Optimal sound bar placement with a sub-optimal media unit

[Adsibob]

Our media unit has ended up being higher than I wanted: 72.5cm. SWMBO insisted it needed to have plenty of sieve for the kids crap underneath.

 

 I’m building some shelves above it and leaving a gap for my TV. I can either raise the TV suit it sits on top of the sound bar (option 2), or raise the soundbar so it is above the tv (option 1):

 

 

the soundbar might, if Santa is good to me one year…, be a Sonos Arc with upward firing atmos. I understand in that case, it would be best to go for Option 1. But ignoring Atmos, are there any other considerations?

 

[Thorfun]

In my opinion the centre sound stage should be below the screen. If above the dialogue might keep drawing your attention higher up the wall. 

[Adsibob]

16 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

In my opinion the centre sound stage should be below the screen. If above the dialogue might keep drawing your attention higher up the wall. 

That's an interesting idea. Are you sure? The ear position of somebody sitting in the main listening station is about 1.25m from the floor, so almost level with the sound bar when it is above the tv, which I thought was close to optimal. Optimal would be a media unit that was 20m shorter, such that placing the sound bar above the tv it would be perfectly in line with your ears.

 

Another downside of the sound bar being below the tv is it shunts the tv up by another 8cm or so, or more if you don't want to limit yourself to a soundbar with an IR repeater. This means that the bottom of my tv, instead of being 73cm from the floor will be more than 81cm from the floor. That starts to impact the viewing angle and possibly make it uncomfortable?

Edited January 7, 2023 by Adsibob

[Kelvin]

25 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

In my opinion the centre sound stage should be below the screen. If above the dialogue might keep drawing your attention higher up the wall. 

In practice it doesn’t happen though. 

[Thorfun]

1 hour ago, Adsibob said:

That's an interesting idea. Are you sure? The ear position of somebody sitting in the main listening station is about 1.25m from the floor, so almost level with the sound bar when it is above the tv, which I thought was close to optimal. Optimal would be a media unit that was 20m shorter, such that placing the sound bar above the tv it would be perfectly in line with your ears.

 

Another downside of the sound bar being below the tv is it shunts the tv up by another 8cm or so, or more if you don't want to limit yourself to a soundbar with an IR repeater. This means that the bottom of my tv, instead of being 73cm from the floor will be more than 81cm from the floor. That starts to impact the viewing angle and possibly make it uncomfortable?

if the soundbar is level with your ears when above the tv then your eyes are level with the top of the TV. I don't believe that's optimal. ultimately, the height of the TV depends on the screen size, distance from the screen, height of the sofa seats, the style of the sofa even (if it's a sofa where your head slumps back then you'll be looking upwards more!) etc so every case is different.

 

1 hour ago, Kelvin said:

In practice it doesn’t happen though. 

yes, a fair point.

[Adsibob]

I agree my set up is far from perfect. It’s just a question of which of the two options is better (or least worst).  is the least worst option:

Option 1 has the TV in an okay position, but the centre of the Soundbar is about 15 to 20cm higher than ear level, depending on where you are sitting.

 

Option 2 has the TV 8cm or 9cm higher up, which I think is really too high, as it would occupy the space from 80cm to about 145cm, and the centre of the soundbar then sits at about 36 to 41cm below ear level. I think I will go with Option 1.

 

Edited January 7, 2023 by Adsibob

[Thorfun]

I think the TV position is more important than the sound.