Soundbar Installation in Vancouver
A soundbar is the easiest audio upgrade there is and generates a surprising amount of frustration, almost all of it in two places: the remote no longer controls the volume, and the bar sits blocking the bottom of the screen.
Aligning under a mounted TV
Centred on the TV, not on the wall — those are different if the TV is not centred, and the eye reads misalignment with the screen immediately. Below the screen is the default, with enough gap that the bar does not intrude into the picture or block the TV's own infrared receiver.
Check the TV's bottom bezel and any feet before deciding the spacing. On a wall mount that tilts, the screen swings toward the bar as it tilts down, and a gap that looked generous flat becomes a collision. Test the full tilt range before drilling the soundbar bracket.
HDMI-ARC and eARC setup
ARC lets audio travel back down the HDMI cable from the TV to the soundbar, so one cable does everything and the TV remote controls volume. Use the HDMI port on the TV explicitly labelled ARC or eARC — plugging into any other port is the most common reason it does not work.
eARC is the newer version with the bandwidth for higher-quality formats, and it wants a high-speed HDMI cable to work properly. If you have eARC at both ends and are not getting the formats you expect, the cable is the first suspect rather than the equipment.
IR blocking and remote issues
If your TV remote stopped working after the soundbar went in, the bar is almost certainly sitting in front of the TV's infrared receiver. Lower the bar, shift it, or use a small IR repeater — that is the whole fix.
For volume control, the feature to enable is HDMI-CEC, which every manufacturer names differently in their menus, so look for a setting about controlling connected devices rather than for the term CEC itself. With it enabled and ARC connected, the TV remote handles the soundbar and the second remote goes in a drawer.
Subwoofer placement
Bass is far less directional than people assume, so the subwoofer does not need to be near the TV. What it does need is to not be jammed into a corner, where room modes exaggerate some frequencies and cancel others — producing bass that is loud and indistinct.
The reliable method costs nothing: put the subwoofer on the sofa, play something with steady bass, crawl around the floor, and put the sub where it sounded best. It feels ridiculous and it works better than guessing. In a condo, also consider your neighbours — a subwoofer on a concrete floor transmits remarkably well, and isolation feet are a cheap peace-keeping measure.
What this costs
$240–$1,200
A standard drywall mount with cables surface-run is a minimum-callout job. Concrete, in-wall cable routing and full home-theatre commissioning move up the range.
Materials are always separate from labour and passed on at cost. Quotes are free and written, and the full rate card is published rather than given out on request.
Common questions
Why won't my TV remote control the soundbar volume?
Two things to check. The soundbar must be on the TV's HDMI port labelled ARC or eARC — any other port will not carry audio back. And HDMI-CEC must be enabled, which every manufacturer names differently, so look for a setting about controlling connected devices rather than for the word CEC.
Should the soundbar go above or below?
Below the screen, as a rule, so the sound comes from roughly where the picture is. Centre it on the TV rather than on the wall, and leave enough gap that it does not block the TV's infrared receiver. If your mount tilts, check the full tilt range before drilling — the screen swings toward the bar.
Where should the subwoofer sit?
Not jammed in a corner, where room modes make bass loud and muddy. Try the sofa test: put the sub where you sit, play steady bass, crawl the floor and place it where it sounded best. In a condo, isolation feet are worth having — a subwoofer on a concrete floor travels a long way to your neighbours.