has anyone done a center channel before? audiolife, zane?? anyone???

[MxRacerCam 10+ year member]

hello everyone...

i have a question. i'm considering adding a center channel to my 95 ford ranger. why? i want to get the soundstage up a little higher, and cement the imaging a little more towards the center. my current setup: boston pro 6.5's in the stock door locations (about halfway down the door) with the tweeters mounted 3" up from them on the doors. they are being run by a JL 300/4 (75 watts to each tweeter and woofer) off a clarion deck. my plans... i have a set of old polk audio speakers. they are these little teardrop things. a 3" woofer and 1" tweeter on each. i'm thinking of sinking them into my dash in the center, and then wiring them opposite (i.e. left speaker gets right side signal, right gets left). i think i have heard of this being done before. my question is.. has anybody run this or have an opinion of how it would sound? i'm going to power them off the deck initially, then maybe buy a small amp to run them if it pans out. and no, i don't want to mount the bostons in kick panels. i'm almost 6'3" and i need all the legroom i can get. so let me have it. tell me what you guys think!

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[jlaine 10+ year member]

Do you have a spatial processor to include a center channel? If not, how do you intend on keeping your left and right imaging proper?

Honestly, IMO, the only good a center is for is for car video... 5.1 systems and the like...

I don't like rear fill either... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[mykeys 10+ year member]

5.1 is already making its way into homes on CDs...And some of the competition CDs are going to be on 5.1 in the near future..Dont know it I like having music all the way around.. but only if the music calls for it.

Mike

 

[MxRacerCam 10+ year member]

besides putting the speakers in the kicks, what else can i do to help my soundstage then?

 

[LoneRanger 10+ year member]

That's a really good idea! As small as the interrior of the ranger is, a center channel would make a helluva difference in sound image. However you manage to sink the speakers into the dash, let me know......i'd like to try it on my ranger.

I don't personally know of any car audio crossovers that include a "center" channel, but I think you're on the right trail by switching the left and right chans.

Another idea would be to amp the "center channel" speakers, and instead of running a distinct left and right, just run the amp on mono and use a Y connecter on the RCA's (2 females, 1 male).

One more thing....

You might want to change the location of the tweeters. I have a set of MB Quart 5.25 components, and i had a plate made to accomodate the set in the factory 5x7 holes. When i listened to it, it seemed that the midbass being so close to the tweeter seemed to drown it out a little too much for my taste. To remedy this, I simply relocated the tweeters to the A-pillars (the bar between the windshield and the windows), that way they're about eye/ear level when you sit down. It's a 20 minute job that made a world of difference in the sound quality of my ranger.

 

[budgetSQ 10+ year member]

speaking of 5.1, diamond makes a 50x5 + 200x1 amp that looks pretty sweet.

I sure as hell dont need it, having only 3 speakers in my entire car, but what the hey?

 

[zane 10+ year member]

I am of the opinion that a well designed system should not require the use of rear fill or a center channel speaker. The kick pannels provide the optimum location for your speakers; in determining the best soundstage by making the signal paths more even in distance to your ears. Moving your speakers from the doors to the kicks should also set your soundstage farther forward which is what you said you are wanting to do.

This, IMO- is your better option. I really see no benefit to running a separate center channel. As jlaine has pointed out allready too, a DSP would be needed to accurately enhance the center channel so niether the left or right is too overbearing.

I personally see this as an extra obstacle, and also an unnecessary one.

take it easy,

-zane

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

imo outside of video (which has a definate stage and to enjoy it to level x they try to make you feel like you are there.....apart of the scene then surround sound is cool) 5.1 sound in audio to me sounds over processed and is a comercial trend to gain sales of new items while saying ok we give up makeing a perfect speaker. 5.1 in a car as well as car theater is a "backseat" item as it is distracting the driver if up front and personally i dont wanna hear someone watchin porn 4 cars ahead of me lol. a perfect system would have 1 speaker (low # point sources) and produce everything. also imho you shouldnt ever need more than 7 point scources (subs xover at same frequency =1 source point) a natural sound doent have a "rear" channel a center or anything of the sort....the rear is ambiant meaning a natural echo if you will. correct location, cross over points and installation of your speakers will grant you the sound you desire espeacially if realism and a natural REAL sounding system is desired...some installers and trendy users will argue my point..but to me they just changed their technology thinking by giving up on the already known.......speakers are the weak point and they are makeing strides they are just slower at it than with the other audio components cause there is ALOT envolved with building a perfect speaker...electrical and a heap of physics....

 

[MxRacerCam 10+ year member]

you know, i've always been of the same theory that fewer speakers means better imaging, but... some compromised must be made. i would rather not put them in at all, but i don't have legroom for kicks (and do they sound that good when you're actually in the car? it seems like the sound from the drivers side speakers would hit your leg). oddly enough, i don't have a problem with left side bias, it's reasonably even to me. more than anything, i want to raise the soundstage. at any rate, these polks have their own little housings, so i may just hook them up and throw some velcro on them, just to prove to myself that it will sound crappy //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif i always have to find out first hand, ya know? anywho... give me some more feedback on kickpanel mounting (q-logics?), and your experiences with them (and the subsequent loss of legroom).

thanks for your help guys, i really appreciate it!!

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

crossover points and eqing along with volume controls can adjust your heigth dis agree about kicks and there is also the #1 way to improve imaging you left out besides kicks....horns!!!

 

[MxRacerCam 10+ year member]

lol, i can't argue about the horns, but i haven't the time or the money //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif what do you disagree about the kicks? tell me!! i want to hear it! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

your leg wont eat them...

 

[soundgy45 10+ year member]

I got 2 alpine spx-137a and made a fiberglass mold in dash. It helps a lot and when I plugged it into my processor and tweaked time correction and stuff it sounded bad ass. Remember when you measure for time correction measure straight up and reflect off windhsield instead of direct cause thats the way the sound'll run.

Also, I got a seperate amp for it. Throwin 50 watts to each set.