Soundbars are simple — until you build them into a media wall. Put them in the wrong place and dialogue goes flat, bass feels boxed in, and heat has nowhere to go. Here’s how we plan soundbar placement so it sounds great and looks built-in.
Quick answer
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Below the TV is best for sound. Above the TV works visually but dialogue tends to sound disconnected.
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Don’t fully bury the soundbar in a sealed box. Sound needs an opening; bass needs space to breathe.
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A purpose-built recess looks the cleanest. Match the recess width to the soundbar plus 50mm clearance each side.
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Mind the upward-firing speakers. Atmos soundbars need clear air above them — no shelf 5cm overhead.
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Plan the subwoofer separately. Wireless subs are easiest; corner placement still works best.
Why soundbar placement is harder than it looks
A soundbar on a TV unit is straightforward — it sits in front of the TV, fires forward, and that’s it. Build the same soundbar into a media wall and three new problems appear: where it physically sits, how the sound escapes the build, and whether the surround/Atmos channels still work the way the manufacturer designed them to.
This is one of the most common things we get asked about during the design phase, and it’s worth getting right. A great-looking media wall with poor sound is a frustration you live with every evening. Plan the soundbar properly and it disappears into the build while sounding better than it did on the old TV stand.
Where to put the soundbar
Option 1: Below the TV (most common, sounds best)
The soundbar sits in a recess, on a shelf, or on a small ledge directly below the TV — typically 50–150mm gap between TV bottom and soundbar top. This puts the sound near the screen, near ear level when seated, and lets dialogue feel like it’s coming from the picture.
Best for: most homes, most TVs, most soundbars. This is where 80% of our builds end up.
Option 2: Recessed into the wall (cleanest look)
A purpose-built cavity sized for the soundbar, with a finished front edge so the bar sits flush. Wires hidden, no visible shelf, completely built-in.
Best for: homeowners prioritising the minimal look, where the soundbar is a known model at design stage. The recess is bespoke to the model, so you can’t easily swap to a different size later without modifying the build.
Option 3: Above the TV
Possible, but rarely the right call. Sound coming from above the screen makes dialogue feel disconnected from what you’re watching, and surround positioning is thrown off. Some homes have to use this position because of fireplace placement below — but if you have the choice, go below.
Option 4: Hidden behind an acoustically transparent panel
For premium builds, the soundbar can sit fully hidden behind a fabric or perforated panel that lets sound through. Looks invisible. Costs more. Worth it for some clients, overkill for most.
Atmos and upward-firing speakers
Soundbars with Dolby Atmos use upward-firing drivers that bounce sound off the ceiling to create height channels. If you put one of those soundbars in a recess that’s tightly enclosed at the top — a shelf right above it, or a low ceiling on the cavity — you’ve just disabled the height channel.
Two rules for Atmos soundbars in a media wall:
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Leave at least 200–300mm of clear vertical space above the soundbar so the upward drivers can fire freely.
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Or accept that the height effect is reduced. If your room can’t fit the clearance, it’s fine — you’ll still get great front sound, just less ceiling immersion.
Standard (non-Atmos) soundbars don’t have this concern — they fire forward only, so a tighter recess is fine.
Sizing the recess or shelf
The dimensions to plan for:
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Width: Soundbar width + 50mm each side. Don’t pack it tight — you may swap models later.
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Depth: Soundbar depth + 30mm at the back for cables and clearance. Most soundbars are 100–140mm deep.
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Height (recess): Soundbar height + 50–100mm. More if the soundbar has upward drivers.
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Open front: The recess must be open at the front. No mesh or door over it — sound dispersion suffers.
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Power and cable inside: Single double socket inside the recess for the soundbar plus future kit. HDMI/optical conduit running back to the TV recess.
Subwoofer planning — don’t forget about it
Most soundbars these days come with a wireless subwoofer. The sub doesn’t sit in the media wall — it sits on the floor, usually in a corner of the room. But it still needs planning.
What to think about at design stage:
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Mains socket near the sub’s intended corner. If your room has no socket on that wall, build it into the electrical plan.
