So, you recently bought a soundbar with a subwoofer but need help knowing where to place it? Is it the center or beside the couch? And how would different placement affect the sound quality and experience?
Subwoofers are crucial to a great sound system because they boost low-pitched audio and add excellent bass– it’s an easier part. The challenging part is figuring out where to place them to get the best sound.
Don’t worry! We have got you covered. This article will explain why subwoofer placement is essential and where to place the subwoofer with the soundbar.
Where to place subwoofer with soundbar?
So, where to place the subwoofer in the living room? Well, it depends on your room and your subwoofer. Subwoofers are often placed at the front or corner of the room, but it would be the best fit if you tried out different places to find the best sound.
Most people start in the corner since it is out of the way and can boost the bass response, but it can be too boomy in some rooms.
With a good soundbar, you should put it at the front because the bar’s small speakers don’t go very low in the frequency range. The soundbar will fill in those noises and make them more realistic if they’re next to each other.
Placement in music is sometimes unclear because bass tends to be non-directional. This makes it always difficult to tell where it’s coming from if you feel it rather than hear it.
However, when things like male vocals from a show or movie are in front of you, if there is a sub behind you, it could be simpler to tell that the sub is providing the speaker’s voice’s bass, which can be strange to hear coming from the back of the room.
Try out different placements; look up the bass crawl on YouTube or another website to see where it will sound best in your room. While it might not always be the most aesthetic or practical spot, it will bring you closer to your final placement.
Here are some tips and locations to find the best placement for your subwoofer:
Consider the cords
If your subwoofer needs to be connected directly to the receiver, be sure you can hide the wires wherever you put the subwoofer. It’s simple to trip on cables that are lying across the floor; over time, this might damage the connection between your subwoofer and receiver. Furthermore, exposed cables might become a chew toy for your pet or a tripping hazard.
Related: Best Soundbars Without Subwoofer
Best Potential Locations for subwoofer
Corners and Walls
A subwoofer’s output may increase if placed in the corner of a room, making the sub sound louder. See how it sounds by trying to position your subwoofer in a corner. Depending on your floor space, if the corner is too distant from your listening area, there might be better options for your subwoofer.
Also, the proximity of a sub to a flat wall might produce an unwanted, harsh sound. Corner placement provides good bass quality while keeping the subwoofer out of your field of view.
To give the sound waves room to move, you should place the subwoofer at least 6 inches away from the wall.
Front-Facing Placement
Most subwoofer owners prefer a front-facing layout with the speaker facing the audience as their preferred positioning option.
The subwoofer can be positioned along the same wall as your entertainment center or next to it. However, it would help if you didn’t place your subwoofer on or inside your entertainment center.
Rear Placement
Although there are better options for an audience, placing your subwoofer behind you can still produce outstanding bass for a single user. You will hear smooth, chest-vibrating bass tones with the subwoofer placed directly behind your seat.
Sub Crawl
This tip is getting on the ground and crawling, hence the name “sub crawl”! It will help if you put your subwoofer on the couch where you usually sit. A melodic bassline should play when you kneel and find the spot in your room where the bassline sounds and feels the best. Then, crawl there.
Holding your head close to the floor is essential while performing this. Once you’ve located the ideal spot, put your subwoofer there, and you’re ready to go!
Find a Sweet Spot
A subwoofer’s output can be increased by positioning it in the corner of a room, making it sound louder.
Its outstanding feature is that it may be placed practically anyplace on your floor area, especially if it’s wireless. There needs not to be a hard-and-fast rule for finding the right spot– it is a matter of personal preference.
Start by connecting the subwoofer and playing some bass-heavy music or a movie. Then, select a spot where you enjoy watching movies and listening to music the most. The subwoofer should be moved around until it sounds perfect.
If you are a party person or have a family together, make sure you check how the subwoofer sounds in the other spaces where listeners will be sitting.
You can always add a second subwoofer to even out the sound if you have a large space attempting to fill with smooth bass but need help finding a decent place that produces the perfect sound.
How far should my subwoofer be from my soundbar?
Whether your subwoofer is wired or wireless will determine how far away it can be from a soundbar. The two should remain close together to sound consistent, as your soundbar houses your front speakers.
If your subwoofer is wireless, you can move it as far away from the soundbar as you woild want. To get the best sound, it’s ideal to put them reasonably close together, especially in 2.1 and 3.1 soundbar settings.
The typical range of a wireless subwoofer is around 30 feet. Any further and you can have latency or intermittent connectivity problems.
The type of subwoofer you have—wired or wireless—will impact your options and which one is ideal for you. Try a few different configurations to determine which arrangement suits your room best.
But before you make a decision, be sure to test every new location thoroughly. Try out other sound sources, and pay attention to how it sounds as you stand or sit in various locations around the room.
