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Home / How to Hook Up Sound Bar to Tv

How to Hook Up Sound Bar to Tv

  1. 1

    Examine your available speakers. The way in which you set up the speakers depends on how many you have; the most common setups are 2.1, 5.1, and 7.1, where the number before the decimal refers to the number of speakers and the ".1" refers to the use of a subwoofer.

    • 2.1 is two front speakers and a subwoofer.
    • 5.1 is two front speakers, a center speaker, two surround speakers, and a subwoofer.
    • 7.1 is two front, one center, two surround, two back, and a subwoofer.

  2. 2

    Determine your TV's audio type. On the back or side of your TV, you should see an "Audio Out" (or similar) section with at least one of the following types of audio output:

    • Optical - A hexagonal port. Optical audio is the newest and clearest type of audio, and most modern receivers support it.
    • HDMI - A thin hexagonal slot. HDMI supports both audio and video. Nearly all modern receivers support HDMI.
    • AV - White and red circular ports. These are used for basic audio. All receivers should support AV input.

  3. 3

    Make sure that you have an audio receiver. Unlike powered speakers, the average surround sound speaker can't project audio on its own. A receiver takes the sound from your TV and transmits it to the connected speakers via wires.

    • Most surround sound kits include a receiver. If you bought your surround sound set second-hand, you may have to buy the receiver separately.
    • All speakers will connect to your receiver via AV cable, but the receiver can use optical, HDMI, or AV cables to connect to your TV. Make sure that your receiver's audio input matches your preferred audio output on your TV.

  4. 4

    Verify that you have all of the cables that you need. You'll need speaker wire to attach the speakers to each other, AV cables (the red and white cables) to attach the speakers to the receiver, and an optical, HDMI, or AV set of cables to connect the receiver to the TV's audio ports.

    • If you don't have the proper cables, you can find them online or in tech department stores. Online is usually cheaper.

  5. 5

    Read your surround sound system's manual. Each surround sound system will have a slightly different set of instructions detailing the best way to set it up. While you can follow general instructions to get decent sound out of your speakers, the best way to optimize them for perfect sound is by reading their manual first.

  6. 6

    Turn off and unplug your TV. Once your TV is off and completely unplugged from its power source, you can proceed with placing and connecting the speakers.

  1. 1

    Arrange the speakers and their wires before connecting anything. This process is known as "blocking", and it helps you ensure that you'll be able to optimize your speaker placement without having to stretch out wires, move furniture, and so on.

  2. 2

    Place the subwoofer near the center of the home theater. The subwoofer is omnidirectional sound, which means you will achieve similar results no matter where the subwoofer is placed. Many people like to place it towards the front of the configuration so that it is easily connected to the receiver.

    • Although subwoofers are omnidirectional, placing them against walls and corners will amplify the bass, making it difficult to control.

  3. 3

    Place the front speakers on each side of the TV. If the speakers are marked as "left" and "right", make sure that they're on the correct side as per their manual's instruction.

    • Front speakers should be placed the same distance from either side of the TV (e.g., three feet on each side).

  4. 4

    Angle the front speakers towards the audience. Each speaker should be angled in slightly so that it points directly toward the center of the seating area.

    • You should be able to "draw" a symmetrical triangle between the two speakers and the center of the seating area.
    • If you can raise your front speakers to ear level, you will notice a marked difference in sound quality.
    • If you're setting up a 2.1 system, you can now proceed to the next part.

  5. 5

    Place the center channel speaker above or below the TV. The center channel bridges the gap between the left and right speaker. It helps when sound pans from left to right, and keeps dialog synced with moving mouths on the screen.[1]

    • Angle the center channel up or down so that it points at the audience.
    • Do not place the center channel behind the TV, or you will not be able to hear it.

  6. 6

    Place the surround channel speakers to the side of the viewing area. Your two surround speakers should be placed on either side of the viewing area, pointed directly at the audience. You can place them slightly behind the viewer if you aren't using 7.1, as long as they are still pointed directly at the viewer.

    • The surround channel speakers are what give the effect of sound happening around the viewer. They do not transmit as much sound as the front speakers, but they enhance the action on the TV by enveloping the viewer.

  7. 7

    Raise the surround channel speakers. Your surround speakers should be placed about two feet above ear level and angled down slightly so that they point at the audience.

    • If you are setting up a 5.1 system, you are done with speaker placement and can proceed to the next part.

  8. 8

    Place the back channel speakers behind the viewing area. Try to place the two back channel speakers as close to each other as possible; this creates a bubble of sound around the audience.

    • The back channel speakers should be the same height as the surround speakers.[2]

  1. 1

    Place your receiver near your TV. The receiver must be close enough to both the TV and a power source that you can adequately plug it into both.

    • Your receiver may also need plenty of room to vent heat, so don't lock it in a cabinet.

  2. 2

    Examine how your speakers connect. Most surround sound systems have ports for each speaker that you simply plug the appropriate connector into.

    • Some older systems have clips that you plug bare speaker wire into. To accomplish this, you'll need to strip some of the wire away with wire cutters and then clip them into place on the back of the speaker.

  3. 3

    Run wire from each speaker to the receiver. Do everything you can to hide your wires as you run them, as doing so will prevent people or animals from accidentally tripping on them and pulling your speakers.

    • If you can, run the wires under the carpet or through the wall.
    • Make sure to leave some slack at each end to keep the connection from becoming stressed.

  4. 4

    Connect the speakers to each other. Connect one end of your speaker wire to the back of a speaker, then connect that speaker to another speaker in sequence. Each of your speakers should be connected in a line around your room from one front speaker all the way around to the other front speaker.

