Why Is My Soundbar So Quiet

Why Is My Soundbar So Quiet

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How can a soundbar be made louder? When you buy a soundbar, you expect it to be louder and better than the sound from your TV. If you think the soundbar isn’t as loud as you thought it would be, you may need to change some settings or learn a few things. Users often need to do simple things like check the inputs, outputs, and cable to figure out why their sound bar is so quiet.

Try a different input or make sure the right one is selected. A soundbar is better than the TV speakers when it comes to sound quality. So, if you think your soundbar is too quiet or not loud enough, you need to find out what’s wrong.

Check to see if any of your devices are muted, turn up the volume, and enjoy the powerful sound from your soundbars.

Why is my soundbar so quiet: Reasons explained

Let us figure out the basic reasons of why a soundbar may sound poorer than expected.

Room size

The size of the room might make your soundbar sound quiet. A small soundbar in a large room will sound tinny. So based on your room size, choose the soundbar. For a large room a 7.1 channel soundbar is ideal. In this case you might have rear speakers along with a 5.1 channel soundbar.

Room Acoustics

Room acoustics is more important than we think it to be. It can directly affect audio quality and improving it will directly enhance the sound. Rugs, floor material, furniture and room layout need to be focused on if you want to improve the acoustics.

‘Right’ soundbar

You need to choose the appropriate soundbar based on your space. Soundbar with more number of channels will deliver powerful performance. Look for the number of channels the bar has. The specs will have them listed as x.y.z. Here, the x denotes the number of speakers, y means the number of woofer drivers. Not all soundbars have z drivers which denotes the number of up-firing drivers.

Up-firing drivers will produce overhead effects that makes movies more enjoyable and engaging. A 3.0 soundbar like the Sonos Beam has left, right and center channels or drivers but not any subwoofer. A 5.1 soundbar has 5 channels and 1 subwoofer. Smaller home theaters won’t need high end speakers with more number of speakers. On the other hand, if you only have a bar in a large theater space, higher no of speakers will be more powerful.

TV settings

In most cases, tweaking TV settings might improve the soundbar sound quality. Make sure the TV isn’t using the TV speakers as default. Choose the soundbar you just paired by entering the Audio Settings of the TV. Make sure the bar is connected to the right port. HDMI connectivity between bar and TV is known to produce improved sound.

Add speakers

In case you have checked everything discussed above, but still think the soundbar sounds low, try adding speakers. Independent rear speakers along with two subwoofer (instead of one) will make huge difference in the overall sound.

How to make soundbar loud?

Samsung soundbar

How to make Samsung soundbar louder? If you are experiencing Samsung soundbar volume problems, it might be due to several reasons.

  • Whether you have a soundbar or wireless speaker, try changing Digital Output Audio Format to PCM. Press on Home, then go to Settings> Sound > Expert Settings. Look if it has Dolby format, change it to PCM. PCM will improve the sound if you have stereo speakers.
  • Check whether the TV is still playing through its built-in speakers. If so, use the remote to go to Settings> Sound> Sound output. Choose the Samsung soundbar you connected from the list.
  • Lastly, if the Samsung soundbar low volume problem persists, try factory reset of both the bar and TV.

There are several Samsung soundbar troubleshooting no sound circumstances. The solution may vary depending on the setup.

  • While using soundbar to TV via HDMI ARC, make sure to insert HDMI cable into the HDMI out of the bar. Enable HDMI CEC on the TV. Select D. In as source on the bar and wait for it to automatically set to TV ARC.
  • In case devices are connected to the bar, makes sure to select the speakers on the TV. Check whether you select the right source (HDMI, D-IN, AUX, Bluetooth). Make sure the cables you are using are working properly.
  • If external devices are connected to the TV and play through the bar, switch on the device, and make sure to select the right source on the TV. Choose external speakers on your TV. Choose the ‘right’ source for the bar and make sure the cables are working.

So, as you see there could be several reasons as to ‘why is my Samsung soundbar so quiet’ problem. Instead of looking for a specific solution, you can try these steps for a general check.

  • Turn off devices, pull out cables, then reconnect again. Make sure the cables are inserted properly into right ports.
  • Set the correct source on the bar
  • Enable the source and ensure its working otherwise the bar won’t get any signal to play sound
  • Set TV to external speaker instead of default
  • Turn off devices, wait for 2 minutes for reset and turn them back again
  • Perform hard reset. Turn off soundbar, press and hold play/pause and wait for the display to show INIT OK. Turn on devices and see if it plays sound.

Is your Samsung soundbar suddenly quiet? Or does the soundbar keeps cutting out?

If the soundbar keeps cutting out, then it might be due to multiple reasons. It may face any Bluetooth interference, backdated device, bad cables, or simply because it requires a firmware update.

