- Anthony
There are a few ways how to connect soundbar to TV without HDMI ARC or optical. One way is to use an optical cable, which can be found at most electronics stores. Another way is to use a 3. 5mm audio cable, which can also be found at most electronics stores.
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Connect with Aux or 3.5mm Cable
It would help if you connected a soundbar with a TV that does not support HDMI or digital optical cable.
This is almost always true for TVs. However, you can use an aux cable or an auxiliary input to send an audio signal. This connection can be used for the audio signals, similar to what we use in our mobile phones and other audio devices.
We recommend the Syncwire nylon braided aux cord if your TV supports this connection. It is compatible with all devices that support a 3.5 audio headphone jack. The connector is 24K gold-plated to increase the reliability and lossless transmission audio signal.
An aux to RCA converter is an alternative if your TV or Soundbar doesn’t support the connection. These cables can be used as an inexpensive alternative to HDMI and optical cables.
AmazonBasics 3.5mm-to-2-Male RCA Adapter is a great choice. It has no fancy features, and the lossless transmission audio signal won’t break your bank.
The majority of soundbars today can accept a 3.5mm auxiliary jack. You don’t have to be an expert to connect to a TV via an aux cable.
This is a great alternative and costs less than $10. This is not the best solution, though. You’ll need to address some issues with this connection for audio.
Cons of Auxiliary Cables
Aux cables 3.5mm are reliable and can transmit sounds without a noticeable drop in quality. An auxiliary device can only be used for stereo optical output. So, how to connect soundbar to TV without optical output? This cable will only work with your left and right speakers. You won’t be allowed to use soundbars that have 3.0, 3.1, or more channels.
Even if you only use one speaker, your audio will still sound great. Unfortunately, an aux cable can’t transmit signals at frequencies responsible for creating surround sound effects.
If you only want to pair both the soundbar and TV, the 3.5mm aux cable is a great alternative. If you want to create a media room with pulsating audio, you may consider upgrading to a TV or going wireless.
Connect with RCA (Yellow, Red, and White) Cables
You’ll find most TVs these days with a 3.5mm connection, HDMI, or optical ports. However, if you have an older TV, there are only two options for audio: RCA or coaxial cables. These cables can transmit audio signals and can be found in most electronic shops.
If your TV has RCA cables, you’re in luck. Most soundbars can accommodate two-channel audio configurations. Check your TV and cable have RCA audio outputs when connecting an RCA cable.
You can pair the yellow video cable to the audio input ports of your cable; the red audio cables and white audio cable will go directly into your Soundbar.
Televisions can be used as a central hub to process audio and video signals. They provide both input and output. However, older TVs are not capable of receiving video or audio. If you plan to connect RCA cables to a TV to your soundbar, you must split the signal to make audio.
Monoprice Premium 2 RCA inputs plug is our preferred cable to connect a soundbar and a TV using an RCA connector. It eliminates all the guesswork.
There are only two audio connectors, one for white and one for red. The extra yellow video connector is not necessary. Connect your TV and Soundbar.
Cons of RCA Cables
Similar to auxiliary inputs, RCA cables cannot transmit audio signals left or right. You won’t get the best quality if you use a soundbar with 3.0 channels or more.
RCA can be used to pair your Soundbar to your TV if you don’t need hi-res audio.
Surround sound system is not available on TVs with 5-channel RCA outputs. Soundbars that only work with three channels or more can’t use surround sound because they don’t support optical, wireless, or HDMI connection.
You can overcome this issue and get better audio quality without upgrading your TV by using an AV RCA jacks to an HDMI port, such as the Mini RCA composite CVBS.
This device will allow you to access three or more channels without having to spend a lot of money to upgrade your TV. Unfortunately, older TVs can’t produce surround sound effects, so that you won’t receive the high-definition audio signal.
It’s still a great trick to instantly improve your sound settings, even without a modern digital connection.
