How To Install Two Center Channel Home Theater Speakers
You ever have that one question that never really goes away? You think you’ve answered it for the last time. It’s been years since you’ve heard it. But suddenly, it is back. How to install two center channel speakers in one system is that question for me. It was popular for a while when home theater projectors started to come down in price. It’s starting to pop up again because large flat panels are getting affordable. So, how do you install two center channel speakers in a home theater and why would you want to.
Why Two Center Channel Speakers
There are a lot of reasons someone might think they need two center channel speakers. Normally, it is because they have a very large screen and they think they need a second speaker to augment the first. Sometimes, people notice that their center channel speaker isn’t keeping up with their left and right speakers. This could happen because they purchased smaller center channels or simply because they have fairly low-quality speakers. It could be because they are having problems understanding dialogue and they think the second center channel will help.
Regardless of the reason, they almost never have enough room under the screen for the second center speaker. So they want to know how to install the second center speaker above the screen. It makes sense. If you have two speakers (left and right) they can create a phantom center speaker. If they install two center channel speakers above and below their home theater screen, surely this will do the same!
Look in the Mirror
If you look in the mirror, you’ll notice your two ears. They are spaced out horizontally. When a sound comes from the left speaker, it hits your left ear first and then your right. Plus, because of your head, the sound that enters the right ear is altered. The same is true in reverse from the right speaker. Your brain recognizes all these differences and uses them to locate sounds. Your ears face forward, so your brain is good at doing this from the front. Less so from the back.
Now, when you install two center channel speakers in your home theater, it is totally different. Both ears get the top center speaker information and both get the bottom. There is very little difference between the two. This doesn’t really help your brain locate the sound in between the two. Not only that, since the sounds that are both coming at you are identical, the frequencies can interfere with each other (called comb filtering). This can distort the center channel information and actually make things sound worse. For these reasons, installing a second center channels speaker is rarely the solution one might think it would be.
But HOW do you Install Two Centers if you REALLY Wanted To?
If you are sold on installing two center channel speakers in your home theater, it is easier than you think. Buy a second, identical speaker. No, you can’t mix and match here. If you are insisting on doing the thing that I don’t think you should do, you’ll need identical speakers. Install them above and below your screen. No, don’t push the one below the screen into a cabinet. They both need to have essentially identical placement. Wall mounting is best. If you can’t wall mount, the mounts that hang a speaker below a TV wall mount do just as well to put one above. Just make sure that your wall mount can take the extra weight.
Now, you are going to wire these two speakers to each other and to your center channel output on your receiver. Yes, your receiver can handle the load. No, it won’t blow up. Don’t worry. You will be wiring them in series.
To wire them in series, we are going to wire as such:
Receiver Red -> Center 1 Red
Center 1 Black -> Center 2 Red
Center 2 Black – Receiver Black
In the end, you’ll have a red wire that goes from the red terminal on the receiver to center channel one, a black wire that goes from the black terminal on the receiver to center channel two. And a third wire that connects the two speakers together.
But, Seriously, Don’t Do This
Sure, you can install two center channels speakers in your home theater, but you shouldn’t. You are unlikely to realize the “better” sound you want. Instead, spend your time and money on stuff that will really help. Work on your room acoustics. Adjust the placement of your center speaker. Heck, just buy a better center channel if the one you have isn’t working so well. Two bad speakers don’t make one good one.
LOL, thanks, Tom! I wasn’t planning on installing a second center channel, but I *do* have trouble making out the dialogue, so I thought, when I saw the title of this article, “Huh. I wonder if that would help,” and opted to read the article.
Got my answer… “No.”
Good one! 🙂
Pete, if you are having problems understanding dialogue, check out this article. It might help!
THIS IS WRONG…. ARTICAL ABOVE STATES BELOW
To wire them in parallel, we are going to wire as such:
Receiver Red -> Center 1 Red
Center 1 Black -> Center 2 Red
Center 2 Black – Receiver Black
WHEN WIREING THIS WAY IT IS CALLED SERIES.
