The most popular places you often find soundbar is below the television, mounted on the wall, or on the entertainment system. So you asked, can you put a soundbar on the ceiling?. I guess your concerns are whether mounting the soundbar on the ceiling will affect the audio quality especially with a high-quality soundbar that you got for your home theater. I did sound research to help you understand how important the mounting of the soundbar matters.
Can I Put a soundbar on the ceiling?. The most important factor when mounting soundbar is that it should be as close to ear level as possible. whether it is mounted on the ceiling or it’s below the television. It can be a better option in some situations.
Sometimes, it is the better placement you can get for the soundbar. Luckily, there are many ceiling mounts in the market to make this possible. You can get a soundbar ceiling mount that will hold your soundbar in the best position for quality audio.
There are also soundbars which has up-ward firing elements and surround sound features, which have a specific placement requirement depending on the model.
While most soundbars placements go by the ear level rule, some advanced soundbars that require special placements can be a bit difficult to plan.
Television placement also requires that you place it at eye level, which is the same height as ear level. This means that you have to make a compromise between the soundbar and the TV.
Since you will be watching the television for hours, it is better it stays at eye level and the soundbar is placed either below it or above it.
Further, in the article, I will help you navigate some of these tough decisions so you can decide what is right for your set-up.
Reasons to Mount or Not Mount Soundbar Above TV
as already established above, the ideal placement of most soundbars is near ear level. This makes the acoustics better for the listener. However, this might not be the case for speakers which act as surround sound speakers or have upward-firing elements.
Below, we will look at the instances that might make placing soundbar above tv level good and when it is not good.
Soundbars with No Upward-Firing Speakers
While television and soundbar placement have almost the same position, when placing the two, you will have to make a compromise. Eye-level and ear level heights are the same and these are the ideal placement of both TV and soundbar respectively.
Placing your TV too low or above the eye level may result in neck strain after long hours of watching. That is why many people opt to place the television a bit just above the eye level and the soundbar a bit below the ear level.
The reverse also may happen in home theater where the chairs or floor slant upwards.
On an instance where the soundbar is placed below the television where it is on the same stand and very closed to the bottom of the TVV and is potentially blocking the receiver, then you would want to consider placing the soundbar on the ceiling or above the TV to save yourself some issues.
Soundbar with Upward-Firing Speakers
There are soundbars designed to have upward-firing elements such as Dolby Atmos soundbar. It is important for the speakers to be able to use the reflection of the ceiling to fully take advantage of the overhead sound.
In such a case, placing the soundbar under the TV will inhibit its ability for the sound to reach up and bounce off the ceiling and if it is placed too close to the ceiling too, it may have problem reflecting.
That is why it is important to consider the design and the placement suggestions on the manual. You will find that many of these types of soundbars rely on specific placements to work because they need the reflective surfaces to mimic the surround sound setup.
Sometimes, even the soundbar placement alone is not enough but also you need to look at the layout of the home theater itself.
Does the Soundbar Need to Be Placed Under The TV?
Most of the time, it is good to place the soundbar under the TV rather done above it. That been said, as seen above already it depends on your home theater setup and the type of soundbar you are using.
When considering the dilemma of wanting the soundbar at ear level and the television at eye level, it often is easier and more aesthetically pleasing to have the television a bit above eye level, and the soundbar a bit below ear level. Usually, this sacrifices the least in terms of difficulty of placement and sound quality.
The wiring is another factor to consider. Would it be easier to wire something underneath the TV or above it. So, you need to consider the wiring and your setup, if you find wiring to be an issue, you might also want to look at connecting your soundbar to your TV via Bluetooth.
Some Issues with Soundbar Placement
Most television models often have their connectors close to the bottom of the screen. Depending on your model, you will find placing the soundbar below the television will make it easier for connection.
While on the other hand, placing a soundbar above the television, you will have to have it wall mounted or ceiling mounted. There are soundbar mounts you can get for both ceiling and wall, which are specifically designed to hold the soundbar securely in place.
That been said, regardless of the recommendation that you should have the soundbar unit mostly underneath the television, you still have to consider the kind of soundbar you are using.
If it is an upward-firing speakers soundbar, then placing it under the TV won’t make it deliver the best quality surround sound that it is supposed to deliver. Because the TV itself might just end up blocking the upward-firing speakers.
Also, some models bounce the sound off of the walls of your home theater to create that surround sound feel, and interior decoration or layout can block this sound.
It is also natural and visually appealing to have all other elements like the soundbar below the TV. Many soundbars are designed with a sleek under the television design, meaning putting the soundbar above could potentially throw off the weight visually of your setup.
However, you will find that the soundbar won’t just fit underneath the television and you will need to mount it on the ceiling or wall.
Final Thoughts on Mounting Soundbar on Ceiling
Incorrect placement and positioning of your soundbar could cause the soundbar to muffle the sound and affect the quality of sound of your home entertainment system which is not what you want, as you want the soundbar to improve the audio.
Most people complain about the quality of sound coming from their soundboard because of improper placement of the unit. It is important to get the right position to get the best audio quality.
If you place an upward-firing speakers soundbar on under the TV or you rotate it incorrectly to point it in the wrong direction, your soundbar will sound different and because it is not in the right position that will make it deliver the quality of sound it is supposed to deliver.
Soundbar placements are usually also suggested by the device manufacturer. You might want to let these guidelines help you out. Even though you may want your home theater to be set up uniquely or different if you are encountering troubles with it, look at the manual and as the most common rule of thumb is to place the soundbar as close to ear level as possible.
The other way is also that, you can experiment with various placements, to get the best position that works best for you, even though that would be tiring and time-consuming. You can let someone hold the soundbar while sitting in your desired place, then have them tilt the device and as well move it around.
You also have to keep in mind that every room has its unique acoustics due to the materials the walls are made off, the flooring, ceiling, number of windows, and more. All these varying factors can affect sound quality.
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