Quote:
Originally Posted by Ericvde /forum/post/15501602
I am buying the Yamaha 3900 or z7 and need some ideas on LR ceiling and matching center. (center will be placed on TV stand)
Speaker budget - $2500 max.
Thanks
First, let me apologize if this post comes across as overly blunt. I actually mean this in a most helpful way.
Having said that, it is ill-advised to spend the kind of $$$ you are talking about and then compromise the speaker positions so greatly. The front soundstage needs to be consistent and coherent. Music, dialogue, sounds that "pan" across the soundstage need to sound the same as they move from one speaker to another. If the speakers are different timbre, (and down-firing in-ceilings will, by their nature, be different timbre than a stand mounted, front-firing CC), those pans will *change* as they move across the soundstage. Add to that the height differential, and pans will totally lose their "lock-up" with the video image.
For example, if a car is moving left to right across the screen, the sound should move left to right across the soundstage. In your proposed system, the sound will move from
top left to
bottom center to
top right. This will be a totally unnatural movement of the sound, incoherent with the on-screen image. More importantly, the timbre, (or pitch), of the sound will change appreciably as it moves from speaker to speaker.
I would encourage you to use an all-stand-mounted system for the front soundstage, if at all possible. This will result in a much more cohesive and coherent front soundstage. If that is not possible, for practical, aesthetic or WAF factors, then an all in-ceiling system would be better than your proposed system. Alternatively, an all in-wall system could work also, (actually this would be preferable to the "overhead" imaging of an in-ceiling system.)
If you decide that you absolutely must use architectural speakers, (in-walls or in-ceilings), I would encourage you to use self-enclosed speakers. To understand why this is important, please read this article:
http://www.cepro.com/article/how_to_...peaker_systems
There are many choices of self-enclosed architectural speakers in your price range. Def Tech, Polk, Klipsch, Snell, Traid and others all make self enclosed architectural speakers.
Bottom line, the front soundstage is the most important part of the HT audio experience. Whatever you decide to do, make the front soundstage as consistent, coherent and cohesive as possible.
Good luck.
Craig