How To Connect Soundbar To TV With HDMI

If your TV doesn’t have an ARC or E-ARC label on the HDMI port then you get an alternate way to connect your audio source devices using an optical cable also known as TOSLINK.

The TOSLINK cable converts audio signals into pulses of light using a fiber optic cable as the transmission medium.

1. A digital optical connection is available on almost all TVs whether the TV has a second HDMI cable or not. The TOSLINK cable is a great option to get digital audio. Even if you don’t get to listen best quality audio with digital audio, you can still get a decent audio output.
2. Getting the optical cable to connect to your TV is really simple. Just plug one end into the soundbar and the other end into the TV.
3. After you have successfully connected the TOSLINK cable to your TV, make sure that your TV audio settings are set correctly.
4. Browse the audio settings of your TV and search for the option Digital Audio. If you find a Digital Audio output signal option in your tv’s audio menu, leave it on Auto.
5. If you are having trouble getting the desired audio, you can toggle and select settings to see whether the audio is transmitted properly.
6. Keep in mind that you may need to cycle through your soundbar’s input options to select Digital Optical. The soundbars are set to HDMI by default. So look for an input source button on the remote of your soundbar and just press it repeatedly until you get to the digital optical input.

Note: Optical connection is a simple method to get your soundbar and TV connected. The cable is tiny so it’s pretty convenient but it won’t allow you to adjust your soundbar’s volume with your TV’s remote control so make sure to keep your soundbar remote handy to change the volume. You can perhaps look to program the TV’s remote so that when you press the volume buttons on your TV remote, it acts like a universal remote to change the volume of the soundbar.

An auxiliary cable is the best way to connect a soundbar to your TV or other devices if you want to stick with the old school. As long as your soundbar uses analog connection services, you’ll still experience first-rate sound quality, but the sound won’t be as crispy as it would be with an HDMI port or optical connection.

Nowadays, very few soundbars come with a digital AUX connection which is a single RCA-type connector that is usually orange-colored.

If you have an AUX cable connection on your TV and your soundbar, follow the instructions below:

1. Turn on your TV and soundbar.
2. You will find a jack for AUX IN below your soundbar. Connect one end of your auxiliary cable to the AUX IN port.
3. The other end of your AUX cable needs to be connected to the AUDIO OUT jack on your TV.
4. You also have the option to set the soundbar from a remote or from the soundbar with the Source button. Set your soundbar on AUX mode and you are ready to go.

Let us look at some of the more advanced tips. Many people might be wondering if they can go wireless instead of using a cable and the answer is yes you can. But we do not recommend it. While many TVs offer Bluetooth audio output so you can connect your TV speakers to Bluetooth headphones or speakers, the sound quality is degraded a bit it’s fine for headphones but you aren’t going to get anything close to what your soundbar is really capable of.

Also, you’ll notice that the sound is lagging and the sync between the TV and the soundbar will go off. Although BT pairing doesn’t provide you with the same sound quality as HDMI, everyone loves it due to its convenience and the fact that it doesn’t require cables to connect your TV and sound system.

Different TV models differ in terms of menus and the steps required to set up Bluetooth devices, but you can follow this general outline:

1. You can find an option to select Bluetooth pair on your soundbar’s control to change and select sound output to Bluetooth.
2. When your TV will be ready to connect with the audio device, you will see a BT-ready pop-up and a list of available Bluetooth devices.
3. Select Bluetooth audio device and select pair with your soundbar.
4. In the event that your soundbar does not support remote control, you can try pressing the Source button on the soundbar until you get the option of a Bluetooth connection.
5. Alternatively, you can also select Sound from Settings. You can now enjoy the TV sound from your soundbar.

Tip: Some brands like SAMSUNG TVs offer custom wireless connections that sound and work really well if you have a SAMSUNG TV and SAMSUNG soundbar.

One of the easiest ways for connecting your TV to your speaker system is with RCA cables. if you have a much older TV model, you may need to use the analog left and right which is usually red and white colored RCA connectors on the TV, and the soundbar.

Your soundbar might have come with these cables. If not, there are chances that you may find some lying around your house.

1. Connecting the TV and soundbar is pretty straightforward. Match and connect the white cable with the white input port and the red cable with the red input port.
2. Now that you have connected the cables perfectly, you may need to select analog as the audio output type inside the TV’s audio setting.
3. You can now change the audio of the soundbar speakers with your TV remote control.
4. We would suggest turning the TV audio to half or three-quarters volume and the soundbar’s remote to adjust the volume of the soundbar.

The above were a few of the easiest ways to connect your speakers to your TV. Hopefully, you will now be able to enjoy the premium sound quality of our soundbars or home theater along with the high-definition movies on your TV. By providing awesome sound quality, a soundbar amplifies the audio quality you hear with your TV enhancing the frequency of the audio output.