Furniture in Fashion<\/a> we always encourage people to plan around their kit, not just their screen.<\/p>\nWhere the soundbar sits<\/h3>\n
A soundbar needs a clear line to the room so its sound is not muffled. The neatest option is a unit with an open shelf just below the television, wide enough to hold the bar without it hanging over the edges. Check the height of that shelf too. If the gap is too shallow, the soundbar may block the bottom of the screen or the remote sensor, which is a frustration you only discover after it is set up.<\/p>\n
Some people prefer to wall mount the soundbar beneath a mounted television, which keeps the unit surface clear. If that is your plan, a slimmer unit works well and you can use the freed space for storage. Our range of modern TV stands UK homeowners choose includes plenty of designs with a dedicated shelf sized for audio, so it is worth filtering with that shelf in mind.<\/p>\n
Room for a console to breathe<\/h3>\n
Games consoles generate heat, and heat is the enemy of electronics. A console shut inside a tight sealed cupboard will run its fans hard and may throttle its performance. Give it an open shelf or a compartment with a ventilated back so warm air can escape. Leave a little clearance around the sides as well, since airflow matters as much as the shelf size itself.<\/p>\n
Reach is the other consideration. You will want to change discs, plug in a controller or press a button now and then, so the console should sit where you can get to it easily. A shelf at a comfortable height saves a lot of kneeling and stretching. Our selection of modern entertainment units UK gamers rely on includes designs with roomy, ventilated shelving made for exactly this purpose.<\/p>\n
Taming the cables<\/h3>\n
The more devices you add, the more cables you gather, and nothing spoils a tidy unit faster than a visible tangle. Look for a design with cable openings at the back of each shelf so leads can pass through cleanly to a socket or a power strip tucked out of sight. A shallow tray or a channel along the rear keeps everything gathered rather than dangling.<\/p>\n
It helps to mount a multi socket extension to the inside back panel of the unit so all your plugs live in one place. Label the leads as you connect them, because future you will be grateful when a device needs unplugging. A dedicated hifi units UK buyers turn to often includes thoughtful cable routing, which is worth seeking out if your setup is on the larger side.<\/p>\n
Width, height and viewing comfort<\/h3>\n
The proportions of the unit affect both looks and comfort. A stand a little wider than the television looks balanced and gives you room for the soundbar and any speakers. For viewing comfort, the centre of the screen should sit near eye level when you are seated, so a low unit generally suits a sofa better than a tall one.<\/p>\n
If your television is large, resist the temptation to perch it on a narrow stand, which can look precarious and leaves no room for anything else. A generous surface keeps the arrangement settled and gives your soundbar space to sit properly. Measuring your seating height before you shop is a small step that pays off every evening.<\/p>\n
Wall mounting versus standing<\/h3>\n
Some people mount the television on the wall and use the unit purely for storage and audio. This frees up the surface, keeps the screen at a fixed height and can look very clean. If you go this route, you can choose a lower, longer unit and mount a soundbar just beneath the screen. A sturdy fixing is essential, and our range of wall TV brackets UK households use is designed to hold modern screens securely.<\/p>\n
If you would rather stand the television on the unit, make sure the top surface is deep and strong enough for its base. Either approach works well. The choice comes down to whether you value a clear wall or the flexibility of moving the screen without touching the plaster.<\/p>\n
Bringing it all together<\/h3>\n
The best media setup is one where every device has a clear place, the cables are hidden and the soundbar has room to perform. Start with your equipment list, add up the space each item needs, then choose a unit that offers a little more room than the bare minimum. That small margin means you can add a new device later without starting again. Plan patiently and the finished arrangement will look tidy and work faultlessly night after night.<\/p>\n
Getting the height and viewing angle right<\/h3>\n
The comfort of your setup depends heavily on where the television ends up sitting. As a rough guide, the middle of the screen should fall close to eye level when you are seated on your usual sofa, since a screen set too high leaves you craning your neck through a long evening. Measure the height of your eyeline when relaxed and compare it to the height of the unit plus the base of the television before you commit.<\/p>\n
A soundbar changes this calculation, because if it sits on the same shelf as the screen it raises the television further. Allow for that extra height so the picture does not creep upward. If the sums do not work, wall mounting the television at the right height and placing the soundbar on the unit below is often the neatest solution. Getting this relationship right is one of those details that goes unnoticed when it is correct and quietly spoils every viewing session when it is wrong.<\/p>\n
Future proofing your choice<\/h3>\n
Home entertainment kit changes faster than furniture, so a little foresight when buying pays off. The soundbar and console you own today may be joined by a second console, a streaming box or a subwoofer within a year or two. Choosing a unit with a shelf or two to spare, and slightly more surface than you currently need, means you can grow into it rather than out of it.<\/p>\n
Think also about weight and stability as your collection grows, since a unit that comfortably carries today’s kit should still feel solid once more is added. Generous cable routing helps here too, because the more devices you own, the more leads you need to manage. A unit that anticipates a little growth saves you the expense and upheaval of replacing your media furniture every time you upgrade a single piece of technology, which is a far more sensible way to buy.<\/p>\n
A simple checklist before you buy<\/h3>\n
Before committing to a unit, it helps to run through a short mental checklist so nothing is overlooked. Measure the width and depth of your soundbar and console, check the height of any open shelf against those devices, and confirm there is a clear path for cables to reach the sockets on your wall. Note the total weight your unit will carry and make sure the shelves are rated to hold it comfortably. Finally, picture where you sit and confirm the screen will land at a comfortable height once everything is in place. Ticking off these few points takes only a few minutes, yet it is the difference between a media wall that simply looks good and one that genuinely works. Plan around your whole setup and the result will serve you happily for years.<\/p>\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h3>\n
Should the soundbar go above or below the television?<\/strong> Below is the most common and neatest position, on a shelf just under the screen. Make sure the shelf is deep enough and does not block the remote sensor.<\/p>\nCan I keep a console in a closed cupboard?<\/strong> Only if it is well ventilated. Consoles run warm, so an open shelf or a compartment with a ventilated back is safer for performance and longevity.<\/p>\nHow do I hide all the cables?<\/strong> Choose a unit with cable openings at the back, mount a power strip inside and route the leads through to one hidden point. Labelling the cables makes future changes easy.<\/p>\nHow wide should the unit be?<\/strong> A little wider than the television, with enough room for the soundbar and any extras. This looks balanced and keeps everything from crowding the edges.<\/p>\nIs wall mounting better than standing the television on the unit?<\/strong> Both work well. Wall mounting frees the surface and fixes the height, while standing offers flexibility. Choose based on whether you prefer a clear wall or easy repositioning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A television rarely sits alone these days, so a good unit has to accommodate a soundbar, a games console and a handful of boxes that all need power and airflow. Choosing furniture that only fits the screen, then squeezing everything else in afterwards, leads to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":52360,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3334],"tags":[3976,4683,4682,1504],"class_list":["post-52358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-guide-for-your-home","tag-cable-management","tag-games-console","tag-soundbar","tag-tv-units"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52358"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52358\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}