When I first got my soundbar, I was thinking about where to put it, once I did a bit of research I found the answer. So, I wrote this helpful article explaining how to get the best sound from your soundbar.
So, why should you place a soundbar in front of your TV? A soundbar should be placed at the front of the TV. It is what sounds best when watching movies or TV shows. The way audio is configured on the TV show or movie separates out sounds that should come from the front. So, when set up this way it is the most immersive experience.
If you are low on space, there are a few other options. So, below I will give more information about the best place to place a soundbar, and what some other options are if you are limited on space.
Is It Okay to Place a Soundbar Behind a TV?
The soundbar can play well when behind a TV, but that requires some clarification. The soundbar speakers shouldn’t be obstructed by anything because that will make the sound quieter. When it is quiet you won’t be able to hear it as well.
So, if you mean putting the soundbar behind the TV where it is facing into the back of the TV, then the answer is no. That will make the soundbar very ineffective.
You can, however, put the soundbar at the base of the TV but just back a bit. For this, the soundbar doesn’t have to be all the way in front of the TV exactly.
It can be a bit in front or a bit behind as long as the speakers aren’t blocked by the back of the TV or anything else.
This is because sound waves travel outwards and bounce off walls and other solid objects. So, when you put the soundbar directly behind the back of the TV, the sound waves bounce into it and the sound is muffled. It is a field of study called room acoustics.
Should My Soundbar Go Above or Below a TV?
The soundbar should be positioned so that it is about head to chest height. Soundbars and other home theater systems are designed to create a life-like experience.
Because of that, all the home theater speakers should be placed where they are shown in the manual that comes with your home theater or individual soundbar.
The subwoofer is a bit different because you can place it in any corner of your room. The soundbar, however, produces different sounds to the other speakers in a home theater set. It is required to be in an exact position for the best sound quality and experience. This is just below the TV.
The sounds in a TV series or movie can be treated differently from what is shown on the screen.
When it is being produced by the specialists who make it, they include many settings that control what sounds go through which speakers to create a 3D experience. If you put your soundbar or other speakers in different positions than those recommended it ruins the 3D experience.
Can You Place a Soundbar Behind You?
Although it will work, the 3D sound dimensions will be off. Therefore, the sound immersion won’t be quite right. Acoustic engineers and scientists have worked on the acoustics and placement of the speakers to optimize sound quality and accuracy.
The best place to put a soundbar is directly in front of you just below the screen. This creates an accurate place for the specific sounds to originate. Giving you a feeling as if you are in the TV show or movie
With a soundbar behind you, the sound will not create the right angles to wrap you in the experience. But, each room is unique and you should test the best location for your soundbar.
Where Should I Place My Soundbar?
The manuals of the most popular soundbars such as Sony say that the best place is just under the screen. The optimum place to put your soundbar is at chest height.
This way the sound is coming directly towards you. The screen will be positioned centered to your head so that it is in the middle.
This gives you the widest viewing angle and submersive sound environment. If you have to place your soundbar slightly below the bottom of your screen, that is ok too.
What Does a Soundbar Do for Your TV?
TVs have gotten thinner and thinner as the technology has improved. As a result, the speakers that could fit in the TV needed to be small and smaller. But, this is not how sound technology works.
To create loud enough and rich enough sound the speakers need to be big. Too big to fit in a thin flat screen. So, soundbars were created to replace the old speakers.
A soundbar is a vertical strip of speakers that plays music from directly in front of you. Soundbars come in pairs with subwoofers that play the deep bass. One soundbar we recommend is the Vmai because of impressive sound performance.
What if I Have a Limited Space?
There are special connectors that mount seamlessly to the rear of your screen. These attachments come with either your screen or your soundbar. Most soundbars don’t come with them.
But, you can purchase them individually. If you are low on space or think that soundbar sitting on the desk looks a bit clunky. You mount it to the back of your screen. It then remains with the TV when you move it around the house.
If you are mounting your screen to a corner of your room, then this can save you some space. One soundbar mount that we recommend is a Mounting Dream, click here to check it out. We like it because it has flexible compatibility.
Can a Soundbar Be Placed on the Floor?
You should avoid placing a soundbar on the floor unless your TV is also on the floor. The recommended place to put a soundbar is just below the bottom of your TV.
So, if your TV is on a cabinet or mounted to the wall putting the soundbar on the floor is a bad idea for two reasons. You could accidentally stand on it, and the sound experience won’t be as good.
The design of soundbars is so that the sound comes out straight forward. Different configurations have been tested by experimenting with changing where it is positioned as seeing how it sounds.
Every room is unique and you may find that the sound is better when the soundbar is lowered a bit. Test it out and see which sounds best.
Where is The Best Place to Put a Soundbar Subwoofer?
The best place to put a soundbar subwoofer is in the corner of a room facing forward. The deep bass produced by the subwoofer usually sounds best there.
But, each space is unique, and you need to test out your individual room, fingers crossed it isn’t somewhere where it will get in the way.
Conclusion
You should place a soundbar in front of your TV because it performs best based on acoustic tests.
Audio specialists that work on movies and TV shows do what’s called mixing. Where they separate out the different aspects of the sound and can direct it to specific speakers.
When you put your soundbar anywhere else such as behind you or to the side, the sound isn’t coming towards you at the right angle. Causing you to lose some of the lifelike aspects of an immersive home theater setup.
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