Running audio from my TV to my amplifier

[Martini Profe]

Can anybody help me, please? I don’t know how to run the audio from my TV to my amplifier. I have read the manual but find it complex. I have connected an digital optical cable from the TV to one of the optical inputs of my Pioneer VSX 609rds amplifier but the amplifier doesn’t receive any sound. I have tried searching for the sound through the different channels (aux, CD, DVR, etc.) On the TV in “sound” I have selected the audio to audio out optical. My TV is a Samsung Series 7.
If I use a DVD player I can receive audio from that but that is with a Coaxial cable from the DVD player into the amplifier.

 

[tmtomh]

Can anybody help me, please? I don’t know how to run the audio from my TV to my amplifier. I have read the manual but find it complex. I have connected an digital optical cable from the TV to one of the optical inputs of my Pioneer VSX 609rds amplifier but the amplifier doesn’t receive any sound. I have tried searching for the sound through the different channels (aux, CD, DVR, etc.) On the TV in “sound” I have selected the audio to audio out optical. My TV is a Samsung Series 7.
If I use a DVD player I can receive audio from that but that is with a Coaxial cable from the DVD player into the amplifier.

There could be many reasons it's not working. But the most common and likely reason, particularly since your receiver is about 20 years old, is that the TV could be outputting its digital audio in Dolby or some similar format, while the receiver can only process stereo PCM over its optical input.

So I would recommend going into the TV's menus or settings under audio or audio output and see if you can find a setting that allows you to select among options something like "Dolby surround - PCM Stereo - Auto". It will probably be set to Dolby or Auto. If you change it PCM Stereo or similar, that should remedy the problem

 

[GeorgeBynum]

It is not unusual for people to miss removing the small protective sleeve on the ends of the fiber cable. Most often, plugging it in is the symptom, but I've known it to be pushed hard.

@tmtomh covers the other reason I've seen.

 

[simbloke]

I've noticed that my toslink plugs don't need to be out by very much at all for them not to work.

You could also try different inputs to the TV to get some different audio formats to the output just in case that is making any difference to your amp. Though my Samsung series 6 TV automatically downmixes everything to stero on the optical output.

 

[Martini Profe]

Thank you all for your quick replies, help and advice. I have tried looking at the audio settings on my TV in more detail and tried the option PCM instead of Dolby Digital but still no sound. I have read the amplifier manual too and it talks of having to assign the jacks to the proper digital components. So, I have the optical cable inserted into OPT 2 of the amplifier and I have assigned it to CDR.

 

[abdo123]

Thank you all for your quick replies, help and advice. I have tried looking at the audio settings on my TV in more detail and tried the option PCM instead of Dolby Digital but still no sound. I have read the amplifier manual too and it talks of having to assign the jacks to the proper digital components. So, I have the optical cable inserted into OPT 2 of the amplifier and I have assigned it to CDR.

you should assign it to OPT 2 instead of CDR.

 

[Berwhale]

I think the OP is setting the CD-R input to OPT2 which looks correct (assuming they're switching the amp to CD-R)...

Have you tried assigning OPT1 to TV?

 

[Martini Profe]

Thanks again for all the advice. I have tried different ways but still can’t get the sound into my amp from the TV. I have followed the amplifier instructions and tried different audio settings on the TV.
I was wondering if trying out a DAC might help. Perhaps instead of the Toslink input into the amplifier, run it into a DAC then put the DAC’s analog jacks into the AUX of the amplifier.

 

[tmtomh]

I got a new TV late last year and had to get an inexpensive DAC because I'd previously had a 15-20 year old plasma that had analogue outputs and I was using an analogue-only little amp and speaker setup for sound, whereas the new TV had digital audio output only. The DAC I got was this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005K2TXMO/

I got it because Amir did some basic testing on it compared to another similarly cheap DAC and this one tested out decently and much better than the other (https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...view-and-measurements-of-budget-20-dacs.1316/).

I believe I did have to change the TV's audio output setting from Auto to PCM (on Auto, some sources would play sound and some wouldn't - obviously the ones that would were streaming in PCM while the ones that wouldn't were streaming in Dolby Digital). The DAC itself has been set-it-and-forget it - I stuffed it into the back of my TV credenza and haven't touched it or even seen it since I hooked it up. It works great. I had to supply an iPhone-style 5V USB wall plug, but the unit came with its own USB power cord and crappy-looking but totally functional optical audio cable. So I can recommend it.

I can't guarantee it will solve your problem, though, because your current setup seems like it should work as-is.

One final note, which doesn't sound like it's relevant in your situation, but just in case: The optical audio output's functionality on TVs varies from brand to brand and sometimes even model to model, and is not always thoroughly or accurately documented in the user manual. Specifically. some TVs do not reliably pass digital audio through the TV from connected digital source components. So for example some TVs will output audio over optical from the TV itself, but if you have a Blu-Ray player or streaming device connected to the TV via HDMI, the TV won't pass that audio from its HDMI input out to the optical output. All the TV's I've ever owned have done that pass-through. But I have read reports online from owners of other TVs that some don't.

 

[Zek]

I have followed the amplifier instructions and tried different audio settings on the TV.

You have to do something wrong. You have to get the sound on the receiver if you set the TV to go through the digital output and be PCM. You need to select the appropriate optical input on the receiver and it should work correctly.

 

[Berwhale]

The Pioneer AVR handles multichannel Dolby Digital and DTS input, so i'm wondering why there would be any need force the TV to output PCM?