Struggling to connect your Furrion soundbar to your slick new 4K TV and get that theater-quality surround sound in your home?
It can be frustrating when the devices don’t sync up properly.
This guide will walk you through the necessary steps to seamlessly interface your Furrion soundbar with your TV using the optimal connection method, as well as how to dial in the best audio settings.
Let’s dive in to exactly how to hook up these two devices for booming home entertainment…
Check Soundbar and TV Compatibility
It is important to first check that your Furrion soundbar and TV have compatible ports and connections before trying to connect them.
This will ensure that you have the correct cables and adapters if needed to establish a connection.
Most soundbars and TVs have standard audio inputs and outputs like HDMI, optical/TOSLINK, RCA, or Bluetooth connectivity.
However, you should consult the specification and manual for both your soundbar model and TV model to verify compatibility.
Specifically, check that your Furrion soundbar has the needed output connections that match up with the available inputs on your TV.
For example, if your TV only has an optical digital audio output, you need to make sure your Furrion soundbar has an optical digital audio input.
Similarly, if your Furrion soundbar only has RCA analog inputs, your TV will need RCA analog stereo audio outputs in order to connect.
Taking a few minutes to check port compatibility will ensure a smooth and simple connection process.
Connect with HDMI Cable
One of the best ways to connect a Furrion soundbar to a compatible TV is by using an HDMI cable between the two devices.
Most modern soundbars and TVs have HDMI ports specifically designed for easy audio integration using a single HDMI cable.
Specifically, you will want to connect the HDMI ARC port on your Furrion soundbar to the HDMI ARC port on your TV, if available.
The HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) ports allow digital audio signals to be sent both to and from the TV and soundbar, using a bidirectional HDMI connection.
This way all your audio can route through your soundbar, including TV streaming apps, cable/satellite boxes, gaming consoles, and other external devices you have connected to your TV.
Connecting via the matching HDMI ARC ports provides the best quality audio and supports advanced surround sound formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
It also delivers uncompressed digital multi-channel audio for an immersive sound experience.
Plus, using an HDMI ARC connection avoids the need for any extra cables between your TV and soundbar.
If you instead connect a regular HDMI port on your Furrion soundbar to a regular HDMI port on your TV, it will still transmit audio signal from the TV to the soundbar.
However, this will be a one-way audio path so your soundbar will not be able to send audio back to the TV speakers.
Using the proper HDMI ARC ports enables the most seamless integration and full home theater functionality.
Connect Optical Cable
If your Furrion soundbar and TV do not have HDMI ARC capability, you can alternatively use an optical cable for connecting them.
Optical cables, also sometimes called TOSLINK cables, interface with the optical digital audio In/Out ports available on most soundbars and TVs.
To hook up your Furrion soundbar using this method, connect the optical output port on your TV to the optical input port on your soundbar using a TOSLINK cable.
This will allow the TV’s audio signal to transmit to the soundbar for amplified playback.
The benefit of using the optical audio connection is that it supports precise digital stereo sound transmission without any loss of quality.
Optical cables provide clear left and right channel separation for good music performance and TV audio reproduction.
This makes it a reliable connection option.
Do note that using the optical output from your TV does limit surround sound capability, unlike an HDMI ARC connection.
Optical cables can only carry two channels of uncompressed stereo PCM audio, so multi-channel surround formats like Dolby Digital and DTS cannot pass through a TOSLINK connection to your Furrion soundbar.
But if surround sound is not a necessity for your setup, optical provides an easy plug-and-play digital audio integration.
Connect RCA Cables
If neither your TV nor Furrion soundbar have HDMI or optical audio ports, you can still connect them using a set of RCA stereo audio cables.
RCA cables interface with the analog stereo audio inputs and outputs that are standard on most TVs and soundbars.
To hook up RCA cables between your Furrion soundbar and TV, match up each left and right RCA male connector on one end to the corresponding left and right RCA female ports on the other device.
Typically the white colored RCA plug indicates the left audio channel while the red colored RCA plug indicates the right channel. Connect like colors to complete the stereo audio path from your TV to soundbar.
One benefit of using RCA cables is that they are an analog connection that provides good quality stereo sound without the need for any audio decoding.
RCA also allows for long cable runs if your soundbar placement is located far from your TV.
However, do note that connecting your Furrion soundbar via RCA cables will not support surround formats.
RCA is strictly a 2-channel stereo connection so you lose out on surround sound capability going this route.
If your TV has RCA outputs but also another multi-channel audio output like optical, it may be better to use the digital optical connection instead to get Dolby or DTS processing.
Pair Soundbar via Bluetooth
If your Furrion soundbar has integrated Bluetooth wireless connectivity, you can optionally pair it directly with your TV for cable-free audio integration.
Nearly all modern smart TVs have built-in Bluetooth capability specifically for syncing up soundbars, headphones, speakers and other audio components.
To pair your Furrion soundbar to your TV via Bluetooth, first ensure that both devices have Bluetooth toggled “On” in their settings/menu options.
Put your soundbar into Bluetooth pairing mode so that it is discoverable to your TV. You can reference the soundbar manual for the proper procedure to initiate pairing mode.
Then on your TV, navigate to the audio settings to add/connect a new Bluetooth device.
Your TV should automatically scan for nearby available devices and detect your Furrion soundbar for pairing.
Simply select it from the list once discovered and accept the connection prompt on both your TV and Furrion soundbar to sync them up.
Once paired, the Bluetooth connection will be established and maintained every time you power on your TV and soundbar.
Audio played on your TV will route straight to your soundbar wirelessly.
Just take note that Bluetooth range is limited to about 30 feet before signal degradation. Walls and objects can also impact signal stability.
But for flat wall-mounted TVs, Bluetooth offers an easy and clutter-free way to integrate audio.
Adjust Sound Settings on Devices
After physically connecting your Furrion soundbar to your TV through whichever port method—HDMI, Optical, RCA, or Bluetooth—is supported for your models, the final step is to adjust the audio settings.
Properly configuring the sound options, modes, and formats will ensure the best audio performance through your soundbar.
First, verify that sound is actually transmitting from your TV to the soundbar.
Power on your TV and play a video or TV channel with clear audio.
You should hear the accompanying sound emit from the speakers on your Furrion soundbar.
If no audio plays, double check that you have connected the proper ports with the correct cables between both devices.
Next, dig into the Sound Menu on your TV and ensure that audio output is set to your connected soundbar.
The TV may default back to the internal TV speakers unless you specify external speakers.
Navigate to options like “Audio Output” or “Speakers” and select settings like “Optical Out”, “HDMI ARC”, or “Bluetooth” depending on your connection method.
This routes everything played on the TV straight to the soundbar.
Lastly, explore any audio formats, surround sound modes, or equalizer presets available on both your TV and Furrion soundbar.
For example, enable Dolby formats like Dolby Audio, Dolby Digital Plus, or Dolby Atmos if supported.
Your soundbar may also have preset modes for Movie, Music, Night Time Listening and so on that optimize sound profiles.
Choose settings that provide the best listening experience for your needs across TV, movie and music playback.
Conclusion
Connecting your Furrion soundbar to your TV, whether through HDMI, optical, RCA cables or Bluetooth pairing, allows you to elevate your home entertainment experience with room-filling audio.
Properly interfacing the two devices and configuring the optimal sound settings ensures you get booming, immersive surround sound to match the stunning 4K picture quality of your TV.
So go ahead and hook up that soundbar to transform your TV viewing into a thrilling theater-like spectacle right from your living room.