Where Should You Place a TV Soundbar for the Best Listening Experience?

When it comes to having better sound when watching TV, soundbars are popular. A soundbar frequently has numerous speakers installed within its unibody enclosure, which helps in the reproduction of stereo and/or surround sound effects.

Soundbars take up less room, have less speaker and wire clutter, and need less time to set up than a full-fledged home theatre audio system.

Although soundbars don’t sound as nice as loudspeakers, especially when it comes to music, they are significantly preferable to the built-in speakers on flat-screen TVs.

It makes no difference how big or small your soundbar is if you don’t know where to place a soundbar.

This simple guide was devised since soundbar placement is critical for the optimum listening experience and most users are unaware of the precise arrangement.

Furthermore, we understand how difficult it may be for first-time consumers to align their soundbar with a TV. As a result, we believe this post will be useful to them as well.

Soundbar Placement Options

As previously said, soundbar positioning is critical for excellent acoustic performance or audio output. You may mount the soundbar on a wall above or below your television, or you can set it on a table, stand cabinet, or any other surface near your television.

The majority of individuals prefer soundbar placement below the TV, while others may place their soundbar above the TV.

The position of the soundbar may impact its performance, though its model mostly determines this.

Place the soundbar directly in front of you, ideally at ear level, for the best audio quality.

Consider your best viewing angle because TVs and TV racks come in a variety of heights. Aside from the soundbar type and design, a few other considerations influence where the soundbar is placed.

These elements include user preferences, the environment, and the décor of your space.

Soundbars often come with a paper wall template and some mounting hardware. This is quite useful if you opt to wall mount your soundbar.

Use the template to choose the best placement and specify the screw point for the provided wall mounts.

Check the user manual for further details on what you’ll need for precise placement. Also, don’t forget to verify the manufacturer’s recommended position.

If there are no suggestions from the manufacturer, continue reading this tutorial for a better understanding.

Where to Place a Soundbar, Above or Below the TV?

The majority of people prefer to mount their soundbar above or below their television. Of course, positioning your soundbar in these locations is not an issue.

But which position is the best for soundbar placement? Above or below the television?

Let us look at them one by one.

The first thing to remember is that if you choose to put your soundbar, TV viewing should not be blocked by the placement of a soundbar.

Placing the soundbar above the TV makes far more acoustic sense, particularly if the speakers are upward-firing.

When the soundbar is positioned beneath the TV, the sound is more focused on the listener. The placement of your TV and where you want to sit will also influence where you place the soundbar.

In general, if you consider the criteria below, determining whether to place the soundbar above or below your TV should be simple.

Surround sound systems, in which a soundbar may contain satellite speakers, subwoofers, and additional speakers, are the only exceptions to this rule.

Another thing to consider is the remote. If your soundbar includes a remote, you should be able to point it at the receiver. The soundbar should not be placed so high that you have to raise your arm or stand up to change the settings.

So, whether you mount the soundbar above or below your TV, bear in mind that the remote’s IR blaster should not be obstructed.

In practice, we discovered that placing the soundbar under the TV gives you extra placement choices. We only need to lay it on the surface of the TV rack, and you’re done.

If you want a soundbar above the TV, though, you’ll probably need to connect it using drilling and screws. If you don’t like the extra work, we recommend merely attaching the soundbar to your TV rack.

Soundbar Placement Below the TV

If you have a larger TV and a lower seating position, or if you want to watch TV from the floor, placing the soundbar beneath the TV is excellent.

A superior sound experience is often obtained by mounting it at ear level. Most people place their televisions slightly above eye level to get the best view. As a result, placing the soundbar directly below the TV is an excellent option.

A soundbar placed below the TV will most likely be at or slightly below eye level. Furthermore, some well-known soundbar manufacturers recommend placing the soundbar below the TV so that it is closer to the ear level.

The majority of soundbars are designed to fit under a television. The soundbar contains standard front-firing speakers that work best when positioned under a television.

This arrangement is extremely beneficial since there is no ceiling reflection or sideways scattering, resulting in less echo and a considerably superior audio quality overall.

For optimum performance, set the soundbar somewhat below the TV if it is on a stand, table, shelf, or cabinet because the sound will come from where you are looking.

The necessary connections may be readily made beneath the TV. As a result, installing and wiring a soundbar under a television is easier.

Compare the height of the soundbar to the vertical space between the bottom of the TV and the stand to ensure that it does not block the screen.

In this situation, because the soundbar is put flat on the TV table, you do not need to be concerned about the device being secured in place. You will also be able to easily alter its location according to your preferences.

The Soundbar Above the TV

The soundbar may be mounted on the wall or the TV stand above the TV. Whatever the case, if you were to mount your soundbar on the wall or the TV stand itself, it would need to be at ear level.

This location is great if you have a smaller TV and want to sit on taller seats. Placing a soundbar beneath a television may not always be the best option.

