My surround sound system used to be hideously noisy. Though I was oblivious to this at the time, my Sonos setup was so bass-heavy, my neighbors two floors above me could hear every onscreen explosion when I was watching movies. Suffice to say, I definitely didn’t have the telltale signs that my speakers were underpowered.
Admittedly, my home theater system isn’t exactly garden variety. It consists of a Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar, a pair of Sonos Era 300 smart speakers, and a duo of Gen 4 Sonos Subs. At full blast, this setup could shift the tectonic plates. Yet by tweaking settings and taking time to more effectively soundproof my subwoofers in particular, I’ve not had a single complaint from my neighbors in months.
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Create distance between your sub and the floor
Placing your subwoofer directly on the ground can make your system much noisier
Even though you might not feel it yourself, I guarantee your neighbors are going to feel the reverberations of that subwoofer taking pride of place in your home theater setup. Because I had my pair of subs ramped up to near maximum bass levels through the Sonos app on my phone, the rumblings emanating from my flat were up there with the T. rex stomping into view in Jurassic Park.
These low-level frequencies were so disruptive to my neighbors, I thought the guy who lived a floor above was going to throttle me one evening when he angrily started pounding on my front room window just shy of 11pm one bitter winter’s night. He was in the right, of course. I’d been completely oblivious to how much racket my subwoofers were making.
Lowering your sub’s decibel levels via whatever app your surround sound system uses should obviously be a priority. If you can’t make software tweaks, the next best thing is to ensure your woofer isn’t placed directly on the floor — especially if you have wooden flooring rather than carpets.
Instead of having your sub placed flush on the ground, you need to create a little separation. While there are several ways of doing this, like attaching rubber feet onto the bottom of your woofer or installing acoustic panels on walls, my go-to method is simpler and less expensive. To reduce reverb, I’ve placed foam padding underneath my subs. Doing so has radically reduced all that rumbling, without leaving my setup feeling overly tinny or lacking in bass.
Invest in some speaker stands
Prop your speakers up to lessen the din
Credit: Dave Meikleham / MakeUseOf
Placing the rear speakers of your home theater setup on stands won’t just help make your room a little more soundproof, it should also improve your audio experience. The day I picked up my duo of Sonos Era 300s, I also bought a couple of affordable stands to pair them with. I can’t remember the exact costs involved, but I’m pretty sure they were priced at less than $50.
With my Era 300s sitting at roughly ear-level from where I sit in front of my Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar, the rear channels of my system are instantly easy to appreciate, adding real depth and immersion to movies that have specifically been mastered with Dolby Atmos in mind. More importantly, for the purposes of this article, these stands also reduce the vibrations coming out of my speakers. And on that note, stop letting your TV speakers interfere with your expensive Dolby Atmos setup.
Another useful tip when it comes to installing speaker stands is to create an additional barrier between them and your actual speakers. As with my subwoofers, I use acoustic foam pads to help with soundproofing. Alternatively, you can attach rubber feet to the stands if you have laminated or wooden flooring. For those of you with carpets, attaching spikes to the bottom of your stands will be more effective for reducing resonance.
Place your subwoofer carefully
Avoid corners at all costs
Credit: Dave Meikleham / MakeUseOf
As much as using foam padding has helped mask some of the reverb coming out of my subwoofers, where a sub is placed in your room can also make a real difference. There’s no question your soundbar can be so much better with a subwoofer, but you do need to be careful where you place that bass box.
One area you definitely shouldn’t place your subwoofer is in the corner of your living room. Why? Corners can amplify bass and transfer energy into the surrounding walls. This is also a reason you should avoid setting up your sub next to a wall you share with a neighbor — bass levels actually travel further through structures further than they do thin air.
In an ideal scenario, try positioning the subwoofer in your surround sound system close to your normal seating position. This allows you to turn your sub levels down without overly impacting how much you can appreciate its bass. Also steer clear of putting your sub next to any hollow furniture if you want to avoid excessive reverberations.
You can’t completely soundproof your system, but you can make it less noisy
If you live in an apartment building and own a surround sound setup with a subwoofer, you really should take steps to make it a little quieter, unless you want your neighbors banging on your door every time you fire up a movie. With a little investment in a couple of accessories and a little reshuffle of where you place your sub, you can tweak your home theater system in such a way that it will still delight your ears without infuriating the folks who live above/below you.
