HDMI ARC is supposed to make TV audio simple: one HDMI cable sends sound from the TV back to a soundbar or AV receiver. When it fails, audio may keep playing from the TV speakers, disappear completely, or refuse to respond to the TV remote volume buttons.
These steps apply to any TV, soundbar, or receiver connected through HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC. The most common causes are a cable in the wrong HDMI port, the TV still set to internal speakers, HDMI-CEC disabled, or the devices failing to negotiate the ARC connection at startup.
Does this affect you?
Use this guide if your soundbar is connected by HDMI but no TV audio comes through it, if the TV does not control soundbar volume, or if ARC works sometimes and then stops after the TV sleeps. If your soundbar has no HDMI port, use optical audio instead; it cannot use ARC.
Use the ARC-labeled HDMI port
Not every HDMI port on a TV supports Audio Return Channel. On many TVs, only one port is marked for it.
- Look closely at the HDMI labels on the back or side of the TV.
- Find the port labeled HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC.
- Connect the soundbar or receiver to that exact TV port.
- Check the soundbar side too. If it has more than one HDMI port, use the one labeled ARC, eARC, TV OUT, or HDMI OUT.
- If the soundbar has no HDMI connection, connect it with optical/TOSLINK instead.
Using the right port on both ends fixes many ARC failures immediately. A regular HDMI input on the TV or soundbar will not behave like the ARC return channel.
Select HDMI ARC as the TV sound output
The cable can be correct while the TV is still sending audio to its own speakers.
- Open the TV sound settings menu, often Settings > Sound > Sound Output.
- Choose External Speaker, Soundbar, Receiver, HDMI ARC, or HDMI eARC instead of TV Speaker.
- Find the HDMI-CEC setting and turn it on. Brand names vary: Samsung calls it Anynet+, LG calls it SimpLink, Sony calls it BRAVIA Sync, and Vizio commonly labels it CEC.
- Check the soundbar app or display menu for its own ARC, eARC, or CEC setting and enable it there as well.
- Restart both devices after changing these settings.
ARC depends on HDMI-CEC for device communication. If CEC is off, sound may not route correctly and the TV remote may not control soundbar volume.
Power-cycle in the right order and test the cable
ARC often reconnects during startup, so the order can matter when the handshake gets stuck.
- Turn off the TV and soundbar.
- Unplug the HDMI cable from both ends, then reconnect it firmly.
- Turn on the TV first and let it reach the home screen.
- Turn on the soundbar second.
- If there is still no sound, try another High Speed or Premium High Speed HDMI cable.
Some older or very cheap HDMI cables work for video but fail with ARC features. Swapping the cable is worth doing before assuming the TV or soundbar is faulty.
Check eARC, remote volume, and firmware
If standard sound works but Dolby Atmos or high-quality formats do not, check whether both the TV and soundbar support eARC and whether eARC is enabled separately from ARC. Some TVs have a dedicated eARC toggle in audio settings.
Once ARC and CEC are working, the TV remote should change soundbar volume. If volume changes only on the TV or not at all, CEC is only partially working. Re-check CEC on both devices.
A short audio pause when switching HDMI inputs is normal. Long dropouts, repeated loss of sync, or audio delays after every input switch can point to a firmware bug, so check for updates on both the TV and soundbar.
Sources
- HDMI Forum – Audio Return Channel (ARC) Overview (2025)
- Samsung Support – HDMI ARC / eARC Troubleshooting (2025)
- Sonos Support – HDMI ARC Connection Issues (2025)