Using TV as center channel speaker ?

[geek101]

Can I do this by simple plugging in center channel pre out to TV rca input ?.

Large TVs leave no room for a proper center channel placement when optimal viewing angle is considered.

Anyone doing this ?. Are recent TVs good enough to be a center channel only speaker?.

 

[kemmler3D]

I think this should work. Depending on the TV, it might be a reasonable replacement for a low-to-mid tier center channel speaker. Not all speakers are created equal and that's doubly true when they're built into something.

I think you have a good point on the space constraint.

I say give it a shot and see how it sounds. Also, if you have a UMIK it might be interesting to see measurements!

 

[Berwhale]

Looks like newer Sony TVs support this configuration... https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00201071

 

[madrac]

Maybe put the TV on a riser/stand and fit a center under it, if the tv speaker doesn't cut it. Depending on the center, may be able to set the TV directly on top of it.

 

[geek101]

Looks like newer Sony TVs support this configuration... https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00201071

That’s nice of Sony. Wish other manufacturers adopt this.

 

[geek101]

Maybe put the TV on a riser/stand and fit a center under it, if the tv speaker doesn't cut it. Depending on the center, may be able to set the TV directly on top of it.

At 100” TV sitting 8ft away there is no room. Heck even my subwoofer is too tall

 

[DVDdoug]

I did that before with my older TV but I had to wire-up a relay to switch between the TV and my AVR.

It's been awhile, but I think I put the relay inside the TV with a little switch box to control the relay. I could have just used a switch but it would have meant more wires (outside of the TV). It was an old big rear-projection TV with bigger speakers and a bigger "speaker cabinet" than a flat screen, and plenty of room for the relay inside, and room for additional banana jacks on the back.

I haven't taken my flat screen apart and the speakers aren't as good so I've gone with a more traditional solution. (I have 5.1 and the rear speakers are different from the front "stereo" speakers, and the center is different from everything else.)

 

[DVDdoug]

At 100” TV sitting 8ft away there is no room. Heck even my subwoofer is too tall

A 100" TV doesn't go floor-to-ceiling.

 

[geek101]

A 100" TV doesn't go floor-to-ceiling.

My subwoofer is 29” tall and next to TV. I could move it to another area in the roof couse , my eyes are 39” from floor.

 

[jaakkopetteri]

I measured the response on my LG B9 once and it was quite smooth and flat except for the bass starting to roll off already at 200Hz. Can't find the measurements now, but I can redo it if anyone's interested.

I think a more interesting question is whether shallow on-wall type speakers would work well mounted to the back of a TV, assuming the TV is positioned on a stand with some clearance to the wall.

 

[rynberg]

No, no, just no. No modern TVs have any kind of decent audio system. Just run with phantom center.

 

[thewas]

I measured the response on my LG B9 once and it was quite smooth and flat except for the bass starting to roll off already at 200Hz. Can't find the measurements now, but I can redo it if anyone's interested.

Loudspeaker frequency response measurements of TVs can be found at rtings.com, for example

LG B9 OLED Review (OLED55B9PUA, OLED65B9PUA, OLED77B9PUA)

The LG B9 OLED is a remarkable TV with excellent picture quality that displays perfect blacks. It has excellent wide viewing angles, good SDR peak brightness, an...

www.rtings.com

 

[neRok]

Looks like newer Sony TVs support this configuration... https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00201071

I've got a Sony A80K with Acoustic Surface Audio＋™ feature, and it sounds very good for "just a TV". It probably goes great connected as per you article.

 

[Chrispy]

Only one I can think of is that special Sony setup as mentioned before. Otherwise tvs or soundbars don't function as what might be imagined as "center" speakers....altho might be nice perhaps if the "speakers" involved were worthy of inclusion in a more capable system....to me, not so much, just a s*its*ow.

 

[Head_Unit]

Are recent TVs good enough to be a center channel only speaker?.

As @rynberg says, NO. A friend who worked on at JBL on a lot of Revel stuff...Samsung bought Harman, he got laid off, he got hired by...SAMSUNG! and is now designing TV speakers. They are tiny drivers in sh!tty "enclosures" pointing the wrong way. Compared to real L/R speakers? No way not for any serious use. Though it is totally amazing how decent TVs sound considering the strictures on the drivers. I'm not sure how much DSP is being applied (and weirdly, neither was he...good excuse for another conversation...)

As for the large TV, I feel ya. Contemplating a 100" which will mean speakers up above the TV (this won't be the prime music listening area, more like a far-field setup. I'm moving the serious listening setup into the now-moved-out kid's old bedroom). I currently have towers below the TV but liked the aesthetics better without them when the house was being painted inside. Can you fit towers and deal with the look? Don't believe the nonsense that TVs should not be too high. Unless you're crazy close, tilt the top of TV down (which cut out some light glare for me), your neck looks UP *some* which is a lovely antidote to looking DOWN constantly at various small screens.

 

[ta240]

I've got a Sony A80K with Acoustic Surface Audio＋™ feature, and it sounds very good for "just a TV". It probably goes great connected as per you article.

View attachment 345337

It is the only built in TV audio where I sometimes look to the side of me to see what made the sound and occasionally think "dang neighbors with their loud... oh wait, that's me"

 

[Berwhale]

Only one I can think of is that special Sony setup as mentioned before. Otherwise tvs or soundbars don't function as what might be imagined as "center" speakers....altho might be nice perhaps if the "speakers" involved were worthy of inclusion in a more capable system....to me, not so much, just a s*its*ow.

So thinking about this. This feature needs to be implemented on the AVR, not the TV. You want the AVR to only return the centre channel over ARC/eARC. SQ concerns aside, this would then work with any TV.

 

[RosalieTheDog]

Personally I think the difference between TV audio and speakers is so big, that it could never give a more satisfactory result. I also don't really understand the space constraint regarding big tvs. Surely the width and depth can never be a problem, only the height. What problem is there to place the tv a bit higher or on the centre channel?

 

[Chrispy]

So thinking about this. This feature needs to be implemented on the AVR, not the TV. You want the AVR to only return the centre channel over ARC/eARC. SQ concerns aside, this would then work with any TV.

If the tv has stereo rca inputs I suppose you could split the avr's pre-out to them....then again with most tv speakers I'd just run phantom centers anyways (or find a way to do a proper center speaker).

 

[CapMan]

I tried a few thin lifestyle type centre speakers for aesthetic reasons and they never sounded right . I can’t imagine the TV speaker will be much different.

I ended up getting a more substantial Revel C205 which is so much better. Personal
Experience is that the centre channel is the one speaker that needs to be right.