Smart TVs & Bluetooth Speakers: 7 Answers (For Beginners)

If you want to enhance your viewing experience on your smart TV, getting external speakers is a great option. Bluetooth speakers are an especially good choice, as their wireless connectivity makes them very convenient. 

With the wide range of Bluetooth speakers available on the market, you may need some guidance.

This article will point you in the right direction!

Facts About Smart TVs and Bluetooth Speakers:

Modern smart TVs have the ability to connect to external audio devices, either by a cord or wirelessly, via Bluetooth. Bluetooth speakers allow you to connect a powerful sound system to your TV’s audio cordlessly.

1. Do All Smart TVs Work with Bluetooth Speakers?

All smart TVs with Bluetooth will work with Bluetooth speakers.

But not all smart TVs have Bluetooth connectivity. While Bluetooth is standard for almost all newer smart TVs, if you have an older smart TV, it may not have Bluetooth capability.

Note that if you have Bluetooth speakers you would like to connect to a smart TV that doesn’t have Bluetooth compatibility, you can most likely still connect them with an aux input cord.

2. How Do You Connect Bluetooth Speakers to a Smart TV?

In order to connect your Bluetooth speakers to your smart TV, follow these guidelines. These are general guidelines, and you should consult the manual of your speakers and your TV for more specific instructions if needed. 

• First of all, make sure your speakers are set to Bluetooth. (Bluetooth speakers also have an option for auxiliary input or USB input, so make sure your speakers are set to Bluetooth.)
• Once Bluetooth is active, go to your smart TV Settings.
• Look for Sound Settings or the Add Device option. (You should consult your smart TV’s manual at this step, as the steps for connecting Bluetooth will depend on your smart TV.)
• Once you see the list of devices connected to your smart TV, go to Add Device, and let your smart TV scan available devices. It will pick up the speakers.
• Select your Bluetooth speakers from the list, and your smart TV will pair with them.

3. What Are the Most Sold Bluetooth Speakers for Smart TVs?

There are quite a lot of Bluetooth speakers on the market today. If you are on the look-out for one, here are some recommendations.

Vizio SB3821-C6

Aside from smart TVs, Vizio also makes soundbars for your TV.

The SB3821-C6 a 38-inch 2.1 channel soundbar connects to your smart TV via Bluetooth and boasts 100 decibels of clear sound. It comes with Dolby Digital surround sound and DTS TruVolume, so you can get an ideal volume level at all times.

And since this soundbar is a 2.1 system, you also get a subwoofer, which is also wireless and can be set anywhere within 60 feet from the soundbar.

The SB3821-C6 also comes with a remote control, so you can also change tracks or adjust the volume level without getting up.

Yamaha YAS-209 Sound Bar

The Yamaha YAS-209 soundbar is another wireless speaker set that you can pair with your smart TV.

You can expect a cinema-like experience with the YAS-209 thanks to the DTS Virtual:X system. It also uses Clear Voice technology that optimizes voices so that you can hear dialogue clearly.

The YAS-209 comes with a wireless subwoofer that helps you tweak your sound experience.

Another strong point for this soundbar is that you can download its app and control the speakers through your smartphone.

To top it off, this soundbar has Alexa built-in. That means you can integrate your smart home setup with it.

Polk Audio Magnifi Mini Sound Bar

If space is a problem, you can consider the Polk Audio Magnifi Mini Sound Bar.

The Polk Mini performs on par with larger soundbars on the market while maintaining a length of around 12 inches. It has powerful drivers and SDA audio technology that makes it close to the quality of many larger, more expensive home theater sound systems.

This wireless speaker also comes with a wireless subwoofer that you can put anywhere in the room to help create a multi-dimensional sound experience.

The Polk Mini also comes with voice adjust technology that can isolate and tweak voice levels. This feature comes in handy for reducing delays and muffled sounds. It has modes that work for different content, such as sports, music, and movies.

JBL Boost TV Compact Bluetooth Sound Bar

If you want something compact but powerful, give the Boost TV by JBL a look.

The Boost TV Sound Bar measures only 15 inches long but is powerful enough to bring the sound quality JBL is known for.

This speaker can provide deep bass and virtual surround sound. There’s also Dolby Digital technology, so you get clear and accurate sound.

The Boost TV also has SoundShift technology that allows you to switch seamlessly between two sound sources. Setup is also easy and gets even better when you connect different JBL Connect-enabled speakers.

4. What Other Ways Can You Connect Speakers to Your Smart TV?

Besides Bluetooth, there are a few other ways you can connect speakers to your smart TV.

Aux Input

This is the most straightforward way of connecting external speakers to your smart TV.

You can connect the Line Out or Headphone output of your smart TV to your speakers’ Aux Input with an Aux cord.

The downside to this system is that you are limited to your speakers’ sound quality and might not enjoy any audio enhancements from the smart TV.

Wi-Fi

Some wireless speakers can connect to your smart TV via Wi-Fi.

For this to happen, you need to have your speakers and smart TV on the same Wi-Fi network. The steps to connect the two will depend on the manufacturer of the speakers.

The advantage of using Wi-Fi is that it supports hi-fi quality wireless streaming, which Bluetooth cannot do.

HDMI

Some smart TVs have HDMI outputs that let you connect your TV to a set of speakers.

Like Optical Digital Audio, the HDMI output lets you send high-quality audio to your speaker system.

Optical Digital Audio and HDMI have similar sound qualities, but HDMI has the edge of having more compatible audio formats, such as Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio, among others.

HDMI audio outputs are labeled as eARC or ARC. Note that both smart TV and speakers must have the same labels.

Optical Digital Audio Cable

Optical Digital Audio connections are used to send uncompressed PCM stereo audio, 5.1/7.1 Dolby Digital, and DTS multichannel audio.

This connection is often paired with a compatible amplifier or active speakers for a surround sound effect.

If your smart TV does not support HDMI audio output, Optical Digital Audio is a good alternative.

The plug for Optical Digital Audio is denoted as a square with a pole in the middle, like an RCA plug.

5. My Bluetooth Speakers Are Not Playing Sounds from the Smart TV.

If your Bluetooth speakers aren’t playing audio from the smart TV, first make sure the speakers are paired to the TV.

If they are paired, check your Sound settings and make sure your Bluetooth speakers are selected as the audio output.

6. My Bluetooth Speakers Are Not Synchronized with the Smart TV.

Here are some reasons why video and audio are not synchronized.

• For programs on cable, satellite, or free broadcast, there may be some issues with your set-top box affecting your Bluetooth speakers.
• For optical media, such as Blu-ray or flash drives, it may be the video itself or the connection between the media and the TV that is causing the issue.
• For home theater setups, you may have to calibrate your audio settings on screen.

Calibrating audio settings may also work with other forms of content. Please refer to the manual of your smart TV on how to do this.

Another fix you can consider is updating the firmware of your smart TV.

7. Do All Smart TVs Have Bluetooth?

Not all smart TVs have Bluetooth, especially older models. 

If your smart TV does not have Bluetooth, there are third-party Bluetooth adapters that give your smart TV Bluetooth connectivity. Most Bluetooth speakers also have other inputs, such as Aux-In, so you can still connect your speakers to your smart TV, even without Bluetooth.

For more information on this topic, check out our article Smart TVs & Bluetooth: 14 Answers For Beginners. 

 

Sources:

Do Smart TVs Have Bluetooth? (Read This Before Buying!)

Top 10 Best Wireless TV Speakers You Should Buy In 2020 Reviews & Buying Guide

Optical Digital Audio – Cable and Connection Explained

HDMI ARC and eARC: Audio Return Channel for beginners