Placement of HTM2D center Channel

[spykids777]

Hi,

I have a 11inch ledge over the mantleplace where I want to put a HTM2D center channel. Anyone tried to make a cutout / alcove above the mantle and push the center channel in about 4-6inches into the wall? Will it affect the sound quality?

Thanks

[dukester]

Hi,

I have a 11inch ledge over the mantleplace where I want to put a HTM2D center channel. Anyone tried to make a cutout / alcove above the mantle and push the center channel in about 4-6inches into the wall? Will it affect the sound quality?

Thanks

Congrats on the HTM2Di...nice speaker. I have not tried to imbed it into a wall. I would think you'd have too much bass since it's rear ported. Are you not able to put it on a floor stand (fireplace get much use)? Ideally the ctr ch should be the same distance to listening position as mains. How far into the room are your 803's placed?

[spykids777]

Congrats on the HTM2Di...nice speaker. I have not tried to imbed it into a wall. I would think you'd have too much bass since it's rear ported. Are you not able to put it on a floor stand (fireplace get much use)? Ideally the ctr ch should be the same distance to listening position as mains. How far into the room are your 803's placed?

Well I have not purchased it yet. I am really really interested in it. I have the HTM4D for now but since I just got it the dealer will let me trade it in. The 803D are around 7ft apart. I thought the HTM2D are not rear ported rather straight firing. That is why I was hoping it might work. All I need is maybe just 4-6 inches recessed in so that it does not overhang my fireplace mantle. Reg in front of the fireplace - it will have no WAF!!

[dukester]

Well I have not purchased it yet. I am really really interested in it. I have the HTM4D for now but since I just got it the dealer will let me trade it in. The 803D are around 7ft apart. I thought the HTM2D are not rear ported rather straight firing. That is why I was hoping it might work. All I need is maybe just 4-6 inches recessed in so that it does not overhang my fireplace mantle. Reg in front of the fireplace - it will have no WAF!!

Understand the WAF...tough predicament. The HTM2D's size/weight alone may nix that idea anyway...it's a beast.

As far as distance, i meant how far from the rear walls are the 803's? I ask only b/c i wondered if the disparity in distances would've had a negative affect on sound quality. Just something to think about when positioning your front 3.

[spykids777]

Understand the WAF...tough predicament. The HTM2D's size/weight alone may nix that idea anyway...it's a beast.

As far as distance, i meant how far from the rear walls are the 803's? I ask only b/c i wondered if the disparity in distances would've had a negative affect on sound quality. Just something to think about when positioning your front 3.

The dist between front plane of center and the front plane of 803d is about slightly less than 1foot. I could set a timedelay in the main speakers.

[stuofsci02]

I think I would rather have the HTM4Di out in the open then have the HTM2Di stuff away like that. IMO center channels are one of the hardest to get sounding correct. Even the lip of an entertainment console can be a problem.

[spykids777]

I think I would rather have the HTM4Di out in the open then have the HTM2Di stuff away like that. IMO center channels are one of the hardest to get sounding correct. Even the lip of an entertainment console can be a problem.

Even If the way I plan to do it will have the plane of TV in line with the plane of center channel? When outside the speaker will be 1ft in the front of the TV.

[stuofsci02]

Even If the way I plan to do it will have the plane of TV in line with the plane of center channel? When outside the speaker will be 1ft in the front of the TV.

Do you have any pictures? I think I would prefer it in front of the TV..

[spykids777]

Do you have any pictures? I think I would prefer it in front of the TV..

HOw do I post a picture in this forum?

[dukester]

HOw do I post a picture in this forum?

When you reply to a post, scroll down to where you 'Manage Attachments', 'Choose File', highlight your picture, then 'Upload'.

As for your ctr ch, I don't think having it on the same plane as your monitor is critical...I would probably focus on having it on plane with your mains...but seeing a pic will definitely help.

[spykids777]

I was talking tm my friend who has a HTM2d - he has the back firing pots plugged with the foam plugs since it is sitting very close to the back wall and is using him amp to crossover the lower frequencies to his sub. Does this defeat the purpose of HTM2D and make it behave almost like the HTM4D?

If I were to make an alcove under the TV and push the HTM2D in by about 6 inches - will I have to defeat the back firing ports with the foam plugs to decrease the "boominess" since they will be firing into the closed alcove?

[stuofsci02]

It would make sense that the HTM2Di would have a slightly better midrange, but after listening to the 805Di I believe the HTM4D would be a fanastic center as long as listening volumes are not ear popping and the bass is cutoff at 80hz.

I would really try to avoid putting your center in an alcove.. If you are going to do that, basically the alcove becomes the speaker. I would bet my left %&* that even the HTM62 (at $400) would sound better on a free stand or console then the HTM2Di would sound tucked into an alcove..

[dukester]

I was talking tm my friend who has a HTM2d - he has the back firing pots plugged with the foam plugs since it is sitting very close to the back wall and is using him amp to crossover the lower frequencies to his sub. Does this defeat the purpose of HTM2D and make it behave almost like the HTM4D?

If I were to make an alcove under the TV and push the HTM2D in by about 6 inches - will I have to defeat the back firing ports with the foam plugs to decrease the "boominess" since they will be firing into the closed alcove?

I'm not sure the plugs have the ability to reduce the HTM2Di to a HTM4Di...at least I hope not 8O I would audition the HTM2Di (plugged/unplugged) before you make any more decisions...especially if you plan to modify your home.