RON. Thanks for the comment. Not sure how I got my wires crossed to mess that up. It has been fixed in the article. THANK YOU.
The reason I’m looking into adding two center channels is that the display is mounted to stone work above a fireplace.
I cannot add a speaker above or below the display. Had hopes of adding two in wall in dray on each side of stone work in hopes of creating “phantom” center channel effect.
Are there other Op[tions I should look at?
If you are going to use two speakers on either side of your display, why not just use the ones that are already there and create a phantom center? If your left and right speakers aren’t much further apart than your dual center speakers would be, this seems to be the easiest answer. I would at least try the phantom center before installing two more speakers.
HI, I did set up two center speakers in my system, not like you suggested in series, but with a separate amplifier connected to the pre-out. The time alignment loss is negligible. The sound improved much more than I anticipated, even though the center I added was a cheap an crappy one:.-) I have tried processors at 20k$ that did a less of a job improving my center stage. For note my system is not cheap, it retails at 200k$ combined. So I can highly recommend trying this out, start with a speaker you have laying around, try the series set-up, and then try the separate amp set-up if you have a spare amp:-)
I hope that there is no confusion pertaining to the terminology and the practicality of wiring multiple speakers. Especially two.
I am in no way a audiophile guru. Actually I am back into the loop as a 21st century audiophile and am diligently schooling myself to no end. ( at least 2 hours a day studying and learning the ways of the audiophile world.
Anywho from what I have learned the best way to connect 2-3 speakers is in parallel. Anything amounting to 3 or above the best way is to connect the speakers in parallel/series.
A personal observation is when going to install speakers in parallel/ series, depending on the size of the room be prepared to waist a crap load of speaker wire.
Personally I would move the earth as it sits to avoid wiring speakers in parallel/series.
Now I would like to ask the question of two center speaker installation. While I understood the original answer but I would like to try a duel center speaker set up but by placing the additional center speaker to the rear of the listening area. Off the top of my head I believe a ‘volume issue’ would be of concern so would there be a way to avoid the volume issue or can I solve it with placement?
Like I said, I am new back into the game and I like to experiment but without blowing myself or my system up. ( I have another story to how I reinserted myself back into the audiophile world but that story is for another time )
Let us know how putting a second center speaker at the back of your room sounds.
I have two center channel klipsch RC3 series II sitting side by side on top angled down series/parallel wired and works perfect pretty much 46″center channel only reason i used two is i already had 2 center speakers and did not want to buy another center also perfect match to all my speakers so this can work if you have the space to do it just my 2 cents
Yes! That is my problem exactly. I want to put the 2nd center speaker near me so I can hear it better. My wife sits much closer to the tv than I do …thus I need more volume.
How would that work.
My reason for considering adding a 2nd center is more visual aesthetics. I have a 77″ LG C2 in a stone and tile framed TV box set into a wall. The TV box was initially designed to allow the Polk S35 center channel to sit below the TV. I was interested in running two Polk S35 speakers side-by-side under the TV to “fill in” the space under the TV better. However, it will still leave 18″ or so of open space.
Polk S35 = 24-7/16″W (48-14/16″W with two)
LG C2 77″ = 67.8″W
If I’d be hurting my audio performance, then I’ll skip. But, if it does add a little more fullness and dialog clarity, I may try it out.
That’s an interesting idea. If it were me, I’d install the single center but then cover the opening under the TV with a speaker grill cloth covered frame. It’d look like one big speaker (like it was installed in the wall or furniture) but you wouldn’t risk the issues covered above. Plus, it’d be a lot cheaper.
I too have two center channel speakers, both driven by separate amps with volume control. With a large 85 inch tv in my moderate size room (330 sq ft) I think the content from the center channel is greatly improved. With one speaker either high or low, I always noticed location. With over under arrangement much better sound in my room. Imaging seems perfect, no blur.