The physical setup of a subwoofer can be the difference between bass that swallows you up and bass that seems to come from a specific spot. Bass frequencies are long, powerful waves that spread in all directions, so they don't beam toward a target the way a speaker does. Therefore, subwoofers are nearly omnidirectional by nature, so a slight change in orientation won't make or break the quality of the sound.

That being said, direction isn't completely irrelevant. Ported subwoofers, for instance, need clearance around their vents to breathe properly, and room acoustics can make certain orientations better. Audio forums are full of contradictory opinions about which direction to orient the subwoofer, but the truth is that direction is almost never the real problem.

Placement is. Low-frequency sound waves are massive. A 40Hz bass wave stretches roughly 28 feet from peak to peak.

At that scale, the subwoofer's cone is tiny, and the room itself dictates the acoustic environment. Because of this, subwoofers radiate bass energy equally in all directions rather than beaming it like a laser. A properly placed subwoofer shouldn't give away its location at all, as the goal is bass that feels like it's everywhere, not something you can point to from across the room.

What does matter when placing your subwoofer. Rather than worrying about what direction you should point it toward, you should worry about wedging it into a corner with a couch on one side and two walls on the other. In theory, bass is omnidirectional, but if the sound right away hits too many things, you'll immediately know where it's located.

If you don't necessarily have a ton of space, facing the driver toward the wall rather than directly at the listener can sometimes help. Pick a corner. Placing the subwoofer in the corner of the room, directed toward the open space, will reduce dead spots and provide an easier-to-equalize response.

Go for the front wall, beside the main speaker. This will often deliver better blending with your center channel and mains. If you have a dual subwoofer setup, place them in opposing diagonal corners for smooth bass response across multiple seating positions.