What's wrong with keeping a center cannel speaker vertically?

[sip]

I bought a Athena ASC-1 today but it is too big for my TV wall unit. I.e. I cannot keep it horizontally, either on a shelf or on top of the TV. At present, I have placed it vertically, beside the TV. So basically, my choice is to keep the Athena ASC-1 vertically, beside the TV or buy the smaller Athena C.5 center cannel speaker that comes with the Athena Point 5 speaker system. What shall I do? What's wrong with keeping a center cannel speaker vertically?

[sip]

I ment to say centre Channel.

[natronforever]

Personally, and I'm no expert, but I wouldn't worry so much about where you have placed your center channel. I doubt it matters tremendously how it is placed, whether horizontal or vertical. Nonetheless, I would make sure you place your main and surround speakers equidistant from the center channel, not from the center of the TV. I bet your only problem would be visual aesthetics, not acoustic quality. However, I'm sure there are many others, more knowledgeable than myself, who will provide further insight.

[sip]

Due to space limitations, I cannot keep the Athena ASC1 Center Channel speaker at an equal distance from the front speakers. To keep it at an equal distance from the front speakers, I have to place it on top of the TV, which I cannot do. So, when I keep it vertically, it is lot closer to left speaker than the right. BTW, I do not have rear speakers.

[topspeed]

A speaker that was designed to be placed horizontally will suffer dispersion problems when not placed the way it was intended. You want your CC to be in the center of your tv because that is where all of the dialogue come from. Being equidistant from the mains is all fine and good, but if your set-up doesn't allow that don't you think it's better for the voices to actually seem like they are coming from the picture and not two feet to the left?

You should consider buying a small, dedicated CC stand that will place your speaker on the ground in front of your tv. This would seem to be the most ideal solution.

Hope this helps.

[shokhead]

Due to space limitations, I cannot keep the Athena ASC1 Center Channel speaker at an equal distance from the front speakers. To keep it at an equal distance from the front speakers, I have to place it on top of the TV, which I cannot do. So, when I keep it vertically, it is lot closer to left speaker than the right. BTW, I do not have rear speakers.

Did you do any research or ask any questions about this stuff before you got it or got the stuff and then asked how to make it work? I'm no expert but i'm pretty sure no speaker maker suggests placing the CENTER on the SIDE. Its a center speaker for a reason.

[PAT.P]

I bought a Athena ASC-1 today but it is too big for my TV wall unit. I.e. I cannot keep it horizontally, either on a shelf or on top of the TV. At present, I have placed it vertically, beside the TV. So basically, my choice is to keep the Athena ASC-1 vertically, beside the TV or buy the smaller Athena C.5 center cannel speaker that comes with the Athena Point 5 speaker system. What shall I do? What's wrong with keeping a center cannel speaker vertically?

How tall is your TV wall unit ? Can you add your center on top of it or add a stand in front of your TV? Pat.P

[kexodusc]

You might try finding (or building) a small center channel speaker stand/mount. There's a few different styles out there...this might solve your problem.

[markw]

...check your manual on how to adjust the individual channel volume levels so all channels are equal. Today's receivers do a lot but getting the most out of 'em takes some larnin'.

You need to read those manuals if you're gonna get any real enjoyment out of 'em.

The net can't answer all your questions. You gotta give a little yourself.

[Toga]

Here is a list of manufacturer's specs for the Athena AS-C1:

* Flexible Design Can Be Oriented Either Vertically Or Horizontally Like A Traditional Center Channel
* 1" Teteron Tweeter Has A Specially Designed Faceplate That Allows Both Orientations
* Small Size & Magnetic Shielding For Placement On Top, Below, Or Beside Other Units
* Capable Of Handling 150-Watts Of Full Range Power For Rich, Full Sound Reproduction
* Dual 5-1/2" Injection Molded Polypropylene Woofers For Powerful Bass Response
* Bass Reflex Enclosure Provides Amazing Clarity And Sound Output Capabilities
* Dimensions: 7” x 17-3/4” x 9-1/2” (H/W/D)
* Weight: 18 lbs.
* Sold Individually

