How to Hide a Subwoofer

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Updated December 5, 2022

If you’ve invested in premium speakers, you may wonder how to disguise a subwoofer. Top-tier subwoofers deliver strong bass frequencies for impactful surround sound but take up floor space. Luckily, you can employ some decorative elements to hide your high-quality subs and save a bit of space. So, stick around to learn how to hide a subwoofer in your listening space.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Place your subwoofer behind your TV or inside the trunk space in your entertainment center.
  • Hide the subwoofer behind a house plant or your couch and chairs.
  • Consider placing the subwoofers inside your living room wall or underneath a coffee table.

Audio systems take up space, but you can learn to conceal them, even if they use a bulky enclosure. Additionally, you can have custom false-wall subwoofers if you’re willing to invest in a family room remodel. That said, if you learn how to get deep bass from subwoofers, poorly-installed in-wall subwoofers might rattle.

Insider Tip

Small, low-powered subwoofers are ideal for bookshelves and entertainment centers because they shouldn’t rattle nearby objects.

You can deliver enhanced sound quality to an entire living space by learning how to hook up two subwoofers. Keep in mind that multiple powered subwoofers require more maintenance, so you should understand how to fix a blown subwoofer. Additionally, investigating subwoofer repair for voice coils can ensure optimal performance over time.

Where to Hide a Subwoofer

Proper subwoofer placement is paramount to bass performance and sound quality, but they shouldn’t dominate your entire living space. Luckily, there are excellent options for hiding subs that range from in-wall speakers to sound-friendly fabrics.

Place it in a Corner

Set your subwoofer in a far-off living room corner to keep it mostly out of view. Placing a subwoofer in the corner yields louder bass with less distortion. That said, corner placement can throw off your sound balance if you have small speakers.

Under Furniture

Place the subwoofer underneath a coffee table or corner end table to keep it out of view. If your couch is high from the ground, you can place a subwoofer underneath the couch. While sitting over your subwoofer will feel impactful, but it isn’t an ideal spot for clarity of bass tone.

Behind the Couch

You can still enjoy strong bass waves by placing the subwoofer behind a couch or recliner. Depending on your living room layout, this can keep the subwoofer from taking up walking space.

Fabric Covering

Acoustic quality fabric can cover speakers without disrupting the sound waves. Covering a subwoofer with fabric helps it blend into your room, especially if you choose a fabric color that matches your walls.

Warning

You should break in brand-new subwoofers at low volumes to help the equipment warm up and avoid blowing out the speakers.

Living Room Wall

Placing your subwoofer inside of your living room wall is an excellent option, but it requires the most work. Depending on your DIY comfort level, you may need professional custom installers to safely set up your hidden subwoofer.

STAT: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) considers sound exposure at or over 85 decibels hazardous to hearing health. (source)

Behind House Plants

House plants can cover up your audio equipment without muffling the sound waves. A thick floral display can also surround the subwoofer, hiding it from immediate view.

How to Hide a Subwoofer FAQs

Why is my subwoofer humming?

Your powered speakers and subwoofers will hum if there’s a voltage difference between the electrical grounds of the speakers and the amplifier. Additionally, you may hear humming if your volume is too high. Try turning down your volume and checking the speaker wire connections.

Can subwoofers rest on the carpet?

While carpet can muffle sound waves, it isn’t enough to make a meaningful difference in audio quality. Low-frequency sounds can still travel through trunk space and carpeted areas without much issue. So, you should still experience awesome sound with a subwoofer on the carpet.

Should I use wired or wireless speakers?

Wire-based powered speakers are generally of higher quality than wireless systems. Wired speakers are usually larger than wireless models, and they can generate louder sounds. That said, wireless surround sound receivers are more convenient because you do not need to hide the speaker wires.
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