If you want an excellent home cinema setup, then there’s a good chance that you’re going to want to add a subwoofer to the mix. This could be if you’re going to match it with a soundbar, or you could match it with a pair of speakers too.
Either way, if you get yourself a subwoofer, then you’re going to need to connect it to your TV. You’ll also need to consider what way you’re going to connect your speakers up to your other devices. Most subwoofers have a HDMI output for you to use.
But is it easy to set your subwoofer up, and what’s the best way to do this? Well, it’s actually relatively simple and straightforward. Lets look at the best way to connect a subwoofer up with your TV.
How to connect a subwoofer to your TV
For those looking to set up a full home theater, a subwoofer is an essential part of that. It deals with the lower frequency bass sounds that your television will produce. This can make a massive difference when it comes to performance.
It’s worth mentioning that subwoofers are generally not wireless, though there are wireless ones out there. Like with all speakers, the best quality audio connection is only going to be available via a wired connection.
The HDMI cable or alternative that you use with your subwoofer and TV is definitely of importance. So with this in mind, let’s look at the methods you can use to connect your sub up to your television.
Use an AV Receiver Setup: Home Theater
If you have a full speaker setup, then the likelihood is that you’re going to have a receiver. For those that don’t have a receiver, then skip ahead to one of the other methods. But, this is often the best way to connect your sub to your TV, along with the other speakers in your home theater setup.
An AV receiver is simply what drives your speakers. Essentially, you’re going to be using speaker wires to connect your speakers to the receiver, which is the standard way to do things with most speakers out there.
Nowadays, the best way for you to connect your AV receiver and your television together is using HDMI cable. This will enable you to get a good quality audio connection.
But the downside of AV receivers is that they can be pretty expensive, which is the price you pay for a higher sound quality. If you want you use a receiver in your home setup, then this is the route you’re going to want to use.
Use a HDMI cable: Direct Connection
As I’ve just mentioned, HDMI cables are used for pretty much anything in the modern day. Where we once may have used an optical cable or another type of cable to connect our devices together, nowadays a HDMI is likely going to be all that you will need.
So the easiest way for most people to connect the two together is by using a simple HDMI cable. This allows a high quality audio connection between the two devices, and it’s a relatively cheap solution to the problem as well.
The only obstacle with this is that often, you’ll only have 2 HDMI ports on your television, and using one of these to connect to a subwoofer isn’t going to be viable in this scenario. What you can do in this situation is to use a HDMI splitter, which can allow you to connect more HDMI cables to just one port.
So, connecting to the subwoofer directly is also an option that you can consider.
Try a Connection Converter if Necessary
One some occasions, there might be the need for you to use a connection converter to get the two devices connected to each other. This isn’t too common if you’re going to using a subwoofer and TV that have been released in recent years.
But if you have an older subwoofer, then you might not have a HDMI connection port available to use. Or if you have a newer TV, then you might not have the right ports and cables available for that connection either. If this is the case, then you could consider using a converter.
As it sounds, this is very simply an easy way for you to connect the two of them together, no matter way device you’re using. So, with the right converter, you can adapt it to whatever you need – a HDMI to optical cable converter could be used, for example. This is another way to connect your subwoofer to your TV.
Wireless Connectivity is an Option too
It’s definitely also worth noting that in the modern day, a wireless connection could also be a good idea. This is especially true if you’re trying to minimize the amount of cables and wires in your setup.
Although historically we’ve always been advised to avoid using a wireless connection as a wired one provides better audio, the connectivity is a lot better now. So, there isn’t going to be too much difference between a wired and wireless subwoofer.
This is emphasised by the amount of brands that are coming out with their own subwoofer nowadays; this includes the Sonos Sub, as well as options from big names like Klipsch and B&W too.
So, the wireless subwoofer market seems like it’s only going to increase in popularity over the coming years. It could be worth looking into getting one if you hate the idea of cables and wires running through your lounge.
Where should I put my subwoofer?
Once you’ve got your subwoofer, it’s important that it’s positioned in the right place. If you don’t put it in the right position in your room, then you’re not going to be able to get the full effects of the sub.
Typically, the wires and cables that you’re using will dictate where exactly you’re going to place your subwoofer. For this reason, it’s often a good idea to place it to the left or the right of your television. This is especially true if you’re using a soundbar, which should be just below your television for best effect.
Make sure that your subwoofer is an inch or two off of touching the wall, as this can reverberate and cause an echo. Somewhere along the front wall and the corner of your room, to the left or right of your TV, is the best place to put your subwoofer.
Conclusion
All in all, there are different ways that you can connect your speakers up with your television. If you are going to go all the way and build your own home theater, then it’s advised that you use an AV receiver in your setup for the best audio output.
However, you don’t need to, and there other alternatives that you can go for as well. This includes a direct connection, with most subs having a HDMI port on them, which is giving us more methods to connect our devices together.
