Subwoofers are the crown piece of any home theater system. They provide heavy bass notes and allow other speakers to do their jobs properly. However, knowing where to place them and how to space them could be problematic. So what is the clearance your subwoofer needs?
High-end, large-sized speakers need 8 to 12 inches of clearance from walls. This allows them room to produce a rich sound that doesn’t penetrate through the walls and cause them to shake.
Knowing how to place the subwoofer in your home is critical information. Not only does it need clearance from the walls, but there could need to be space between the subwoofer and the rest of the home theater. So read on and learn how much clearance your subwoofer needs.
Table of Contents
How Much Clearance Your Subwoofer Needs
Clearance is vital for the crisp bass and spinetingling rumbles that make home theater subwoofers essential. With proper clearance, you can avoid negating the effects of your home theater and could miss important notes in music or on your favorite videos.
Reasons Clearance is Critical for Subwoofers
You might think that once a subwoofer has its dB levels set, it is ready to go. Unfortunately, that’s only halfway true because you must take the time to place it properly, or there could be issues, like falling pictures in neighboring rooms, that will force you to get proper clearance.
Some of the reasons that clearance is essential for subwoofers are:
- Rattling – One of the biggest complaints about subwoofers is that they can rattle things. It doesn’t matter if it is a picture on the wall or a tea set across the room; if the bass hits too low, it can shake them. By having proper clearance, you can negate the effects of rattling while still getting deep bass tones.
- Muffling – If you don’t have proper spacing, the sounds from the subwoofer can be muffled. While soundwaves are omnidirectional, they can meet interference and force sounds to bounce back on themselves. Proper clearance on the subwoofer minimizes muffling and allows sound waves to travel unobstructed.
- Distortion – Distortion differs from muffling in that the speaker could impact something that forces it to distort. For instance, there could be carpet underneath a downward firing subwoofer, which could be making contact with it.
Most of the reasons to have spacing for your home theater subwoofer involve an impact on the sound. Suppose the speaker doesn’t have enough room to work. When the sub isn’t working correctly, the other speakers must pick up the slack and drop off in production.
The Best Places to get Proper Spacing for your Home Theater Subwoofer
Now that you know how much clearance your subwoofer needs to function correctly, it is time to decide where you can place it for the best results. The bad news is that every room is different, and they could have things that impact how the subwoofer works.
The good thing is that a few places are still viable, no matter what kind of room you have.
Some of the best places for your subwoofer are as follows:
- In the Corner – The most popular place to get clearance for your subwoofer is in the corner. If you keep the 8 to 12 inches rule in place, you beat muffling and distortion while allowing the sub to give peak performance. In addition, corners are an excellent way to increase the sub’s bass sound and produce great low rumbles.
- Close to the Center – The center channel speaker must be close to the subwoofer. If there’s too much distance from the center, there could be delays in the sound and misfiring of the subwoofer.
- Your Choice – Another thing that people like to do is swap their chosen seat with the subwoofer. Then as the sound plays, they move around the room and hear where the sound is the best. Again, it is unconventional, but this method allows you to personalize the home theater setup.
- Behind the Couch – A popular place for wireless subs is behind the couch. It gives those seated nearby a brilliant rumble that makes them feel like they are part of the action. If you keep the clearance rules intact, there should be enough space to let the subwoofer breathe and produce a pure sound.
- Where the Cords Allow – Sometimes, a series of cords must attach to the home theater’s center channel. If this is the case with your setup, you must place the sub in a location that gives it clearance while still allowing it to be plugged in. In addition, it must be near a power source to make it work.
Placement is vital for a home theater setup. If the sub is in a location that doesn’t give it proper clearance or rattles things in nearby rooms, you need to find a new place. Also, moving the sub around gives you options when watching sporting events or movies.
Clearance for the Speaker’s Cone
While the box needs 8 to 12 inches to breathe correctly, the cone needs much less. By keeping two to three inches of space between the speaker and any obstructions, you can ensure that your speaker doesn’t get distorted. If your speaker has a screen on it, do not remove it, or there could be distortion and muffling.
Conclusion
Eight to 12 inches of space is all the clearance you need to make your subwoofer work without distortion or muffling. Remember that the sound could be absorbed or distorted if a sub is downward firing and on a soft surface, like a carpet. Clearance isn’t just for the box but for the speaker’s cone.
Recommended: 3 Signs Your Home Theater Subwoofer Is Blown
The clearance your subwoofer needs to function correctly is 8 to 12 inches from the walls or other decorations. This clearance allows the sub to create brilliant low-rumbling bass that supercharges your music or immerses your theater setup. By enabling the clearance rules to stay in place, you make the sounds better and perform when needed.
