I’ve done this, it’s hard to get right, and imaging requirements are different for Video and Music.
first, forget which brand/models of equipment and clarify a lot, then go shopping:
A. WHAT and WHERE
a1. what equipment, future changes, future additions. AV and Music is a longer list for sure.
a2. access, operational heights, remote control beams, access to power and cables now and in the future, relocation’s. After a few months, you may realize ’we should have put this there’ ...
a3. most people want minimalist, not clarifying 1 and 2, resulting in a few or many less than ideal compromises.
B. CENTER CHANNEL,
b1. Center Channel is VERY important, did I say VERY important.
b2. Center Channel LOCATION. Best is directly below the image, to keep the source of dialog and most of the sound originating from the image. Many people compromise the center, don’t do it.
b3. Center Channel ’SOUND’. You can adjust the volume of any center, but, you want the ’sound’ of the center to properly blend with your mains, so pick your mains and center together, solving both location and look.
b4. Center Channel LOOK. The opposite of Children, they are to be ’HEARD BUT NOT SEEN’. I always recommend the TV have a black frame, so that any black bars in any aspect ratio are not ’framed’ by another color; framing black bars is what makes them so apparent and undesireable and leads to the horrible stretching of images. So, black center channel? Match color directly below the tv? You need to think this thru when seeing what is offered by various brands.
C. WIDE CENTER IMAGE.
c1. VIDEO, Center Speaker ON. you want a wide center image, lets say for 3 people wide on a sofa. With the . Perfect in the middle, darn good off center, this effects dispersion choice of the Mains.
c2. MUSIC: Center Speaker OFF. Normally not as wide, but, you will also be listening to music in that location, perhaps together, Perfect in the middle, darn good off center, this definitely effects dispersion choice of the Mains.
My solution, many years ago, was DBX Soundfield 100, designed specifically for wide center image. I don’t know who makes what these days.
https://www.google.com/search?q=dbx+soundfield&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS881US881&sxsrf=ACYBGNSGzU-U28ZflNViXJy6X4W5kDD4DQ:1580128617839&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=j_TtQ2SC3R3aKM%253A%252CjVjpjMyjCYeg8M%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTh5zjZZUFVmeuCD-28vz0F_qCHvQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_0tzn5aPnAhWjZDUKHVf1B0EQ9QEwBHoECAoQCg#imgrc=j_TtQ2SC3R3aKM:
D. FLEXIBILITY
d1. TOE IN. IF you cannot find current mains that produces a wide center by design, you can get the same wide center image from any stereo pair: toe them in directly facing the center spot. Move left, you are closer to the left, but the right is facing you more directly, the same principle as the DBX. It works.
d2. RELOCATION. You can remain flexible, IF you can easily adjust the position of your mains. Adjust just toe in, or, one location for Video, another location for Music. My mains are very heavy, on 3 concealed wheels, easy to adjust toe in only; and/or distance from walls as needed. 3 wheels find level without wobble, and divide the weight by 3 not 4, more lbs/sq. inch.
E. STEREO DIRECTIONAL BASS, from MAINS NOT SUBS.
e1. Best is to get enough bass out of your mains and skip subs. Not only for full range listening, both Video and Music, also to eliminate complicated controls of subs, especially if using separate amps for Video surround sound and a 2 channel amp for music.
F. REAR CHANNEL SPEAKERS.
f1. IMO, are the least critical, the exception being how to get wires to them. Most people run them too loud. Except designated effects, heliocopters coming in .... Generally you should not be aware of them, until you turn them off, then the image ’crashes’ to the front.
f2. Cable makes false surround, often 2 channel sounds better. I cannot count the times the sound improved when I changed the AV receiver to 2 Channel. It happily ’crashes’ to the front, as originally recorded/balanced/imaged.
first, forget which brand/models of equipment and clarify a lot, then go shopping:
A. WHAT and WHERE
a1. what equipment, future changes, future additions. AV and Music is a longer list for sure.
a2. access, operational heights, remote control beams, access to power and cables now and in the future, relocation’s. After a few months, you may realize ’we should have put this there’ ...
a3. most people want minimalist, not clarifying 1 and 2, resulting in a few or many less than ideal compromises.
B. CENTER CHANNEL,
b1. Center Channel is VERY important, did I say VERY important.
b2. Center Channel LOCATION. Best is directly below the image, to keep the source of dialog and most of the sound originating from the image. Many people compromise the center, don’t do it.
b3. Center Channel ’SOUND’. You can adjust the volume of any center, but, you want the ’sound’ of the center to properly blend with your mains, so pick your mains and center together, solving both location and look.
b4. Center Channel LOOK. The opposite of Children, they are to be ’HEARD BUT NOT SEEN’. I always recommend the TV have a black frame, so that any black bars in any aspect ratio are not ’framed’ by another color; framing black bars is what makes them so apparent and undesireable and leads to the horrible stretching of images. So, black center channel? Match color directly below the tv? You need to think this thru when seeing what is offered by various brands.
C. WIDE CENTER IMAGE.
c1. VIDEO, Center Speaker ON. you want a wide center image, lets say for 3 people wide on a sofa. With the . Perfect in the middle, darn good off center, this effects dispersion choice of the Mains.
c2. MUSIC: Center Speaker OFF. Normally not as wide, but, you will also be listening to music in that location, perhaps together, Perfect in the middle, darn good off center, this definitely effects dispersion choice of the Mains.
My solution, many years ago, was DBX Soundfield 100, designed specifically for wide center image. I don’t know who makes what these days.
https://www.google.com/search?q=dbx+soundfield&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS881US881&sxsrf=ACYBGNSGzU-U28ZflNViXJy6X4W5kDD4DQ:1580128617839&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=j_TtQ2SC3R3aKM%253A%252CjVjpjMyjCYeg8M%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTh5zjZZUFVmeuCD-28vz0F_qCHvQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_0tzn5aPnAhWjZDUKHVf1B0EQ9QEwBHoECAoQCg#imgrc=j_TtQ2SC3R3aKM:
D. FLEXIBILITY
d1. TOE IN. IF you cannot find current mains that produces a wide center by design, you can get the same wide center image from any stereo pair: toe them in directly facing the center spot. Move left, you are closer to the left, but the right is facing you more directly, the same principle as the DBX. It works.
d2. RELOCATION. You can remain flexible, IF you can easily adjust the position of your mains. Adjust just toe in, or, one location for Video, another location for Music. My mains are very heavy, on 3 concealed wheels, easy to adjust toe in only; and/or distance from walls as needed. 3 wheels find level without wobble, and divide the weight by 3 not 4, more lbs/sq. inch.
E. STEREO DIRECTIONAL BASS, from MAINS NOT SUBS.
e1. Best is to get enough bass out of your mains and skip subs. Not only for full range listening, both Video and Music, also to eliminate complicated controls of subs, especially if using separate amps for Video surround sound and a 2 channel amp for music.
F. REAR CHANNEL SPEAKERS.
f1. IMO, are the least critical, the exception being how to get wires to them. Most people run them too loud. Except designated effects, heliocopters coming in .... Generally you should not be aware of them, until you turn them off, then the image ’crashes’ to the front.
f2. Cable makes false surround, often 2 channel sounds better. I cannot count the times the sound improved when I changed the AV receiver to 2 Channel. It happily ’crashes’ to the front, as originally recorded/balanced/imaged.