[sg2]

Hi,

My HTM2D is set level with the 802D's heads, which after some experiments is the best place to benefit from a good blending of the soundstage.



Not shown on this picture is a projector screen which drops from the ceiling just in front of the plasma, so that the three speaker's tweeters are just a few inches below the screen's bottom border. This configuration yields a really immersive soundstage: when watching a movie, you really feel that the voices come from where they should on the screen.

I have also plugged the foamies into the back ports, because it helps dampening the (first, horizontal) room mode that the HTM2D is as much able to excite as the 802D's. I really wish B&W would deliver foam plugs for the bottom ports of the 802D's too... as it would definitely help killing the room mode resonance without resorting to an equalizer.

All speakers are set to large; I don't use a sub (it is thusly a 5.0 configuration), as I've never been able to blend a sub in such a way that it make as seamless a soundstage as running it 5.0. The Focal sub at the bottom right is connected to the plasma's sub output, which enables a real full range sound from the plasma when it is used alone, without the big speaker's output.

The HTM2D is truly an extraordinary center speaker, because after testing several alternatives, this was the best one at delivering dialogue material in such a way that we never make any effort to understand what is said (let's say the HTM2D delivers the best dialogue understandability I've heard thus far).

PS: this picture is a few years old. Today, the electronics are my prehistoric Dual 1210 turntable, a DENON 3800BD, a Squeezebox Duet to stream my audio collection, a parametric equalizer which I use to tame the sub-200 Hz room modes, a DENON 4308 AV receiver which I only use as a volume controller for 2 channel, and as an AV stream decoder for HT, and DIY Pass amplifiers for the 3 front speakers. The two back speakers are powered by the 4308's internal amps. The projector is an Epson 1080p Cinema. This system has been stable for the last 3 years or so, and it works a treat: there is nothing I would like to change since then.

[spykids777]

Hi,

My HTM2D is set level with the 802D's heads, which after some experiments is the best place to benefit from a good blending of the soundstage.



Not shown on this picture is a projector screen which drops from the ceiling just in front of the plasma, so that the three speaker's tweeters are just a few inches below the screen's bottom border. This configuration yields a really immersive soundstage: when watching a movie, you really feel that the voices come from where they should on the screen.

I have also plugged the foamies into the back ports, because it helps dampening the (first, horizontal) room mode that the HTM2D is as much able to excite as the 802D's. I really wish B&W would deliver foam plugs for the bottom ports of the 802D's too... as it would definitely help killing the room mode resonance without resorting to an equalizer.

All speakers are set to large; I don't use a sub (it is thusly a 5.0 configuration), as I've never been able to blend a sub in such a way that it make as seamless a soundstage as running it 5.0. The Focal sub at the bottom right is connected to the plasma's sub output, which enables a real full range sound from the plasma when it is used alone, without the big speaker's output.

The HTM2D is truly an extraordinary center speaker, because after testing several alternatives, this was the best one at delivering dialogue material in such a way that we never make any effort to understand what is said (let's say the HTM2D delivers the best dialogue understandability I've heard thus far).

PS: this picture is a few years old. Today, the electronics are my prehistoric Dual 1210 turntable, a DENON 3800BD, a Squeezebox Duet to stream my audio collection, a parametric equalizer which I use to tame the sub-200 Hz room modes, a DENON 4308 AV receiver which I only use as a volume controller for 2 channel, and as an AV stream decoder for HT, and DIY Pass amplifiers for the 3 front speakers. The two back speakers are powered by the 4308's internal amps. The projector is an Epson 1080p Cinema. This system has been stable for the last 3 years or so, and it works a treat: there is nothing I would like to change since then.

Hi,
Thanks for your input. I like your setup. Have you had a chance to compare the HTM4D with the HTM2D?

Also the fact that HTM2D has the same 350Hz - 4Khz crossover as my 803D make it better (clearer sounding dialogue) than the HTM4D which crossover freq of 4KHz since with HTM4D when I raise the vol all the freq below 4Khz has to be produced from that single central speaker which means mor distortion also?

[sg2]

Hi,

No I haven't had the chance to listen to a HTM4D. Yet looking at this speaker :

- it is a 805Di with a bigger box & two ports. Thus it should have all the qualities of a 805Di plus deeper bass (but the essence of said quality is more in the midrange and treble)

- it does not have the stupid horizontal Medium-Tweeter-Medium arrangement that most other brand's center speakers offer. This is the key to dialogue intelligibility, since two medium transducers arranged horizontally inevitably generate interference fringes, which are the source of muddiness (obviously some speaker designers have not understood that a "d'Appolito" arrangement CANNOT be horizontal...)

I would say that the HTM4D should blend well with 800 series front speakers up to the 804D, maybe the 803D also, but the HTM2D is a more coherent choice with 803D up to 800D's.

But I will wisely add that the best decision would be based on an in house listening of both sepakers, at your listening seat, with your electronics

[BassThatHz]

Going from +1 to -5 inches won't make much difference because it should ideally be several feet out from the front wall in an ideal universe.
Reality says: most cannot support such a configuration.

My front speakers are all exactly 2 feet from the front wall, that sounded best for me YMMV; however they are behind my screen in movie-mode and the screen isn't acoustical transparent either... Oddly enough, I think I might actually prefer that to the direct radiation approach.