Understanding TV audio connection options

[johnk]

Hi. I am trying to buy a new TV (small 43") and I need some help in understanding the connectivity options. I am mainly interested in good quality 2-channel audio for music, and am hoping to reuse my current hifi amp/speakers to improve my TV sound. The TV sound is very much a secondary consideration.
Currently, I have a Sony BRAVIA (2013) which has a variable analogue audio output via a 3.5mm headphone jack. I simply connect this to my amplifier and use it with my speakers. The nice thing about these old BRAVIAs is that the TV speaker can remain on, so I end up with the TV producing most of the sound with the hifi speakers adding much needed support to the lower frequencies. The secondary benefit of this setup is that the volume is controlled through the TV remote (due to the variable analogue headphone out on the TV). This has worked well for the last 12 years.
Based on my research, new TVs very rarely come with analog audio output. I am learning about HDMI ARC and how that can help.
The problem is that I am hoping to use the TV speakers like I have in my current setup, but I am struggling to understand which TVs can support providing output to both the TV speakers and HDMI ARC at the same time. I understand that some Sony TVs support dual output, and there may be equivalent settings for LG and Samsung TVs, but it seems to be a minefield in terms of compatibility. I am also worried that I will end up with delay between the different outputs (especially if I use something like a Wiim streamer to provide the HDMI ARC connectivity and parametric eq).
Alternatively, I could give up on using my existing 2-channel hifi with the TV and add a soundbar and sub woofer to the new TV, but that seems to be a poor compromise.
Is there an easy way I could add a center channel to my setup if I can't use my TV speakers? I am not sure how this could be done ...
Or is there a simpler way of connecting TVs that I have not yet found? Any ideas would be really appreciated.
Thanks, John

 

[staticV3]

What's the advantage of making the poor TV speaker produce most of the sound, with your HiFi speakers only providing backup?

Why not use your HiFi speakers as the only output?

 

[johnk]

I have been testing with just the hifi speakers over the last few days and I have to have the volume up much louder to hear dialogue. I realised that the TV has a "Voice zoom" setting on the built in speakers which attempts to emphasise voices. I am guessing this is some combination of compression and reducing the volume of sounds which are not centred in the stereo mix. This is very effective for quiet listening. This "Voice zoom" does not apply to the connected speakers. I guess I am looking for a TV that includes features similar to the voice zoom that Sony supports and allows this to work through connected speakers (not just internal ones). I will continue reading manuals and try to make sense of some of these new TVs. Thanks

 

[Elkerton]

I echo staticV3. No TV has adequate sound. Why does it matter if you have to turn up the volume some on your stereo speakers from what you are accustomed (unless they are very poor). Mine (Revel M105s) improve the sound quality immeasurably and are much clearer, particularly on voices.

 

[Berwhale]

Worth a watch...

 

[gsp1971]

Hi @johnk ,

Most new TVs only support HDMI ARC and/or optical for audio out to your AVR, so these are your options (TV sound is disabled, though).

If your AVR & speakers are decent, stick with them and, instead of buying a soundbar, you can use the money to buy a center channel speaker to enhance dialogue.

Good luck with your research.

 

[RPoitou]

Our Strong 43" television (as large as I was allowed to buy ) has a headphone socket which mutes the speakers but it has never occurred to me to use it. We have an old fashioned Sherwood stereo 'receiver' below the TV connected to good speakers at either side, the aux input of the receiver is fed by an inexpensive DAC connected to the optical out socket of the TV. The sound is excellent in general but the production values of modern programmes do often make for unintelligible dialogue - in such cases we find the answer is to turn up the TV speaker sound a little above zero to give a boost to voice frequencies. All very satisfactory except for the need to operate two volume controls - at least this way I've been able to use kit that was already in the room and not had to invest in extra equipment with the unpredicatable vagaries of HDMI ARC/

 

[Spkrdctr]

Easiest thing to do is buy a soundbar that comes with a subwoofer. One wire hookup (HDMI) and your off and running. VERY easy. Plus they work very well. The issue is that you need to spend some money. A $300 dollar soundbar with sub is usually junk. At the $600 mark you are in pretty good territory. Also, if possible buy with a 30 day return policy. Just in case you decide you need a better or different soundbar and sub than you bought. Good Luck. You will be very surprised how much better the sound is than a TV speaker.

 

[RPoitou]

Easiest thing to do is buy a soundbar that comes with a subwoofer. One wire hookup (HDMI) and your off and running. VERY easy. Plus they work very well. The issue is that you need to spend some money. A $300 dollar soundbar with sub is usually junk. At the $600 mark you are in pretty good territory. Also, if possible buy with a 30 day return policy. Just in case you decide you need a better or different soundbar and sub than you bought. Good Luck. You will be very surprised how much better the sound is than a TV speaker.

The world's gone mad! - $600 for a sound bar can't make sense when you only need to spend $300 on the TV

 

[Eric Natural]

The world's gone mad!

copied for truth

I don't think soundbars can come within miles of the fidelity of standard hifi loudspeakers.
A center channel speaker in addition to the left/rights with up-to-date Dolby decoding at a bare minimum along with a properly placed subwoofer. None of these things have to be terribly expensive to sound satisfying.
Best of Luck

 

[RPoitou]

The problem is that there are a myriad of 'correct' answers to the original question - we all watch different stuff on TV for different reasons, we all have different budgets. Some of us go for the simplicity of two speakers and some are happy to be lead into spending a lot more for multi channel surround and Dolby processing. As soon as you've got yourself a satisfactory system the manufacturers will be trying to sell you a bigger screen, more channels or more power. The big leap forward came with the jump from mono to stereo late 50s/ early 60s but since the quadrophonic nonsense of the 70s much domestic sound reproduction has mostly been a case of one step forward, two steps back.

 

[Elkerton]

I just watched a video of Dr. Floyd Toole speaking at a Toronto AES meeting, at the end of which he showed measurements of 2 Samsung soundbars designed by Alan Devantier which show true HF curves: the S50B and MS650.

 

[Spkrdctr]

Many people do not realize how far good sound bars have come. A good one will blow away any TV speaker. But again you can't buy junk for $300 and expect it to be amazing. For ease of use and simplicity, the sound bars always win. A properly set up AVR system with great speakers will be much better than a sound bar but the cost is also much higher. You just have to pick how you want to go, Decisions have to be made.

 

[scorlee]

This is indeed a problem, as almost all TVs do not support simultaneous playback. So, what plans do you have now?