3 Tips on Where to Place a Subwoofer
Ready to shake the ground and boost the boom in your room?
Adding a subwoofer to any audio system can enhance your music and movie listening experience. But, finding the right location for your subwoofer is key, especially in a home theater system.
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Here are three tips to help locate the ideal placement of your subwoofer:
1. Consider the cords
If your subwoofer requires a direct wire hookup to the receiver, you’ll want to make sure you’ll be able to hide the wires wherever you place the subwoofer. Wires lying across a floor are easy to step on and over time can damage the wire’s connection between your subwoofer and receiver. Plus, wires in the open can be a tripping hazard or a chew toy for your pet. (Remember National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation? )
2. Corners and walls
A subwoofer placed in the corner of a room may increase the subwoofer’s output – causing the sub to sound louder. Try placing your subwoofer in a corner and see how it sounds. However, depending on your floor space, a corner might not be a viable option for your subwoofer if it’s too far from your listening area.
Additionally, a sub’s close proximity to a flat wall can cause a harsh, rumbling, unpleasant sound. And if your subwoofer is a ported design (a subwoofer with an opening to allow airflow), you’ll want to keep it twice the diameter of the port (typically 6-12 inches) away from a wall to allow airflow out of the port.
3. Method for finding the sweet spot
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Placing a subwoofer in the corner of a room can increase its output, making it sound louder.
The great thing about a subwoofer (especially a wireless subwoofer) is it can be situated almost anywhere on your floor space. There is no formula for locating the best spot. And, it’s truly your personal preference.
To find your satisfactory subwoofer sound, start by hooking up the subwoofer and turning on music or a movie that has a lot of bass. Then, sit down in a spot you think you’ll be listening to your music and movies the most. Move the subwoofer around until the subwoofer sounds ideal. If you have a family, roommates, or entertain others often, be sure you see how the subwoofer sounds in the other locations your listeners will be sitting.
If you have a large space you’re trying to cover with smooth, encompassing bass and can’t seem to find a good location that lends the ideal sound – you can always add a second subwoofer to even out the sound. (And more bass is always a "thumbs up" in our book!)