    • You'll connect the front speakers to the receiver via AV cables. Do not connect the front speakers to one another via speaker wire.
    • Exclude your subwoofer from this process unless otherwise directed by the manual. Subwoofers almost always plug directly into the audio receiver.

  5. 5

    Connect the subwoofer. Most subwoofers connect to the receiver via a standard set of AV cables.

    • The subwoofer port on the receiver is typically labeled "sub out" or "sub pre-out".
    • If your subwoofer has multiple inputs, connect to the one labeled "LFE in" or the far left input if there is no label.

  6. 6

    Plug your receiver into a power source. Your receiver will slowly power on after doing so, though it may take several minutes to completely come online if this is the first time you're setting it up.

  7. 7

    Connect HDMI items to the receiver. Things like game consoles, DVD players, and cable boxes will use the TV's HDMI input as their audio output, so plug these items into the receiver to route their audio through your surround sound. You'll need to attach the receiver to the appropriate HDMI inputs with additional cables.

    • Most receivers have an "HDMI IN" and "HDMI OUT" series of ports (e.g., "IN 1", "OUT 1", etc.).
    • For example, an HDMI item that was plugged into "HDMI IN 1" would have an HDMI cable plugged into the "HDMI OUT 1" port on the receiver and the "HDMI 1" port on the TV itself.
    • The same philosophy applies to older items that use AV cables or composite cables (the red, yellow, green, blue, and white sets of cables).

  8. 8

    Connect the receiver to the TV. For best results, use an HDMI connection to connect the TV to the HDMI Out port on the receiver.

    • You can use older connectors (e.g., AV cables), but they will result in much lower quality. Most modern TVs support HDMI.

  9. 9

    Plug back in and turn on your TV. Once everything is connected, you can power on your TV to see how your efforts turned out.

  10. 10

    Test out your surround sound. Each TV will have a different way of configuring audio, but you can normally change your TV's audio preferences by pressing the Menu button on the remote, selecting Audio, and finding the default output area.

    • Most newer surround sound systems have an automatic setup process that involves placing a connected microphone in the middle of the viewing area and allowing the speakers to read the ambient sound levels.
    • If your surround sound doesn't feel correct to you, try adjusting your TV's settings and the items to which the surround sound is connected before physically adjusting the speakers.

Add New Question

  • Question

    What if my sound system sound track is slightly off from the TV?

    Justin Shaffer

    Justin Shaffer

    Community Answer

    If you're using an A/V receiver as your source, go into the setup menu and check if there is a A/V -sync setting. If so, adjust the ms level up or down to match the sound of the screen. It's best to watch a person talking on the TV, and then set the A/V-sync level to the proper level to where the audio lines up to their talking.

  • Question

    Is there a digital cable available with RCA plugs?

    Community Answer

    Yes, it is called "coax" and is usually an orange color. A coax cable has a single male RCA connector on each end.

  • Question

    Why does the audio stay on when the TV is off?

    Community Answer

    If you're using a receiver and the source of the sound is coming from something other than the TV (for example, a cable box, DVD/BlueRay player, etc.) and they are connected directly to the receiver, then the audio will continue to play even if the TV is off. This will continue until you shut off the source or until you shut off the receiver.

  • Question

    How do I get the DVD player to work with the TV?

    Community Answer

    Just make sure everything is properly connected and press "play."

  • Question

    Where do the ceiling speakers connect on the back of the receiver?

    Justin Shaffer

    Justin Shaffer

    Community Answer

    On a 9 channel receiver, they should connect to the only speaker connections left after the Front L+R - Surround L+R - Center - Surround Back L+R.

  • Question

    How do I connect if the sound system has a SCART socket and no HDMI, but the TV has no SCART socket, only HDMI?

    Justin Shaffer

    Justin Shaffer

    Community Answer

    You would need to purchase a SCART to HDMI adapter in order to connect it. You can purchase them online.

  • Question

    Is a home theater sound bar as good as a receiver and multiple speakers?

    Justin Shaffer

    Justin Shaffer

    Community Answer

    The theater sound bars sound great. But it can also depend on the size of the room and your own personal tastes.

  • Question

    Where does the audio plug from subwoofer go into the TV?

    Justin Shaffer

    Justin Shaffer

    Community Answer

    You can't unless you have a set of speakers to go with it. You would need a sub with a built in amp. Also the sub would need to have a speaker output that can run to a set of speakers or a sound bar with a built in amp that have an input the same as the output as the sub. From there you would need to use the L+R analog out put from the TV. Take an analog L+R cable and run it to a Y- 2 to 1-adapter and then to the sub. If the sub doesn't run to an additional set of speakers, the second you connect it to the TV, it cuts out the audio and all you'll hear is the base.

  • Question

    Can my center speaker connect to digital audio out of the TV, while the others (7.1) connect to the A/V receiver?

    Justin Shaffer

    Justin Shaffer

    Community Answer

    No. Whichever audio output is operating at the time will cut the audio output on the other. You can't have two audio outputs running at the same time.

  • Question

    How do I hook 7.1 analog cables from a Blu ray player to my receiver/amp?

    Justin Shaffer

    Justin Shaffer

    Community Answer

    If you want the full 7.1 sound performing on the receiver, the receiver would need to have a device selection with a 7.1 analog input.

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  • You may have to tweak individual item settings before your surround sound system setup is complete. For example, your console might require slightly different sound levels or output than your DVD player.

  • Be extremely careful not to attach bare speaker wire to a plugged-in item, as doing so may result in a short or an electrical shock.

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How to Hook Up Sound Bar to Tv

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Hook-up-Surround-Sound