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Oct 18, 2023

How to connect a soundbar: The best cable to use and other handy tips

If you're setting up your new soundbar and want to ensure that you're getting

If you're setting up your new soundbar and want to ensure that you're getting the most from it, this is the guide for you.

Adding a soundbar is a surefire way to boost your TV's sound, and it's much easier than the complicated surround sound AV amp alternatives.

There are still things to think about, though. Soundbars tend to offer a variety of inputs, and TVs offer a variety of outputs, choosing the right one, and making it work, can be challenging, at times.

Fear not, we've got you covered. In this guide, we'll tell you everything you need to know including explaining all the common cable types, which one you might want to use and why.

This connection type uses a standard HDMI cable, like the kind you'd use to connect your games console or Blu-ray player to the TV. However, in this case, it's acting in reverse, with the TV sending audio to the soundbar instead. That's what the "ARC" bit means, it stands for audio return channel.

eARC stands for enhanced audio return channel, and it's the same thing, but better. It allows for higher-quality audio streams than the older ARC standard.

Most modern TVs have HDMI eARC or ARC capabilities, and they'll usually label the port on the back of the TV, saying something like "HDMI 1 (ARC)" next to it. Some TVs require you to use a specific port, whereas others have it enabled on all of their ports, have a gander around the back and see if you can spot the label.

If your soundbar and TV both have ARC/eARC capabilities, then you should use an HDMI cable to connect them up. This option allows for the highest fidelity audio including support for formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. If both devices support CEC, you'll be able to control the soundbar with your TV remote, too.

If you can't connect via HDMI, the next best option is an optical cable, sometimes referred to as TOSLINK. You'll lose some functionality this way, it won't pass through Atmos and you won't be able to use your TV's remote, for example. But it'll still do proper surround sound, which is typically what we want.

Optical cables have a unique look, and they're easy to spot. The port on your TV and soundbar looks a little bit like a cat flap, with a red light behind it, while the connector on the cable has an angular shape with a protruding metal cylinder in the middle.

As the name suggests, these cables are fibre optic and use light pulses to send the signal between the devices. This means that you'll want to be careful not to kink the cable too much, as it could prevent the light from reaching the other end.

Another thing that's worth noting is that they typically come with a plastic cap to protect the ends when they're brand new, make sure you remove these before attempting to connect things up.

If neither of the above options are available, we'll have to do things the old-fashioned way with an analogue cable. There are two ways to do this, and we'll detail each below.

The first option is via the audio out ports on your TV, if it has them. These circular connectors have red and white coloured plastic on the inside, the red one is the right audio and the white is the left channel.

These connectors are usually referred to as phono or RCA, and you might need to pick up a phono to 3.5mm cable in order to use it with your soundbar (though some models will include it).

The reason this option is so far down the list is that it doesn't support surround sound, it's just a stereo signal. So if your soundbar is capable of decoding surround sound formats, you won't be getting all that it is capable of.

If you don't have any of the connections listed above, there's still another option, and that's to use the headphone output of your TV. This will get the job done in a pinch, but it's the worst option of the bunch. The signal is still just stereo, and it'll typically be quieter than the audio-out ports, so your soundbar will have to work harder to get it to listening volume.

Finally, we have Bluetooth. In 90 per cent of cases, the Bluetooth functionality of a soundbar is designed to be used for streaming music from your phone to the soundbar, and not as a way to listen to your TV.

With some modern TVs having Bluetooth functionality, you can actually connect to the TV this way (we've tried it), but it's not recommended at all. You'll be opening yourself up to all kinds of sync issues, as well as a lower-quality signal and potential interference. We'd definitely steer you towards using a cable, for now at least.

Ideally, you need to start thinking about placement before you even purchase your soundbar. Common issues include the soundbar not fitting with the feet of your TV's stand, and the height of the soundbar blocking the IR receiver or, in extreme cases, the bottom of the screen.

If your TV sits on a stand (i.e isn't wall mounted) measure the height of your TV to check if your desired soundbar is likely to block anything. It's also worth checking that there's enough physical space on the stand so that it'll fit comfortably.

Many soundbars have infrared repeaters, so even if the IR receiver is blocked, your TV remote's signal will still pass through and work as normal. This is a specification you should check if you know it'll be blocked.

If your TV is mounted on a wall, then you'll need to think about where you'll want the soundbar to go. Most bars have some kind of wall mounting option, and if you want the absolute most from the sound, then you should try to place the soundbar at ear level from your usual seating position. This isn't always possible, though, so don't fret too much if you can't mount it in the sweet spot.

Lots of soundbars come with a separate subwoofer to help deliver the bass frequencies. Many are wireless, these days, which means that there's no wire connecting the subwoofer to the soundbar. However, the subwoofer will still need to be plugged into the mains for power, so it'll need to be placed near a power outlet.

Subwoofers only handle low-end frequencies, and our ears aren't very good at pinpointing the location of bassy sounds. This works to our advantage, as it means the subwoofer can be placed almost anywhere in your room, even behind you, without noticeably affecting the sound.

The only thing to think about is corners, if a subwoofer is pushed right up to a corner, it'll make the bass more boomy, and that's not something you'll usually want. However, if you think your subwoofer is lacking some power, a corner might help give it the boost it needs.

Of course, if you have a wired subwoofer, then you'll need to think about how you're going to run the cable between the soundbar and the sub. In that case, you'll probably want to keep it somewhere near the TV to save some cable management hassle.

Beyond playing sound from your TV, most soundbars offer other ways to stream music and other audio content. This can range from a simple direct Bluetooth connection to integration with a full wireless multi-room system.

When you first get a new soundbar, it's always worth checking if there's an app to go along with it. Some devices, like the Sony HT-A3000 that we tested recently, have settings that are only accessible via the app - so installing it is crucial if you want the ultimate control over your soundbar.

Some systems are expandable, too, so if you decide that you want to further improve your sound in the future, you can purchase additional wireless speakers. This is worth keeping in mind whether you're looking to upgrade or purchase for the first time, as additional speakers can really transform the experience.

Prior to writing for Pocket-Lint, Luke had a long history in the PC gaming industry working on everything from marketing and PR to events and esports tournaments.Aside from PCs and gaming, he has a passion for photography and video and the technologies surrounding them, it started with filming his friends skateboarding on miniDV camcorders and escalated to cinema cameras and a University degree.These days he mainly uses these skills to make YouTube videos and can often be found strapping GoPros to racing drones in his spare time.