Video
Connect with Coaxial Cable
It’s possible only to have coaxial cable if you have an older TV. This is because older TVs could only play cable programs. These cables simply plug directly into your TV from a cable provider. The TV then outputs audio and video.
Although some have called coaxial cable obsolete, you will still find many devices that use this type of connection. It’s a coaxial wire with a nut at one end and a piece of wire sticking out the other.
To connect your Soundbar to the TV using a coaxial cable, you need a VCR/DVD player. These devices are used to play videotapes or video discs. Although the process is not easy, it is your best and most likely the only option for TV’s audio settings up an audio plug with a coaxial wire.
This is done by connecting the coaxial cable to the VCR/DVD output and connecting the other cable’s other end to the TV’s input. The best RCA cables will be used to connect the VCR/DVD audio output to your Soundbar. This setup will serve only as a monitor and remove all features from your TV.
You have other options for coaxial cables. However, most of them don’t offer the same functionality and cost. You can, for example, find an adapter to convert coaxial cables to an HDMI port. However, it will require an external power source. This adds to an already complicated and cumbersome setup.
You can also upgrade an older TV with HDMI capability if you don’t mind spending money on an adapter or an external power source.
Cons of Coaxial Cable
Although it may seem a bit complicated to use a coaxial cable for connecting Soundbar to a tv, it is possible. It’s an older technology, so connecting devices to your TV and Soundbar will take more than your home theater soundbar.
It can be challenging to find an electronic store if you don’t have a VCR/DVD player in your home.
You’ll also have to limit the number of channels you can use with this audio connection.
You can use an AV RCA adapter to HDMI input to simply connect to a VCR/DVD player with a 5-channel connection. However, it can’t transmit high-definition audio signals.
Go Wireless
We are now moving on to the best alternative for HDMI or optical audio connection. You can upgrade your Soundbar by going wireless. This allows you to eliminate the wired connection and preserve the sound quality that your Soundbar produces.
This option is even more appealing because some wireless conversion kits work with aux or RCA cable, including my top picks. This means that you can use old TVs with auxiliary jacks or RCA cable and still have wireless capabilities.
Wireless conversion kits can provide reliable connections for all your devices without using adapters to convert audio how to connect old TV to new soundbar.
It will be much easier to install your new Soundbar because you won’t need to use different devices to connect it to a old TV. You need to connect the transmitter and receiver to your old TV. This will even be useful if you want to hide the cables!
Types of Wireless Speaker Connections
Wireless conversion kits can be used to connect a soundbar or TV to a wireless speaker. Before you begin searching for the best wireless speaker converters, you should familiarize yourself with what they are.
This will help you choose the suitable Soundbar for your setup and possibly bring out the best from your Soundbar without upgrading your TV.
These are the most popular wireless connections you can use to connect a soundbar and TV.
- Bluetooth(r), the most popular type of connection, is what you will find in speaker converter kits. The receiver and transmitter are connected using RCA, HDMI, optical cable. The transmitter will send audio signals via Bluetooth(r) to the receiver. It gives TVs Bluetooth(r). Even those that are only able to connect via RCA connections can get Bluetooth(r).
- Qualcomm(r) and aptX (TM) both use Bluetooth connection. However, Qualcomm developed the connection exclusively for high-resolution signals. Even if your TV cannot connect via RCA cables, you can still enjoy high-definition signals without affecting the sound quality.
- Wireless conversion kits can establish such a connection using Radio Frequency. To provide more excellent coverage, these devices usually use the 2.4Ghz frequency band. Some conversion kits use frequency hopping to reduce interference from other devices using the same frequency.
- WiFi is the most superficial connection you can use to give your television the wireless capability you desire. The transmitter will transmit the audio signals via the Internet. The receiver will then download the uncompressed audio signals to your speaker’s output. Although it can provide the best stereo quality possible for home theater, latency depends significantly on internet speed – the faster your internet connection, the better the audio quality.
