|
The primary job of a center
channel speaker is to accurately reproduce the majority of the on screen dialog from TV programming and movie soundtracks.
An in-wall center channel speaker will usually look and perform at its best when flush mounted horizontally
in the wall directly below a wall mounted flat panel HDTV or front projector
screen. If you prefer installing the center channel speaker behind the projector screen so it
sounds like all the dialog is actually coming from the screen, be sure to choose a perforated projection screen
that allows sound from the center speaker to pass through it unimpeded.
The reason that THX certified speaker systems (such as the Klipsch, Polk Audio, and Sonance THX Ultra2 speakers on
this website) use a center channel speaker that's identical to the left and right main speakers is to achieve
perfect timbre-matching across the front sound stage. Even if you aren't installing a THX Ultra speaker system, you should definitely consider buying 3 identical in-wall speakers for your left, center, and right speakers. Often sold individually, they are often referred to as LCR speakers because they as designed
to be used as Left, Center, and Right speakers. Another acronym you will sometimes see in your
speaker comparison shopping is MTM, which stands for Midrange-Tweeter-Midrange,
the typical speaker configuration in most center channel speakers. While a center channel speaker usually sounds best
mounted horizontally, be sure to install the left and right speakers vertically to the sides of your screen. At a bare
minimum, we recommend that the same manufacturer, or better yet, same series of in-wall speaker be used for your center speaker as the rest of your
surround sound speaker system, except for subwoofer. |
The SpeakerCraft AIM LCR 3 in wall speakers pictured above feature an MTM configuration with dual 5¼" pivoting aluminum/magnesium woofers and 1" pivoting aluminum/magnesium tweeter. They are sold as a pair or a single speaker. The recommended AIM LCR speaker enclosure is sold separately.
JBL HTI-55 in-wall center chanel speaker
|
