Are you looking to upgrade the audio from your Vizio TV? Adding a Vizio soundbar is an excellent way to transform your TV viewing into a truly cinematic experience. The powerful speakers and surround sound capabilities of a Vizio sound bar system can make movies, sports, and music come alive with rich, dynamic sound.
However, connecting a soundbar properly to get the best audio quality can sometimes be confusing. How do you hook it up? What cables should you use? Does the connection method depend on your TV model? This comprehensive guide answers all those questions and walks you through the steps to seamlessly set up a Vizio soundbar with any TV.
Why Add a Soundbar to Your Vizio TV?
Before getting into the connections, let’s look at why you should upgrade your audio with a Vizio soundbar in the first place:
- Enhanced sound quality – Soundbars have dedicated speakers and components that vastly improve audio over your TV’s built-in speakers. You’ll hear deeper bass, clearer dialog, and more detail.
- Volume and power – Soundbars can get much louder than a TV’s speakers, filling a room with immersive sound.
- Surround sound – Many Vizio models support multi-channel surround sound for a cinematic experience.
- Better clarity – Dialog and action scenes sound sharper without the echo or tin-ness of TV speakers. Vocals are more distinct.
- Easy installation – Soundbars are compact and connect to your TV seamlessly. No need for a full-blown home theater setup.
Adding a Vizio soundbar elevates movies, sports, music, and gaming audio to new levels. But you need to connect it properly to maximize sound quality based on your TV’s capabilities.
What You’ll Need to Connect Your Vizio Soundbar
Before starting the physical connection process, make sure you have the right equipment:
- Vizio soundbar – Popular current models include the affordable V-Series 2.1 system, immersive M-Series 5.1 setup, or premium Elevate 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos model.
- Vizio TV – Compatible models include the entry-level V-Series, mid-range M-Series, high-end P-Series and OLED lines.
- HDMI cable – HDMI is the best way to connect for both audio and video. Use a high-speed HDMI cable.
- Optical/analog audio cable – You’ll only need these for older TVs without HDMI ARC support.
- TV remote – To change audio settings on your Vizio TV.
- Soundbar remote (optional) – Allows you to control soundbar settings.
With the right Vizio gear and cables in hand, connecting your soundbar to your TV is quick and easy. Now let’s look at the steps to hook it up based on your preferences and TV setup.
Connecting Via HDMI – The Optimal Method
Using an HDMI cable is the simplest, fastest and highest quality way to connect your Vizio soundbar to any TV with HDMI ports. Here are the steps:
- Turn off both your TV and the Vizio soundbar so there is no power flowing.
- Plug one end of the HDMI cable into the HDMI ARC or HDMI port on the back of the soundbar. This may be labeled “ARC” specifically.
- Then connect the other end of the HDMI cable to the HDMI ARC port on your TV. Make sure your TV’s port is the one labeled for ARC functionality.
- Turn on power to both your TV and the Vizio soundbar.
- In your TV settings menu, set the audio output to HDMI ARC so sound is transmitted to the soundbar.
- Play a video or audio from the TV and confirm you hear the sound coming from the soundbar’s speakers and subwoofer.
The advantage of using HDMI ARC is this single cable handles both crystal clear digital video signals and two-way transmission of digital audio between the TV and soundbar. No need for any other cables! ARC stands for Audio Return Channel.
Set the TV input correctly and it will automatically output sound to the Vizio soundbar when playing audio, providing a seamless cinematic experience.
Connecting Via Optical/Analog Audio Cables
If your Vizio TV is an older model without HDMI ARC capability, don’t worry. You can still easily connect your Vizio soundbar using either:
- Optical audio cable – Also called SPDIF or TOSLINK. Transmits digital audio signals as light through fiber optic lines.
- 3.5mm analog stereo cable – Also known as an auxiliary cable. Carries analog stereo audio. Red and white RCA cables also work.
Here are the steps to connect using the optical method:
- Turn off power on both the TV and Vizio soundbar first.
- Insert one end of the optical cable into the Optical OUT port on the back of the TV.
- Connect the other end into the Optical IN port on the back of the soundbar.
- Turn on both the TV and soundbar.
- In your TV’s Settings, select External Speakers for audio output.
- On the soundbar, switch input mode to Optical.
- Play audio from the TV and listen to confirm the optical connection transmits sound.
And here is how to hook up using the analog 3.5mm or RCA method:
- Ensure your TV and Vizio soundbar are both powered off.
- Connect either the 3.5mm or red/white RCA cable ends into the audio OUT port on the TV. This may be labeled Headphone, Line Out, Analog Out, etc.
- Plug the other end into the RCA, 3.5mm AUX, Analog, Audio IN, or similar port on the back of the soundbar.
