How to connect speakers or a soundbar

Connect desktop speakers to a computer, or a soundbar to a TV or computer. Learn which cable to choose, how to set it up, and how to check that the sound comes out of the right place.

What you need

First find out what sockets your equipment has. Look at the back or underside of the TV, computer and speakers. The socket names are printed beside them. Then pick the connection that both ends share.

Connect a soundbar to a TV

1. Turn off the TV and the soundbar, and unplug them from power if you are reaching behind them.
2. On the TV, find the HDMI socket labeled ARC or eARC. On the soundbar, find the HDMI socket for the TV, often labeled HDMI OUT (TV ARC) or similar.
3. Plug one HDMI cable into both sockets. Push each end in until it stops.
4. If you have no ARC socket, use an optical cable instead. Plug one end into the TV's Optical or Digital audio out socket and the other into the soundbar's Optical input. The plug fits only one way, and some have a small cap to remove first.
5. Plug in and turn on both devices.
6. On the soundbar, choose the matching input with its remote. Choose ARC or TV for HDMI, or Optical for the optical cable.
7. In the TV's settings, find the sound or audio output setting and select the soundbar (it may be called HDMI ARC, Optical or External speaker). Turn on the HDMI control feature, usually called CEC, which lets one remote control the volume. The name and place of these menus differ by maker, so check your TV's manual.

Play a program. The sound should now come from the soundbar and the TV's own speakers should go quiet. Other devices, such as a console or Blu-ray player, can stay plugged into the TV's other HDMI sockets.

Connect speakers or a soundbar to a computer

With a 3.5 mm cable

1. Plug the speaker cable into the computer's speaker or headphone socket. On a desktop this is often green. Laptops have one headphone socket.
2. Plug in the speakers' power cable and turn them on. Turn their volume dial to about halfway.

With USB

1. Plug the USB cable into a USB port on the computer.
2. Wait a few seconds. Windows or macOS installs the sound device by itself.

Choose the speakers in your computer's settings

A computer can have several sound outputs, so tell it which one to use.

1. On Windows 11 or Windows 10, open Settings then System then Sound. On Windows 11, select your speakers in the list under Output. On Windows 10, use the drop-down box under Choose your output device. If your computer is also connected to a TV or monitor, make sure you pick the speakers, not the screen.
2. On a Mac running macOS Ventura or later, open System Settings then Sound and select the Output tab. On earlier versions, open System Preferences and choose Sound. Select your speakers in the list.

With Bluetooth

Put the speaker in pairing mode, then add it from your computer or phone. The steps are in how to pair Bluetooth on Windows. If you want to know how pairing works, read how Bluetooth pairing works. A wired link is the better choice when sound and picture must stay in step, for example with a video call or film, because wireless connections can add a small delay.

Check that it worked

• Play a video or song at a low volume. Raise it slowly.
• Check that both left and right sides play. If not, push the plugs in again.
• If the sound is out of step with the picture on a TV, look for an audio delay or lip-sync setting in the TV or soundbar menu. Newer eARC connections can correct this automatically.

If something goes wrong

• No sound from a soundbar on HDMI: confirm both cables are in ARC-labeled sockets, HDMI control (CEC) is turned on, and the soundbar is set to the ARC input. Very long HDMI cables can lose the signal, so use a shorter one to test.
• No sound on a computer: see no sound on Windows.
• Hiss or hum: move the audio cable away from power cables, and try another socket.
• Bluetooth will not connect: see Bluetooth won't pair or connect.
• For picture cables and adapters, see HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA and USB-C explained.

Frequently asked questions