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How to Place a Soundbar

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Updated August 16, 2022

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Table of Contents_

Why Properly Place a Soundbar?
Where Do You Put a Soundbar?
Below the TV
Above the TV
On the Floor and Other Locations

If you are brand new to the world of assisted audio, you may wonder how to place a soundbar. Some of the best speakers, after all, are top soundbars and these devices need the proper placement to maximize their potential. So why worry about placing a soundbar, and what are the best ways to do it? Keep reading to find out.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Placing a sound bar in the ideal location is crucial for maximizing your audio experience and viewing experience as you watch TV.
Generally speaking, the best place to lay a soundbar is directly below the TV at the ear level/eye level of where you sit.
Placing one above the TV is a decent option for a positive audio experience, but avoid putting one on the floor or behind the TV.

Why Properly Place a Soundbar?

The proper placement is important for a number of reasons, just like when learning how to sync a soundbar with a TV. It helps maximize sound quality, depending on where you are sitting and where the TV is placed, helping you understand if you need to learn how to mount a soundbar to a TV.

Insider Tip

A Bluetooth soundbar is a good way to maximize your placement options without all the cable clutter.

Placing a soundbar correctly also helps with clutter if you have learned how to hide soundbar wires. Correct placement can even help stave off maintenance and repair issues, so you won’t have to learn why a soundbar keeps cutting out.

Where Do You Put a Soundbar?

There is no “correct” answer here, as there are many soundbar designs out there and maybe televisions. Additionally, each living space is different, with unique needs. However, there are some things to think about and pros and cons that go along with each placement type.

Below the TV

This is the standard placement for a soundbar and makes a lot of sense. It emits the sound waves at around the height you will be sitting as you watch TV, leading to increased enjoyment. Acoustics are always better when a soundbar is mounted at ear level, though this depends on how your TV is arranged and if it is mounted to a wall.

Above the TV

This is also not a bad option, with some caveats. Depending on your setup, placing the soundbar above the TV will be the only way to get anything approaching ear level. Putting a soundbar above the TV is also a fairly good option regarding cable management, as you can run all of the cables through a dedicated cable channel or cable racer, so you’ll only see one wire descending from the soundbar.

On the Floor and Other Locations

Avoid placing the soundbar on the floor, behind a shelf, behind the couch, or behind the TV. All of these placements ensure that the audio signal will not be at ear level, thus impacting your enjoyment.

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Soundbar Placement FAQs

Can you put a soundbar in the cabinet?

Placing an external speaker in a cabinet is fine if the cabinet will be open whenever you use it. Otherwise, this type of soundbar setup runs the risk of blocking audio sources, making experiencing authentic sound truly difficult.

Can you position the soundbar vertically?

In rare occasions, sure, but this will inhibit audio quality. Soundbars are designed for horizontal placement, just like your average built-in speakers and upward-firing speakers.

Where should I put my subwoofer for my soundbar?

Placing the internal speakers of a subwoofer is also important. It should be approximately at ear level, though it can go a bit lower due to the nature of the bass response and upward-firing speakers. Subwoofers are fantastic satellite speakers for a soundbar.

References:

Lawrence Bonk

Lawrence Bonk is a copywriter with a decade of experience in the tech space, with columns appearing in Engadget, Huffington Post and CBS, among others. He has a cat named Cinnamon.