Connecting your TV to a stereo system
If you want to connect your TV to a stereo system, you usually only need one cable. TV sound often sounds fuller through a stereo system than through the small speakers in the TV’s flat housing. Which cable should be used for connecting is shown by the audio output on the TV and the input on the system. Newer devices often have HDMI ARC or an optical connection for this, while older systems have an analog RCA input.
If the output and input do not match directly, a small converter or the TV’s headphone jack can help. After that, a few settings in the sound menu are still necessary. Active speakers can be connected in the same way as a stereo system.
Connecting your TV to a stereo system via HDMI, optical, or RCA
The connections for the sound are usually located on the back or side of the TV. Newer devices generally have an HDMI connection with ARC and an optical output. Analog RCA outputs are mainly found on older televisions.
HDMI ARC
Via ARC, the Audio Return Channel, the TV outputs the sound through an HDMI port that otherwise receives picture and sound. This port is labeled ARC or eARC on the TV. The system also needs an HDMI connection with ARC for this. AV receivers and some newer stereo amplifiers, in particular, have such a connection. If the cable is plugged into an HDMI port on the TV without ARC, no sound will reach the system.
One advantage of this connection is the operation, because with many devices, the TV remote then also controls the system. eARC is the newer version of ARC with more bandwidth. A system with simple ARC also works on an eARC port. With pure stereo sound, the larger bandwidth makes no audible difference.
Optical Output
The optical output on the TV is usually labeled Optical, Digital Audio Out, or Toslink. With this connection, the sound runs as a light signal through a thin cable. Many systems from recent years have an optical input for this. The plugs are often closed with a small protective cap when purchased, which you pull off before plugging them in.
On many devices, the TV remote does not change anything at the optical output. Therefore, you adjust the volume on the system itself.
Analog output and headphone jack
Older televisions often have an analog output with two RCA jacks, red for right and white for left. With an RCA cable, it can be connected directly to an input on the stereo system, such as AUX, CD, or TAPE. The PHONO input, on the other hand, is intended for turntables. This output has become rare on newer models.
Many televisions also have a headphone jack with a 3.5 mm jack socket. However, this is also increasingly missing on new devices. With a cable from a jack to two RCA plugs, the headphone jack can also be connected to the system.
| Output on the TV | Input on the system | Cable | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDMI ARC or eARC | HDMI with ARC | HDMI cable | often with the TV remote |
| Optical (Toslink) | optical input | optical cable | usually on the system |
| Analog (RCA) | RCA, e.g., AUX or CD | RCA cable | usually on the system |
| Headphone jack | RCA, e.g., AUX | Jack to 2× RCA | on the TV and on the system |
HDMI ARC is the most convenient. If the system has no digital input, RCA or the headphone jack remain options.
Old stereo system without digital input
Many older stereo systems only have analog inputs. If this setting meets a TV that only outputs digitally, no cable fits directly. The system can still be used, either via a digital-to-analog converter or via the TV’s headphone jack.
Digital-to-analog converter
A digital-to-analog converter is a small box that converts the digital sound into an analog signal. You connect the TV’s optical output to the converter’s input and its RCA output to the system. The converter then gets power via a USB cable, for example from a USB power adapter or a USB port on the TV.
Some televisions have a coaxial digital output instead of an optical one. This is a single RCA jack, often marked in orange. Many converters also accept this signal, but you then need a digital coaxial cable with RCA plugs.
Simple converters usually only process stereo sound in PCM format. In the TV’s sound menu, the digital output should therefore also be set to PCM. If it is set to Bitstream or Auto, no sound often reaches the system or you only hear a hissing noise.
Headphone jack as an alternative
Without a converter, the system can be connected via the TV’s headphone jack. On many televisions, the volume at this output follows the remote control. The system then amplifies the signal once more.
In practice, you therefore set the volume on the TV to a medium value and then adjust it on the system. If the TV is set very quiet, a hissing noise is more likely to be heard when the system is turned up.
If the headphone jack is occupied, some televisions no longer output sound through their own speakers.
Active speakers on the TV
In active speakers, the amplifier is already built into the housing. You therefore connect them in the same way as a stereo system, just without connecting a separate device in between. Speakers without a built-in amplifier, on the other hand, need a system or an amplifier to be connected in between.
Active speakers with jack input
Many smaller active speakers, such as those from a PC, only have a jack socket. At the TV’s headphone jack, you then use a jack-to-jack cable. For speakers with a main speaker, the cable from the TV goes to the main speaker, to which the second speaker is connected.
Standby of active speakers
Many active speakers switch to standby after some time without a signal. They then switch back on at the next sound. If a program starts very quietly, the first words of the news can be missing or seem cut off. However, on some speakers, this faulty automatic feature can also be switched off.
Settings on the TV and the system
Even if the cable is plugged in, the sound does not always come out of the system immediately. First, it must be set on the TV and on the system where the sound should come from. On the TV, you switch the sound output for this, and on the system, you switch the input.
Sound output and audio format
In the TV’s sound menu, under Sound Output or Audio Output, you select the connection to which the system is connected, e.g., HDMI ARC or Optical. For the digital output, you set the audio format to PCM. This gives the system stereo sound, which even older devices can then play back. With HDMI ARC, device control via HDMI, which is based on HDMI CEC, must usually also be switched on.
Built-in speakers and volume
If the TV’s built-in speakers and the system run simultaneously, the sound often sounds hollow or echoey. It then arrives from two directions and usually slightly time-delayed. Therefore, you switch off the built-in speakers in the sound menu, unless this happens automatically.
On some televisions, you can also set whether the output provides a fixed or an adjustable volume. If the volume is fixed, you only adjust it on the system. If it is adjustable, the output follows the TV remote. You then set the system once to a suitable value.
Input on the system
The input to which the cable from the TV is connected must also be selected on the system. An incorrectly selected input is a common cause if no sound comes out despite correct wiring. With HDMI ARC, the system often switches over by itself as soon as the TV is switched on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Without HDMI, it works via the optical output, an analog RCA output, or the headphone jack. If the TV lacks any analog output and the amplifier lacks any digital input, a digital-to-analog converter connects both devices. HDMI is only needed for the path via ARC.
Usually, the wrong input is selected on the system or the built-in speakers are still set as the sound output on the TV. With new optical cables, the protective cap is sometimes still on the plug. With HDMI, the cable must be plugged into the jack with ARC. If that doesn’t change anything, you should check whether the plug is firmly seated in the socket.
With HDMI ARC, often yes, if device control via HDMI is active on both devices. With optical, analog, and headphone outputs, this control does not exist; you then switch the system on yourself. However, some systems and active speakers wake up by themselves as soon as a signal arrives at the input.
Yes, but only via an amplifier or a stereo system. Such speakers are passive speakers; they are connected to the amplifier via speaker cable. The amplifier is then connected to the TV via HDMI ARC, optical, or analog.
That works if the TV outputs sound via Bluetooth and the system can receive Bluetooth. However, some televisions only allow Bluetooth output for headphones. On some devices, the sound also arrives slightly after the picture, which is most noticeable with newsreaders. This offset hardly occurs via a cable.