In this article, we will speak in-depth about where to place the subwoofer with the soundbar?
We will deal with things to be aware of in the placement process and talk about where exactly you can place your Soundbar and subwoofer combination
Soundbars are a necessary component of a fully modernized home entertainment system and living area.
Due to the smaller screens of TVs today, the natural sound emitted by the TV is rather substandard.
Therefore, soundbars have been designed to add more shine to your sound.
Subwoofers complement soundbars by adding electrifying bass to your movies and music. The soundbar does the heavy lifting with respect to mid-range and high frequencies.
All of this combined provides you with a stunning audio experience, which brings your music and your movies to life.
You could decide to use just a soundbar, and this would do a decent job. But if you really want that added kick, the combination of a subwoofer and soundbar is probably the best.
I have written in detail about subwoofers, as well as their pros and cons. Please follow this link to learn more.
So let us talk a little more about subwoofers in the context of music and films.
The objective of the subwoofer is to accentuate low-frequency effects in films and enhance the bass in music.
Additionally, subwoofers need a firm lightweight driver and must be powered by a high-powered amplifier and motor.
A quality subwoofer will reach the deepest trenches of bass notes effortlessly, whilst simultaneously exhibiting huge output.
A good subwoofer should never overwhelm the sound stage and must manage low frequencies without being disruptive.
Be careful of simply purchasing a soundbar that comes with a subwoofer. These subs can often distort sounds and have been accused of producing muddy bass.
So always consider purchasing a soundbar and subwoofer separately.
Let’s talk about some important aspects of subwoofers to be considered when purchasing one for your soundbar.
Let’s talk about in what circumstance you would use a subwoofer with a soundbar.
It’s all a function of needing to hear the kick that comes from low-frequency sounds.
So subwoofers are best suited to watching movies, listening to concerts, watching sports games, and watching video games
Video games for instance are designed to be action-packed and produce numerous frequencies. Therefore a sub comes in really handy here.
There are also times when you do not need a subwoofer
Small apartments, can be unfriendly when it comes to noise reduction/management because you can sometimes hear the person above and below you.
In some apartments you can hear the footsteps of your neighbors, so a subwoofer may get you in a lot of trouble.
I would therefore advise that you avoid having a subwoofer in a small apartment or if you can not live without one, be mindful of the noise level.
Let’s now deal with the question of the article
Where to place a subwoofer with a soundbar
Let’s get one thing straight. The answer here is it depends. It depends on how you want your living space to look.
It depends on the size of your room and it depends on how much wiring you want going on.
As to the exact position that the subwoofer and soundbar should occupy there are many possibilities here.
You can place it behind you.
You can place the woofer in the Conner of the room and simulate some kind of surround sound effect (albeit a poor one)
The most intuitive place to put it would be mounted somewhere above your TV.
What about placing a subwoofer in a cabinet?
Most people like this option because having so many speakers and subs for home theater purposes, creates clutter and makes the room feel full.
Therefore the short answer to this question is no. You probably do not want to place your sub in an enclosed space as it may end up not working correctly.
Small enclosed spaces also negatively affect the longevity of your subwoofer and components.
There is always the risk that wires can get stuck in doors or get messed up by insects/water etc, so this is definitely ill advised.
One other disadvantage of placing electrical components in a cabinet is the risk of over heating.
All in all, the placement of you Sub woofer is a function of the sound (mostly bass) that you are trying to achieve from your subwoofer and soundbar.
Bass frequencies tend to be delicate and sensitive to the environment that you place them in.
The sound that you ultimately will hear will be influenced by the size, windows and walls of your living space.
So experiment with many different positions until it sounds just right.
What distance can there be between a Soundbar and a Sub woofer?
This type of question is designed for those people more curious about Bluetooth and wireless options when it comes to connecting devices.
This is because, in this day and age, people do not prefer to wire stuff up. Plus it looks clumsy having wires all over the place.
Unfortunately there are not many class 1 Bluetooth wireless subs in the market. If you are realistic, you can get a sub with the standard Bluetooth range of 10m/30ft and not much more.
If your sub or soundbar are wired then you are limited by the amount of wiring available.
To create a surround sound effect, it is best not to have them to far apart.
Something else to consider are the wires
In the event of wired subwoofer and sound bar, keep in mind that the wires should be out of site.
Over time, people can step on the wires and even damage them. Also there is the risk that liquids can end up on the wires and damage the system all together.
How large is your living area?
You want a sub that can fill your living space appropriately. For larger spaces, you can consider 2 smaller subs or 1 large one. But the correlation is simple, bigger space, bigger subwoofer.
Consider what extras does the subwoofer come with?
Have you heard of the concept of a wireless subwoofer kit? This basically means that your subwoofer and sound bars can be on opposite sides of a room and be connected to one another.
This just gives you flexibility if you need it.
Consider Soundbar connections.
On the point bout acquiring a separate sub and soundbar, you need to ensure that the soundbar that you purchase accepts cables that can be plugged from a subwoofer.
Conclusion
Long story short it depends on your personal preference. But there are things that you should definitely be aware of.
The most important are that you should ensure that you wires are out of site of people and pets.
You should avoid placing soundbars and subwoofers in enclosed spaces such as cabinets, and also make sure that the combination of your subwoofer and soundbar are appropriate for your living space.
Best of luck and I hope that this article has shed some light on where to place your sound bar and subwoofer.
