I keep hearing about a center channel and For those of us that dont have a center console there is a spot at the center below the radio at the floorboards. It seems to be just plastic and could be altered to fit a 3 or 4in speaker. My headunit channels arent doing anything would you try and fit a set of low power speakers there or some kind of center channel and run it off both front channels on the headunit?

 

Well if its run from the headunit by splicing into both front speakers then both the front passenger and driver will lose the left-right sensitivity of the surround sound - left sounds will play to the left and right of the driver and right sounds will play to the left and right of the passenger.

So no, I wouldn't do this. You could though, wouldn't be to hard.

Also think about how your headunit would be splitting watts between 3 speakers now and not just 2 for the front, but still be splitting two for the rear. It would make your fronts underpowered compared to the rears, although from a sound standpoint its nothing a little fade wouldn't fix.

 

My rears arent hooked up and my 6.5 componets are running off an amp. All 4 channels are available, but yeah i understand what your saying about LR channels being messed up then. I doubt my pioneer has the capability of changing that to a center channel.

 

I wouldn't. Music is stereo, meant to be played from just the left/right. I think it would sound horrible.

 

Could I? Sure. Would I? Hellz no. First because of what Melov mentioned, and also why put a speaker near the floor and pull the stage down? You could pull it off with a center channel up on the dash ontop of the HU, but you need some serious processing to get it to sound good.

 

Leave the 5.1 to the Bose, THX, and Harmon and Kardon factory amplified systems. You'd get better sound putting that money towards a processor and running your fronts active.

 

COMPLETELY DISAGREE. Music actually should be played out of a 3.1 setup just takes a lot of work and most recordings arent made that way. (L/C/R/Sub)

 

Shouldn't music it be reproduced in the manner it was recorded? Where does the center channel get its source from? Decoded from the L/R, right?

Maybe its personal preference, but I like just plain old stereo when I listen to music... unless its recorded in 5.1, 7.1, etc. Listening to music processed into more channels (Dolby Pro Logic, etc.) just sounds unnatural to me.

 

First of all, Devils advocate is fun. I know I try to not do the forum thing... But, music shouldnt be recorded in that manner, the only reasons it is produced in that manner is most people dont care, and its more expensive. and you only have two ears (3 speakers on headphones would look a bit odd ). But a center should take over the middle (most times the lead singer and guitars). That would leave R/L to cover the outsides. This will lead to a better imaged setup and wider soundstage.

Now that is extremely hard to duplicate in car audio because the truck wasnt designed around the speakers but the locations designed around the truck. (needless to say they SUCK!) and to get a center channel to reflect and sound right wouldnt be worth the time and effort with most recordings being 2ch PCM. If you had the abilities to run a 3.1 or 5.1 DTS then yes by all means add a center and it would be .

 

Since i just wanted to use the vacant channels on my headunit, running 3.1 wouldnt be realistic. I just saw wasted space and wasted speaker channels and had an idea.

Ill save the center channel for my comp and surround