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How much does the Arc Ultra benefit from adding Era 100s or even a Sub-Mini?

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Just installed a Sonos Arc Ultra below our TV (77” Sony A80J) in a room that is 20’ x 15’ (TV on the 20’ wall). Trying to decide whether to add two Era 100s and perhaps a Sub-Mini, and thought I’d check here to see if there is a consensus how much the Arc Ultra benefits from adding Era 100s? And, would adding a Sub-Mini add more to the Arc Ultra sound experience? If adding Era 100s, can they be added to the front far left and right corners of the room, or should they go to the rear corners (which would cause them to be mostly in line with viewing/sitting positions rather than behind).

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

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buzz

Grand Maestro

Ideally a subwoofer is placed near the plane of the soundbar. Sound travel is pokey at about one foot per millisecond. If a subwoofer is too far from the screen, bass will not seem well synchronized with front audio and visual action.

As Stanley_4 noted, best subwoofer placement is strongly tied to the room physics. Moving the listener and/or subwoofer a few inches can have a major effect.

H

Hans-TXAuthor

Trending Lyricist I

Thank you, @buzz I have a place on either side that is near/in-line with the plane of the soundbar and TV screen. Will try those locations first.

Stanley_4

Grand Maestro

Folks have placed the earlier Subs and Sub 4 flat on the floor under the viewing couch or between it and the rear wall.

The placement in relationship to the soundbar is an individual thing, some folks notice the delay, others don't. At 1130 feet per second, or 344 meters per second, the delay isn't long in most rooms. Other folks have more directional hearing perception for low frequencies than others and front/center is all that doesn't bother them.

Bottom line, your ears, your room, your Sub. Make it work for you.

I have my Subs in varying locations, not all dictated by getting the best sound but by what space is avaliable. My Arc's sub is a couple feet behind it and both are in a corner in a diamond shaped room we sit in the opposite corner of the diamond. My Beam and Sub placement is similar but the room arrangement is square with me sitting at a 45 degree angle to it. Both were a happy alignment of space and sound. My 300 Atmos pair have the sub centered on a wall below them. Not optimal Sub sound for the room but good enough at my normal setting position, 3 feet in front of it with the 300s a bit above my head. Atmos sound there is amazing. My Play 3s sit on a shelf beside a corner of the garage with the Sub on another shelf below them.

OK, the Play 3 and Sub combo there is a bit silly but the Play 3s were displaced by 300s and the Sub was returned by a kid when it failed to obtain spousal approval, she likes the Arc and Play 1s I passed on to them though. After failing the spousal approval in a couple other rooms here the garage was the only option.

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