How do I connect a soundbar to my TV, and why is there no sound?
The two ways to wire a television to a soundbar, which socket it has to be, the setting that has to be on, and the order to work through when the bar stays silent.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 30 min
- Read
- 5 min
Short answer
Run one HDMI cable from the socket on the television marked ARC or eARC to the matching socket on the soundbar, then switch on the television's HDMI control setting — every brand names it differently, so look for the setting rather than a word. If there is no sound, the cause is almost always the wrong socket, that setting being off, or the television's audio output still set to its own speakers.
Do this first
Modern televisions are too thin to hold a speaker that can move much air, which is why dialogue disappears under music and why almost every household ends up adding a soundbar. The connection itself is a single cable, but there are three separate things that all have to line up, and if any one of them is wrong the result is complete silence rather than a hint.
Step by step
- Find the socket on the television marked ARC or eARC.Only one of the HDMI sockets does this, and the label is often in small print. ARC stands for audio return channel: it lets sound travel backwards out of the television down the same cable that normally carries pictures in.
- Use the matching socket on the soundbar.Soundbars usually have one HDMI socket marked HDMI OUT (TV ARC) and possibly others marked IN. The cable from the television must go to the OUT one, which is counter-intuitive and catches people constantly.
- Use a cable rated for the job.A very old HDMI cable may carry a picture but not support the return channel, particularly for eARC. If everything else is right and there is still no sound, swapping the cable is a cheap thing to eliminate.
- Switch on HDMI control on the television.This is the feature that lets connected equipment talk to each other, so one remote controls volume and everything wakes together. Every manufacturer brands it differently, so look in the general or external device settings for a control-over-HDMI option rather than a specific name.
- Change the television's audio output to the external system.In the sound settings there will be a speaker or audio output choice. It has to be set to the HDMI or ARC output rather than the internal speakers, and on some sets this does not happen automatically.
- Decide where the sources plug in.Sources into the television, with one cable to the bar, is simplest and means the television keeps working if the bar is off. Sources into the soundbar, with one cable to the television, can pass richer sound formats but makes everything depend on the bar being on and set correctly.
- Set the sound format if the bar sounds thin or drops out.In the television's sound settings there is usually a digital output format choice. If the soundbar is silent on some material and fine on others, setting it to a basic stereo or PCM option will confirm whether a format mismatch is the cause.
- Fall back to optical if ARC will not behave.An optical cable from the television's optical output to the soundbar is dependable and works with almost anything. It carries fewer sound formats and does not pass volume control, so you keep two remotes, but it is a reliable answer.
Tips
- Turn off any dialogue enhancement, night mode or virtual surround setting first and listen to the bar flat. Add processing back only if it genuinely helps.
- A soundbar sitting inside a cabinet or behind a plant sounds worse than the television did. It needs to fire into the room.
- If the bar has a separate subwoofer, its position changes the result more than any setting. Try it in a different part of the room before deciding the bass is wrong.
Common mistakes
- Plugging the television into an HDMI IN socket on the soundbar — The cable to the television goes in the soundbar's OUT socket. An IN socket is for sources, and connecting it there gives silence with everything else apparently correct.
- Leaving the television's audio output on its internal speakers — The cable is right, the setting is on, and there is still no sound, because the set is still sending audio to itself. It is the second thing to check after the socket.
If it doesn't work
No sound at all from the bar
Cause: Wrong socket, HDMI control switched off, or the television's audio output not changed — Fix: Check those three in that order before anything else. Between them they account for the overwhelming majority of silent soundbars.
Sound works but the TV remote will not change the volume
Cause: HDMI control is off, or the connection is optical rather than ARC — Fix: Turn on HDMI control at both ends. Optical carries no volume commands at all, so on optical this behaviour is normal.
The bar cuts out on certain films or channels
Cause: A sound format the bar cannot decode is being sent — Fix: Set the television's digital audio output to a basic stereo or PCM setting and see whether the dropouts stop; if they do, the format was the cause.
Everything turns on and off together when you do not want it to
Cause: HDMI control is doing exactly what it is designed to do — Fix: Most sets let you narrow which devices it controls, or you can turn it off and use two remotes. It is a preference, not a fault.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between ARC and eARC?
eARC is the newer version with much more bandwidth, so it can carry the higher-quality uncompressed and object-based sound formats that ARC cannot. For a typical soundbar playing broadcast and streaming material, ARC is enough.
Do I need an expensive HDMI cable?
No, but a very old one may not support the return channel. Any current cable sold as high speed is fine; there is no audible benefit above that.
Can I use the headphone socket instead?
Some soundbars accept an analogue input, and it will work, but you lose volume control from the television, sound quality is lower, and many modern sets no longer have a headphone output at all.