Investing in a high-quality soundbar brings theater-level audio into your home, but if you're not positioning it right, you're missing out on precious sound quality.
That's why I consulted the experts to find out exactly where the best position is for your soundbar. The bottom line is: Position your soundbar below the TV.
It's where the best soundbars have been designed to be placed, so that the soundwaves are sent directly to and around your ears. It's recommended not to mount your soundbar above the TV, although there's a creative fix to make it work perfectly.
Where to Position Your Soundbar for Optimal Sound and Movie-Quality Audio
Unless stated otherwise, a soundbar is designed to be positioned underneath the TV, with the audio height and direction calibrated to reach and surround your ears from this angle.
'Place your soundbar directly below your TV for optimal sound,' advises Chris Wilson, owner of Central Coast Audio Visual.
'Most premium soundbars are designed to project sound straight toward your ears,' he adds, highlighting the importance of sticking to the sound engineers' design when setting up your movie room.
Whether it's mounted into the wall or sat on your TV stand or cabinet, having it in this position is ideal. Many soundbars come with optional raised feet if your TV legs protrude too much, or you can use these $21.95 non-adhesive feet at Amazon so that it sits above them.
Putting it elsewhere – like above the TV, behind a cabinet, or to the side – risks missing out on the full soundscape, with precious soundwaves sent to the corners of your room where your ears aren't.
'If you mount the soundbar above the screen instead of below it, your ears miss the prime listening zone. The result is muffled dialogue, weaker bass, and a less immersive experience,' Chris emphasizes, although this isn't always the case.
Can you Mount a Soundbar Above the TV?
Sometimes, mounting the soundbar above the TV is the only viable option, perhaps as a mood-boosting small space idea, or if your TV stand simply isn't big enough.
But instead of limiting your home theater experience, you can use simple wedge mounts on top of a shelf or stand to angle it downwards, towards where you sit.
I do this as Homes & Gardens' resident soundbar tester. We endeavored to test in real-world conditions, but to be able to test huge soundbars like the Sonos Arc Ultra that are designed for larger spaces than mine, I needed to find a creative solution that allows every aspect of the sound quality to be preserved.
And with a couple of wedge mounts like these Monoprice mounts that are just $39.67 at Amazon, it works perfectly. Or, if you want to mount yours on the wall, find a soundbar mount that can be angled downwards.
What to Shop
Whether you're positioning your soundbar below or above your TV (but please, never to the side), it doesn't cost much to make sure the sound is as crisp and powerful as possible.
You can find soundbar mounts from $17.99 at Home Depot, Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart. Make sure it fits the weight and dimensions of your model.
These silicone, non-adhesive blocks are ideal for soundbars, leaving no marks on your device, TV stand, or cabinet, while providing enough grip to prevent anything from budging loose.
If you're positioning your soundbar on a shelf or stand above the TV, use these wedge mounts to angle it towards your ears for the true sound experience. Or, if you're cabinet is low, you can use them the other way round to angle the sound upwards.
While you're optimizing your soundbar setup, it's a great idea to neatly organize your cables so they're not on show or distracting. These hide the wires, covering them in white trunking.
Next, learn how to organize a music room and how to decorate your TV stand.
