Matching L/C/R but have to put center horizontally?

**dradius** · **09-25-09, 02:24 PM**

I've read a couple articles and convinced myself I want to use the exact same speaker for my L/C/R. That speaker being the Infinity p362
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-892WLNR...62-Silver.html

What if I go with a regular (non-AT) screen. Would you guys still buy a third tower to use as your center, even though you'd have to lay it on it's side?

The 'real' center channel that goes with these speakers seems pretty nice, so part of me thinks I should just get the real center http://www.crutchfield.com/p_108PC35...0&ssi=0&tp=189

I don't care about looks, they will be in a false wall. I'm just curious if the tower will sound weird being on its side

Thanks

**Kal Rubinson** · **09-25-09, 02:41 PM**

Asked and answered on another forum or two. Putting the tower horizontal is a mistake. The "real" center is not much better than most but preferable to putting the tower on its side.

**dradius** · **09-25-09, 02:44 PM**

Right, I asked this on AVS and you are the only one who responded. I definitely appreciate your response, but I'm looking for more than just your thoughts.

**Jungle Jack** · **09-25-09, 02:46 PM**

Hello,
If your speakers are going to be hidden, without question, go with identical speakers for all 3.
Center Channels are always a compromise compared to the Mains. To have a situation where you can have your front stage match perfectly in a rare one. An awesome one.
Cheers,
JJ

**recruit** · **09-25-09, 04:10 PM**

If you have not bought the speakers yet consider a Sat/sub system as with high quality monitors you can get matching LCR speakers, my M&K S150's are perfectly matched but they also do in wall versions, other makes to look at would be Triad or James loudspeakers which all do in wall versions, worth considering for a discrete but high performance speaker system...

**tonyvdb** · **09-25-09, 04:23 PM**

By laying the tower on its side you change the imaging of the speaker and thus your no better off (usually worse) than simply buying a proper center channel speaker that is designed to be on its side. Put in understandable terms, The main issue is the tweeter and driver location. By putting on its side the driver and tweeter are in the wrong location and can cause cancellation of some frequencies and other issues.

**Jungle Jack** · **09-25-09, 04:49 PM**

Hello,
Did the thread title change? When reading, I was under the impression that the speaker acting as the center channel would be placed vertically.

Otherwise, I am in total agreement that a speaker meant to stand upright should not be placed on its side.
Cheers,
JJ

**nova** · **09-25-09, 05:29 PM**

My first suggestion would be to go with an AT screen. I would not place a P362 horizontally.
How much room will you have under the screen? Another option, that "I" think is much better than laying a P362 on its side would be to use the much smaller PC350 (oriented vertically rather than horizontally) and placed under the screen angled up to your listening position.

**dradius** · **09-25-09, 06:18 PM**

Thanks for the responses.
No, the thread title didn't change

I'm not going AT, and there won't be a whole lot of room at the bottom of the screen

The 350 looks like a nice center and gets great reviews, so I'll probably just go that route. If I can stand it up vertically I definitely will, but I don't think it'll work.
Thanks again

**Kal Rubinson** · **09-25-09, 08:07 PM**

Quote:

dradius wrote:

Right, I asked this on AVS and you are the only one who responded. I definitely appreciate your response, but I'm looking for more than just your thoughts.

If you want a technical explanation, you can search on AVS (or here or Google) where it has been explained many times, generally (but not always) in threads about the inadequacy of MTM center speakers. The physics is similar.

**jackfish** · **09-26-09, 10:30 AM**

I'd look for the Infinity Beta C360 instead. It has always been the best center to use with the Infinity Primus P362s. I know they are discontinued but one should be able to find one with a little time and hard work.

**Andysu** · **09-27-09, 02:37 PM**

Quote:

dradius wrote:

Thanks for the responses.
No, the thread title didn't change

I'm not going AT, and there won't be a whole lot of room at the bottom of the screen

The 350 looks like a nice center and gets great reviews, so I'll probably just go that route. If I can stand it up vertically I definitely will, but I don't think it'll work.
Thanks again

What do you mean won’t work? Cinemas have been doing for decades since the dawn of sound 1927 The Jazz Singer. Okay maybe 1940 Fantasia (fantasound).

If you ask me they should be placed vertically that’s how it is in the dubbing stages and cinemas.

My JBL Control 5’s are all placed vertically.

I have friend that has mismatching (B&W CC6 centre) and it sounds ghastly because the tone is miles off I mean db off! It’s dull and lifeless over the (DM601 left/right) where the crossovers don’t match.

Yeah its outputting too much in the mid range and less on the high range. It smears over left/right with poor half-panned sounds!

Its worse in Dolby stereo pro-logic because it needs to be turned up due to the nature of crosstalk over the left/right front.

I told him many times. (Get matching LCR) but I think the salesman got to him first and sold this centre channel nonsense to him.

He thinks a matching speaker for the centre will look silly because its standing on top of the TV. (Well LCD flat screen now)! It doesn’t look no bad than how it sounds.

You only have to listen to the pink noise cycling around the room. Left HISS centre Hiss right HISS surrounds hIss. What a mess!

Anyhow if you happen to have a video projector that gets rarely used then (towers) yes all placed up vertically will look super cool. Otherwise you’d might as well place all LCR horizontally, now then!

**dradius** · **09-27-09, 04:09 PM**

I hadn't heard that about the beta being a good match for the primus towers. i'll look into that, thanks.

what i meant by it won't work, is that the infinity center is about 2' long, whereas i'll only have about 9 inches at the bottom of my non-AT screen. so if i stood it up vertically more than half of it would be blocked by the screen.

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