Do you ...Center Channel?


Hello,

To me it is difficult to set a center speaker in the living room. Underneath the TV would be too low. On top of the TV (LCD) would be unpractical because in may case the center channel would be fairly big and heavy.

I imagine that most of you, living in homes with a dedicated room, you have no issue. How about all the others like me, with limited space, would you have the center channel at all and go with a four speakers setup and set the preamp to 'No Center'? Or would you compromise in some other ways?
Thanks.

Regards,
baam23f
For video, a quality center channel speaker really improves dynamics & realism vs. the crappy TV speakers, IMO. Plus, if you use timbre-matched L, C and R, you are further ahead of the game.

I just hung mine on the wall over the TV, w/supplied mounting bracket, tilted down at proper angle. My home theater is separate from my 2-channel big rig.
Well, after days of auditioning I decided that 'no center' works better for me. If sitting not too off-axis the sound is indeed more pleasant because the overall sound retains uniquely the quality of the front speakers that I like. The sound seems indeed coming from the TV (I realized that my new speakers focus very well) and not from the bottom or the top of the video image. Oslo is not boxy sound as my center channel did.
The only caveat: when playing a test dvd (avia) in Dolby Digital, while simulating a center channel during speakers level test (per-pro B&K set to no center), that simulated center signal through the mains sounded few decibel less loud compared to the rest of the system. Is that normal?
Thank you for your informative inputs.
Regards,
glad it's working for you...triode has it right. find some way to mount a center or even get a different speaker entirely. imo, the center channel is very important in anchoring dialogue during 5.1 movies, esp when off axis. what if you get guests that can't sit in position A or B? i also have seperate rigs but i swap out front speaker cables for dual use of mains R/L. the decrease in dec. in center will bother you down the road. center CAN be boxier sounding than mains but most dialogue is in center anyway and it is worth the tradeoff to me, esp when watching dialgue oriented films without big sound effects.
Does anyone know if the Outlaw Audio ICBM-1 can be used without the center channel in a 4.0 configuration for multichannel music?