treat more ceiling space.
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Angling it down will help, though it depends on the dispersion of the loudspeaker. And acoustical tiles are usually fairly absorbtive so that also will help a great deal. It appears like putting the speaker in that location will work quite well for you, given the circumstances.
Angling it down will help, though it depends on the dispersion of the loudspeaker. And acoustical tiles are usually fairly absorbtive so that also will help a great deal. It appears like putting the speaker in that location will work quite well for you, given the circumstances.
A lot is going to depend upon you.
I have the three front speakers about 1/3 down from the top of the screen. When the apparent sound source is substantially laterally displaced from the actor on screen I notice the discrepancy. When there are extreme close ups with the actor's mouth near the bottom of the screen I notice the discrepancy. And when I notice these things I am mildly annoyed.
I may be more sensitive than most because I have spent may years and thousands of hours attentively listening to classical music, live and via decent equipment. YMMV big time. I have read that many people do not sense a phantom center channel. If you have not developed the habit of listening for spatial aspects of the performance you may not be sensitive to these things. If you are as I am then speakers above and below the screen are a bad idea.
I have the three front speakers about 1/3 down from the top of the screen. When the apparent sound source is substantially laterally displaced from the actor on screen I notice the discrepancy. When there are extreme close ups with the actor's mouth near the bottom of the screen I notice the discrepancy. And when I notice these things I am mildly annoyed.
I may be more sensitive than most because I have spent may years and thousands of hours attentively listening to classical music, live and via decent equipment. YMMV big time. I have read that many people do not sense a phantom center channel. If you have not developed the habit of listening for spatial aspects of the performance you may not be sensitive to these things. If you are as I am then speakers above and below the screen are a bad idea.
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