5 Best Positions for a Subwoofer in Car

Does Subwoofer Positioning Really Matters in a Car?

The answer might surprise you: Yes, it really does! Correctly positioning your subwoofer in your car can make the difference between an average audio experience and a truly remarkable one. Subwoofer placement affects the quality of sound that comes from your subwoofer system. Below, I have shared some tips to help you achieve optimal subwoofer placement for the best sound possible.

5 Best Positions to Place the Subwoofer in a Car:

Before you decide to place your subwoofer, it is essential to know what are the top positions that most audiophiles use for their subwoofers. Some of them are given below:

1. Under the Seat:

This option is best for those with a mid-level interest in the bass. This way, you can get loud bass output in any premium audio system by installing a subwoofer under the driver’s or passenger’s seat. This installation offers several advantages, including improved sound quality and increased efficiency.

Additionally, installing a subwoofer under the seat can help minimize vibration and resonance inside the vehicle cabin. However, you need to note some crucial factors before you place your subwoofer under the car’s seat:

• Ensure that you have enough space for the subwoofer under the seat.
• Choose an enclosure that allows enough clearance for the seat mounting bracket ⁽¹⁾.
• Ensure you use suitably mounted brackets between adjustable U-brackets or L-brackets.
• Ensure you use mounting screws with rubber washers to reduce any possible rattling or vibration.
• Ensure you route the power wires away from any hot or moving components to prevent electrical shorts.

1.1 Under the Front Seat:

Putting a subwoofer under the front seat typically increases the bass sounds in music. The sound output generated by a subwoofer placed in this location travels through the seats and up toward the listener, creating depth and an immersive experience.

1.2 Under the Rear Seat:

Placing a subwoofer under the back seat produces more intense bass sounds. This is because the sound waves travel through the back of the seat and up to the listener, allowing for more natural bass frequencies. Additionally, placing a subwoofer under the back seat of a car can help reduce any rattling or vibration caused by bass-heavy sound.

2. Placing a Subwoofer Rear of the Car’s Seat:

Another best option that you can choose for a subwoofer is the rear of the seat. This option is especially for those with a high interest in the bass. Through this position, you can get an immersive and powerful audio experience. The waves produced by the subwoofer are directed towards the listener, resulting in a more excellent bass response, which enhances both the clarity and intensity of lower frequencies.

Positioning the subwoofer behind the car seat eliminates most reflections and absorbs unwanted sound, leading to a smoother and more controlled bass sound. Additionally, this subwoofer placement helps to create a “bass bubble,” which envelopes the listener in an acoustic atmosphere that is both loud and clear.

This spatial audio experience makes for an enjoyable listening environment but also helps to reduce fatigue by providing a more natural soundscape. However, front or rear placement has different sound effects.

2.1 Rear of the Front Seat:

Placing a subwoofer behind the front seat will give you a more direct bass response and impact. The sound waves of this setup reach your ears faster. This results in a tighter, punchy bass sound but may lack some of the rumble associated with lower frequencies. However, this can be a headache for the people sitting in the back seats as they are totally facing each other.

2.2 Rear of the Back Seat:

Placing a subwoofer behind the rear seat will give you a lower frequency response, with more bass rumble and resonance. This setup results in a giant, fuller sound due to the extra distance between the subwoofer and your ears. However, you may have decreased direct impact and punchiness compared to the front seat placement.

3. Car Trunk:

This is the most common and best position for a trunk subwoofer among audiophiles. You can use your car trunk for the best sound if you do not need trunk space for other things in the car. Placing the subwoofer enclosure in the trunk allows for greater flexibility and creative freedom regarding sound tuning.

The airtight seal created by placing the box there can help isolate the waves coming from the speakers, resulting in deeper bass and warmer tones. This seal can also reduce the amount of external noise interference, which will help create a more precise sound. Additionally, placing a subwoofer in the trunk helps minimize vibrations in the chassis and keeps them from affecting your car’s ride quality or audio performance.

Lastly, this setup enables you to maximize available space inside the cabin and maintain your vehicle from becoming cluttered with large sound equipment. However, you should be careful about choosing which way to face your subwoofer in the car trunk for optimal sound.

3.1 Side Placement of Subwoofer in the Car Trunk:

Placing a subwoofer at the side of a car trunk has several significant effects:

• It allows you to save space in the trunk by taking up less area than if mounted horizontally or vertically.
• Placing a subwoofer at the side of your car’s trunk can help with sound dispersion and accuracy. By positioning the subwoofer at an angle, you can direct the sound waves away from the trunk walls and toward your listener for better performance.
• Placing a subwoofer at the side will let you easily adjust its tilt, allowing you to customize its directionality for the best sound quality.

4. Inside the Car Door:

This option is only suggested for cars having door speakers. If you want to hide your subwoofer or save space in your vehicle, you can replace one of your car door’s speakers with a free-air subwoofer. Depending on the vehicle, this installation can provide advantages such as increased sound quality, improved bass response, and a more straightforward installation process.

