Can You Put a Subwoofer Behind a Couch?

Subwoofers are finishing touches to the whole audio equipment system. Banging bass production gives another level of experience in watching movies and music listening. Believe it or not, without a subwoofer, you will always have a missing piece.

The location of a subwoofer will determine the overall performance. In this scenario, the placement signifies the optimal sound quality. Depending on the arrangement of your interior design, can you put the subwoofer behind the Couch?

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Can You Put a Subwoofer behind a Couch?

If you put a subwoofer behind the Couch, the thorough bass vibe will follow you in the entire room. In nearly all cases, the subwoofer will perform in its best way. 

The answer is yes, and you can locate the subwoofer behind the Couch, considering the remaining distance between 0.8-1.1 feet from the wall. To analyze further the ideal location of the subwoofer, use SPL frequency measurement. 

On rare occasions, the interior designs don’t let you get the most performance out of the subwoofer, but in most cases, it’s ok.

 The Influence of a Subwoofer Placement 

Room acoustics refers to the sound movement in the home theater system. So, there is no magic placement that will work for everyone. Without experimentation, it seems impossible to figure out the best location for a subwoofer. 

Behind the Couch, positioning seems an ideal solution for most room designs. The influence that it has on the sound reflection is real. People place the subwoofer in their free spaces all the time and then blame the manufacturer for poor quality.

Subwoofers mainly focus on low frequencies, and any place won’t give the same results. Imagine this, can you hear the phone ringing better in the room you currently are in or the room next to you? That’s pretty much what I’m trying to explain.

You shouldn’t place the subwoofer next to you, just like your phone either. Also, don’t place the subwoofer on the desk. 

Why is it Ideal to Place the Subwoofer behind the Couch? 

I strongly advise you to put the subwoofer behind the Couch because of the low-frequency vibrations. In the action scenes specifically, the explosions feel like they just exploded in front of you. The floor is the first place where we feel the vibrations. It’s simply like an earthquake, and it feels more real when it comes from the floor.  As I said before, the subwoofer behind the Couch is the ideal location, and here are the reasons why I think so:

• If the subwoofer placement is nearby in your listening range, you will be able to get even the small details. The sounds spread back and forth in the surround sound, as you are familiar with that. The blending with the subwoofer is nicely done this way, resulting in a crispy clear, booming effect.
• Putting your subwoofer behind the Couch reduces the unnecessary vibrations that some frequency ranges produce when they hit the wall. This case is most visible during music listening times, to be more specific, in electronic dance and hip hop music genres.
• The location of a subwoofer contributes to the improvement of 3D bass in sound production. For a better understanding of the 3D concept, this applies more to music. I would say listen to Alan Walker’s “The Spectre” song in 3D.
• I must say the last reason is the least important in the placement of the subwoofer. Sometimes, the subwoofer and interior design don’t look that appealing to the eyes. If that is bothering you a lot, I highly recommend choosing a wireless-powered and more compact subwoofer. 

How to Locate the Subwoofer for Optimum Bass Production?

Usually, the location of the subwoofer is in the direction of the front wall. This way, the bass production from the subwoofer leaves space for the front speakers to focus powerfully on the mid and high frequencies.

If you’re an audiophile, you know that subwoofer is erratic, which means you can’t tell where exactly the sound is coming from. When you move the subwoofer too far, the bass isn’t well coordinated.

Here I will mention some influential facts when you locate the subwoofer, so read it carefully:

1. Wires- Make sure the wires don’t get in the way while stepping, or you don’t trip on them. Alternatively, you can always choose the wireless option over wired.
2. Walls & Corners- Avoid locating your subwoofer like it’s glued on the wall. Otherwise, you will end up hearing harsh sounds.
3. Play Around- Play around with the placement until you reach the satisfactory level. Play some music or watch movies for a couple of days to figure out the change. 
4. Dust, Dirt, & Debris- You may not pay attention to gathered dirt and dust at first. Sure thing, these factors affect the sound quality you will get from the subwoofer in general. Place the subwoofer somewhere reachable behind the Couch, so you can easily clean it.

Final Words

Placing the subwoofer behind the couch is the ideal position to get the best performance. The sound quality and the vibration effect you get will differ from place to place. Over and above that, the subwoofer behind a couch won’t create traffic and ruin the aesthetics of your interior design.  

I can confidently say that the walls, corners and the area of the living room should be considered. For that reason, play around with the placement and figure out where the sound quality seems optimal.

Further Reading

If you had enough of the subwoofer topic let’s change it a little bit. To increase power, first, you need to know the difference between a power amp and a preamp. Amplifier that has a radio section built-in is a receiver and I estimated that Marantz and Denon receivers appear to be a better choice to pick. 

I’m offering amazing quality subwoofers just under $300. In case you need a soundbar for your subwoofer, picking JBL 9.1 and Sonos Arc will be the best decision you have ever made, just saying.