If you get a large TV with the best possible picture quality, you want the audio to be just as good. Sometimes the TV itself can’t offer satisfactory audio quality, especially for audiophiles who know exactly what they’re looking for.
A soundbar is an excellent solution for this problem; all you need to do is find one that fulfills your needs and mount it to your TV.
To mount the soundbar to your TV, you should get a universal soundbar-to-TV bracket and then unmount the TV from the wall. Test how the mounting and the soundbar bracket fit, and then remount the TV with both brackets attached. Attach the soundbar to your TV, and you’re good to go.
In the rest of this article, I will show you all the steps in detail and give you additional information about soundbars and how to install them. If you prefer a video guide, check this one out.
Mounting a Soundbar to Your TV – Step by Step
1. Buy the Soundbar To Mount to a TV
Before mounting, you need to get a soundbar to pair with your TV. There are plenty of options in the stores for every budget and preference. To choose the one that you will buy, you should consider how much you’re willing to pay for it and how advanced you want it to be.
Check out my top recommendations for soundbars
Moreover, you should keep in mind that the size of the soundbar can make a difference if you’re mounting it to your TV. The soundbar should have more or less the same width as your TV. This doesn’t mean you should bring your measuring tape with you; just make sure they are comparable in width.
Additionally, you should make sure that your soundbar can be mounted to your TV. If the soundbar has holes on the back or bottom, then it is compatible with mounting brackets, which means it can be mounted to a TV. Otherwise, the only solution might be to mount it to the wall.
2. Buy a Universal Bracket
Once you’ve made sure your soundbar can be mounted to a TV, you can buy a soundbar-to-TV bracket on Amazon.com.
You can alternatively choose specially-made brackets for the brand of your soundbar, but they are unnecessarily expensive.
The best choice is to buy a universal soundbar-to-TV bracket, which can cost as little as $10 at any retail store. Universal brackets are easily adjustable so that they can fit most soundbars. Check out the mounting sockets of the mounting bracket to ensure that it will work with the soundbar you’ve chosen.
3. Unmount the TV From the Wall
You may have already bought and mounted your TV before considering getting a soundbar. If your TV is mounted on the wall, you need to remove it so that you can add the soundbar. To unmount the TV from the wall, you should follow these steps:
1. Unplug all the cables from the TV to make the process easier.
2. Remove the protective element that keeps the TV mounted securely.
3. Carefully lift the TV off the mount; this process typically requires two people to be safe.
4. Remove the mount by unscrewing the screws that keep it secured to the wall.
If you haven’t mounted your TV on the wall yet, you should skip this step. Instead, you can set up the mounting bracket to see where the soundbar will be placed.
4. Test the Wall Mounting Bracket and the Soundbar Bracket
The wall mounting bracket and the soundbar bracket will need to use the same holes for the soundbar and the TV to be mounted together. This means that you should test how they fit before you mount the wall bracket again to make sure that you won’t have any problems.
To check how the brackets will fit together, you should follow the instructions below:
- Leave the TV lying face-down on a soft spot like a carpet or a sofa after removing it from the wall.
- Put the wall-mounting bracket on top of it exactly like it’s supposed to be when mounted.
- Place the soundbar bracket on top of the wall mounting bracket.
- Take note of the holes in the brackets that you will need to use for the soundbar. It’s better to have the soundbar nearby for reference.
- Mark the soundbar bracket holes that you want to use so that you don’t make mistakes further ahead.
- Make sure to leave some space between the upper part of the soundbar and the bottom of the TV to be able to use the buttons on top of the soundbar.
5. Attach Both Brackets to the TV
Once you’ve determined the holes that will be used to attach both the wall mounting and the soundbar brackets, you can start mounting them to the TV. All you need to do is use the screws that came with the wall mounting bracket to secure all three.
However, you need to check if the length of the original screws is appropriate for this case. Sometimes, the original screws can be a bit too short to go through both brackets into the back of the TV. Make sure the screws are long enough; if they aren’t, replace them with adequate ones that can handle this installation.
Even if the screws are long enough to barely work, play it safe and replace them. You don’t want to depend on barely working screws to hold your expensive TV and soundbar up.
6. Make One Last Check That the Soundbar Fits
With the wall mounting and soundbar brackets attached securely to the TV, you can make one final test while the TV still needs to be mounted to the wall. Take your soundbar and check if it will fit in the brackets as it should.
Don’t try to mount the soundbar yet; that’s not even the next step! Just make sure that it will perfectly fit in the brackets when the time comes.
7. Mount the TV to the Wall
After you’ve ensured the soundbar will fit, you can remount your TV to the wall. Remember, the soundbar should not be attached yet, because it would add to the weight that must be mounted to the wall. As a result, it could cause you to drop all of them accidentally.
To remount the TV to the wall, use a screwdriver or power drill to put screws through the holes and secure the TV and the brackets. Make sure the screws are tight against the bracket and have no room to wiggle, but don’t over-tighten because they might damage the brackets.
8. Attach the Soundbar to Your TV
Once the TV is mounted securely to the wall, it’s time to attach the soundbar. This is probably the easiest part of the process because you’ve taken all the previous steps with this particular goal in mind. If every measurement and estimation that you’ve made is correct, it should be a piece of cake.
All you need to do is use the soundbar bracket hardware. Start with one side, secure it tightly to the soundbar bracket and then continue with the other side. Make sure all the screws are tight, and the soundbar is not loose in any way.
9. Test the Soundbar
Naturally, you want to know that everything works as it should. Connect your soundbar to the TV using HDMI, RCA, or Bluetooth, and check if the soundbar works appropriately. Additionally, check that the distance between the top of the soundbar and the bottom of the TV is adequate, as described in step 4.
10. Mounting the Soundbar on a Wall
Typically, it’s better to mount the soundbar to your TV than to the wall because it allows the video and sound to be directed to the same area of the room. This is especially important in large spaces.
However, you might also consider mounting the soundbar to the wall. It is definitely easier to do so, considering you don’t have to unmount and remount the TV or match bracket holes.
Additionally, you can mount the soundbar at the ideal height for the viewers. If the TV is mounted too high, a soundbar mounted right below it would not sound as good because it would be above the viewers’ heads.
To mount the soundbar to the wall, you should follow these steps:
- Find the wall mounts that came with the soundbar or buy universal mounts at the nearest electronics store or online.
- Find the perfect placement for your soundbar on the wall; it should be underneath the TV and above the ear level of the viewers, but not too high.
- Use a power drill to secure the mount, making sure it’s level.
- Place the soundbar on the wall mount.
- Connect the soundbar to the TV and test it.
Final Thoughts
Soundbars are excellent devices that add an extra effect to your viewing experience. To mount your soundbar to your TV, you should get a universal mounting bracket that can be adjusted to fit the soundbar.
Unmount your TV, test how the TV mounting bracket and the soundbar bracket fit, then remount the TV and the brackets. Finally, place the soundbar on the bracket and connect it to your TV.
You can also mount your soundbar to the wall below the TV, but it might not give you the same experience if the TV is turned in a particular direction and the sound comes from somewhere else.
Jason is a home theater expert with over 10 years of experience in setting up home cinema rooms and systems. What started out as a hobby soon transformed him into an authority in the audio-visual field. He is passionate about providing readers with accurate and up-to-date information on the latest audiovisual technologies and their applications for home theaters. Read more about Jason.