If you’ve spent any amount of time involved with the television market, you’ve no doubt noticed just how big of an impact soundbars have had on home entertainment. A good soundbar can enhance the audio dimension of some of your favourite content. This has a massive impact on your sense of immersion.
Soundbars have incredible audio capabilities, and they’re also very convenient. With just a single soundbar, you can achieve a surround sound experience that once required the set-up of multiple independent speakers. The only problem is, when you’ve just grabbed your very first soundbar, it can be tough to tell where exactly you should put it.
Should you keep the speaker near the TV? Does it need to be wall-mounted? What sounds best? Want to get your new soundbar up and running? Then join our Reliant tech experts to find out where you should place it!
Why Does The Position Of Your Soundbar Matter?
When many people first get a soundbar, they can find themselves agonising for ages over where they should position it. In turn, this can also lead many people to wonder why exactly it matters so much.
Put simply, the positioning of your soundbar can mean the difference between a great soundbar experience, and a bad one. When your soundbar is properly positioned, it can create the unconscious sense that all sound is actually coming from objects and characters on screen. When your soundbar is inefficiently positioned, it can totally draw you out of the moment. It reminds you that the two are actually not connected.
The position of your soundbar is of vital importance. If your soundbar isn’t positioned correctly, it can lead to a very unsatisfying and unrealistic audio-visual experience. Make sure to find the perfect spot for your own!
If you want to totally lose yourself in the best films and shows, then it’s important to find the right spot for your soundbar. Otherwise, what was the point of spending all of that money on one?
How Should You Position Your Soundbar?
Ultimately, your soundbar should be positioned at ear level. Being at ear level makes it easier for sound to travel from the soundbar to you, which in turn means you don’t miss out on any of the sounds of your content. Where ear level is may depend on where your TV is positioned. As such, you can place it above or below the screen.
However, though you can place your soundbar above or below your TV screen, you should make sure not to place it to the left or right of the screen. For the best experience, your soundbar needs to be aligned to the centre of the TV screen. When the visuals and audio are coming from the same point in the room, it creates the sense that the two are totally linked. This also means that you can suspend your disbelief, and buy that the sound is actually coming from everything that’s happening on screen.
If you place your soundbar too far to the left or right, you really risk severing the connection between the visuals and audio. This can impact your overall enjoyment.
Do You Need To Wall Mount A Soundbar?
Ultimately how you hold your soundbar in position depends on how your TV is stored. If your TV is wall-mounted, it’s best to also wall-mount its soundbar. If your TV is on a TV stand, or is part of an entertainment centre, then you can simply place it directly below the screen, on the same shelf, or on a shelf just below or above.
Whether you choose to wall-mount your soundbar or not, you should make sure there’s enough space between the two. 10 to 15 centimetres should suffice for great sound and to keep the two from vibrating against each other.
Either way, we recommend ensuring there’s around 10 to 15 centimetres of space between the soundbar and the TV. This is just close enough to strengthen the audio-visual connection. It also allows enough space for the soundbar to work. If the two are placed too close together, the soundbar might end up vibrating against the screen! This would be incredibly annoying while watching and could cause long-term damage to the TV itself.
Do You Need More Than One Soundbar?
The best thing about soundbars is that you actually don’t need more than one! A single soundbar is actually made up of multiple individual speakers. These speakers send sound in different directions, to create the experience of surround sound. Don’t worry about trying to position two soundbars near your TV.
In fact, though it is possible, pairing two soundbars to work together is incredibly difficult. In order to do it, you would have to have one soundbar paired to the TV, and then the second soundbar paired to the other. This would thus result in a slight delay between the two. This can have a major impact on your sense of immersion and enjoyment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where Should You Place A Soundbar?
The best place for your soundbar is just above or below the paired TV. If you’re having trouble picking between those two options, choose the one that is closest to ear level. This ensures you can hear everything just right. You should also make sure the soundbar is aligned with the TV screen. If it’s too off-centre, it will sound that way while watching.
How Far Should A Soundbar Be From The TV?
We recommend positioning your TV and soundbar within 10 to 15 centimetres of one another. This ensures the two are close enough to create a seamless connection between visuals and audio. It also ensures the two aren’t so close that the soundbar can vibrate against the TV itself. This allows for better-quality audio.
