If you’ve spent over ₹10 lakh on a premium home theatre system, the last thing you want is underwhelming bass. And yet, poor subwoofer placement can ruin the experience — no matter how good your system is.
At Times Audio, we specialize in high-performance systems across Gurgaon, Delhi NCR, and beyond. Whether we’re installing REL, Bowers & Wilkins, or Paradigm subs, clients always ask:
“Should I place the subwoofer in the corner or the center of the room?”
Let’s get straight to it.
The Truth: There’s No One-Size-Fits-All
Subwoofer placement isn’t about “rules” — it’s about results.
If you’re working with budget gear, you often have to make compromises. But for a premium system starting at ₹10 lakh (which is our starting point at Times Audio, excluding recliners and interiors), there’s room to optimize. And in high-end setups, even small placement tweaks can transform your listening experience.
Corner Placement: Pros and Cons
Pros
- More Bass Output: Placing a sub in a corner naturally amplifies low frequencies. It uses wall boundaries to boost output.
- Space-Efficient: Corners are often dead zones — a good place to “hide” large subs like the REL HT/1510 Predator or Bowers & Wilkins DB4S.
Cons
- Boomy or Muddy Bass: Corners can also cause excessive low-end energy, making bass sound bloated or uneven.
- Room-Dependent: In rectangular rooms (especially in homes in South Delhi or Noida), corner placement can cause “standing waves,” which lead to inconsistent bass across seating positions.
Real-World Example
In a DLF Phase 1 villa, we installed a Paradigm Defiance X15 in a corner. It sounded incredible in the sweet spot but overpowered the rest of the room. We ended up adding a second subwoofer for balance.
Center or Front-Wall Placement: Pros and Cons
Pros
- More Even Response: Placing the sub closer to the center of the front wall (between your front left and right speakers) can smooth out bass response.
- Better Integration: In systems with Marantz Cinema 50 or Anthem AVM 70, we’ve seen cleaner blending with main speakers when the sub sits closer to the soundstage.
- Cleaner Aesthetics: Clients with custom furniture or hidden setups often prefer central placement for symmetry.
Cons
- Lower Output: You won’t get the natural boundary boost you’d get in a corner.
- Takes Up Prime Real Estate: Center placement may compete with cabinetry, décor, or screens — especially in Gurgaon homes with tight media wall designs.
So What’s the Right Choice?
We run in-room calibration using ARC Genesis (Anthem) or Audyssey XT32 (Marantz). Then we test multiple positions — including the “crawl test” (yes, we crawl around the room to find the bass hotspot).
Here’s how we decide:
| Room Type | Sub Placement That Usually Works Best |
|---|---|
| Large square room (Noida, South Delhi) | Front-center or dual subs preferred |
| Long rectangular room (Gurgaon DLF, Golf Course Ext) | Front-corner or side-wall |
| Treated home theatre room | Center with fine-tuned calibration |
Dual Subwoofers: The Best of Both Worlds
In high-end builds (₹15–₹50L systems), we almost always recommend dual subwoofers — one in the front corner, one in the back or side.
This setup flattens bass response, gives more consistent energy across all seats, and reduces localization (you don’t “hear” where the bass is coming from).
Brands we love for dual setups:
- REL T/9x or S/812
- Q Acoustics Q B12 x 2
- Cambridge Audio X301s (for smaller rooms)
Final Thoughts from Gurgaon
A ₹10L+ home theatre deserves more than guesswork. Bass is not just a sound — it’s a feeling. It’s what makes your movie seat vibrate during Interstellar or lets you hear the subtle thunder in Oppenheimer.
At Times Audio, we work with clients across Gurgaon, South Delhi, and Noida to deliver that level of performance — not just loudness, but precision and emotion.
So if you’re asking whether to place your subwoofer in the corner or the center…
The real question is: what does your room need?
We’ll help you find out.
Curious about what placement would work best in your space? DM me or visit https://timesaudio.in