Soundbars with upward-firing speakers should not be placed in front of or underneath the television. These soundbars must be placed such that sound is reflected from the ceiling to properly use the room’s acoustics.

These models are built to use real-world walls and ceilings to produce a remarkably realistic soundstage. However, it should be noted that the soundbar should not be placed too close to your room’s ceiling.

If it is too close to the ceiling, the sound may not bounce back as well as it should. The above TV position is suitable for Dolby Atmos soundbar placement.

When you put the soundbar above the TV, you eliminate the possibility of it interfering with the infrared signal from the TV remote, especially if it is placed extremely close to the TV’s bottom bezel.

A soundbar positioned slightly above eye level above the television would be aesthetically beautiful and acoustically sensible in some environments.

If the TV stand or table does not have enough space to accommodate the TV and the soundbar, placing it under the TV may be challenging. Then you might try for the position above the television.

Soundbar in a Cabinet

You can put a soundbar in a cabinet if it’s the right height and doesn’t have doors. Placing a soundbar on a cabinet shelf should be done in such a manner that the front-firing sound is not impeded.

However, this arrangement is ineffective for soundbars with left, right, or upward speakers. If you only have a basic model with front-firing speakers, placing the soundbar in the cabinet is OK.

A soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, or DTS Virtual:X audio should not be placed within a cabinet shelf since these formats need the soundbar to project sound vertically for overhead surround sound effects.

In this case, if your soundbar is strong enough to fire upward-firing speakers, the top of the cabinet would block and distort the sound.

These upward-firing speakers are used in surround sound systems to provide the best listening experience possible. They wanted to use the ceiling as a sounding board to reflect sound off the ceiling and create a 3D effect.

As a result, if you have a high-end audio system, such as soundbars that support Dolby Atmos, we recommend avoiding this position.

Other Positions Used by Different Soundbar Users

The Soundbar Behind the TV

Some users think of putting their soundbar behind the TV to hide the soundbar or the bulky cords. However, we believe that this is not the best location for your soundbar.

Because this placement will hinder the device’s sound, you may lose the exact sound impact.

Furthermore, this location is incompatible with the sound equipment with remote control. You will be unable to manage the soundbar since it will not take commands from the remote.

Soundbar Behind the Couch

Some customers prefer to hide their soundbars behind their sofa or couch.

Behind the couch speaker concept is also a non-recommended position if you wish to experience the device’s appropriately boosted sound.

Because the sofa or couch, like placing it behind the TV, may considerably obstruct the audio.

Users are attempting to select this location to improve the overall appearance of their entrainment area.

However, from the standpoint of sound pleasure, this position may have negative consequences because the couch’s back will operate as a soundproofing mechanism, reducing the overall listening experience.

As a result, both locations behind the TV and on the sofa as a hidden soundbar should be avoided since you will not receive direct sound from the device at your ear level.

Soundbar On the Floor

Some people have positioned their soundbars on the floor or in an upright position near their TV. However, if you want to enjoy the dynamic sound impact of your soundbar, this is not the best position to be in.

Because much of the sound output from the device is immediately absorbed by the floor or generates undesirable reverberation depending on the floor material used when set to such a low level.

Also, as you know, the music is coming from much below your ear level in this posture, which may ruin your listening experience. As previously said, always set the soundbar at ear level.

Conclusion

In addition to aesthetics, the position of a soundbar affects sound pleasure and overall quality. Consider your setup and device types to determine which soundbar location best matches your needs.

If at all possible, keep it at ear level for the best home entertainment experience. Also, attempt to maintain your TV at the straight possible viewing angle. You won’t have any trouble putting the soundbar if your TV is set to an appropriate viewing angle.

Our hearing line (ear level) is naturally just below the vision line (eye level). As a result, positioning the soundbar directly beneath the TV is the best location for the vast majority of soundbars.

Always consult the product’s instruction manual to see what placement the manufacturer recommends. Any soundbar-related requirements would have been specified in the device’s technical documentation.

You should consider and clarify whether your soundbar should be positioned above or below your television. If it isn’t explicitly stated elsewhere, place the bar on the TV stand below the TV.

The majority of people like to position their soundbar somewhat above eye level and their television slightly below ear level.

However, if your soundbar solely has front-firing speakers, we recommend putting it immediately below the TV. If the soundbar has upward-firing speakers, it should be placed above the TV.

Frequently Asked Questions

We hope you found this article helpful. Sign up for our free newsletter to receive fresh information right in your inbox and stay informed technically.

You May Be Interested to Read:

• Headphones vs Speakers: Which Is Better for Music Listening?
• Understanding the Difference: HDMI ARC vs. eARC Explained
• What Is the Difference Between a Monitor and a TV?
• NanoCell vs OLED: Which TV Technology Is Better?
• How to Quickly Fix an Apple TV Light Blinking Problem?