Modifying the layout of speakers ?

[jay1st]

Hi all,

Is it reasonable to modify the layout of speakers in a cabinet without creating havoc with the "musicality" (Xover)?

In other terms, I have ordered this kit :

And would like to make it like this :

So to make it a horizontal HT Center speaker.



Tnx.

[BHTX]

It'll have a negative impact on the frequency response, particularly off axis.
Aesthetics is only reason people tend to design center channel speakers in this horizontal configuration. Other than that, I don't think there's really any positive attributes, only negative. On top of that, your front channels should all be identical.

[jay1st]

All identical ?

That's not possible, I need to have the center smaller than the mains.
And ,I think, it's like that everywhere ?


Anyway, I'll drop the idea as do not have any equipment to analyse the speakers and create a good Xover.

Tnx

[hpolkerman]

You don't really need an identical center, just the same units and crosspoints, and you'll be fine.

The center primarily takes care of the voices in movies.

You can change the setup of the speaker to a center, but I would modify the dappo setup, they do have a bad vertical (laying on the side a bad horizontal) off-axis response. And keep the BR at the back of the speaker.

What you could do is play with boxsim a little, and leave the low-pass away from the two FRS8's and remove the F8 bass speaker. Then change it to an 2.5 way speaker. In this way you should keep a simple and decent (looking) speaker.

Just play with boxsim, and try to keep the FRS8/CP13 crossover point of about 4800Hz the same.

Are you going to build the front and the back of the VOX80? Then you could allways try putting one of the backchannel speakers on the side as a center and leave the backchannel out and give it a try... If you don't like it, give boxsim with the 2.5-way a go.

[BHTX]

Originally posted by jay1st
And ,I think, it's like that everywhere ?

Yes, you're right..it is. And it's wrong.

Acoustically transparent screen.. the only solution imo.

[jay1st]

Tnx hpolkerman, I'll give a try just to use the MTM speakers and see what happens.


I did give a try with boxsim, but my german is very lousy.
So that means I'll have to re-do the filters and mod the position of the tweeter to break-up this MTM configuration to avoid the lobing.

If I like the original VOX80 I might make more to be used as rear+lateral chanels (7.1 amp).

Acoustically transparent screen.. the only solution imo.

But I already have a set of B&W LM1 as front speakers.........


BTW, I used to live in holland 4 years, Haarlem, with a couple of trips to Groningen.

[FullThrottleRic]

Originally posted by BHTX
Acoustically transparent screen.. the only solution imo.

Yep, why doesn't anyone make an acoustically transparent plasma yet?!

jay1st - MTM's are fine used as centre speakers, just so long as you use them vertically

[BHTX]

Originally posted by jay1st
But I already have a set of B&W LM1 as front speakers.........

Best thing to do is.. get a third LM1.
If you have to buy in pairs, do that, and sell one.

These speakers are fairly small..

[jay1st]

Yeah, good solution.

But wife want's something "slim" underneath the LCD.

No way to put a normally sized speaker.
And the LM1s were on sale very cheap, and she likes Bose's cubes, and I think they are crap.