You may experience the benefits of a full-range audio system with just a few toggles once you decide where to place a subwoofer with a soundbar.
Related: How to Connect Sony Subwoofer To Soundbar Without Remote?
Can you put a subwoofer in a cabinet?
Many people want to hide the bulky subwoofer at home. It could be because it messes up the room’s aesthetics, or it takes up space that could easily be reserved for other furniture.
Whatever the reason, it is essential to avoid placing your subwoofer inside a cabinet.
RESTRICTED AIRFLOW
The main reason you should not put a subwoofer inside a cabinet is that it doesn’t get enough airflow.
The large bass that a subwoofer produces requires air to travel. When the air is limited, the subwoofer won’t generate the high-quality sound it expected to make.
RATTLES
Another reason not to store your subwoofer inside a cabinet is that other items inside may impact its performance.
Strong vibrations from your subwoofer might shake the entire cabinet.
This means that if you have any porcelain dishes, silverware, or figurines inside, the vibrations from those objects may cause them to rattle, which will ruin your listening experience.
REVERBERATIONS
Low-frequency sound waves produced by your subwoofer encircle it.
The vibrations from your subwoofer will continuously bounce if it is placed in a cabinet with little room between it and the walls.
Reverberations can ruin the ability of a sub to deliver high-quality audio by making it muddy and unintelligible.
Why Is Placement Important?
Your subwoofer placement doesn’t matter unless you’re an audio expert or a passionate moviegoer. That is if you want your product to be as high-quality as possible.
Let’s say you can place your subwoofer anywhere if getting the best possible sound quality isn’t very important to you.
Feel free to place it on the nearest shelf or wherever it best blends into your decor. It will still boost your audio and sound amazing.
Let’s discuss the significance of subwoofer placement for those of you who would never waste a good thing.
Unknown to many, the shape and construction of a room can significantly affect the sound quality of your audio system, regardless of how fancy or costly it is.
Everything in the room, from the ceiling and windows to your furniture and trinkets, has an effect.
These factors affect how your speakers sound but notably impact the bass frequencies your subwoofer handles.
Standing waves or bass nulls are generated when your subwoofer competes with parallel surfaces like walls. Both of these effects reduce the sound quality of your music.
That’s why you must know the correct position, to avoid these waves that either reduce the bass definition or leave you with audio dead spots.
You obviously can’t do much about the walls in your house, and renovating your entire home just for one bass speaker sounds a little extreme. But you may take some steps to make your room’s structure work for you.
Conclusion
Subwoofers can improve the quality of your listening or watching experience.
Audio goofs certainly already know quite a lot about boosting your bass and getting the best sound quality. The average person, however, often has little idea about the matter.
Make the most of your subwoofers by using the tips for where to place subwoofer with soundbar in this article, and ensure proper soundbar subwoofer placement.
FAQs
1- What is the best placement for a subwoofer in a home theater room?
The best placement for a subwoofer in a home theater room depends on various factors, including the size of the room and your soundbar's location. Generally, placing the subwoofer close to the soundbar, ideally 1-2 feet away, can help achieve optimal sound integration.
2- Should I put my subwoofer in a corner of the room?
Placing a subwoofer in a corner of the room can enhance bass response due to the room's acoustics. However, it may not be the best option for all setups, as corner placement can sometimes lead to uneven bass distribution. Experiment with corner placement and other positions to find the best spot for your specific room and soundbar package.
3- How does the placement of your subwoofer affect the sound quality?
The placement of your small or large subwoofer plays a crucial role in sound quality. Placing it too close or too far from your soundbar can lead to sound integration issues. Experiment with subwoofer placement to achieve the best audio quality, taking into consideration the size of the room and the specific characteristics of your soundbar and subwoofer.
4- Can I use any subwoofer with my Samsung soundbar, or should I purchase a wireless subwoofer compatible with it?
While many Samsung soundbars are compatible with wireless subwoofers from the same manufacturer, you can use third-party subwoofers with the appropriate connectivity options. Ensure that the soundbar should be compatible with any subwoofer to enjoy the best audio experience.
5- Do I need a dedicated home theater room to get the best subwoofer sound?
A dedicated home theater room is not necessary to achieve excellent dedicated subwoofer sound. Subwoofer placement depends on the room's acoustics and your specific soundbar setup. Even in smaller rooms, with proper placement and possibly the use of room correction software, you can enjoy impressive bass and sound quality.
Jason Reynolds
I have been working in the electrical and Audio/Visual field for over 19 years. My focus for EagleTVMounting is to provide concise expertise in everything I write. The greatest joy in life is to provide people with insight information that can potentially change their viewpoints. Our #1 goal is just that!
