Trekking through a maze of cables. Fumbling with multiple remotes. Trying to decipher your TV’s audio settings. Getting a soundbar set up can be a frustrating mess.
Connecting a Samsung soundbar to your Samsung TV doesn’t have to be so complicated. With the right cables, optimal placement, remote syncing, and adjust audio settings, you can easily integrate a soundbar for an immersive home theater experience.
This guide will walk you through the ideal setup steps, clearly explaining HDMI ARC versus optical connections, wireless surround speaker and subwoofer positioning, remote programming, and how to configure your TV settings.
Follow these tips and you’ll be enjoying booming, theater-quality sound in no time. First up is selecting the best cable connection between your Samsung TV and soundbar.
Using HDMI ARC vs optical cable with Samsung TV
The HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) connection is the best way to connect a Samsung soundbar to a Samsung TV.
It allows you to transmit audio from the TV to the soundbar through a single HDMI cable. The key benefit of HDMI ARC is that it supports advanced surround sound formats like Dolby Digital and DTS that optical cables cannot transmit.
With HDMI ARC, you only need one cable for both audio and video from the TV to soundbar. This keeps cable clutter to a minimum.
HDMI ARC also enables TV remote control of soundbar volume as the audio signal moves both directions. Overall, HDMI ARC is the simplest and highest quality way to hook up a Samsung soundbar.
Optical audio connections utilize Toslink cables to transmit digital stereo PCM audio signals. While optical cannot transmit advanced surround formats, it reliably carries two-channel stereo audio.
Optical cables are also inexpensive and easy to set up between TVs and soundbars. Since optical is a digital connection, there is no signal degradation over longer cable runs like with analog RCA connections.
If your older TV lacks HDMI ARC support, an optical connection will still transfer basic TV audio to the soundbar. It’s a convenient fallback option if HDMI ARC is unavailable.
Connecting Rear Speakers And Wireless Subwoofer
Higher-end Samsung soundbars include wireless surround speakers and a wireless subwoofer for immersive audio.
The wireless speakers connect to the soundbar through Samsung’s proprietary wireless audio technology, not Bluetooth. The sub also connects wirelessly through this method.
The surround speakers simply need power – there is no audio cable connection. Plug them into an electrical outlet and the soundbar will walk you through the auto-pairing process, usually involving pressing a sync button. Position them behind your seating area.
The wireless subwoofer also pairs automatically but requires both power and an audio connection from the soundbar.
There is a dedicated output jack on the rear of the soundbar labeled Subwoofer Out. Connect this to the input on the subwoofer with the included subwoofer audio cable.
Then plug the subwoofer into power. It will sync and connect wirelessly to the soundbar. Place the subwoofer on the floor near the TV for optimal bass performance.
The system will now deliver true wireless surround sound for immersive audio with deep bass.
For ideal rear speaker placement, position them 2-3 feet behind your seating position, elevated at ear level angled inward.
Keep them 6-10 feet apart for proper left/right stereo separation. The speakers can sit on stands or shelves or be wall mounted if needed.
For subwoofer placement, put it along the front wall, in a corner if possible. Keep it within 10 feet of the soundbar for ideal wireless connection. Leaving some space around the sub improves bass response.
Syncing Samsung TV remote with soundbar
You can program your Samsung TV remote to control essential functions on a Samsung soundbar like power, volume, and mute. This Anynet+ feature avoids flipping between remotes.
Follow these steps to sync your Samsung TV remote with a compatible soundbar: Turn on your TV and soundbar.
On the soundbar or remote, switch to the correct input. On the soundbar remote, press the Sound Mode and Bluetooth Pair buttons simultaneously until the soundbar beeps.
On the TV remote, press and hold the Volume Up button for 3 seconds until the soundbar beeps again, indicating successful sync.
Now your TV remote will control power, volume, and mute on the paired soundbar. This Anynet+ functionality is convenient if you only want to use one remote. Note that other specialized soundbar functions will still require the soundbar remote.
To optimize an Anynet+ connection, enable Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) on both TV and soundbar for linking. A low CEC TV volume level may prevent volume pass-thru.