There is actually a problem with WHAT THE MANUFACTURER SAYS about their own product. Any D'Appolito driver arrangement (MTM, where a midrange is above or below a tweeter) takes advantage of the overlapping dispersion characteristics of a pair of midrange drivers. They make a "lobe", which is a flashlight-like focusing of sound on axis with the tweeter on the baffle. This only occurs in the dimension of the MTM array. What that means for you, is if you put ANY MTM array on its "side", and sit more than a few degrees off center, a BIG hole in the upper midrange response happens. Since a center channel is often refereed to as a "dialog" channel, actors will sound goofy unless you are sitting dead on to your TV. The purpose of a center channel is for when you are sitting significantly OFF axis of the stereo sweet spot. The dialog will still somewhat appear to be coming from the location of your movie image, and not just the speaker in front of you. If you're stuck in the sweet spot because you flopped an MTM on its side, you might as well not own one, and allow a strong center image from your stereo pair provide the dialog location for you.

After all this bad news, there ARE little stands or wedges that allow FLOOR placement for a center channel. They tip the speaker BACK so you are again on the centerline of the tweeter in the MTM array. You might have to move the speaker now and then to get into your cabinet, or you may trip over it, but it will sound much better.

[sip]

I placed the Center Channel speaker horizontally on top the wall unit, about 20 inches from the top of the TV. It is not located at the center of the TV, more closer to right front speaker. Is this arrangement OK?

[Toga]

Sounds like the speaker is close to the ceiling? Or is it a low cabinet? As I suggested above, try placing it on the floor, standing up vertically, BELOW your TV and right in front of it. Unless your TV is so close to the floor, it will be blocked?

[shokhead]

I placed the Center Channel speaker horizontally on top the wall unit, about 20 inches from the top of the TV. It is not located at the center of the TV, more closer to right front speaker. Is this arrangement OK?

Better Now aim it more at where you sit. I placed a couple of rubber door stops under the rear of mine to aim, it down more..

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

[COLOR=Navy]
There is actually a problem with WHAT THE MANUFACTURER SAYS about their own product. Any D'Appolito driver arrangement (MTM, where a midrange is above or below a tweeter) takes advantage of the overlapping dispersion characteristics of a pair of midrange drivers.

Now it highly depends on whether this speaker utilizes both drivers throughout the entire range crossing over to the tweeter, or like my center which rolls of the output of the upper speaker in the MTM design. If it rolls off, then there is little or no driver interference. Also driver interference highly depends on the distance between the drivers at which frequencies dips or peaks will occur.

They make a "lobe", which is a flashlight-like focusing of sound on axis with the tweeter on the baffle.

Actually a lobing is a cancallation of frequencies that happens because of different paths(distance) to the ear between the tweeter and midrange drivers. What you are describing is beaming, not lobing.

This only occurs in the dimension of the MTM array. What that means for you, is if you put ANY MTM array on its "side", and sit more than a few degrees off center, a BIG hole in the upper midrange response happens.

Correct. And this problem exist in vary degrees in every center speaker designed to be placed horizontally. Though some designers have gotten quite clever in that they push the bass/midranges as close together as they can to push the lobing above the crossover point, or they design the system as a three way, with the tweeter placed above the midrange.

Since a center channel is often refereed to as a "dialog" channel, actors will sound goofy unless you are sitting dead on to your TV.

Goofy is not really descriptive. Hollow and colored is more appropriate.

The purpose of a center channel is for when you are sitting significantly OFF axis of the stereo sweet spot.

It doesn't have to be signifiicant at all. It can be slightly, as any position off center line will change the time arrival to the ears.

The dialog will still somewhat appear to be coming from the location of your movie image, and not just the speaker in front of you. If you're stuck in the sweet spot because you flopped an MTM on its side, you might as well not own one, and allow a strong center image from your stereo pair provide the dialog location for you.

This IMO is not great advice at all. It is not really that harmful just to sit on axis if you know your speaker performs the best that way. If you think you had problems with lobing, split the signal between two spaced speakers, and you stll have lobing(around 2-3khz and there is no way to deal with it at all. You also have to deal with the fact that splitting the dialog reduces its output 3db. And if you sit off axis with no center speaker, dialog will pull to whatever speaker you are closest to. It no fun to hear dialog coming from just to the left or right of the screen. Very distracting.