You may have been asking this question to yourself for quite a long time. How do I connect external speakers to my TV without audio output? Or, How to connect external speakers to TV with speaker wire? I have struggled with this matter and carried out thorough research to look out for the solution.
If you are a movie buff or a sports franking person, you’ll be facing this problem at least once in your lifetime. TV speakers are never enough to satisfy your need for rich audio quality and theatre-like experience.
So, most of the users around the world opt for external speakers. In recent times LED TVs do not come with an inbuilt audio output. I’m here to assist you with details of how you connect your external speakers to your TV in no time.
To find out the solution you must keep reading the article “How to connect external speakers to TV with speaker wire?”
Knowing your device
Before jumping into the process, you must know your device. It will be helpful if you read the manual beforehand. Rarely people grasp the idea just by reading the manual. However, it is not the case every time.
Modern LED TVs might come with great picture quality and resolution but lack in the area of sound. So, your TV might have a USB port or an HDMI (ARC) port built in it which you’ll learn about if you check the manual.
There are several ways to connect your TV with an external speaker system that doesn’t have an audio output.
RCA Output:
Many people are familiar with the use of RCA cables to connect speakers to televisions. RCA cables are often used to connect audio and video components of different devices, including televisions. It is important to get the ports precisely and connect them to the television.
RCA input is one of the most accessible ways to connect your speakers to your TV. If you are using general 2.1 speakers then it is usable. But if you have a surround speaker, it’ll only support the stereo sound.
RCA cables are usually two-port having left (White) and right (Red) channel. The cables go from red to white ports connecting the speaker or the subwoofer in the case of 2.1 speakers to connecting the back of your TV.
Optical Cables:
Optical cables are thin sets of wire which will help you to connect your sound system with your TV. It works just fine and it’s also easily manageable. If your TV has an optical output, you’ll have to connect one end of the optical cable with the TV and another end to your sound system. This is will do the work.
Optical cables are more discrete and less complicated than RCA cable input. RCA cables are mostly replaced by optical cables because it keeps the sound quality much better than RCA cables. Optical cables do not distort the sound quality.
Toslink is a kind of optical cable. It transmits the digital audio signals into equipment. This delivers the clearest audio to the audiences even at the maximum sound range. It does not alter any sound.
3.5 mm Analogue Connector:
If your TV doesn’t have an RCA output, it must have a 3.5 mm output port. It is also a cheaper way to lean on. The speaker cables can be easily connected to your TV. For this, you’ll need a 3.5mm audio jack connected at the back of our TV and an RCA output jack at the end of your speaker.
If your speaker lacks an RCA connector you will have to use a 3.55mm to 3.55mm cable. An optical cable is optimal for basic 2.1 stereo speakers and not for surround speakers.
HDMI (ARC) Cable:
The least known and used feature of HDMI is ARC or Audio Return Channel. This feature helps to simplify your system and it will be compatible with your TV anytime. To connect your external speaker to your TV both devices must have ARC inputs. HDMI ARC feature gives you an experience of rich sound without any quality loss.
This will connect your external speaker directly to your TV without needing any cable cutter. Conveying sound without creating a mess can be easily achieved through HDMI ARC cables.
In case the cable doesn’t work, you’ll need to tweak your TV settings and turn off the in-built speaker of your TV, and enabling the option for the external speaker.
Also, if you have apple tv, then you can check out this HDMI cable to have a blast with your apple tv.
Sound Bar:
Soundbars have multiple inputs. Most soundbars have HDMI, RCA, HDMI ARC, Optical ports. Soundbars have a built-in amplifier that works well with the TV without any receiver. Soundbars are placed just below the television and need a small wire for their connection. However, if you want to connect some extra speakers to your soundbar, then you can check it out.
HDMI Cable via Receiver:
HDMI cables can be connected through a receiver namely a switcher box. Surely every TV has an HDMI port within it. Many old models also have them. But what if your speakers don’t have HDMI inputs? For speakers who only have RCA input, there is a solution.
You will have to use an HDMI switcher box to convey your sound to your speaker. You need to connect the RCA output and connect on one end of the speaker and connect the other end to the TV.
Now when we discuss connecting external speakers to our TV, we have another prominent question in mind. And that is, how to connect speakers with a TV with speaker wires? I’m here to help you with this query.
You can check these Yamaha Receivers also.
How to connect speakers to our TV?
The matter is that some of us want to know whether we can connect our speaker wires directly to our TV without owing any receiver or set-top box. You must know some technicalities before attempting to connect the wires with your TV.
It wouldn’t be a good idea if you burst to open your TV up and try to connect the wires internally. With that being said let’s see how we can connect speaker wires directly to our TV.
Plus, if you want to connect several Bluetooth speakers, then you can check it out too.
Speaker Terminals:
There are numerous ways to connect speaker wires to TV. You’ll need an audio cable with or without fitting. The terminals in speakers are usually color-coded. To get a productive outcome, you must keep in mind that the terminals are connected just about right.
The terminal of a typical speaker is red for the positive terminal and black for the negative terminal. Most of the standard speaker comes with terminals. It is easy to connect speaker terminals to TV. if you want to purchase your speaker cable, then you need to know how to choose them.
Speaker Wires and Connectors:
Speaker wires are not as easy as terminals to connect with a TV. Speakers do not have any color-codes in it. These are mostly single stripe wires. You must look for colors in the wires. And if the wires are transparent, you’ll see positive and negative indication somewhere. The speaker wires need to be proof checked before using it on TV.
Since there could be a problem with the exchange or positive and negative wire. Speaker wires come as an intact wire with no ends. So, you must take a wire stripper or anti cutter and strip open the wires to expose the positive and negative end. It is good to twist the wires and form a lean shape of it so that the wires do not fuss around.
Also twisting cable will help you at the time of inserting the wire to a spring clip or binding post. That way it will be easier to work with the wires. Speaker wire connectors are used to cap the bare wires which will be helpful at the time of plugging in or out.
Speaker wire connectors are in the top tier among streaming audio cable for maintaining solid connection and a high-quality signal. Choosing the right speaker connector plays an important role in this. Generally, 3 types of connectors are seen. They are,
Banana Plugs: Banana plugs are usually used with a binding post. When banana plugs are connected to a binding post it directly enters the connector hole.
Spade Connectors: Spade connectors are also designed for binding posts. These are generally u-shaped connectors. The only difference of spade connectors from the banana plug is that it maintains a certain position after the screw has been tightened down.
Pin Connectors: Pin connectors are used only with spring clips. It is very easy to insert and can also work with binding posts sometimes.
These connectors are used according to the length of the wires and the type of stereo system. However, they are easy to connect. Before connecting to a receiver or amplifier, the positive terminal needs to be connected with a positive terminal and the same for the negative terminal.
Take a peek at speaker amp buying guide.
In order to get high definition sound quality, the terminals need to be connected properly. Since, if you have an incorrect speaker phase, you’ll face sound problems. This is the most common type of problem people face during setting up stereo speaker wires.
Final thought: How to connect external speakers to TV with speaker wire?
I believe if you follow the article properly, you’ll know which way would be the best for you. But in the case of connecting external speakers, HDMI ARC or optical cable is more suitable. Then again, I’m here to assist you and the final decision is yours. Now you know what to do and what not to.
If you consider these steps while you are connecting your external speaker to your TV or connecting speaker wires to your TV, you can solve all your problems. You can enjoy a rich sound and have a theatre-like experience from the comfort of your own home in no time.
Student and Tech Journalist. Read More…