All of these connections can be used if your TV supports RCA, auxiliary, optical, HDMI, or other connection types. However, this is not possible for TVs that only support coaxial cables.
The best choice for connecting a soundbar or Soundbar to a TV is a wireless conversion kit. It covers most TV connections we have today.
Pros and Cons of Wireless Connection
Although wireless is undoubtedly the best method to connect any device, it can be expensive. It is best to understand the pros and cons before you decide whether or not you need one. These are the benefits of speaker conversion kits.
A less cluttered media area is possible. You will still need to manage long and messy cables, even if you use digital optical connections or HDMI audio connections.
This is a significant disadvantage in an age where wireless connections are more common. Conversion kits can be used to replace the need to set up cables and keep them hidden.
More channels are available. As you may have noticed, all the connection options that we’ve discussed have one striking disadvantage–limited support for speakers with 3.0 or higher channels. Wireless connections can provide surround sound effects without having to go through all the complicated configurations.
This device offers all-in-one sound connections, except one–coaxial. You can use any of the following connections to go wireless: HDMI, optical cable, 3.5mm Jack, and RCA cable. You are most likely to establish wireless connections regardless of what options your TV supports.
Lossless audio transmission is available. It transmits audio signals via the airwaves, and there is little to no degradation in sound quality.
Wireless kits offer many benefits, but they are far from the ideal solution. If you plan to use it to connect your Soundbar to a TV, then you will need to be aware of the following:
Speaker conversion kits will cost you a little more. While you can find cheaper options, if you want to get maximum performance from your Soundbar and TV with minimal interference, then you might need to spend more.
You can’t get rid of all the cables. It is possible to reduce the number of cables you require, but they are still necessary to connect your TV to your transmitter and your Soundbar with the receiver.
There are many connection options available for wireless conversion kits, but none are perfect. Qualcomm(r) and aptX(to provide the reliable connection, but it has a limit on its range. You should use cables if you plan to connect them to large areas.
Some relevant posts:
- How To Connect Bose Soundbar To TV
- How To Control Soundbar With TV Remote?
- How To Connect Soundbar To Sceptre TV?
FAQs
How do I connect a soundbar directly to my TV?
- The HDMI cable is sold separately. Connect the other end to the HDMI IN port of your TV.
- Connect the other end of the TV-OUT ports (ARC) to your Soundbar.
- Connect an optical audio cable to the TV’s Optical Digital Audio output to OPTICAL IN on the Soundbar. This is essential to hear the TV audio.
Can I use a soundbar without HDMI ARC?
How do I connect TV to soundbar if no HDMI ARC? Connect an external device (without ARC) to your TV and Sound Bar using the HDMI cables (sold separately). Connect the external device to your Soundbar with an optical cable (sold separately). The HDMI connection is not necessary if you only want to connect to the TV.
Is it better to connect the soundbar with HDMI or Optical?
The main difference between HDMI and other audio formats is that HDMI can transmit higher-resolution audio. These formats cannot be transmitted over optical.
These formats cannot be transmitted over optical. HDMI is the best choice if you only need single cable that connects two devices.
Are soundbars compatible with all TVs?
Soundbars can be used with any TV regardless of whether it is new or older. You can also connect them with TVs using different technologies, such as optical cables, HDMI cables, and Wi-Fi.
What does AUX stand for on a soundbar?
Auxiliary audio. The unit has one digital optical jack and one analog (AUX-in jack), giving you two options to connect it with external devices. An auxiliary audio cable can connect the soundbar with an external device.
Conclusion
By this time, you should have had some idea about connecting the soundbar to the TV without HDMI.
There are various ways of connecting the soundbar to the TV. It just depends on what you prefer. We think that wireless is the best way to go for this article.
You can also consider buying these universal Bluetooth audio receivers and set them up in pairs with your soundbar and TVs so that they work seamlessly together and perform just like an existing wired system would do.
Hopefully, it will work well. However, if they do not work, please feel free to contact Hooke Audio for other options.
