Where to Place Subwoofer with Soundbar? [Ideas]

Having trouble deciding where to place subwoofers with soundbars? Well, let us help you out finding the perfect placement for your subwoofer that complements and enhances the sound from your soundbars perfectly.

Where to Place Subwoofer with Soundbar?

Any music or movie enthusiast knows that there is no other piece of your sound system that can enhance your experience better than a subwoofer. After all there is something crazy about a device that is designed for the sole purpose of recreating the base low-frequency sounds which can otherwise only be recreated at a movie theater. 

Although a soundbar independently can recreate all the essential sound it needs to, once you have purchased a soundbar it makes sense to get a subwoofer that reproduces the low-frequency sounds to complement your soundbar, especially considering the benefits that it offers.

A soundbar along with a subwoofer can be used with your gaming console, DVR, Blu-Ray, and TVs and is immensely helpful in getting rid of the clutter that is caused by an excessive number of speakers in traditional sound systems or home theater setups. Modern soundbars that have all those speakers enclosed within them not only clear the clutter but also produce a superior quality sound. When used along with subwoofers it has the power to rattle your bones.

So, you definitely want to have a subwoofer with your soundbar. However, the struggle to get the perfect sound quality doesn’t end at purchasing a soundbar alone. 

Once you have bought the subwoofer where you place it immensely influences your experience. Unless you have a deep knowledge of your device and its A/V settings the placement and settings of your subwoofer can be a trial and error method. It also depends on what kind of connectivity your subwoofer and soundbar support whether it’s HDMI, Bluetooth, USB, etc.

If it supports wireless pairing then you can place the soundbar and subwoofer as far from each other as long as they are within the pairing range. Alternatively, when the connection is wired you can place them as far as the wire permits you to.

Why is the Placement of Subwoofers Important?

The sound from a speaker or a subwoofer does not just depend on how powerful the audio system is but rather its a culmination of various factors. One of the most important of them being the effect of the room on your sound. This is particularly true for subwoofers because subwoofers generate bass sounds and frequencies that are more sensitive to room factors than any other frequencies. 

When dealing with room acoustics you need to be mindful of your room’s architecture and what kind of placement will work with your room acoustics rather than against them. Avoiding conners or parallel walls is usually advised because bass frequencies are omnidirectional and they bounce all across the room creating base nulls or standing waves. But how to avoid these occurrences and what will be the ideal placement for your subwoofers? Well, we will learn all about it in the next section.

Where Should I Place My Subwoofer?

So far, we have discussed everything about the need for the correct placement of the subwoofer. Now, the question is where can you place your subwoofers for the perfect sound experience.

Well, given all the need and requirements, hereinbelow are some ideal places to try for setting up your subwoofers with soundbar-

1. On a Shelf

This placement option works well if you have any inhibitions about setting up your subwoofer on the floor. Here you usually set up the woofer next to your TV on a shelf or a table. Not only does this clear the clutter on the floor but also helps you control the subwoofer easily and keeps the wires consolidated in one place.

However, if placed on an unstable surface you need to be careful about the punchy bass sounds as they may lead to the subwoofer falling from its position.

2. Next to/Behind the Couch

This placement is especially beneficial if you are watching something on a home theater setup as it allows you to have the most larger-than-life cinematic experience. You can also place the subwoofer behind the couch but this again creates a clutter of the wiring and other devices which are part of the home theater system. 

3. In Front of the TV

This is one of the most popular placements for a subwoofer. Some people hear a better sound when the subwoofer is placed on the left and some hear a better sound when it’s placed on the right. It’s a trial and error method where you need to find out for yourself which is better for you and if you have two woofers the problem is solved instantly as you can place one on either side.

The placement is best suited for wireless subwoofers as there is no clutter of wires but even with wired subwoofers, the wires remain consolidated in a single place.

4. Inside a Cabinet

This placement is best suited for people who own multiple subwoofers and do not want these subwoofers to create clutter in the room. However, the sound quality may have to be sacrificed when choosing for this placement as the rattles caused by the punchy bass sounds can be troublesome.

A custom-made cabinet with enough ventilation and room for the subwoofer driver when firing and one which has enough stability to handle the resonance and rattles caused by the base may be a good option when working with multiple subwoofers.

Final Words

So, that’s all about the placement of subwoofers with soundbar. It’s really trial and error and you need to find what placement suits best with your room acoustics and settings.

We hope this article was helpful and that one of the four placements discussed will surely work out for you.

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