Need SUPER SLIM REAR channel speaker

[Serpicode]

I need an budget-minded ultra-slim speaker to go behind my couch to serve as the rear-channel speaker in my 6.1 set-up. Don't care how tall or deep it is, but.........the width of it's face (the speaker side) must not exceed 3-1/2 (three and one-half) inches. Anyone have any suggestions?

[This Guy]

Not many descent speakers exist that have those demensions. If you hooked one up there, it may detract from the overall listening experience. I know what you're trying to do, and it's not worth the trouble because I tried. You're going to make it face upwards right behind the couch, and between the wall behind it right? I used a BIC Venturi DV32CLR speaker, it tapers to 3.5" in the back where you connect the wire to the terminals, and it's face plate is 4.5" wide. I got it for $20, great for the price. But again, I found that it really didn't add anything to the listening experiece, my two surround speakers did the job fine. But that would be the speaker to try if you absolutely want to do this.

-Joey

[Serpicode]

Thanks for the advice This Guy. Yes your right, that was exactly what I was planning on doing. My thinking was that I have 115 unused watts at 8 Ohms available to that sixth channnel. I don't want to waste that potential. I take it from your stated experience that you feel adding a small up-firing speaker behind the couch would do nothing for the overall sound eh?

[NickWH]

This is about as slim as it's going to get:

http://www.cambridgesoundworks.com/store/category.cgi?category=spk_center&item=c1ctrp1e&type=store

[This Guy]

Well you may benefit from it. My room is very small, 10' wide so my two left and right surround speakers create the rear center effect if I sit right between them. It could help if you have a wider room than this. What size is your room, and what receiever do you have?

-Joey

[cam]

Thanks for the advice This Guy. Yes your right, that was exactly what I was planning on doing. My thinking was that I have 115 unused watts at 8 Ohms available to that sixth channnel. I don't want to waste that potential. I take it from your stated experience that you feel adding a small up-firing speaker behind the couch would do nothing for the overall sound eh?
You are not really losing that wattage by not using that center rear channel. Your receiver will have a common power supply for all channels so if you leave that 6 channel dormet your other 5 channels will perform better. I also have a center rear channel I do not use. I tried it and I personally found it distracting. I have 11 ft. behind my couch and a sound pressure meter and I just could not get that center rear speaker to sound good. IMO 5.1 is better then 6.1 especially if you have to mickey mouse your system just to incorporate a center rear speaker.

[Bryan]

If you really wanted a center perhaps a used Bose center speaker (eBay, yard sales, pawn shops) would work though I am unsure how it would sound in your system.

[Serpicode]

I have a fairly big room, 18' deep by 24' wide. But my couch is against the wall (and my wife won't let me move it). I have an easy 7' feet on either side of my couch before you hit the wall. Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm just a little disappointed......what's the point of having 6.1 if your not gonna use it, ya know!

[Woochifer]

I have a fairly big room, 18' deep by 24' wide. But my couch is against the wall (and my wife won't let me move it). I have an easy 7' feet on either side of my couch before you hit the wall. Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm just a little disappointed......what's the point of having 6.1 if your not gonna use it, ya know!

Got bad news for you ... with the couch against the wall, you're better off without the rear center speaker. Ideally, in a 6.1 setup you would have three identical surround speakers at the same height and same distance from the listening position. You can compensate for a rear center speaker that's closer to you than the others by adjusting the levels and delay timing. But, if that speaker is only inches from your ear, the speaker will not blend in with the other speakers, and in any surround setup, you want as seamless an encirclement effect as possible. Tonal mismatches, improperly set levels, and incorrect delay timing, create gaps and shifts in the surround effect. Using a nonmatching speaker in a jerryrigged position will only create a distracting sound, not a convincing surround effect.

With a sofa against the backwall, you'll have to resort to improvised methods of accommodating the rear center speaker, and every one of them (e.g. mismatching thin speaker, speaker right behind your head, speaker pointed down from ceiling, etc.) will likely result in a sound that's notably WORSE than sticking with a 5.1 setup. Just because your receiver has a feature on board does not mean that you have to use it at all costs. Focus your efforts on properly calibrating and positioning your 5.1 setup. You'll get lot more performance by doing that than by obsessing about jamming a square peg (rear center speaker) into a round hole (a room with a sofa against the backwall).

[Serpicode]

Thank you for the advice. I'll just stick with a 5.1 set-up then.