How to Place a Subwoofer on a Shelf

Speaker and subwoofer placement is important for a full audio experience.

Ideally, a subwoofer should be placed directly on the floor. The subwoofer creates bass sounds and effects using vibrations of air hitting a surface directly underneath it. Shelves can vibrate or shake when the subwoofer is on and aren't an ideal location for subwoofers. However, if the only space you have is on a shelf, the selection of shelf and positioning of fragile items near the shelf are important. You may not get the best sound with this setup, but if space is an issue, it works.

Instructions

1. Choose a shelf that is thick and sturdy. A thin shelf will vibrate more from the subwoofer and could break or cause the woofer to fall down.

2. Place the subwoofer on a shelf that is lowest to the ground. Remove all other items from the shelf as these may move or fall of when the subwoofer is on.

3. Run the connection wires from the back of the subwoofer to the speakers and audio output on your devices such as TV or stereo. To reduce clutter, run the wires behind the shelf. If the shelf is part of a home entertainment center, there is often a small hole in the back of the shelf cabinet to run wires through.

4. Turn on the audio system, and test the subwoofer with bass heavy music or a movie with a lot of loud sounds. If you notice items on other shelves vibrating or moving from the subwoofer vibrations, remove those items.

5. Adjust the subwoofer slightly further back on the shelf to prevent it from falling off.

Tips & Warnings

• Ensure the subwoofer is always placed at a point lower than the lowest audio speaker. Also, the subwoofer should remain below the level of your head when you are sitting down using the audio or entertainment system.

• You may need to move the subwoofer and speakers around to try out different setups to get the ideal sound.

References

• Axiom Audio: Subwoofer Placement