Center Speaker sitting directly on RPTV? (1 Viewer)

[Brian David]

If anyone could tell me if this is permissible, I'd appreciate it!!!
My center channel speaker is a JBL S-Center (weighs 15lbs). It will be sitting on a Panasonic RPTV (PT-51HX42).
I am just concerned about damage to the picture quality, vibrations and the weight of the speaker directly on the TV itself...
Thanks for the input!
-brian

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Not usually a problem. My DefTech center (about 25 lbs) sits just fine on mine.

Suggestion:

- Get rubber door-wedges to make "feet" and give the center speaker some downward tilt. Having the speaker point right at your head is desirable. Pink rubber erasers, wheelbarrow innertubes and even paper-back books have all been used with great success. Just get the speaker body up off the TV cabinent to avoid vibration issues.

- Pull the center speaker FORWARD so it over-hangs the TV face by about 1/4 inch.

Hope this helps.

 

[David Materazzi]

I bought a 60" widescreen a few months ago. I put my center speaker on top and it didn't seem to have any problems. Recently I built a bridge that connects my 2 cabinets over my widescreen and now I have my center speaker on that. Also using it to display knick-knacks.
Now, my aunt and uncle had their center speaker on top of their 31" tv and it discolored the top of the tv. I don't know why. I'm thinking it was the heat of the tv being trapped under the spaker to cause it.
I don't know about any of your systems but my speakers don't throw off any heat. I told them to remove the center and build some kind of shelving above the tv.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

What your aunt and uncle need is some aluminum foil! - The speaker that they are using is not shielded, and so the magnet on the speaker is causing their TV screen to mess up, because it is driven by magnets too.

It might work if they place some folded up foil between the speaker box and the top of the TV, or even better would be to put the foil as a liner inside of the speaker box (and securing it so it won't get loose and connect the wires inside) - or they could just buy a speaker that is listed as a shielded speaker, and not an unshielded one.

Glenn

 

[Michael Reuben]

I second Bob McElfresh's excellent suggestion, but let me add one more:

After you've tilted the center speaker and pulled it forward, make sure that it's still securely in place. Use rubber feet, velcro, or some other means to ensure that vibrations don't cause it to slip forward and fall off the TV. I wasn't careful about this, and it cost me a new center speaker.

M.

 

[Mark Shannon]

What your aunt and uncle need is some aluminum foil! - The speaker that they are using is not shielded, and so the magnet on the speaker is causing their TV screen to mess up, because it is driven by magnets too.

I have one question...(not that this pertains to me, but in general)

does a RPTV work on the same principle, whereas if a powerful enough magnet were placed on the edge, would the same discolouration occur as with a Tube television?

 

[Michael Reuben]

Yes, a powerful enough magnet will distort an RPTV. It's usually not a big issue with center speakers placed above the screen, because the relevant electronics are farther from the top edge than in a typical tube set.

Now floor-standing subs are another thing . . .

M.

 

[Jon Gum]

Brian -

You should be OK. I have a 57" Hitachi and I called them specifically on this issue as I was trying to figure out where to put a 35lb center (Boston VR-12). They recommended the max weight for 57" at 15 lbs. As it looks like you have 51" (or is it a 42" - sorry I am not familiar with the Panny TV's), you should be fine.

If you do a search on this topic you will find that some people have wrapped the top of their sets by putting stuff on top of them. If you are nerveous about it, one of the recommendations that I liked was to get a piece of MDF and cut it to fit the top of TV. Wrap it in matching felt or paint it and put the speaker on that. In this manner, the weight of the speaker is more evenly distributed across the top of the TV.

Good luck,
Jon