In case you have a soundbar connected to a wireless subwoofer and the audio keeps cutting out, it might be due to any physical barrier in between. Initial guidelines are to make sure the firmware is up-to-date, or simply resetting or reconnecting the devices. Make sure the subwoofer is within range. Disconnect and manually reconnect the bar.

How to fix very low dialogue but very loud sound effects Samsung soundbar?

If you are playing through a Samsung soundbar and has a Samsung TV, then it is suggested to select Amplify in the Sound mode. This will help to make dialogues louder and clearer.

LG soundbar:

If you are wondering, ‘why is my LG soundbar so quiet?’ and how to fix it, this section will help you.

  • LG has some of the best soundbars. The process is similar to that of Samsung where you need to set the digital output to PCM. You can also turn on and off the DRC option to see which one helps you to improve the sound.
  • If you want to make dialogues louder, then enable Auto Volume. This will try to deliver a consistent volume so that sudden loud noises do not surprise you or you do not have to frown to understand low-sound scenes. Use the Clear Voice option and disable the Smart Sound Mode on your LG TV.
  • Perform soft reset, turn off devices, wait for couple of minutes and then turn on all devices.
  • Make sure the soundbar has the latest firmware version. If not, upgrade the firmware.
  • Turn the TV volume to high level, switch on soundbar and adjust the soundbar volume with its remote. It is preferred not to use the TV remote. You can simply purchase a universal remote.
  • Make sure the source volume and soundbar volume is turned up.
  • Check whether you choose the right source in your bar.
  • In case the poor audio quality from LG soundbar persists, make sure there are any monitor or electronic device to interrupt with Bluetooth connectivity.
  • In other cases, the audio quality of the content might be poor instead of the bar.

How to fix ‘no sound from LG subwoofer’?

Here’s how to fix ‘no sound from LG subwoofer

  • Check the connection of the subwoofer and soundbar.
  • If it connects through Bluetooth, disconnect, then reconnect and try playing.

What should you do if LG soundbar volume fluctuates?

Make sure the soundbar is not suffering from Bluetooth interference. In case the problem isn’t with Bluetooth, make sure the soundbar software version is the latest.

If you have a case where ‘LG Soundbar No Sound HDMI’, then

  • Check the HDMI cables. Make sure it is working properly. If not, purchase a new one with HDMI certification.

In case of ‘LG Soundbar No Sound HDMI ARC’,

  • Make sure both bar and TV support ARC. Use high speed HDMI cable.
  • Enable HDMI ARC
  • Remove other device like gaming console or cable boxes.
  • Confirm that the bar has up-to-date software.

Bose soundbar

How to make Bose soundbar louder?

  • Check all the connections
  • Reset the devices
  • Make sure the audio source is working properly
  • If you are using Bluetooth device, turn the device volume 90-100%. Disable the EQ, then change and play different files. In case the soundbar sounds low for a specific app, go to the app settings to find out the issue.
  • In case the bar connects to the TV, turn off TV speakers, turn the volume of the TV to maximum. Use Bose to control the volume. Set the Audio output or TV speakers to Fixed or External speakers. Try changing the cables or audio source. You can also bypass the TV to figure out if there is any issue with the TV.
  • Use the phone and select General settings > Music settings > Volume limitier. Raise the level so that you can make the speaker louder with Bose Connect app.

Bose also recommends the following in order to make the soundbar louder.

  • Make sure to choose the ‘right’ soundbar with ample number of channels.
  • If possible, improve room acoustics
  • Check the TV and speaker settings
  • If the soundbar sounds tinny, include more speakers.

Yamaha soundbar

How to solve ‘Yamaha soundbar low volume’ problems?

  • Check the cables
  • Make sure TV audio output is set to Fixed instead of variable

Parting Word

When you buy a soundbar for your home theater, you expect the sound to be better. If your soundbar isn’t as loud as it usually is in that room, or if you often say things like “my TV is louder than my soundbar,” you may want to have a technician check it out. Changing the number of channels on a soundbar can have a big effect on the sound quality.

If you have a big room but only a small soundbar (with only 2.0 or 2.1 channels), you might want to add back speakers or a switching system. If you think something is wrong, check to see if the right input was chosen and the TV is set up to use the speakers that are connected to the system.

We tried to explain how to fix problems with three of the most popular soundbar brands—Bose, Samsung, and LG—but keep in mind that the details may be different for the one you have.

FAQ

This FAQ is here to solve some of your problems regarding these soundbar. let’s find out more!

Why wont Bose speaker be louder?

If you are trying but cannot, get your Bose speaker to be louder, check whether the software is up to date. Check whether the Bluetooth device causes this issue. You should also ensure the sound is not muted or at low volume.

Are soundbars loud enough?

Modern soundbars with angled drivers and advanced audio processing techniques can deliver powerful room filling sound. They can get quite loud, given that you have chosen the right one for your room size. Soundbar paired with a subwoofer will produce decent sound with ample amount of bass. They are the best space saving solution that you can get without compromising the sound quality.