Where to position a subwoofer in relation to a soundbar

If you’re researching your first soundbar or looking into an upgrade, you don’t have to perform too deep a dive to realise that plenty of soundbars travel with a big, boxy companion.

Everyone knows what a subwoofer is for, of course – bass, and plenty of it, in the long-established cinema style. But do you need a subwoofer in your home, even if you have pretensions towards a home cinema? Where should you put it? More importantly, where shouldn’t you put it? And if you decide a subwoofer is just the ticket, how should you set it up to best effect?

These are all important questions and need answering before you commit the space and the money to a soundbar and subwoofer combo. So it’s just as well we’ve written this handy guide to the most common bass-bin questions.

1. Do all soundbars come with a separate subwoofer?

No, they don’t. All-in-one home cinema solutions such as the Bose Smart Soundbar make do without a discrete sub for handling low-frequency effects.

However, the number of soundbars that are accompanied by a subwoofer is on the rise – and in most cases, the connection between the soundbar and the subwoofer is wireless. This means the subwoofer only requires a connection to mains power to function, which has obvious implications for how neat and tidy a soundbar-plus-subwoofer audio system can be.

Some of our favourites include the compact Polk MagniFi Mini AX, the slimline Samsung HW-S800D and the budget Creative Stage V2.

2. Do I really need a separate subwoofer?

Some soundbars – generally the bigger, more expensive models like the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus – do a decent job of creating a bit of low-frequency presence all by themselves. But as has long been observed, you can’t change the laws of physics. The fact remains that if you want to generate meaningful low-end sound, you need to move a lot of air.

To move a lot of air you’re likely to need quite a large speaker driver, certainly larger than the drivers fitted to your average soundbar. So for truly cinematic rumble and punch and to bring a bit of body to those big Hollywood action movies, there’s no denying that a subwoofer is going to do the job far more effectively than even the bassiest, punchiest soundbars around.

Steve Withers, managing director at Storm Front AV Consultants, says: “If you’re wondering whether you need a soundbar with a separate subwoofer, just remember there’s no replacement for displacement. To generate low frequencies you need to move a lot of air, which means you need a big driver. The relatively small speakers in a soundbar just can’t reach the sonic depths necessary to deliver all those bass-heavy effects in modern movies – so you really should be looking for a soundbar with a dedicated sub.”

3. Do I also need rear speakers?

Again, it all depends on how deep into the ‘home cinema’ thing you want to go. Soundbars like the Sonos Arc Ultra feature multiple drivers firing in different directions, carefully designed waveguides and elaborate processing in an effort to convince you that sound is coming from directions other than directly out of the soundbar.

If it’s a genuine surround-sound effect you’re after, however, a pair of rear speakers is the way to go, with multi-channel systems such as the Samsung HW-Q990D and LG US95TR incorporating a soundbar, subwoofer and a pair of rear speakers.

As with some subwoofers, some rear speakers are designed to work wirelessly, and some like those found on the JBL Bar 1300 are battery-powered so have no requirement for mains power. It’s worth bearing in mind that you can always stick to your soundbar for everyday listening and only bring out the rear speakers for movie night, the big game or whatever significant event it is you’re watching.

Jason Brisbois, product manager at Bose, is broadly in agreement: “Rear speakers aren’t essential but can elevate your home theatre experience by adding true surround sound. They create an immersive audio environment by placing you at the centre of the action, especially in content designed for Dolby Atmos. If you have a larger room or prioritise an authentic cinematic experience, rear speakers are a valuable addition.”

4. Should a subwoofer sit higher or lower than a soundbar?

The sound a subwoofer produces is all low-frequency information: this low-frequency information is much less directional than the frequency range above. So in terms of the way they perform, there’s not a great deal to worry you no matter which part of your system is higher in the room.

The issue here is all practical. Firstly, you want your soundbar to be near to your TV so that sound, dialogue in particular, seems to be issuing from roughly the same place as the images. Secondly, subwoofers tend to be fairly large – even the small ones. That’s because producing bass frequencies requires the movement of a relatively large amount of air, which means relatively large speaker drivers. So subwoofers are always biggish boxes that are designed to sit on the floor, which means they inevitably sit lower than that soundbar they’re accompanying.

Jason Brisbois again: “A subwoofer should generally sit lower than a soundbar, as it’s designed to disperse low-frequency sounds evenly across the room. Positioning it closer to the floor allows the bass waves to interact effectively with your space, creating a fuller and more impactful sound. Subwoofers are typically non-directional, so their placement height won’t affect your ability to locate sound sources in the audio mix.”

5. Where is the best spot to position a subwoofer?

We’ve already established that your subwoofer is almost certain to be on the floor, right? We’ve also established that the sound it produces is not especially directional, which is to say that it doesn’t have as obvious a point source of origin as midrange or high frequencies do. This means that subwoofers are pretty forgiving when it comes to their position in the room. As long as they have access to mains power, they are generally fairly laid-back about where you put them to do their thing.

6. How can bad placement impact my subwoofer’s performance?

You know what bass is like, don’t you? Those deep frequencies can be almost physical in their impact, and a poorly positioned subwoofer can set off all kinds of resonances in your room; in extreme cases, pictures can be vibrated from the wall.

So you need to make sure your subwoofer isn’t somewhere its output is going to interfere with your decor. If the subwoofer has a driver that fires out into the room, it shouldn’t be facing a nearby surface, as that can create reflections and the sound of the subwoofer will become blurred and indistinct. If you have a small and/or busily furnished space, it may be worth seeking out a subwoofer that fires downwards and uses the floor as a fixed boundary.

Steve Withers feels much the same: “As a general rule of thumb, you should position the subwoofer at the front of the room to the left or right of the soundbar (whichever is convenient). This helps reinforce the front soundstage by creating a foundation of bass. However, it’s best to avoid placing the sub in a corner as this might amplify the lower frequencies and swamp the rest of the system. For the same reason make sure the driver in a side-firing sub isn’t facing a wall.”

7. Can I use my soundbar without its partnering subwoofer?

Yes, you can. The overwhelming majority of soundbar/subwoofer systems can direct the entire frequency range to the soundbar to be dealt with if it detects the subwoofer isn’t powered up and functioning. Naturally, your soundbar isn’t in a position to offer the sort of low-frequency presence and intensity of a subwoofer, though, so your sound will lack a degree of heft as a result. And besides, if you don’t intend to use a partnering subwoofer there are plenty of very capable soundbars that are designed to work by themselves.

Jason Brisbois concurs: “Most soundbars can function perfectly fine without a partnered subwoofer. Many listeners might find their needs completely satisfied without any added speakers or subwoofers. However, without a subwoofer, you may miss out on the depth and impact of low-frequency effects, particularly with cinematic content or bass-driven music. My advice for most people is to start with the soundbar alone and see how you like it, as you can often add a subwoofer or more speakers later for enhanced performance.”