How To Connect A Soundbar To Lg Tv

Connect a soundbar to an LG TV with HDMI ARC/eARC, optical, or Bluetooth, then set Sound Out to match the cable you used.

If your LG TV speakers sound thin, a soundbar is the fastest upgrade you can make without moving furniture around. The good news is that LG sets make this easy once you pick the right connection method and flip the one setting that matters.

This guide walks you through three reliable ways to connect a soundbar to an LG TV, plus the settings that keep volume control and lip sync behaving. You’ll get clean, step-by-step menus, a quick connection chart, and fixes for the common “no sound” moments.

Pick The Connection Type That Fits Your Gear

Before you plug anything in, check the ports on the back of your TV and soundbar. Most LG TVs have at least one HDMI port labeled ARC or eARC, an optical digital audio port, and Bluetooth. Your soundbar may have all three, or only one.

Connection	Best When You Want	What You Need
HDMI ARC or eARC	One remote for volume and the widest audio format match	One HDMI cable and the ARC or eARC ports on both devices
Optical Digital	Simple, stable sound when ARC is picky	One optical cable and an optical out port on the TV
Bluetooth	No cable across the cabinet	Bluetooth on both devices and a short pairing session
Wi-Fi Soundbar Link	Wireless setup with a paired LG soundbar feature	Compatible LG TV and soundbar plus your home Wi-Fi

If your soundbar works with HDMI ARC or eARC, start there. ARC is the clean “one cable” route. eARC is the newer form that carries higher-bandwidth audio on compatible TVs and bars, explained on the official HDMI eARC page.

Connecting A Soundbar To An LG TV With HDMI ARC Or eARC

HDMI ARC and eARC let your TV send audio back down the same HDMI cable that usually carries video up to the TV. This is the setup that most often gives you TV remote volume control and fewer settings to babysit.

What To Check Before You Plug In

Find The ARC Port — Look for an HDMI jack on the TV labeled ARC or eARC; that label matters more than the HDMI number.
Use A Decent HDMI Cable — Any High Speed HDMI cable works for ARC; eARC is happiest with an Ultra High Speed cable if you’re sending higher audio formats.
Set The Soundbar Input — Many bars need their input switched to HDMI ARC or TV before they’ll play anything.

Step By Step HDMI ARC Setup

Power Off Both Devices — Turn off the TV and the soundbar so HDMI handshakes start clean.
Connect The HDMI Cable — Plug one end into the TV’s HDMI ARC or eARC port and the other into the soundbar port marked HDMI OUT (ARC/eARC).
Turn On The Soundbar First — Then turn on the TV; this order often helps the TV spot the bar.
Open Sound Output Settings — On the LG remote, press Settings, then choose All Settings if you see a quick panel.
Select Sound Out — Go to Sound, then Sound Out, then pick the HDMI ARC device option.
Confirm The Soundbar Mode — If the bar shows “ARC,” “TV,” or “eARC,” you’re on the right input.

Two Settings That Fix Most ARC Headaches

When ARC connects but audio keeps dropping, these two toggles do the heavy lifting on many LG sets.

Turn On SIMPLINK — In Settings, open General, then Devices, then HDMI Settings, and switch SIMPLINK (HDMI-CEC) on so the TV can control the bar.
Set Digital Sound Output — In Sound settings, switch Digital Sound Output to Pass Through when available, or try Auto if your bar plays no audio.

SIMPLINK is LG’s name for HDMI-CEC. If you want the TV remote to handle volume and power, CEC needs to be on. LG documents SIMPLINK behavior in its own TV manual section on SIMPLINK.

When eARC Should Be Turned On

If your TV and bar both show eARC, enable it. You’ll usually find an eARC toggle inside Sound settings on newer LG models. If you don’t see it, your TV may be ARC-only, or the TV may hide the option until it detects an eARC device.

