The benefits of multiple subwoofers are becoming common knowledge in home audio. In this guide we will cover the best locations to place your subwoofers in order to leverage the maximum benefit.
Corner Placement
In a typical room, it is best to hide your subwoofers by placing them in corners. In a rectangular room, you will achieve good frequency response by positioning subwoofers in opposite corners, i.e. one in the front right corner and the other in the back left corner or vice versa. Keep in mind that it is best to place subwoofers away from openings like doors or open walls. This is the most efficient way to maximize room gain for deep bass.
Mid-Wall Placement
Another option is to place a subwoofer at the mid-point along the left side wall and the other on the right sidewall. The subwoofers will couple less with the room than corner placement, but if your seating position is near the middle of the room, you will have more of a tactile experience from the direct energy of your subwoofers.
Front-Wall Placement
A popular and esthetically pleasing option is to place both subwoofers on the front wall near the front left and right speakers. This makes the two subwoofers sound like one larger subwoofer placed on the front wall. That being said, the two strategies above will yield a smoother frequency response across all listening positions.
Front Corner / Near-Field Placement
If you have the space behind the main listening position, another strong option is to place one subwoofer in the front corner of the room and the second behind your seat, with the driver/vent at least 10 cm/4 inches away from the nearest surface. This will provide a nice mix of room gain in deep bass and the punchy, tactile direct energy from the subwoofer behind you, while still smoothing out bass response throughout the room.