However, it also carries some drawbacks, such as reduced power handling capabilities, potentially decreased mid-bass, and possible sound distortion caused by the reverberation within the car door. When it comes to sound quality, a free-air subwoofer installed inside the car doors can provide an improved overall acoustic experience.

The increased rigidity of the surrounding metal compared to other enclosures will result in less internal cabinet resonance, resulting in a tighter, more accurate bass response. Additionally, the proximity to the vehicle’s interior allows for better sound dispersion and a more immersive experience.

5. Car Front:

Placing a subwoofer at the car’s front comes at the last of my list. However, adding a subwoofer there can have several benefits. First, it will improve the overall sound quality of your car’s sound system by producing more profound, more powerful bass notes that are underemphasized or completely absent in many factory stereo systems.

This will give your music a fuller and richer sound than you may have heard before. Additionally, the subwoofer will pick up and produce low frequencies beyond the range of standard car speakers, thus allowing you to experience sound on a new level.

Which Direction Should Your Subwoofer Face in the Car?

Below are several directions in which you can face your subwoofer.

Sub Facing Up:

When you position a subwoofer in an upward direction, it can give you the following effects:

• Firstly, the sound waves created by the subwoofer will be reflected off the roof of the car and then bounced around inside the cabin, potentially leading to an uneven frequency response.
• Secondly, due to this reflection from above, some frequencies may become more pronounced than others, leading to a more “boomy” sound – which may be desirable in some circumstances but can also lead to an imbalance in the overall sound quality.
• Thirdly, subwoofers installed this way will not benefit from any acoustic loading effects provided by the floor of a car, potentially leading to reduced bass response and power handling.
• Finally, depending on the type of subwoofer you’re using and the material it’s made from, this up-facing installation may cause a decrease in its lifespan.

Sub Facing Down:

When you direct your subwoofer in a downward direction, it can lead you to the following effects:

• Downward firing produces more efficient bass response and greater bass output, but it also causes an increase in air turbulence inside the cabin. This can lead to a reduction in sound quality and listening fatigue due to higher levels of background noise in the cabin.
• Facing a subwoofer downward can create cancellation effects at specific frequencies, leading to a lack of clarity and definition in the music.

Sub Facing Side:

The subwoofer facing side has both benefits and drawbacks.

• Facing your subwoofer to the side can help spread sound evenly throughout your car’s cabin. This allows you to experience a better overall listening experience since low-frequency sounds will be heard louder than before.
• It can help reduce the chance of hearing distortion since sound is spread out more evenly.
• It could cause an increase in road noise and vibration. This is because the speaker’s sound waves travel long distances and bounce off other surfaces before reaching your ears. This can create an unpleasant listening experience due to increased noise and vibration levels.
• This type of placement may not be ideal for any music that relies heavily on bass, as it can muddy up the sound.

Sub Facing Back Panel (Rear Firing Subwoofer):

• Facing the subwoofer toward the back panel (rear wall) can produce more bass resonance since it allows waves to bounce off the panel, creating an increased low-frequency response. This means that you will get deeper and richer sounds with this orientation.
• Additionally, back-firing can help prevent waves from canceling each other out, as they will bounce off different surfaces.
• It can cause sound distortion when you play music at high volumes due to the repetitious reflected waveforms that are created.
• It can also cause increased acoustic noise as the sound waves bounce around the vehicle’s cabin.

To prevent the drawbacks, ensure that your car subwoofer is securely mounted and that any foam or other materials used to absorb reflected waves are correctly placed.

Sub Facing Front Screen:

Subs facing the front screen of a car (also known as Front-Firing Subs) are becoming increasingly popular in car audio systems. Effects are given below:

• Firing inwards towards the driver, rather than out towards the rear wall, means less interference and distortion from other components in the car. You will get a more accurate and precise sound reproduction, allowing you to enjoy your music with greater detail and clarity through this setup.
• The other advantage of a Front-Firing Sub is that it can produce more powerful bass output. This is because the audio waves are directed directly at the driver.

Best Position for Subwoofer According to the Car Size:

For Small Cars:

Small cars can have less space to install a subwoofer, so it is essential to consider the placement of the subwoofer carefully. The recommended and best position for a subwoofer in a small car is to place it under the passenger seat or behind the seat.

These placements ensure that the subwoofer sound will be heard inside the car and won’t be lost in the air outside. If you have a small car, make sure that the subwoofer enclosure is manageable so it will only take up a little space. However, you can consider an 8 or 10-inch subwoofer.

For Large Cars:

Large cars provide more space to install a subwoofer, so people have more options for placement. Placing the subwoofer under the passenger seat or behind the seat is still a good option, as this ensures that sound will be heard inside the car and won’t be lost outside.

However, the trunk will be an ideal location if you can sacrifice some space for other components. But large vehicles can also accommodate larger car subwoofers, such as 12 inches, 14 inches, or so on, which can be installed in the trunk or rear deck for maximum sound.