Center Speaker Radiation

[CTS]

I have a large flat panel Plasma TV over the fireplace and the current wall mounted center speaker (7"H) is partially blocked by the bottom of the TV so only about 1/2 the speaker is exposed. The distance from the mantle to the bottom of the TV is 5"H. In addition the bottom grill is flush with the 6" D fire place mantle. This configuration I believe is the cause of my center speaker dialog being muddled and difficult to understand with soft voices. Technically I believe the geometry of the speaker placement exit is altering the speakers exit impediance and in addition there are reflections off the mandle ledge and bottom of the TV.

My proposed solution is to purchas a TL3 (if they are ever in stock) or TL2 center speaker sound bar. I could set this on the mantle or mount it inside the wall just like the current large speaker. (It will fit with no struts present)

Here are my questions:
1) Do you think the single channel speaker bar is a good solution?
2) Do you think mounting flush inside the wall is a good idea? If so, where can I get a long narrow grill to put over the dry wall?
3) What if I used a multi-speaker sound bar and looped the signal through the TV so all channels would be present from the sound bar as well as my existing surrond sound 5-speaker system (with the old center deactivated)?
4) Do you have any other suggestions to fix this problem with the center speaker dialog?

Thanks.

[tommyt21]

uggg a flat panel mounted above a fireplace..... Thats just bad juju from the get go

[CTS]

The TV is not on the chimney. There is a drywalled air space between the hidden chimney and the interior wall. No heat problems. Thanks for your comment however.

[tommyt21]

The TV is not on the chimney. There is a drywalled air space between the hidden chimney and the interior wall. No heat problems. Thanks for your comment however.

Thats not what I was referring to. Mounting at the improper hieght makes the tvs pic look like crap. You may be able to solve your speaker problem by trying a creative rearrangment of your gear on another wall. I ment no offense its just mounting above a fireplace which many people do is not a ideal location.

[tonyb]

Most like the looks of a tv over a fireplace, but it's not ideal for viewing. Plus if it's a wood burning FP, forgetaboutit. Pics tell the story, if you can upload a pic of what your talking about, maybe we can better help. If you need a shorter center, I think Def tech has one as well as Paradigm that would gell with everything. Maybe some others too I'm not aware of.

[Anthony Hinton]

It's fine if you get the angle right.

[tommyt21]

It's fine if you get the angle right.

it still is not ideal

[CTS]

Thanks I will check out the Def tech and Paradigm system.

The concern others have expressed about viewing the TV is not an issue. I have a new Panasonic Plasma 3-D TC-65VT50. The TV is mounted and tilted above a gas-burning fire place that is very well isolated from the heat or reflections (the mantel is perhaps 2-feet above the fireplace opening. It is easy and comfortable to view the TV from any angle in the room. The TV viewing is not the issue.

The issue is the previously built in surround sound system, which would be a major project to rewire and relocate. The location of the theater system is ideal right now. The Panasonic Plasma 3-D TC-65VT50 is very large (65" diagonal). Its height is 35.1" and it is 2" thick. This distance from the top of the 6" mantel to the ceiling is 42.5". That is there is theoretically 7.4" space available. Give some slop-space it is probably more like 6.75". I believe that to play it safe and for circulation, the TV should be perhaps 1" down from the ceiling. So the distance from the mantel to the bottom of the TV is 5.75"

In addition, as I mentioned above the mantel is 6" deep. Cutting out the drywall there is an addtional 5.5" until one hits the fireplace brick hidden behind the drywall. That is the total theoretical depth for a speaker could be as much as 11.5" by extending out of the drywall to the edge of the mantel. The speaker width can be very wide as the dry wall space behind the TV contains no struts.

So in summary, I am looking for suitable center (single channel) speaker that is LESS THAN 5.75H x 11.5D x ???W, if the speaker sits on the mantel. If the speaker is wall mounted (such as the current speaker that is too big), then the depth should be less than 5.5"D including the grill.

Can you recommend some good quality candidate speakers that fit within these envelopes?