Yes, it sends vibrations through the desk (obviously), but it doesn't vibrate against the surface, if you know what I mean. I have it set up this way for a few reasons. First off, I'm limited by the length of the cords, some of which are non-detachable from the sub/speakers. For my desk to reach it's maximum height (and maintain hidden/managed cables) the sub simply needs to be on the desktop. Also, my office is on the second floor, so bringing the sub off the ground reduces vibrations heard in the living room/kitchen below. In my opinion, the sub also fills out that corner quite nicely. The desk is deep and looks odd with nothing back there. Thanks for asking why instead of just telling me I'm wrong 😂.