Use eARC For Dolby Atmos — Atmos streams can run on ARC in some setups, yet eARC has more headroom and fewer format limits.
Keep ARC For Older Bars — If your soundbar doesn’t list eARC, leave eARC off and stick to standard ARC.

Connect An LG TV To A Soundbar With An Optical Cable

Optical digital audio is old-school in a good way. It’s stable, it doesn’t care about CEC quirks, and it works even when your TV’s HDMI ARC port is already busy.

Optical Setup Steps

Remove The Dust Caps — Optical cables ship with tiny plastic tips on the ends; pull them off before you insert the cable.
Plug Optical Into The TV — Connect to the TV port labeled Optical Digital Audio Out or just Optical Out.
Plug Optical Into The Soundbar — Use the soundbar port labeled Optical, Digital In, or SPDIF.
Switch The Soundbar To Optical — Use the Input or Function button until the bar shows OPT or Optical.
Change Sound Out On The TV — On the LG TV, open All Settings, go to Sound, then Sound Out, then choose Optical.
Set Digital Sound Output — Pick Auto first; switch to PCM if you get silence on some apps.

What You Gain And What You Give Up With Optical

Gain Stability — Optical almost never drops audio once it’s set.
Lose One-Remote Control — Some soundbars still let the TV remote adjust volume via IR learning, yet HDMI-CEC control is not part of optical.
Lose Some Formats — Optical won’t carry certain high-bandwidth formats that eARC can handle.

Pair A Soundbar To An LG TV Over Bluetooth

Bluetooth is the cleanest look. It also adds latency on some setups, so it’s better for casual TV watching than for rhythm games or fast dialogue scenes.

Bluetooth Pairing Steps

Put The Soundbar In Pairing Mode — Press the Bluetooth or Pair button until the display flashes BT or Pair.
Open The TV Sound Out Menu — On the LG TV, open Settings, then Sound, then Sound Out.
Select Bluetooth Device — Choose Bluetooth, then pick your soundbar name from the list.
Confirm The Connection — The TV should show Connected and the soundbar should stop blinking.
Test Volume From The Remote — If volume doesn’t move, raise volume on the bar first, then try the TV remote again.

Bluetooth Settings That Make It Feel Less Laggy

Turn Off TV Speaker Plus Mode — If your model offers mixed output, keep it on the soundbar only to reduce echo.
Use The TV Lip Sync Setting — In Sound settings, open AV Sync Adjustment and nudge it until voices match lips.

Wi-Fi Link Options For Newer LG TV And Soundbar Pairs

Some LG soundbars can link to LG TVs through Wi-Fi features that go beyond plain Bluetooth. If you see options like LG Sound Sync (Wireless), WOW Orchestra, or a Wi-Fi pairing flow in the TV menu, your devices may have a branded link mode.

How To Tell If Your Gear Has A Wi-Fi Link

Check The TV Sound Out List — If you see Wi-Fi Speaker, LG Sound Sync (Wireless), or WOW Orchestra, your TV offers a wireless route.
Check The Soundbar App — Many bars use an app for Wi-Fi setup; if the bar has a Wi-Fi icon on the display, it’s a good sign.
Confirm Both On The Same Network — Wi-Fi pairing usually needs the TV and bar on the same router band.

Wi-Fi Setup That Usually Works

Connect The TV To Wi-Fi — Verify the TV is online and signed into your home network.
Connect The Soundbar To Wi-Fi — Use the bar’s app or its on-device Wi-Fi setup steps.
Choose The Wi-Fi Sound Out Option — In Sound Out, pick the Wi-Fi speaker entry that matches your soundbar.
Confirm Playback In A Streaming App — Start a movie or show and listen for clean dialogue before you tweak anything else.

Fix No Sound And Other Annoying Connection Problems

Most “it was working yesterday” issues come from a changed input, a toggled CEC setting, or a cable that got nudged. Run these checks in order and you’ll usually get audio back without resetting anything.

