Using a 3rd Bookshelf as a "vertical" center channel

[Marksas]

After revisiting this article from years ago i'm thinking of buying a 3rd Motion LX16 speaker to go along with the other two to use as my center channel. It will be place smack dab in the middle of the other two on the same media cabinet. Anyone else do this?

http://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/vertical-vs-horizontal-speaker-designs

this too…

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=89614

 

[R.I.P]

After revisiting this article from years ago i'm thinking of buying a 3rd Motion LX16 speaker to go along with the other two to use as my center channel. It will be place smack dab in the middle of the other two on the same media cabinet. Anyone else do this?

http://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/vertical-vs-horizontal-speaker-designs

this too…

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=89614

I have not listened to LX 16 but sound quality should be similar to Motion 15. I use Motion 15 and have listened to them for more than a year.

I would not recommend using a LX 16 as a center channel. I would advise you to purchase a center channel loudspeaker from the Motion series, viz. Motion 30.

Motion 15 has adequate tweeter, solid bass but perhaps vocals are not that prominent. A center channel designed specifically to recreate the midrange vocals may in my opinion do a better job than LX 16.

Just my subjective opinion.

Have fun!

 

[|Tch0rT|]

I would not recommend using a LX 16 as a center channel. I would advise you to purchase a center channel loudspeaker from the Motion series, viz. Motion 30.

A center channel designed specifically to recreate the midrange vocals may in my opinion do a better job than LX 16.

You didn't read the links. Horizontal MTM designs are bad for sound quality, it caters towards WAF and aesthetics preference over sound quality. The TL;DR version: Two drivers on the same plane horizontally that play the same frequencies causes a lot of comb filtering and lobing. The Motion centers are probably not as good as a single LX16, I think they're all 2 way MTM, if they were 2.5 way MTM it would be better.. The Motif and Stage's are better since it's just lower midrange with the two drivers on a horizontal plane playing the same frequencies but those are much more expensive than the LX16's.

To the OP, I'd do it if you can get away with it without blocking the screen. Keep it vertical if you can too. I'm pretty sure there's a guy on the Official MartinLogan's thread on AVSforum that uses LX16 for his LCR, it's either him or his son I can't remember exactly.

 

[Marksas]

You didn't read the links. Horizontal MTM designs are bad for sound quality, it caters towards WAF and aesthetics preference over sound quality. The TL;DR version: Two drivers on the same plane horizontally that play the same frequencies causes a lot of comb filtering and lobing. The Motion centers are probably not as good as a single LX16, I think they're all 2 way MTM, if they were 2.5 way MTM it would be better.. The Motif and Stage's are better since it's just lower midrange with the two drivers on a horizontal plane playing the same frequencies but those are much more expensive than the LX16's.

To the OP, I'd do it if you can get away with it without blocking the screen. Keep it vertical if you can too. I'm pretty sure there's a guy on the Official MartinLogan's thread on AVSforum that uses LX16 for his LCR, it's either him or his son I can't remember exactly.

I have room for the LX16 below the TV, about 15"-16", our TV is mounted up pretty high and angled down slightly. I had to do this years ago because our 'entertainment' unit/furniture is taller than most at 38 1/2" tall by 5' wide. My fronts sit as far to each side as possible with the center channel in the middle of the two. It's the only place in our room really for the fronts because the doorway is only a foot and a half to the right of the unit, which is why i have to have bookshelf style speakers, otherwise a right side tower would continually get bumped by people entering the room.

Back to the center channel…in regards to lobing, etc…someone mentioned that the Motion 30 and 50XT uses different crossover frequencies for the two woofers to help avoid this, making it more similar to a 3 way, but unless i found a really killer deal somewhere, both are out of my price range for the near future. So that leaves me with either the Motion 8, Motion 6, possibly another ML series center channel off the used market, or another brand entirely which i'd rather not do.
One concern i have about purchasing a 3rd LX16 is resale value if i'm not happy with it as my center, reselling a single speaker is harder than selling a center channel, but if i am happy with it and it serves many years than that won't be an issue really.

 

[Marksas]

…so my plan for a matching Martin Logan Motion LX16 for my center channel has been foiled…sort of. Crutchfield ran out of stock, but ended up scoring a single used Martin Logan Motion 35XT for about the same price. It's not the same, but very similar, in fact i think (or hope) it will perform even better as a center since it has the larger 6.5" woofer vs the 5.25" of the LX16 and can go a little deeper.
I think i'll even like the fact that it's physically larger in appearance as well rather than having 3 identical speakers sitting close to each other.
We shall see...