How to Connect a Soundbar to a Hisense TV With an Optical Cable
To connect a soundbar to a Hisense TV with an optical cable, run the cable from the TV’s DIGITAL AUDIO OUT port to the bar’s optical input, switch the bar to optical, then pick the optical output in the TV’s sound menu.
Skip that menu and the bar can sit on the right input in silence while the TV’s own speakers keep playing.
Set the output and format right once, and the bar handles the TV’s sound from then on.
Hisense puts that switch in a different menu on its VIDAA, Google TV, Android TV and Roku TV models, so each path below comes from the makers’ manuals and help pages.
Start with the five steps, find your menu in the table, then use the no-sound checks if the bar stays quiet.
How Do You Connect a Soundbar to a Hisense TV With an Optical Cable?
That menu comes last. Connect a soundbar to a Hisense TV with an optical cable in this order, since Hisense’s manuals want the sound system on before the TV.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Remove both plug caps, then connect the TV’s DIGITAL AUDIO OUT to the bar’s optical input |
| 2 | Switch the soundbar on, then the TV |
| 3 | Set the bar to its optical input, such as OPTICAL or DIGITAL IN |
| 4 | Set the TV’s audio output to SPDIF or OPTICAL (S/PDIF) |
| 5 | Set the audio format to PCM, then try Dolby Digital once sound plays |
Roku warns that a cap left on can cause a faulty connection or damage the cable or port. Of the three ways a soundbar replaces TV speakers with a single front-stage box that connects via HDMI, optical, or Bluetooth, optical is the one with no pairing or HDMI-CEC settings.
If the bar is brand new, the standard power-on, input-select, TV Sound Out, source-device verification sequence gets it ready first.
Does Your Hisense TV Have an Optical Output?
Step 1 assumes the port is there, and every Hisense spec sheet cited here lists one. The 50R6E3 and 75R6030G Roku TVs, the 2022 55U6H, 65U6H and 65A65H Google TVs and the 58U6HF Fire TV each have one optical digital audio output.
Roku says every Roku TV has a digital audio output, and Hisense’s 2025 Google TV manual still connects sound bars through DIGITAL AUDIO OUT.
Where Is the Optical Port on a Hisense TV?
That DIGITAL AUDIO OUT port sits on the back, though its location moves between models. Hisense’s R6E3 quick setup guide puts it at the bottom of the 65-inch model’s sideways-facing port strip, below USB, while the R6E4 guide shows it beside the LAN jack on the rear-facing panel.
TCL’s soundbar support adds a test: with the source on, a faint red light should show at the cable end on the TV’s side. No light suggests the TV isn’t sending optical audio or the cable is faulty.
Which Hisense Menu Turns On the Optical Output?
That light check covers the hardware, and the menu does the rest. The switch is Audio Output, under Sound on VIDAA and Android TV and Display & Sound on Google TV, and the TV’s full name on its box or support page names its system:
| Your Hisense runs | Send sound to optical | Set the audio format |
|---|---|---|
| VIDAA (55A6GV manual) | Settings > Sound > Audio Output Settings > Audio Output > SPDIF | Settings > Sound > Audio Output Settings > Digital Audio Out |
| Google TV (2025 manual) | Settings > Display & Sound > Audio Output > OPTICAL (S/PDIF) | Settings > Display & Sound > Sound > Digital Audio Output > Digital Audio Format |
| Google TV (2023 manual) | Settings > Display & Sound > Audio Output > Audio Output Selection | Settings > Display & Sound > Audio Output > Digital Audio Out |
| Android TV (2021 U7G manual) | Settings > Sound > Audio Output, with Sound > TV Speaker off | Settings > Sound > Advanced Settings > Digital Audio Out |
| Roku TV (Roku’s help) | Turn the TV speakers off if both play | Settings > System > Audio > S/PDIF and ARC |
On 2025 Google TV models, pick OPTICAL (S/PDIF), not TV Speaker with OPTICAL, which keeps the TV speakers on (Hisense’s 2025 Google TV manual). The VIDAA paths come from Hisense’s VIDAA user manual, and options vary by model and region.
Roku’s help has the TV speakers playing along with other outputs, and TCL’s support for its Roku TVs turns them off at Settings > Audio > TV speakers. Roku also lists Audio under Settings > System.
LG sets name the same switch Optical Out Device, under Sound Out > Use Wired Speaker, as connecting a soundbar to an LG TV over optical shows for 2022 to 2025 models.
Samsung keeps the same switch in Sound Output under a name that changes with the year, and Burton Acoustix’s Samsung TV optical guide lists it for every set from 2016 to 2026.
Bars without optical can use Bluetooth from Audio Output on VIDAA and Google TV, and a Bluetooth soundbar connection covers pairing.
Should Hisense Digital Audio Out Be PCM, Dolby Digital or Auto?
That format matters as much as the output. Start on PCM, which TCL says ensures compatibility, then switch to Dolby Digital if your bar decodes it, the two settings Hisense suggests for optical.
