# Can tweeters be used for a center channel?



## Buickmike (Aug 10, 2012)

So I ended up putting my Coustic XM-5e in my Grand National to benefit from having a variable crossover. I'm thinking of adding the center channel, but the only place that makes sense would be inside the center AC vents. I could put a couple silk dome tweeters I have in there. Does anyone think this will work? I'm asking here because center channels are definitely oooold school.


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## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

it would be pretty pointless


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

Strike One... No proper center channel processing.
Strike Two... Tweeters will not play low enough for a center channel.
Strike Three... There is no need for a strike three.


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## Onyx1136 (Mar 15, 2009)

Not enough of a useable frequency range to really do anything. A properly processed center channel needs to play down to at least 100hz.


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## Lycancatt (Apr 11, 2010)

this crossover doesn't generate surround sound/upmixing/logic 7/whatever most of yall are used to. it does some summing and phase trickery to generate a false center, and to be honest I've never liked it because it scewed staging really badly usually. having said that, the tweeters wouldn't play low enough as stated above, but because this isn't a full range center channel output for dialog/tons of info, a small 2 mid might be usable if you don't expect a ton of output.


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## Buickmike (Aug 10, 2012)

I've actually seen tweeters used solely as center channel in old CA&E articles, but it never really made sense to me. I figured I'd ask.


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## PPI_GUY (Dec 20, 2007)

Buickmike said:


> I've actually seen tweeters used solely as center channel in old CA&E articles, but it never really made sense to me. I figured I'd ask.


Back in the day (early 90's) I actually tried this. Mounted them in A/C vents, aimed them at the center of the windshield, messed with an early JVC DSP and just about anything else we (me and a local shop installer) could think of. Only had minimal success with using tweeters only. There was a hint of a center channel with the vent mounted setup but, it was thin and far from full. 
If you find yourself bored and with a few extra minutes, you can try it with a cheap set of tweeters and 2-sided tape sometime.


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