Where To Place Subwoofer With Soundbar

Where you place your subwoofer is incredibly important for sound in your home theater system. 

There are certain factors to rely on when deciding on the interior placement of your sound system. You might have just moved into a new place, figuring it all out. Or you could be moving your furniture, looking for extra space. Your subwoofer and soundbar can also be placed in your room, but that will be discussed later on.

Right now, let’s look into where you can place your subwoofer with a soundbar in a room.

Soundbar Subwoofer Placement

It is important to note that if you choose to place your subwoofer in a corner or against a wall, you should not place it directly against the wall. There should be at least six inches between your subwoofer and wall to allow the sub to breathe properly. Your sound should not come from a cramped place or be filled with unnecessary vibrations.

Using a subwoofer reduces the stress on the other speakers. The subs handle all the low-end frequencies, giving the rest of your speakers more freedom to play at their frequency.

Where Should I Put My Subwoofer For My Soundbar?

The answer is easy: Where ever you like! You can put your subwoofer on a desk, underneath your television, you can also put your subwoofer in your freezer if you like, but will it produce audio? Will it play music? Will it do its job in producing low frequencies of sound?

Sure, you can place your subwoofers in a cabinet with your soundbar just above the cabinet. The casing unit will protect the subwoofer from liquids or any external objects.

Keeping your subwoofer protected is not the aim, allowing them to produce optimal audio is the aim. That is why we have to look back at the cabinet option.

It is a protective casing for your subwoofers but the sound will be distorted. If the cabinet doesn’t have very breathable material in front of the cone of your subwoofer, the subwoofer won’t play quite as well. You’re blocking the vibrational flow of your subwoofers. You might be causing unnecessary vibrations and jiggling sounds.

So, the question remains, where do I put my subwoofer for my soundbar?

Best Placement For Subwoofer With Soundbar

If you think about it, there isn’t one ideal place for your subwoofers and soundbar to be placed. It all depends on the room setting, size of the room, your preference as an individual, and the type of equipment you have.

If you have a medium- to a large-sized subwoofer, you would look to put it in a space that can fill the room. The most common place to put your subwoofer would be underneath your soundbar. The sound would be projected simultaneously from one direction. This would create a sense of equilibrium. Your sound would come from one area and it wouldn’t sound distorted.

Another factor you need to consider is the size of the room you’re placing your subwoofer and soundbar in. You don’t want your subwoofer being a distraction but let us look into that.

Size Of Room

If you have a large enough room that accommodates your soundbar and subwoofer without them being in the way, place them opposite the area that you would normally sit in. In the larger room, you will want to choose a high-powered subwoofer and/or a large one.

It can be placed opposite your bed with the television mounted on the wall. You could place the subwoofer opposite your couch with the soundbar underneath the television, your TV mounted to the wall and your feet mounted up, relaxing.

Making compromises are part of life. If you have a smaller room, let’s say that you only have room for one subwoofer to be placed in a fixed position, that is okay. This gives you some freedom with the placement of your soundbar. Your soundbar could be mounted at the top of the television.

Remember, your subwoofer is not the only component in your system producing music, the subwoofer is there to provide lower frequencies of sound. Your soundbar can take control in producing all of the sounds. 

We spoke about the front room and the bedroom as potential areas. Are they reliable enough for your soundbar and subwoofer? Let’s see!

Type Of Room

The different types of rooms determine where your subwoofer and soundbar will be placed. An ideal setting in your front room would be to have the subwoofer 10 feet apart from your soundbar. If you have two subwoofers, place them at either end of the soundbar for a more evenly distributed sound. If you only have one subwoofer, it can go on either side of your soundbar. You will have to test the sound from your subwoofer by sitting in different seats and listening to it in different places. 

Essentially, you can place your subwoofer next to your couch as well. Having the bass and lower frequencies right next to you gives your listening experience a bonus. You can feel the vibrations and bass from your feet!

Now that you have chosen the type of room and the size of your room where you will place your sound system, it’s time to look at the equipment. Do you have a wireless soundbar? Do you have a soundbar with wires attached to the subwoofer? Are you going to conceal the wires or leave them exposed? What brand of subwoofer and soundbar do you have? Do you need to link them before any setup can occur? It is up to you but we’re here to give you some guidance.

Wireless Vs Wired

Is your subwoofer wired to your soundbar? If it is, there are different methods you can use to conceal the wires. This is completely optional but it gives the room a cleaner look. You don’t want any wires sticking out from the wall or hanging around on the floor.

This option gives you a limited space to work with because then your subwoofer needs to be close to your soundbar. The amount of wire you need to use determines the distance between your subwoofer and soundbar.

This means that they can’t be too far apart. Below is an example of concealed wires for your soundbar and subwoofer placement.

The process of concealing your wires does take a lot of time. It can get tedious but the end result is aesthetically pleasing. If you do not wish to hide your wires, here is what the connections might look like.

A wireless subwoofer gives you a wider range of placement. The distance between your sub and soundbar can be increased with a wireless subwoofer. The pieces of equipment link up via Bluetooth (in most cases) or they are bought as a package.

Let’s say that you bought a Hisense subwoofer and soundbar, when they are bought together, it's more likely that your subwoofer and soundbar are already linked. The distance you can have between the sub and soundbar should be reasonable. Don’t expect your subwoofer to be playing music while it's at your neighbor’s and your soundbar is mounted to your wall.

Wireless subwoofers also give you a wide range of different placements, you can place your subwoofer on the floor, on a shelf, in the corner of your room, or on your kitchen counter. It is entirely up to you. Below is an image of a wireless subwoofer with its soundbar.

How To Choose The Right Subwoofer For My Soundbar?

Different subwoofers are designed in different ways. It is important to check the power qualities and size of your subwoofer. If you haven’t bought any subwoofers and are still browsing, it is recommended that you do your research before investing a sum of money into anything. If you have a soundbar already, note the design and model of your soundbar and speakers before buying a subwoofer.

If you haven’t purchased a soundbar, speaker, or subwoofer, it is recommended to purchase one as a set. For example, you could go out and purchase a Samsung soundbar and subwoofer. They could be linked already with a wireless connection. If you prefer a newer version, be prepared to pay the price. If you’re looking more for compatibility, the Bose SoundTouch 300 is only compatible with an Acoustimass subwoofer. Some soundbars are compatible with any subwoofer, this is a benefit of having a soundbar.

If you have smaller speakers and smaller soundbar speakers, a more compact subwoofer would match your system. Match the size of your soundbar’s internal speakers with your subwoofer. The smaller speakers will match and look better with a smaller soundbar. This sound system works best in a small room.

Final Tips On Placing Your Subwoofer With A Soundbar

1. Only place a subwoofer in a corner if it is paired with powerful speakers. 
2. Place your sub in the center when pairing with a soundbar.
3. Place a front-driving sub in front of you and a down-driving sub near your seating area.

Conclusion: Where To Place A Soundbar Next To A Subwoofer

Whether you’re placing your subwoofer on your wall with a hanging soundbar against the window (this is not advised), we’ve covered it all. Placing your subwoofer and soundbar in your room is not an easy task. It is a quick one though.

It relies on different factors and you have to make the final call. This guide to the placement of your subwoofer and soundbar can serve as an information-rich template for you to work on when you’re redecorating or starting a new one!

We hope you enjoyed this article as much as we enjoyed writing it.