Can You Place a Subwoofer Behind TV?

If you have a nice TV setup, believe me adding a subwoofer can drastically enhance your home theater system. However, if you’re considering placing a subwoofer behind the TV but don’t know its overall impact, then you should read this article until the end to know if is it okay to put a subwoofer behind tv screen.

Anyway, there are no significant limitations that can restrict you from placing the sub behind your TV. However, I wouldn’t recommend you place the subwoofer in this way because there are better subwoofer placement options available. Still, if you want to place the sub behind the television, choose an upward or downward-direction subwoofer. Avoid placing the subwoofer in such a way that directs the bass frequencies to the television.

Benefits of Placing a Subwoofer Behind Your TV:

I’ll start by discussing the benefits of a correct sub-placement behind the TV.

1. Aesthetically Pleasing:

A behind-the-TV subwoofer placement infuses the room with a balanced surround sound system and uncluttered aesthetic. For example, a home theater system with the same design but a subwoofer with a different color can reduce the aesthetic look.

You can prevent this from happening by hiding the sub on the back of your television. Also, It allows the TV and other decor to take center stage while the subwoofer blends in inconspicuously.

This placement offers sonic benefits, enhances audio performance, and improves space utilization. Overall, It’s an effective strategy for achieving a minimalist, organized, and stylish entertainment setup.

2. Reduced Cable Clutter:

By using such a placement, you utilize an often underused space, keeping the front area less cluttered. However, if you have infants that walk around and mess up with different things, you can use the behind-the-TV subwoofer position for clean and hidden cable management. This will prevent your children from reaching the dangerous power cable.

However, your subwoofer’s cables will blend with the TV’s existing wires, making them less noticeable (even for the guests). In some cases, this setup permits easy access to ports while minimizing the risk of tripping over loose cables. 

3. Reduced “Boomy” Effect:

The “boomy” effect (that I’m talking about) is often a result of subwoofers being placed in corners or too close to the listener, amplifying certain low-frequency sounds.

The low-frequency waves are diffused more evenly throughout the home theater room by placing the subwoofer behind the TV (However, ensure you use a down-firing subwoofer).

This position also allows the subwoofer’s output to blend better with the sound from the main TV speakers, creating a more balanced and less “boomy” audio experience.

4. Potential Acoustic Benefits:

The subwoofer’s placement can result in better directional sound cues, enhancing the viewer’s immersive experience. It also reduces the chances of sound localization, where the listener identifies the source of the low-frequency sounds.

Moreover, this setup can help distribute bass waves evenly across the room, mitigating the effect of standing waves and room modes. This results in a more balanced and best sound quality, augmenting the overall room acoustics.

5. Space Saving:

People with small rooms have found the subwoofer placement behind the TV very helpful. Not judging, but if you’re one of them too, your home theater room will look cleaner and more spacious with this setup, as the subwoofer is out of immediate sight, creating a less cluttered environment.

What Are the Possible Negative Effects of a Subwoofer Behind TV Placement?

I’ve mentioned why I don’t recommend this placement for all the TV setups. Here’s why:

1. Sound Quality Issues:

Some people will hate this position, as it creates a barrier between the sound source and the listener, leading to poor sound reproduction. The TV’s material absorbs low-frequency waves, causing bass waves to lose their punch and depth.

Additionally, the back of your TV isn’t designed to disperse sound, resulting in less effective audio distribution throughout the room.

Ultimately, this placement compromises the immersive audio setup that a well-placed subwoofer can deliver and can dampen the overall enjoyment derived from your home theater system.

2. Imbalanced Audio:

If you choose this placement, you will notice that TV can disrupt the balance in audio output due to the physics of sound waves. Subwoofers emit omnidirectional low-frequency waves that can bounce off walls, causing a ‘boomy’ sound effect.

When placed behind a TV, this effect is amplified as the sound waves directly hit the back of the TV before reflecting back to the listening area (causing unwanted sound reflections).

This not only increases the volume of bass frequencies but also affects the overall audio clarity, creating a skewed and imbalanced sound profile.

3. Vibrations and Rattling:

Not everyone is up for this conversation, but the deep bass sounds from a subwoofer create strong vibrations that can impact any object in close proximity, including a television.

When you place the subwoofer behind the television, these vibrations can cause both visible and audible disturbances. The TV’s screen may develop distortions, and internal components could rattle or even become damaged over time.

This is due to the resonant frequency of these components matching with the bass output, leading to a phenomenon known as sympathetic vibration. Therefore, placing the subwoofer at a safe distance from the TV screen is advisable to avoid these issues.

