Although most modern sound bars depend on an HDMI cable to connect to HDTV and 4K televisions, there are still many sound bars in the market with inherited audio tickets that will work with older televisions, and yes, that includes many CRT televisions (also known as “tube”) that have decades of age.
By connecting a television that ages a sound bar, you can give its previous set an impulse of mass audio, complete with serious blows and even a virtualized 3D sound. And if your old flat screen or tube TV has the right outputs, connect to a new sound bar will be a click.
Here we show you how to start.
1. Look for optical audio outputs or RCA
The first step is to verify the back of its old TV to see what type of audio outputs are available. If your aged television lacks HDMI, the next best would be an optical audio port (or cough), which has a square opening with a couple of small notches on each side.
Optical audio connections can not only handle the Dolby Digital and DTS sound of 5.1 and even 7.1 channels, but are also widely compatible with the latest sound bars.
Many older televisions have at least analog stereo audio outputs or even a multichannel optical audio output.
Is there no sign of an optical output? Then look for a stereo pair of RCA audio outputs, one for the left channel (commonly white and marked “L”) and a second for the right channel (commonly red and marked “R”).
Many older televisions, including those since the 1980s, will have these RCAs RCA of family appearance located in their rear input/output panels, which can deliver analog stereo audio signals.
2. Choose the correct sound bar
Once you have determined that your previous TV has optical analog audio outings or RCA, you are ready to go shopping in the sound bar, and if we can be so bold, your first stop must be our rounding of the best sound bars, where we have reviews of the best sound bars at various price levels.
While you are buying, you are attentive to the sound bars that have audio tickets that coincide with your television outings. If your set has an optical audio output, good news: sound bars with optical inputs are (as we mentioned above) easy to find. That said, there are more and more sound bars (particularly the newest) that have only HDMI ports, so be sure to look carefully.
You will find many sound bars in the market with 3.5 mm analog or analogical inputs that will work with older televisions.
You will see less current sound bars with analog audio inputs than with optical connectors, but they are still reasonably easy to find, particularly when it comes to budgetary sound bars in the range of less than $ 200.
What you are looking for is a 3.5 mm audio connector (usually labeled as “aux in”) that connects to the Twin RCA connectors on your television through a Y -shaped adapter cable (keep reading to get help with the right cables).
Related: 10 things to consider when buying a sound bar
3. Look for virtualized 3D sound modes
In addition to having the correct connectors, you must also consider a sound bar with a virtual environment or 3D mode. Many of the latest sound bars have become remarkably experts in making fun of the wrap and 3D-computer audio with height effects, 5.1 or even 2.0 channel audio sources.
In particular, DTS Virtual: X is impressively effective to deceive their ears so that they think they listen to the sound from behind and even above their head, even when the original audio is only in stereo (which will be the case if your television only has RCA -style analog audio outings). And these are the very good news: you can find Virtual DTS: X Processing in sound bars that cost well south of $ 200.
Related: how the virtual audio is amplifying the latest sound bars
4. Use the correct optics or 3.5 mm to RCA cables
Once you have coincided with the Optical and/or RCA -style audio outputs on your TV with the coincident inputs in a sound bar, all you need to do is connect them with the right cables. Most of the sound bar manufacturers will include the appropriate optical cables (those that come with sound bars are usually quite short and thin) and the cables and RCA at 3.5 mm.
There are no cables in the box? Don’t worry; Both optical audio cables and the cables and RCA at 3.5 mm are available through Amazon and other online retailers. Wait for spending about $ 15 or so on an optical cable, while RCA cables at 3.5 mm can be obtained for less than $ 10.
The optical audio cables and the cables and RCA at 3.5 mm (in the photo) are easily available on Amazon, usually for less than $ 10 each.
5. Adjust the audio output configuration of your TV
It is also possible that you must make some adjustments to your television audio configuration. While some televisions may include the sound through their audio ports automatically, others may demand that you play with its audio configuration, simply start digging in the TV configuration menu.
You must also be attentive to a configuration that changes your television of the “fixed” audio output (which will allow the sound bar to control the volume) at the “variable” output (where the TV controls the volume). If the option exists, consider going to the “variable” configuration, which means that you will not need to change between your sound bar and TV remote every time you want to adjust the volume.
Ready to buy sound bars? See our guide to the best high -end options, with average range and budget.
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