TV Plays Through Its Own Speakers Instead Of The Soundbar

Recheck Sound Out — In Sound settings, set Sound Out back to HDMI ARC, Optical, or Bluetooth to match your setup.
Restart Both Devices — Power off the TV and soundbar, unplug them for 30 seconds, then power the soundbar first.
Verify The Soundbar Input — Use the bar’s Input button until it lands on ARC, OPT, or BT.

ARC Is Selected But You Still Hear Silence

Move The HDMI Cable To The Labeled Port — Only the ARC or eARC port returns TV audio; a random HDMI port won’t.
Turn On SIMPLINK Again — Some firmware updates flip CEC off; switch SIMPLINK back on.
Switch Digital Sound Output — Try Pass Through, then Auto, then PCM until you get sound.
Disable TV Speaker — If you see a “TV Speaker +” mode, set output to the soundbar only to avoid conflicts.

Sound Cuts Out Or Pops Each Few Minutes

Swap The HDMI Cable — A marginal cable can pass video yet drop ARC audio.
Turn Off Quick Start — Some LG models have Quick Start+; turning it off can steady HDMI handshakes.
Try Optical As A Test — If optical stays solid, the issue is usually ARC handshaking, not the soundbar amp.

Voices Don’t Match Lips

Use AV Sync Adjustment — In Sound settings, adjust lip sync until dialogue lines up.
Turn Off Extra Processing — If your bar has a “surround” or “3D” mode, switch to a standard mode while you tune sync.
Prefer HDMI Over Bluetooth — Bluetooth adds delay on many setups; HDMI usually stays tighter.

TV Remote Won’t Control Soundbar Volume

Enable SIMPLINK — HDMI-CEC must be on for the TV remote to control the bar over HDMI.
Confirm ARC Input On The Bar — Remote control often fails when the bar is on the wrong input.
Try An IR Setup — Many soundbars can learn IR volume commands if you’re using optical and want one-remote volume.

Dial In The Best Audio From Your LG TV

Once sound is coming through the bar, a few quick settings can clean up dialogue and keep streaming apps from outputting the wrong format.

Match The TV Output Format To The Soundbar

If you hear audio on some apps and silence on others, the TV may be sending a format your bar won’t decode. A small tweak in the TV’s digital output setting usually fixes it.

Start With Auto — Auto works with many soundbars and keeps surround sound when available.
Use PCM For Compatibility — PCM is the safest option when an older soundbar keeps going silent.
Use Pass Through When Available — Pass Through sends the original audio to the bar, which can help with higher formats on eARC setups.

Turn Off TV Speaker Effects When Using A Soundbar

Disable Virtual Surround — Let the soundbar do the heavy lifting; the TV’s processing can smear voices.
Set Sound Mode To Standard — Start with a neutral TV sound mode so you can judge what the soundbar is doing.

Use The Right Port When You Have Consoles Or A Streaming Box

If your soundbar has HDMI IN ports, you can route a console into the bar and pass video to the TV. If it doesn’t, plug your devices into the TV and let ARC return the audio to the bar.

Plug Sources Into The TV — This keeps switching simple and lets ARC carry audio back to the bar.
Use The Soundbar HDMI IN — This can reduce audio delay on some bars and may allow extra formats, depending on your model.

Quick Checklist Before You Close The Cabinet

Run this last pass and you’ll save yourself a second round of crawling behind the TV next week.

Label The Connected Ports — A tiny piece of tape on the TV’s ARC HDMI port saves time when someone unplugs a cable.
Lock In Sound Out — Verify the TV still shows HDMI ARC, Optical, or Bluetooth as the active output.
Confirm Volume Works — Raise and lower volume with the LG remote and the soundbar remote.
Test A Streaming App — Play a movie scene with dialogue to confirm sync and clarity.
Keep A Spare Cable — A backup HDMI or optical cable is cheap insurance when a connector starts acting up.

After these checks, your LG TV should route audio to the soundbar each time you power on, with stable volume control and fewer surprise setting flips.