How To Connect Soundbar to TV with Optical Cable

Owning an external soundbar is always a pleasure because it is set to definitely improve the overall audio experience which you cannot happen to hear from the built-in speakers. There are numerous ways to connect a soundbar with a TV, but we are specifically looking for how to connect soundbar to TV with optical cable.

Be it a modern TV that focuses on the latest connectivity ports, this old-fashioned optical cable system still, works like a charm. Though it supports rather old audio formats, the seamless and reliable connection via optical cable is a great option to have. To deal with the degraded audio performance, the soundbar is a nice option, and most people opt for it even though they own the latest TV sets. Does not take much time to have it fully set up, it just takes about 5 minutes, and you are good to go! Follow this exact process, and you would not hit with any issues!

How To Connect Soundbar to TV with Optical Cable

Agree or not, but the integrated speakers do not emit the sound quality you expect, so hooking a best soundbar seems to be a nice investment.

It seems pretty simple to connect a soundbar with a TV, but sometimes the connection process needs to be followed to do everything right.

Regardless of your experience knowing the TV setup and all of its ports and hooks, this seamless connection of soundbar with a TV you should not avoid following.

What is an optical cable, and why connect the soundbar through it?

Quite a question, no? While the modern TV sets and the soundbars equip with the latest connectivity options to hook them up together, still, it indeed is not a problem to go with the optical cable.

The construction of optical cable involves utilizing laser light which transmits the audio signals to flow between the devices. And that helps to make it become a competent cable system meeting with high-quality results just like an HDMI cable.

Being introduced back in 1938, by Toshiba to signal out the audio from their CD players, it is still in use after all of these decades without losing the quality.

Although, the optic cable does provide audio support to the following;

• Stereo
• Dolby Digital
• DTS

So, it happens to be one finest alternative to HDMI when you do not find any way to connect with HDMI, and the only option left is optic cable.

Since the inception of modern devices targeting at least HDMI, the optic cable mechanism is losing ground, and you would hardly see it integrated as the core connectivity option up on TVs and all.

While it comes with many limitations, optical cable has the advantage of retaining the audio quality to well over 10 meters which is double in the power than HDMI which offers up to 5 meters. Going beyond the mark would massively affect the quality and start to break the sound.

Found in old TV that misses the HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel), the optical cable comes as a last resort to hook in the soundbar without running into the tweaks.

So, let’s jump to start with the connection process.

Step 1: Grab an Optic Cable

With that being said, the first step is to find the optical cable. If you do not have one, buy it from the market. Also, it has two ends where one goes into the TV optical port that should name the following so that they do not cause you a misunderstanding to locate it. Before inserting both ends inside the TV and soundbar, make sure to remove the plastic caps to make them ready to use.;

• Optical
• Optical In
• Digital Audio Out (Optical)
• Optical Digital

And the second end goes to the soundbar in its optical port that named the following;

• Digital Audio In (Optical)
• Optical In
• Optical Digital In

This first step is crucial given the fact the cable ends need to go into the right ports on both devices ensuring they are connected together. But still, we have to test out the connection to make sure they work which we will cover after a few steps.

Step 2: Setting up the Soundbar

Turn on the TV and soundbar. Now, grab the soundbar remote and press the ‘Source’ button then select ‘Digital IN’. To make sure you see it selected, the soundbar front display would indicate D-IN LED showing up to ensure the soundbar is ready.

Now is the time to play up with the settings on the television to make sure both devices connect.

Step 3: Set up the TV

On the TV, use the remote controller to go into the menu and select the Audio Output from the TV to the Audio System to let the soundbar start emitting the sound.

Best Optical Audio Cable to Buy

We have a list of the trusted optical audio cables to buy to connect the TV with the soundbar.

iVANKY 6 ft. Optical Audio Cable — Best Optical Audio Cable for Soundbar

AmazonBasics 3.3 ft. Digital Optical Audio Toslink Cable — Best Optical Audio Cable

FAQs

Let’s evaluate some general FAQs to make sure you possess the firm answers to the common issues that happen during pre and post-connection between TV and the soundbar.

What if the soundbar does not emit the sound?

If you are experiencing difficulty hearing the sound, and it does not come out of the soundbar, make sure the optical cables are not loose.

In case they are, try tightening both ends a bit but do not do that while the TV and soundbar are kept powered on as it may damage both devices.

Turn off both devices and tighten both ends as it may ultimately fix the problem of not hearing the sound.

And if it does not work, go back to the TV and soundbar, grab the remote controller, and go into the menu to select the audio output settings once again. On the TV, repeat the ‘Step 3: Set up the TV’ and over the soundbar, go back to proceed with ‘Step 2: Setting up the Soundbar’.

This setup setting may vary from model to model, so it is recommended to follow the manuals to understand which menu to select to make the TV and soundbar work together and start delivering the sound.

Hearing the double sound, what to do?

Hooking a soundbar through the optical cable jack does not turn off the internal speakers from the TV. In most cases, the TV automatically starts to deliver the sound coming from the soundbar, but the double voice issue relates to the internal speakers, and it would cause the synchronization problem where the internal speakers and soundbar hit the delay ruining the entire sound experience.

What is the best connection for a soundbar?

In general, it is HDMI for all the modern devices to hook together. It is seamless, supports many audio formats than optical cable jack. But when it comes to own the older TV sets, you have to be going with the optical cable because that is the only way around. After all, the optical cable has been in use for decades.

Is optical audio as good as HDMI?

Regardless of how they work, they possess the same quality of sound to deliver. But the real difference comes as the HDMI cable supports many audio formats from Blu-ray, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS HD Master Audio for the enhanced audio quality.

What is TOSLINK?

The TOSLINK, or namely Toshiba Link, is the standard, and the common form that is widely used around the world as an optical connector system that reliably transmits the digital audio signals to form the Dolby Digital and DTS Surround System audio format in the greatest quality.

Also Read: Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 Soundbar Review

Conclusion

To power up the old-model TVs and you do not find any way to deal with not having the HDMI port on your TV, an optical cable would never disappoint you.

Be it the TV purchased in the ’90s or ’80s and you still use it where the speakers’ quality does not surprise you, hooking the soundbar is the right move.

So, follow what we have listed here containing all the processes revealing how to connect soundbar to TV with optical cable when your core purpose is to revitalize your old TV with the latest and modern soundbar.

Go through this exclusive guide and never hit an issue with the connection! 🙂