PCM over optical is two-channel stereo, and Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 is the most an optical link carries, per Roku’s surround sound guide. PCM hands the bar pre-decoded audio while bitstream sends the raw codec for the bar to decode, so the bar must understand what the TV sends.
On VIDAA, Auto and Pass Through sit beside PCM and Dolby Audio – Dolby Digital, the optical choice, while Dolby Digital Plus is for HDMI ARC. Roku’s Auto detect reads the bar over HDMI, and Roku says to pick a specific format if the bar isn’t detected correctly.
Both sides are weighed in PCM vs Dolby Digital for a soundbar. If speech arrives late, Hisense’s 2025 manual says to set Digital Audio Delay to 0, then adjust Lip Sync under TV Sound Effect.
Why Is the Hisense Optical Output Not Working?
If PCM still gives silence, change one thing at a time. Hisense’s troubleshooting table starts with the Audio Output setting, then the Digital Audio Out format.
If the bar plays but its wireless subwoofer stays silent, the subwoofer’s own link to the bar is the next thing to check, and our steps for how to connect a Hisense sound bar to its subwoofer give each model’s PAIR routine.
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Audio output | SPDIF or OPTICAL (S/PDIF), not TV Speaker or ARC |
| Soundbar input | Optical, not HDMI or Bluetooth |
| Cable | Caps off, plugs fully in, red light on the TV’s side |
| Format | PCM, since many bars can’t decode Dolby Digital or DTS over optical |
| HDMI | An ARC soundbar on HDMI too switches Hisense’s output to ARC |
TCL’s optical troubleshooting page adds unplugging both for about 30 seconds and warns that a sharp bend can damage the cable’s fiber.
If those check out, the input-swap test (change source device, swap to a known-good TV, try a different cable) shows whether the TV or the bar is at fault. A bar stuck on an input can then go through the soft-reset-first, factory-reset-last escalation.
On the HS2100, HS5100, AX5100Q and AX5140Q, that factory reset starts on the optical input itself, and this model-by-model list shows the Hisense bars that reset from the remote or not at all.
Can the Hisense Remote Control the Soundbar Over Optical?
Even with sound playing, the TV remote’s volume keys may do nothing. An optical cable can’t carry the remote’s commands, so Hisense’s manuals say to turn the TV’s volume down and use the sound system’s volume.
HDMI ARC gives you one remote, since Hisense says it lets the TV remote control the sound system, and HDMI ARC also carries Dolby Digital Plus and compressed Atmos, which optical can’t. Switching means turning on HDMI-CEC, confirming the ARC-labeled port, and setting TV Sound Out to external, and Roku TV owners can control a soundbar with a Roku remote.
On a Hisense, that switch has a different name on each system, and the steps for how to hook up a sound bar to a Hisense TV give HDMI-CEC, HDMI control and the ARC output from VIDAA to Roku TV.
Which Cable or Soundbar Should You Buy for Optical?
Staying on optical means a cable, and Hisense’s manuals list it as not provided. Buy a TOSLINK cable if yours is missing, or a bar with optical and HDMI ARC if you’re still shopping.
Every pick met Burton Acoustix’s rating, review and stock checks on 26 October 2026, and no prices appear because they change.
For a Missing or Damaged Cable
KabelDirekt’s 6 ft TOSLINK optical cable runs from DIGITAL AUDIO OUT to a soundbar’s optical input.
KabelDirekt’s 6 ft TOSLINK optical cable
For a New Soundbar
For bars matched to one TV, see Burton Acoustix’s soundbar picks for the Hisense U8N.
The Bottom Line
Those picks matter less than the menu. Plug DIGITAL AUDIO OUT into the bar, switch the bar on first, choose SPDIF or OPTICAL (S/PDIF), and start on PCM.
For other TV brands, the brand-neutral HDMI ARC, optical, and Bluetooth setup paths cover the same steps, and the soundbar hub has the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Hisense TV turn off its speakers when you use optical?
On VIDAA and Google TV models, choosing SPDIF or OPTICAL (S/PDIF) sends the sound to the bar, but the 2025 option TV Speaker with OPTICAL keeps both playing. Roku TVs can keep their speakers on alongside optical, and an echo means they still are.
Can you use optical and HDMI ARC at the same time on a Hisense TV?
You can plug in both, but Hisense’s manuals say the TV switches its output to ARC automatically when an ARC device is connected. Pick one and select it in the Audio Output menu.
Does optical carry Dolby Atmos from a Hisense TV?
No. Roku limits an optical (S/PDIF) link to two channels of PCM or 5.1 channels of compressed Dolby Digital or DTS. Atmos needs HDMI ARC, which carries it compressed, or eARC, which carries it uncompressed.
What is SPDIF on a Hisense TV?
SPDIF is the digital audio output, the name Hisense’s VIDAA menu gives the optical port, and Roku notes it’s also called optical or digital audio out.