Only Samsung TV remotes are capable of Anynet+ control. Syncing can be finicky so repeated attempts may be needed. Update TV and soundbar firmware for best compatibility.
Enabling Bluetooth pairing on Samsung soundbar
You must put your Samsung soundbar into Bluetooth pairing mode to connect a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth wireless technology.
Here are the steps:
On the soundbar or soundbar remote, press the Bluetooth button. The soundbar will beep and the Bluetooth LED will blink to indicate pairing mode is active.
On your mobile device, enable Bluetooth in your settings if it’s not already on. Select the soundbar name when it appears in the list of available Bluetooth devices.
Your device may prompt you to confirm pairing. Once successfully paired, the soundbar will beep. A Bluetooth connection is now established for wireless audio streaming.
The soundbar will stay discoverable in this pairing mode for a few minutes. It will then automatically exit pairing mode if no connection is made.
When powered on in regular use, the soundbar will automatically reconnect to the most recently paired device.
For Bluetooth tips, the technology has a typical range of up to 30 feet for streaming, though walls can impact signals. Make sure to select the soundbar audio output on your device’s music app.
You can pair multiple devices but only one can be actively connected at a time. Bluetooth pairing only needs to be set up once per device.
Streaming music to Samsung soundbar via WiFi
If your Samsung soundbar has built-in WiFi connectivity, you can wirelessly stream music through apps over your home WiFi network instead of using Bluetooth.
First, you’ll need to connect your soundbar to your WiFi network. Do this by opening the SmartThings app on your phone, selecting your soundbar, and following the on-screen instructions to enter your WiFi password.
Once connected, open a music app like Spotify on your phone. Navigate to the audio output settings and select your soundbar rather than the phone speaker. Music will now stream over WiFi directly to the soundbar speakers.
This WiFi streaming method provides wider range since it uses your home’s wireless network. It can also deliver higher audio quality compared to Bluetooth streaming. Apps like Spotify Connect are optimized for WiFi streaming.
For WiFi streaming tips, WiFi provides extended range for wireless streaming beyond typical Bluetooth distances.
Setting up WiFi connectivity only needs to be done once in the SmartThings app. Make sure both phone and soundbar are on the same WiFi network. AirPlay can also be used on iOS devices for WiFi streaming.
Adjusting audio settings on Samsung TV with soundbar
To optimize audio quality when connecting a Samsung soundbar to your Samsung TV, you need to adjust several audio settings in the TV’s menu.
Under Audio Output, select the correct port for your soundbar connection – HDMI ARC, Optical, etc. Disable the TV’s built-in speakers so all sound goes to the soundbar.
Enable Digital Output audio formats like Dolby Digital that your soundbar supports. Under Expert Settings, you can customize sound modes and the equalizer.
Set HDMI input audio to Bitstream or Passthrough so the TV sends unprocessed audio to the soundbar.
With the TV speakers off and audio routed directly to the soundbar, you’ll experience significantly better sound. The soundbar will handle audio processing rather than the TV.
Some key Samsung TV audio settings to adjust include: Audio Output to route sound to correct soundbar port;
Speakers to turn off TV speakers; Digital Output Audio Format to Bitstream, Passthrough; Sound Mode to Standard, Optimized, etc; Equalizer for treble, bass adjustment; HDMI Input Audio Format to Bitstream, PCM; Digital Output delay for lip sync adjustment.
Conclusion
With the proper cables and connections in place from your Samsung TV to the Samsung soundbar, adjusting the audio settings optimizes the pairing for an immersive home theater experience.
By routing all audio directly to the soundbar system over HDMI ARC or optical and disabling the inferior built-in TV speakers, you’ll enjoy surround sound and deep bass for movies, music, and TV shows.
Taking the time to correctly position the wireless subwoofer and surround speakers envelops you in rich cinematic sound.
Syncing the TV remote ensures seamless volume control too.
Following this comprehensive guide, you can transform your TV’s audio by fully integrating a Samsung soundbar for premium sound quality.