Decided to upgrade your home theater experience to the next level with dual subwoofers but having a dilemma about your dual subwoofer placement?
This article may be able to help you out, stay with us as we in detail look into all the factors that are needed to be considered when setting up the subwoofers and all the placement positions that would be feasible for certain situations.
Dual Subwoofer Placement Ideas
Any home theater enthusiast who is looking for a full-fledged cinematic experience from the comfort of their homes knows that the bass is one of the most important components for that experience.
A subwoofer is usually the one responsible for the bass as it is a device that catches the low-frequency sound signals otherwise missed by the soundbar and then creates low bass sounds. If you have an audio setup that is spanning across a large area with multiple rooms then dual or multiple subwoofers can be a very necessary upgrade.
How to Determine Location for the Placement of Dual Subwoofer?
When finding the location to place your dual subwoofer some quintessential things must consider:
Wired or Wireless Subwoofer
Whether your dual subwoofers are wired or can establish a connection through wireless pairing influences its placement greatly.
Wireless subwoofers allow you to place the subwoofers as far away from each other and your soundbar as you want but for a wired connection you need to be mindful of how far the wires allow you to place the two subwoofers and soundbar.
With wired subwoofers, you also need to be mindful of the clutter caused by the wires on the floor because no one likes a messy room.
Room Acoustics
The best way to make your room acoustics work for you when placing the dual subwoofer is working with it rather than working against it, in other words, finding locations in your room that increase the output of your dual subwoofer while also enhancing the quality of the audio it produces greatly because the sound that we hear from the subwoofers is actually a culmination of the original sound and the room’s effect on it.
Which arrangement would give you a superior bass output which would generate a frequency response all these factors need to be considered when you are planning to set up your subwoofers.
The quality of the bass is regulated by the room acoustics and the subwoofer placement and this becomes especially obvious in large areas as the sound gets reflected and deflected multiple times which leads to uncontrolled room resonance. So the placement of dual subwoofers especially if you have no prior knowledge about how bass works and room acoustics can be overwhelming.
Worry not here we will tell you everything that you need to know about different placement arrangements of dual subwoofers but before that let’s just get to know in detail why exactly do we need dual subwoofers
Why Dual Subwoofers are a Necessary Upgrade?
Dual power subwoofers when working in harmony produce a more impactful bass that you feel reverberating across your room. The two subwoofers provide better SPL capabilities and a dynamic range.
In some cases when two waves from a single subwoofer cancel each other out due to phase difference and as a result, the bass that reaches us is smoothened and thus leads to a dull or an overly loud sound.
This usually happens when the sound from the subwoofer and the one that reaches you after bouncing from the walls of the room come at delayed times.
A dual subwoofer is not as heavily dependent on the room acoustics as a single subwoofer as its superior power allows it to take control of the room. The dual subwoofers also allow for a more distributed bass and a higher affinity for catching low frequency than a single subwoofer.
They clear the clutter of subwoofer wires a lot better as two small subwoofers are better than one big subwoofer, also saving floor space in the process. The former is also a more lifestyle-friendly alternative that allows you to conceal your subwoofer in your living room while not compromising on the quality of the sound in any way.
Dual Subwoofers Placement Tips
Here are some of the most effective dual subwoofer placements. You can choose the one that suits your room acoustics the best through a hit and trial method.
1. Front Corner Placement
In this arrangement, the clearest bass can be heard. In this setup, you place a subwoofer behind your seat and one in the front corner of the room. Arranged in a way that hits all the resonance points of the room thus creating a nice mix of deep and punchy bass along with the tactile direct energy from the subwoofer behind the sofa.
However, you need to be careful that the subwoofer doesn’t go too much into the corner as this creates an uneven boomy sound caused due to too much reinforcement.
2. Middle Wall Placement
Usually, in the case of a single subwoofer, it’s said that some people register sounds better from left and some from right so you need to place the subwoofer in both the directions and test which one works better for you but if you have dual subwoofers you can just place one subwoofer on the left side of the wall and another subwoofer on the right side of the wall.
This arrangement works best when your seating arrangement is in the middle section of the room and you are hit by the direct every one of the subwoofers.
3. Opposite Corner Placement
In this subwoofer placement one of the subwoofers is placed in the front corner and another in the back corner; this arrangement allows for the maximum distribution of bass all throughout the room.
This arrangement is especially useful for people who can’t remodel their furniture just to accommodate a new pair of subwoofers and have to deal with awkward floor plans and mismatched colored walls. It should be kept in mind to place the subwoofers away from windows, open walls, and doors.
4. Front Wall Placement
One of the most popular and aesthetic placement arrangements is where the subwoofers are placed adjacent to the front wall near the left and right speakers. This arrangement not only enables a smoother frequency response but also generates as much bass output as when the subwoofers are placed in opposite corner arrangements but with a reduced total output so now you can get the best of both worlds.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How far apart should dual subwoofers be?
The most recommended distance between the two subwoofers is equal to the distance between the right and left of the channel speakers.
Can I put two subwoofers on top of each other?
Its not a good idea to put the two subwoofers on each other. In a few cases you can put it on each other but it will effect your sound experience.
Where is the best place to position a subwoofer?
The front wall of the room is the best place to position a subwoofer.
Conclusion
So, that is all about dual subwoofer placement in your home theatre system for upgraded sound quality and experience. We covered everything from their location to the correct placement and other related aspects.
Hopefully, this was helpful and you’re all set to upgrade your home theatre experience without any dilemma or confusion.
Mia Evelyn is a soundbar specialist and she love to test and review different soundbar brands. She shares her neutral and in-depth reviews through the Soundbar Mag.
