The fastest way to connect a Samsung soundbar
Most Samsung soundbars connect to your TV through a single HDMI cable plugged into the HDMI port labeled ARC or eARC on the back of your TV. This one cable carries both the picture signal and the sound, so your TV sends audio to the soundbar automatically once you plug it in. You do not need to pair them wirelessly or change any settings on the TV itself — the connection works immediately.
If your TV does not have an ARC port, or if you prefer not to use HDMI, you can connect the soundbar with an optical cable instead. This takes slightly longer to set up because you have to tell the soundbar to listen for the optical signal, but the process is still straightforward and takes less than a minute once you have the cable in place.
The method you choose depends on what ports your TV has and what cables came in the soundbar box. Both work equally well once connected.
Key Takeaways
- HDMI ARC is the simplest connection method — plug one cable into the matching port on both devices and sound flows automatically.
- If your TV lacks an ARC port, an optical cable is the next best option and requires you to switch the soundbar's input mode to optical.
- Bluetooth can work for music streaming but does not reliably carry TV audio, so use it only as a backup method.
- After connecting, test the sound by turning up the TV volume — if you hear audio from the soundbar instead of the TV speakers, the connection is working.
- If sound still comes from the TV, check that HDMI-CEC is turned on in your TV settings, or manually select the soundbar as the audio output device.
Connecting with HDMI ARC — the easiest method
Look at the back of your TV and find the HDMI port labeled ARC or eARC. This port looks identical to a regular HDMI port but handles both video and audio in both directions. If you see multiple HDMI ports, ARC is usually the highest-numbered one, often HDMI 3 or HDMI 4. Check your TV manual if you cannot find it — the label is small and easy to miss.
Take the HDMI cable that came with your Samsung soundbar and plug one end into the ARC port on your TV. Plug the other end into the HDMI port on the back of the soundbar. The soundbar should power on automatically, and you should see a light turn on at the front. Turn on your TV and play some audio — a show, a movie, or music from a streaming app. The sound should come from the soundbar, not from the TV speakers.
If sound still comes from the TV, your TV may have HDMI-CEC turned off. This is a setting that lets the TV and soundbar communicate. Go into your TV settings, find the option called HDMI-CEC, Anynet+, or Simplink (the name varies by brand), and turn it on. Then try playing audio again. If you still hear sound from the TV, manually select the soundbar as the audio output in your TV settings — look for a menu called Sound, Audio Output, or Speaker Selection.
Connecting with an optical cable — if your TV has no ARC port
An optical cable is a thin, square connector that carries audio signals. If your TV has an optical port (usually labeled S/PDIF or Optical Out), this method works well. Plug one end of the optical cable into the optical port on the back of your TV. Plug the other end into the optical port on the back of the soundbar.
Now you need to tell the soundbar to listen for audio on the optical input. Press the Source or Input button on the soundbar remote or on the soundbar itself. Cycle through the input options until you see Optical, D.IN, or Aux selected. The soundbar should display which input is active on its front panel. Leave it on Optical.
Turn on your TV and play audio. The sound should now come from the soundbar. If it does not, check that your TV is actually sending audio to the optical port — some TVs require you to go into Sound settings and select Optical as the audio output. Once you have done this, the connection is complete and will work every time you turn on the TV.
Using Bluetooth if you have no other cables
Bluetooth is wireless and convenient for playing music from your phone, but it is not reliable for TV audio because the connection can drop or lag. Use Bluetooth only if you have no HDMI ARC port and no optical cable available.
Press and hold the Bluetooth button on your Samsung soundbar remote until the soundbar enters pairing mode — you will see a Bluetooth symbol flash on the front panel. On your TV remote, go to Settings, then Sound or Audio, then Bluetooth, and look for your soundbar in the list of available devices. Select it and confirm the pairing. The soundbar should now show a steady Bluetooth symbol.
Test the connection by playing audio from your TV. If the sound cuts out or lags, switch back to HDMI or optical as soon as you can — Bluetooth is not designed to handle continuous TV audio and will frustrate you over time.
Troubleshooting when sound does not come through
If you have plugged in the cable but hear nothing from the soundbar, start by checking the volume. Press the volume up button on the soundbar remote. If the volume bar appears on the soundbar display and the number increases, the soundbar is receiving power and is ready to play audio — the problem is that your TV is not sending sound to it.
Go into your TV settings and look for Sound, Audio, or Speaker options. Check that the audio output is set to HDMI, Optical, or Bluetooth — whichever method you used to connect. If the TV is set to Internal Speaker or TV Speaker, it will play audio through the TV itself and ignore the soundbar. Change this setting to External Speaker or the name of your soundbar, and test again.
If you used HDMI ARC and the TV still will not send audio, turn off the soundbar completely, unplug it for 30 seconds, and plug it back in. This resets the connection. While it powers back on, go into your TV settings and turn HDMI-CEC off, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. This forces the TV to re-recognize the soundbar. Once both devices are on, test the audio again.
Controlling soundbar volume from your TV remote
When you connect via HDMI ARC with HDMI-CEC turned on, your TV remote should control the soundbar volume automatically. Press the volume buttons on your TV remote and watch the soundbar display — the volume number should change. If it does not, HDMI-CEC is off or not working properly.
Go into your TV settings, find HDMI-CEC (it may be called Anynet+, Simplink, or Bravia Sync depending on your TV brand), and make sure it is turned on. If it is already on, turn it off, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. This resets the connection between the devices. Test the volume buttons again.
If you connected via optical cable, your TV remote will not control the soundbar volume — you will need to use the soundbar remote instead. This is a limitation of the optical connection method, not a problem with your setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to download an app to connect my soundbar to my TV?
No. HDMI ARC and optical connections work without any app or software. The soundbar and TV communicate through the cable alone. You only need the SmartThings app if you want to control the soundbar from your phone or adjust advanced settings like bass and treble, but this is optional.
Can I use the soundbar with multiple TVs?
Yes, but you will need to physically move the cable or switch the input on the soundbar. If you want to use the soundbar with a second TV in another room, you can buy a second HDMI or optical cable and connect it to that TV. The soundbar will only play audio from whichever TV is currently plugged in.
Why does my soundbar keep disconnecting from the TV?
If you are using Bluetooth, interference from other wireless devices or distance from the TV can cause drops. Switch to HDMI ARC or optical for a stable connection. If you are using HDMI ARC and it keeps disconnecting, try a different HDMI cable — the original cable may be damaged. Also check that HDMI-CEC is on in your TV settings.
What if my TV does not have HDMI ARC or an optical port?
Older TVs sometimes lack both ports. In this case, Bluetooth is your only wireless option, though it is less reliable. Alternatively, you can buy an HDMI to optical converter, which plugs into any HDMI port and converts the signal to optical. These are inexpensive and available online.
Should I leave the soundbar on all the time?
Most Samsung soundbars have an auto-off feature that puts them into standby mode when they detect no audio for several minutes. You can leave the soundbar plugged in — it uses very little power in standby. Turning it off manually is fine too, but you do not need to unplug it.