4. Overheating Risks:

That’s not a significant concern, but I have faced these experiences in some cases. Sometimes, this placement obstructs the airflow and traps heat, creating a temperature build-up around the TV’s heat-sensitive components.

This situation is exacerbated if the subwoofer itself generates heat during operation. With time, this retained heat can exceed the components’ heat tolerance level, leading to their malfunction or failure.

This arrangement poses a risk not just to the TV and the subwoofer. Still, it also becomes a potential fire hazard, emphasizing the need for careful and strategic positioning of your audio equipment.

5. Interference With CRT TVs:

For old CRT TVs, it can cause electromagnetic fields. The interference happens because CRT TV screens and subwoofers both utilize magnetic fields.

A subwoofer, specifically, has a large magnet inside that helps produce low-frequency tones. When a CRT TV and a subwoofer are close to each other, the subwoofer’s magnetic field may interact with the magnetic field used by the TV’s cathode ray tube to control the movement of the electron beam.

This interaction can cause distortions in the TV’s image, often manifesting as waves or color shifts. For these reasons, I recommend placing the subwoofer safely from CRT TVs to prevent such interference.

How Can You Safely Place the Subwoofer Behind the Television?

If you have decided to put the sub behind your screen, I cannot stop. Instead, I’ll provide you with some steps that can help you get the best sound experience without damaging the subwoofer or TV.

1. Leave Adequate Clearance:

You should give some time to plan the correct clearance between the subwoofer and TV. However, I would just say that the clearance needed between these devices is highly dependent on the size and power of your subwoofer, but a good rule of thumb is to leave at least 2-3 feet of space. This will allow adequate transmission of sound waves without causing disturbance to the TV.

2. Avoid Heat Sources:

As mentioned above, exposing your subwoofer to heat sources can lead to performance issues and, in extreme cases, irreparable damage.

Heat influences the subwoofer’s electrical components and can cause them to overheat, decreasing efficiency and overall sound quality. In some circumstances, excessive heat can even trigger a complete failure of the subwoofer.

Furthermore, placing the subwoofer near heat sources like a TV (TV vents or radiators) can also affect its performance by increasing its temperature. This could shorten the lifespan of your subwoofer and lead to sound system malfunctions.

3. Use Isolation Pads:

Isolation pads can help you reduce the subwoofer vibration. You can place the isolation pads effectively under each corner of the subwoofer.

They serve to decouple the subwoofer from the floor, significantly reducing vibrations that can transfer to your TV. The pads absorb the vibration energy that might otherwise cause unwanted noise or distortion in your audio experience.

Depending on the size and weight of your subwoofer, you may need larger or thicker pads. Always ensure that the pads are correctly positioned to support the subwoofer and prevent any imbalance.

4. Subwoofer Orientation:

To ensure optimal subwoofer orientation behind your TV, consider two main factors: audio performance and space. For best audio, a horizontal or down-firing direction is recommended as these minimize sound distortion and prevent obstruction of the TV screen.

If space is limited, a down-firing subwoofer is a good choice as it takes less room. A well-placed, appropriately oriented subwoofer enhances your home theater experience by providing deep, immersive sound.

5. Wireless Subwoofers:

If you haven’t bought a subwoofer yet, I suggest you go with a wireless one. Wireless subwoofers eliminate the need for visible cables, leading to a cleaner, more streamlined aesthetic.

Furthermore, they significantly reduce the risk of cable-related accidents, such as tripping or damage to the wires themselves. In a setup where the subwoofer is placed behind the TV, going wireless ensures a safer, more efficient, and aesthetically pleasing environment.

6. Use Bass Traps:

Bass traps can effectively absorb undue low-frequency sound waves, which might otherwise cause muddiness in the audio output. By controlling this, you can avoid the subwoofer’s proximity to the wall or corners, typical areas of high bass build-up.

Therefore, with bass traps, the subwoofer’s placement becomes less constrained by acoustic considerations and can instead be guided by aesthetics, convenience, or other factors.

As such, bass traps offer greater flexibility and the best sound quality control, enhancing your overall home theater experience.

7. Use High-Quality Audio Cables:

You must use high-quality audio cables & bolsters for both subwoofer placement and sound output. When setting up behind the TV, superior cables provide flexibility due to their durability and length, allowing optimal positioning.

Furthermore, they minimize signal loss and interference, which is crucial for a subwoofer as it reproduces low-frequency sounds that are highly susceptible to distortion.

High audio quality cables ensure deep, precise bass tones are delivered smoothly and accurately, enhancing the overall auditory experience.

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