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Plasma TVs and center channel speakers

I have been toying with the idea of getting a 42 inch plasma for my dedicated HT room. It will sit directly in front of a window on an outside wall based on the best layout for the speakers in the room so hanging on the wall is not really an option.

I have a Martin Logan Cinema center channel speaker which fits nicely on the 32 inch CRT TV that is in the room now, but it won't even come close to balancing on a plasma. Because of the window, I can't mount it on the wall either...

All the HT components sit in a 27 inch high 62 inch wide six compartment custom piece of cabinetry, so a fully new rack designed for plasma is out of the question.

Anybody out there have any ideas on how to keep the center channel speaker above a plasma. Somebody must make a stand for placement behind the TV that will hold the center channel speaker above it, but I can't find any such thing.

Have even toyed with suspending the speaker on steel cables from the ceiling, but don't really want to go to that much trouble, and have 20 - 30 pounds dangling above a $5k TV...

Thanks

Mitch
128x128vermonter
slappy
903 posts
 
Why do you require it above the TV?

Can you not build an adjustable stand on the 27/62 custom rack to hold the ML center channel and have it just below the plasma with a slight upwards tip?

I guess you might be placing the plasma on top of the rack, but i got the impression you would be hanging the plasma.

If the plasma is on the rack, just place the speaker in front of the plasma and slightly elevate the plasma so the center channel does not block the IR sensor.

Personally i preffer the center channel just below the TV with a very slight upwards angle. I think it sounds a bit more natural there than on top. Plus then you dont have to worry about friends/kids/pets knocking it off of your TV
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Just an idea, but a plasma display is a big flat sheet of glass that would reflect sound very well. Someone should make a compact audio driver designed to sit just below the screen and aimed back at the glass, not out at the audience. ("Boseian"). This would certainly cause the dialog to be where it belongs, on the screen.
sjorgensen
34 posts
 
I think it was last Sunday's PARADE magazine that had the
question "How do ventriloguists 'throw' their voices?" The
answer was something along the lines of: they don't really, but humans see the lips of the dummy moving and naturally place the voice in the mouth.

Morale: I wouldn't worry about the "exact" placement of the center. Try it in a number of places and see what you think. My M&K Center is at least 12" off to the left of the scene, and my brain doesn't know the difference.
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