How to Hook Up Samsung Surround Sound to Your TV

A surround sound system can take your TV viewing experience to the next level by providing immersive, theater-like audio. Samsung makes several surround sound systems, from soundbars with wireless subwoofers to full home theater systems.

Hooking up a Samsung surround sound system to your TV is easy if you follow some basic guidelines. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover:

• Benefits of using a surround sound system
• Tips for positioning speakers
• Steps to connect Samsung surround sound to TVs
• How to configure audio settings
• Troubleshooting guide

Why Add Surround Sound to Your TV?

There are several compelling reasons to upgrade your TV audio with a dedicated surround sound system:

• Immersive audio – Surround sound places you at the center of the action with audio coming from multiple directions. You’ll hear sound effects pan from side to side and behind you.

• Improved clarity – Dedicated speakers and components deliver clearer, crisper dialogue and accurate sound reproduction. This is especially beneficial for action movies and sports.

• Powerful bass – Wireless subwoofers and dedicated bass speakers provide deep, punchy bass you can feel. Explosions and soundtracks pack more thrill.

• Volume and scale – More speakers and amplification allow surround systems to play at movie theater volumes to fill your room.

• Versatility – Quality surround systems improve audio from TV, movies, music, and gaming. Just be sure to choose matching speakers for your primary use.

Surround sound takes your viewing experience to the next level. Now let’s examine how to set it up.

Tips for Positioning Your Speakers

To achieve proper surround sound separation and an enveloping experience, optimal speaker placement is important. Here are essential tips:

Front left and right – Place equidistant from the central seating position pointed toward the listener’s ear level. Angle speakers toward the main seat slightly.

Center – Place above or below the TV centered to the main listening position. Angle it toward the listener’s head.

Surrounds – Position to the sides of the main seating at 110 – 120 degrees off center. Keep them 2 – 3 feet above ear level.

Subwoofer – Place front and center or in a corner to reduce boominess. Keep near the front speakers.

Rear surrounds – Place behind the seating position facing forward above ear level. For Dolby Atmos ceiling speakers, install overhead also facing down.

Experiment with angling the speakers and adjusting their distance from walls to minimize reflections. The optimal acoustic tuning comes down to your room’s size and construction.

How to Connect Samsung Surround Sound to TV

Samsung surround systems come in several configurations, but they all connect to your TV source using one of these methods:

HDMI (ARC) Connection

ARC (audio return channel) enables transmitting audio over an HDMI cable bidirectional. This is the best option if your Samsung TV supports ARC/eARC.

To connect via ARC:

1. Use the HDMI cable included with your surround sound system.

2. Connect from the HDMI ARC port on your TV to the HDMI OUT (ARC) port on the sound system.

3. In the sound system settings, select the HDMI input.

4. In your TV audio settings, choose the HDMI ARC option for audio output.

With this method, you can use your TV remote to control volume. ARC also carries higher resolution audio like Dolby Atmos from smart apps.

Digital Optical Audio Connection

If your TV lacks HDMI ARC, use an optical cable to transmit sound from your TV to the surround system.

To connect via optical:

1. Obtain a TOSLINK optical audio cable, preferably one labeled “1.4” or above.

2. Connect from the OPTICAL OUT port on your TV to the OPTICAL IN on the speakers.

3. Switch the speakers input mode to optical.

4. Change your TV audio output to optical/external speakers.

Though limited to standard Dolby Digital quality, the optical method is reliable.

HDMI Pass-Through from Source Devices

For the highest surround sound quality from Blu-ray players and streamers, connect 4K/Dolby Atmos-capable devices directly to your speakers via HDMI.

To leverage HDMI pass-through:

1. Connect your Roku, Apple TV, Blu-ray player or game console directly to an HDMI input on your speakers.

2. Connect from the HDMI ARC or optical output on your speakers to the TV.

3. Switch the speakers to the correct HDMI input.

With this configuration, uncompressed surround audio passes from your devices through to the speakers.

How to Configure Audio Settings

Once you’ve made the physical connections, verify the audio output settings are correctly configured both on your TV and surround system:

On your TV

1. Go into your sound settings menu.

2. Navigate to audio output and locate the HDMI ARC or optical port you’ve connected.

3. Select this as the audio output source.

On your speakers

1. Press the input selector on the remote or speaker.

2. Switch the input mode to match the connection – HDMI ARC, optical, or HDMI pass-through.

3. You may also need to enable CEC or ARC support in the speaker settings.

Test that sound properly plays from the speakers when watching TV and playing sources. Your setup is complete!

Troubleshooting Tips

If your Samsung surround system isn’t outputting sound properly, check these troubleshooting suggestions:

• Make sure Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) is enabled on your Samsung TV. This allows proper control communication.

• Toggle Anynet+ off and on if the TV isn’t controlling volume on the sound system.

• Verify the correct input is selected on both the TV and speakers.

• Try swapping HDMI cables in case one is faulty.

• Factory reset speakers and TV audio settings if issues persist.

• Directly connect source devices to the speakers if using HDMI pass-through.

• Update firmware on the TV, speakers, and source devices.

• Test different audio ports and cables to isolate the problem.

With the proper connections made, following correct audio configuration steps, and checking settings, your Samsung surround system will fill your room with phenomenal home theater sound.

Get the Most Out of Your Samsung Surround System

Hooking up a surround sound system to your TV is the first step to upgrading your entertainment experience. To get the most from your Samsung speakers, also consider these tips:

• Run automatic speaker calibration to optimize levels and distance settings.

• Enable night mode for clearer low volume playback.

• Adjust individual channel levels to balance surround effects.

• Place speakers properly to create an immersive bubble of sound.

• Maximize audio sources by playing Blu-rays, streaming 4K video, and using gaming consoles.

• Upgrade components over time like adding wireless rear speakers.

• Move to Dolby Atmos enabled speakers to add overhead effects.

Envelop yourself in heart-pounding surround sound by properly connecting and configuring your new Samsung home theater system. Just follow our guide and you’ll be enjoying the room-filling audio experience you deserve.