- Turn on both the TV and soundbar power.
- In the TV’s audio settings, change sound output to Headphone, Analog, RCA, etc.
- On the soundbar, select the Analog input source.
- Test the analog audio connection by playing video or music with sound from the TV.
While not as advanced as HDMI, both optical and analog audio cables allow you to enjoy stereo or surround sound from your Vizio soundbar. The process is quick and easy.
Connect Vizio Soundbar to Your TV Wirelessly Via Bluetooth
Bluetooth pairing gives you the option to connect your Vizio soundbar and TV 100% wirelessly. Here are the steps:
- Ensure both your TV and soundbar have Bluetooth enabled and are discoverable. Check the user manuals if unsure.
- Initiate Bluetooth pairing mode on the soundbar so it shows up as an available device.
- On your TV’s Bluetooth settings, select the Vizio soundbar when it appears in the list of available devices.
- The soundbar may automatically switch the audio source to Bluetooth and set your TV as the paired device.
- Play audio from the TV to test the wireless Bluetooth connection.
Keep in mind Bluetooth audio can suffer from latency or lag between the video and audio. But the benefit is not having to connect any cables between the TV and soundbar for a clean aesthetic.
Troubleshooting Tips for Connecting Your Vizio Soundbar
If you are having issues getting audio from your Vizio TV to the soundbar, try these basic troubleshooting tips before consulting support:
- Ensure all cables are securely inserted into the correct ports on both devices. Loose connections can prevent signal transmission.
- Try connecting the HDMI or audio cables to different port combinations between the TV and soundbar.
- Toggle your TV’s audio settings between TV Speakers and External Speakers output.
- Update your Vizio TV and soundbar firmware to the latest versions in case it’s a software bug.
- Reset both the TV and soundbar back to factory default settings, then reconnect from scratch.
- Check the user manuals and guides for both your specific TV and soundbar models for technical specifications.
- Test the cables and connections with another audio/video source like a Blu-ray player.
- Power cycle the TV and soundbar by unplugging them from the electrical outlet for 30 seconds.
Following the connection steps closely and verifying the cables are inserted correctly tends to resolve most soundbar pairing issues. But don’t hesitate to contact Vizio support if you need additional troubleshooting assistance.
Enjoy Your Enhanced Home Theater with Vizio Soundbar Audio
Hooking up a Vizio soundbar to your TV is a breeze when you have the right gear and use the optimal connection method. HDMI ARC makes it truly seamless but optical and analog cables also work for older TVs.
Once connected properly, the difference you’ll hear compared to your TV’s built-in speakers is astounding. Dialog comes through clearly. Explosions and action scenes pack a punch. Music sounds richer and more dynamic. And bass adds power and depth you can feel.
With some easy cable connections, you can transform any content you watch into a mini home theater experience. Just be sure to enable the correct audio output settings on your TV to pass sound to the soundbar rather than the TV speakers.
Pairing your Vizio TV and soundbar wirelessly via Bluetooth is also an option if you want a clutter-free entertainment setup. Just be aware Bluetooth can sometimes lag the audio behind the video.
If you do run into issues getting your TV to recognize the soundbar, follow the tips above to quickly troubleshoot and resolve them. Proper setup will have you listening to everything in eye-popping, heart-thumping audio immersion.
Here are some final benefits you’ll enjoy by adding a Vizio soundbar to your home TV viewing:
- Movies become more cinematic with dramatic surround sound
- TV shows sound more pure and lifelike
- Sports are more exciting with the crowd noise booming
- Music is more moving with every note nuance flowing out
- Video games become more engrossing with sound effects popping
Vizio soundbars effortlessly boost weak TV speakers for serious sonic impact. Just grab some cables, make the connections, adjust the settings, and start enjoying TV, movies, and more like never before. Experience theater-style audio! Wondering how to turn on Vizio TV without remote? Upgrade now and enjoy immersive sound.
FAQ’s
How do I connect my Vizio soundbar to my TV without HDMI?
You will have to use your TV’s Bluetooth menu to pair it with your soundbar. Select your soundbar in your smart TV’s Bluetooth pairing menu. The Bluetooth pairing menu may slightly vary between different TVs, but you will usually only need to select your soundbar on your TV’s Bluetooth discovery list.
Can Vizio sound bar work with any TV?
As long as you have the corresponding connection from your tv/source (optical, HDMI, etc.), yes.
Why is there no sound on my Vizio soundbar?
If you don’t hear anything coming from your sound bar, make sure the sound bar is powered on and properly connected to your TV, stereo, or other device. If it’s set up properly, resetting the sound bar could fix the problem.
Rockies Ripple is the founder and lead writer behind the independent blog tvplutos.com