How to Connect Your Soundbar to Your TV: A Comprehensive Guide

Connecting a soundbar to your TV has the ability to enhance your audio experience significantly. If you have recently purchased a new soundbar and are wondering how to connect it or what the best way of doing it for optimum sound quality, here's a detailed guide to help you connect your soundbar using various methods and TV cable types.

Why Connect a Soundbar?

Connecting a soundbar improves your TV's audio quality, providing a richer and more immersive sound experience. Typically the speakers on a modern flat screen TV are very small and are sited at the rear of the TV. The speakers on a soundbar generally offer a better quality of sound whether you're watching movies, sports, or your favourite shows, a soundbar can elevate your viewing experience.

Methods to Connect Your Soundbar

There are many ways that a soundbar can be connected to a TV, some methods offer better signal quality than others. Listed below are the most common methods of connecting soundbars to TV's. Obviously, in order to choose one of these connections both TV and soundbar need to support the method chosen. For example, many older types of soundbars and TV's do not support HDMI ARC so it would be not be possible to do it that way if one or both devices don't support it.

1. Optical Audio (Toslink S-PDIF Cable)

The optical cable is a fibre optic recognisable with the small headed connectors and a visible red line that shines through when connected. Optical audio cables can support 5.1 surround sound.

Best For: High-quality sound without lip-sync issues.

Steps:

• Connect the optical cable from the TV’s optical output to the soundbar’s optical input.
• Select the correct input for the optical connection, this usually called ‘D-In’, 'Optical', ‘Digital In’, or just 'TV' on the soundbar.
• Adjust the sound output on the TV to the optical connection, if it doesn't do so automatically.

Requirements:

• TV and soundbar with optical connections.
• 1 optical audio cable.

2. HDMI Cable

There are couple of methods of connecting a soundbar to a TV with a HDMI cable. If connecting a set top box such as a Sky box to the TV, two HDMI cables will be required to loop through the HDMI inputs/ outputs on the soundbar. Please note that for the latest audio standards, HDMI 2.0 or HDMI 2.1 standard cables may be required.

Best For: Devices needing 7.1 surround sound.

Steps:

• Connect the HDMI cable from the set-top box to the soundbar.
• Use another HDMI cable from the soundbar to the TV.
• Select the correct HDMI input on the soundbar. Many soundbars will have more than one input, these will be name HDMI 1, HDMI 2, etc,.

Requirements:

• TV and soundbar with HDMI connections.
• 2 HDMI cables.

3. HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel)

The second method of connecting a soundbar to a using the HDMI connection is the HDMI ARC. The HDMI ARC on the TV operates as a sound output and the HDMI ARC on the soundbar operates as a sound input. Not all HDMI connections support ARC, usually one of the HDMI connections on the TV supports HDMI ARC an it should be labelled as such on the TV, this is typically HDMI 2.

Best For: Simplified setup with potential 5.1 sound.

Steps:

• Connect the HDMI cable to the TV’s HDMI ARC port and the soundbar’s HDMI ARC port.

Requirements:

• TV and soundbar with ARC-compatible HDMI connections.
• 1 HDMI cable.

4. Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless communication protocol that allows for direct communication between supported devices.

Best For: Wireless setups, neat installations, especially for wall-mounted TVs, audio syncing issues.

Steps:

• Set the soundbar to Bluetooth pairing mode
• Search for device on TV Bluetooth settings and connect. This sometimes requires a numerical code to do so.

Requirements:

• Bluetooth-supported TV and soundbar.

5. Twin Phono (RCA) Cables

Twin phono's are the red and white analogue audio phono connection that support stereo sound. This is now a redundant connection for most modern equipment.

Best For: Older equipment with stereo sound.

Steps:

• Connect the red and white cables from the TV’s audio output to the soundbar’s audio input.
• Select the correct sound input on soundbar.

Requirements:

• TV and soundbar with RCA connections.
• 1 RCA cable or twin phono lead.

6. Auxiliary Cable (Headphone Jack)

Auxiliary is an analogue connection typically used for connecting headphones to TV's or other audio equipment.

Best For: When no other other options aren’t available.

Steps:

• Connect the auxiliary cable from the TV’s headphone jack to the soundbar’s auxiliary input.
• Select auxiliary input on soundbar.

Requirements:

• TV and soundbar with auxiliary connections.
• 1 auxiliary cable.

7. Using Adapters

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Where no way can be used to connect the soundbar and TV together, external adapters can be obtained that convert one method into another. For example a HDMI ARC extractor allows the audio to be stripped from the TV's ARC output and converts this to an optical or phono output which can then connect to the soundbar.

Best For: Incompatible equipment.

Steps:

• Use an appropriate audio adapter to convert signals between the TV and soundbar.

Requirements:

• Suitable audio adapter.
• Connecting cables.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

No Sound

• Check all cable connections.
• Ensure the correct input is selected on the soundbar.
• Adjust TV audio settings to ensure output is directed to the soundbar.

Lip Sync Issues

• Use optical cables or HDMI ARC for better synchronization.
• Adjust audio delay settings on the TV or soundbar. External audio delays can be obtained if the equipment does not support this.

Sound From Both TV & Soundbar

• Turn down the volume or mute the TV sound and turn up the soundbar volume.
• Adjust TV settings to turn off TV speakers whislt the sounbar is in use.

Remote Control Problems

• Enable HDMI-CEC for unified control of the TV and soundbar with one remote.
• Use HDMI ARC connection or Bluetooth to allow TV remote control to control soundbar sound output.

Advanced Tips

Sound Modes

Explore different sound modes (e.g., surround sound, cinema mode) on your soundbar to enhance specific types of audio.

Firmware Updates

Regularly update your soundbar’s firmware to benefit from improved performance and new features.

FAQ

Can I Connect Multiple Devices to the Soundbar?

Yes, many soundbars have multiple inputs (HDMI, optical, Bluetooth) allowing you to connect various devices.

What If My TV Doesn’t Have the Required Ports?

You can use audio adapters or converters to bridge the connection between your TV and soundbar.

Conclusion

Choose the method that best fits your equipment and needs. Connecting a soundbar to your TV can greatly enhance your viewing experience. For further assistance, feel free to leave a comment on our blog. If you require hep with your soundbar installation in Sussex, Kent in South East UK please contact us today to arrange you installation.