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Wireless range. Most subs pair within 8–10m of the soundbar without issue, but solid walls in between can interfere.
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Floor type. Bass on a hollow timber floor sounds different to bass on a solid concrete slab. Worth a test before committing to placement.
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Aesthetics. Subs aren’t pretty. Plan a discreet corner, not a featured one.
Surround speakers (if you have them)
Some soundbar systems come with rear surround speakers — usually small wireless satellites that sit behind the seating area. These don’t go in the media wall, but they need power and a discreet location.
If you’re planning a 5.1 or 7.1.2 setup at the same time as the media wall build, mention it in your enquiry. We can plan rear speaker mains points, ceiling speaker cable runs, and any wall recesses for in-wall rears as part of the same job — much easier before plasterboarding goes up than after.
Soundbar wiring — keep it simple
Most modern soundbars connect to the TV with a single HDMI cable (eARC) or optical cable. That cable runs from the back of the TV down to the soundbar — distance is short, hidden inside the build.
What to plan:
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HDMI cable conduit from TV recess to soundbar location. 1m of high-speed HDMI is plenty.
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Mains socket inside the soundbar recess — see our sockets and wiring guide for socket placement.
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Spare conduit run for future kit — gaming console audio, dedicated AV amp upgrade, etc.
Common soundbar mistakes we fix
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Sealed-in soundbar. Door over the front of the recess. Looks tidy when off, sounds awful when on. Always open-fronted.
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Soundbar above the TV. Visually OK, but dialogue feels detached from the picture. Avoid unless the room forces it.
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Recess too tight on width. Future replacement soundbar won’t fit, even if it’s 20mm wider than the current one.
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Atmos soundbar in a tight cavity. Height channels die. Either give it room or accept the trade-off.
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No socket inside the recess. Cable runs out the front and trails down to a wall plug. Always plan power inside.
If you want a tidy media wall and great sound
The best results we get on soundbar placement are when the homeowner brings the soundbar model into the conversation at design stage — not after the wall is up. We can size the recess, plan the wiring, and build to the exact dimensions of the bar you’ll actually use.
If you haven’t bought a soundbar yet, that’s fine — give us a budget range and we’ll allow tolerances in the build. If you have a soundbar already, send us the model name when you enquire. Two minutes of planning saves a fortnight of frustration once the wall’s built.
For more on integrated builds, see our TV media walls service page, or jump to contact us for a quote.
FAQs
Should the soundbar go above or below the TV?
Below, almost always. Sound coming from below the screen feels much more natural for dialogue, and matches the way film and TV mixes are designed. Above only makes sense when fireplace placement forces it, and even then we’d usually look at alternatives first.
Can I hide a soundbar completely behind a panel?
Yes, with an acoustically transparent panel — fabric stretched over a frame, or a perforated finish that lets sound through. It’s a premium option and adds to the cost, but the visual result is excellent. Solid panels won’t work — sound gets muffled.
Will a soundbar work in a deep recess?
It will work, but a deep recess can affect dispersion. Most soundbars sound best with the front face of the bar flush with — or just slightly recessed from — the wall front. If the recess is more than 80mm deeper than the soundbar is, you start to lose stereo width.
Does the soundbar need a separate socket?
Yes. We always plan a double socket inside the soundbar recess — one for the bar, one spare for any future kit. Mains cabling routed inside the build, never trailing out.
What about Atmos with upward-firing speakers?
Atmos soundbars need at least 200–300mm of clear space above them so the upward drivers can bounce off the ceiling. If your design has a tight cavity above the soundbar, we’ll either redesign for clearance or set expectations that the height effect will be reduced.
Do you cover my area?
We work across Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham, Leeds, Wakefield, Pontefract, Dronfield, Chesterfield and Killamarsh. If you’re just outside, ask and we’ll confirm availability.
Send us a photo and your TV/soundbar details
For a quick quote, send a photo of your wall, your TV size, and the soundbar model (or budget if you haven’t bought yet). Tell us if you want a fireplace too. We’ll come back with a layout that fits the kit and the room — and a clear, fixed price.
Or call 07477 405111 / email dan@mediawallmaster.co.uk