Modern Xiaomi TVs often offer impressive images, but standard audio settings may not satisfy the demanding user immediately after unpacking. Many owners find that the dialogue in movies sounds quiet, and the music compositions are devoid of depth and bass. This is not a defect, but rather a feature of software signal processing that can and should be adjusted.
The right audio configuration unlocks the potential of embedded speakers or external speakers. Android TV or PatchWall has a variety of tools that allow you to tailor your sound to a specific room and genre of content. Below we will discuss in detail how to achieve the perfect audio.
Before you make any changes to complex parameters, make sure that the base volume levels are set correctly. Sometimes the problem is not with the equalizer settings, but with desynchronizing the volume levels of the TV itself and the connected signal source, such as a console or media player. Make sure that the volume button on the remote is active for the TV, not for the external device.
Access to the main sound parameters in the menu
The first step to sound quality is to navigate the system interface, and the path to settings can vary slightly depending on the version of the MIUI for TV firmware or the shell installed, most often you need to press the menu button on the remote control or go to the upper right corner of the screen where the gear is located.
In the window that opens, select the partition that controls the device, which can be called "Sound", "Audio" or be part of the general settings of the system, depending on the location, and this is where the key switches that control the speaker operation are located.
⚠️ Note: If you use an external soundbar through an optical output, make sure the settings select the correct output type, otherwise the built-in speakers may continue to work, creating an echo.
You can use a combination of buttons on the remote to quickly access frequently used functions. Usually, long-term retention of a button with a gear or a special button with a setting icon causes a pop-up menu, and you can quickly change the sound mode or turn off the sound without entering the deep menu.
Sound modes and equalizer
One of the most useful features is the choice of audio profile (presets). Xiaomi TVs offer several use cases, each of which handles frequencies differently. The standard mode is suitable for most tasks, but for movies or music, it is better to choose a specialized option.
The only way to fine-tune the frequencies is to have a built-in equalizer, which allows you to manually adjust the low, medium and high frequencies. If you don't hear speech in movies, try raising the middle frequencies. To add power to explosions and bass lines, increase the value of low frequencies.
Setup of the equalizer requires a personalized approach, because the acoustics of the room greatly affect perception. In small rooms with a lot of upholstered furniture, high frequencies can be absorbed, whereas in empty rooms with a tile floor, they will, on the contrary, resonate and create an unpleasant ringing.
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Use Movie Mode only when watching movies with a quality mix. For news channels and sports broadcasts, this mode can over-magnify background noises and make the speaker's voice less legible.
There is also the possibility of resetting all settings to factory settings if the slider experiments have caused distortions, which will return the audio profile to the original state set by the company's engineers.
Dolby surround sound and DTS technologies
Many Xiaomi TVs support the decoding of surround sound formats such as Dolby Audio and DTS-HD. These technologies allow you to create a presence effect even when using a stereo system. Activating these features can significantly improve the perception of the soundtrack in supported content.
To turn on the technology, you need to find the appropriate switch in the audio menu, often marked by the Dolby logo or the words "Virtual Surround", and when activated, the TV processor begins to virtually expand the sound scene, creating the illusion that there are additional speakers around the viewer.
| Technology | Description of effect | Recommended use |
|---|---|---|
| Dolby Audio | Improves clarity of dialogue and adds depth to bass | Movies, TV shows, streaming |
| DTS Virtual:X | Creates the effect of multi-channel 3D sound | Fighters, concerts, games |
| No treatment. | Direct signal transmission without effects | High-resolution music (Hi-Res) |
Consider that activating complex audio processing algorithms can create minimal audio latency, which is mostly invisible when watching video, but when connecting a game console via HDMI, it is better to switch to game mode or disable post-processing so that the sound of the shots matches the picture.
Why does the sound sometimes fall behind the video?
Connecting external acoustics and saunbars
The TV’s built-in speakers are physically limited in size, so it often requires external acoustics to produce a truly powerful and clean sound. Xiaomi TV supports connecting saunbars and audio systems through various interfaces, each with its own customization features.
The best audio transmission is provided by the HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) connector, which allows you to transmit high-resolution multichannel sound and control the volume of the saunbarra from the TV remote, you need to connect the HDMI cable to the ARC-marked port and select the appropriate signal source in the menu.
- 🎧 Optical output (S/PDIF): A reliable way to transmit digital sound, supports Dolby Digital formats, but does not transmit volume control from the TV remote in some configurations.
- 🔵 Bluetooth: convenient for wireless headphones and speakers, but can delay and compress the audio stream, reducing quality.
- 🔌 AUX (3.5 mm: analog connection, suitable for older speakers, sound quality depends on the digital-to-analog converter of the TV.
When connecting via Bluetooth, it is important to correctly configure the device type. The TV may mistakenly identify the connected speaker as a phone or vice versa, which will lead to improper channel allocation. From the Bluetooth device menu, select the Audio System or Headphones profile depending on the type of gadget.
⚠️ Attention: When you use Bluetooth headphones, the sound in the TV speakers automatically turns off. If you want to stream the sound simultaneously to the headphones and external speakers, standard system tools can not do this without special adapters.
Set up synchronization of audio and video
One of the common problems with digital television and streaming is the dissynchronization of sound and image, where actors' lips can move earlier or later than spoken words, a phenomenon known as lip-sync error that often occurs when using wireless headphones or complex receivers.
Some versions of Xiaomi firmware have manual audio delay settings available, and you can find this option in advanced audio settings, often hidden in the engineering menu, or only available when you connect certain devices. If you don't have that option, try changing the settings in the video app itself.
☑️ Diagnosis of desynchronization
It’s also worth checking the settings of a particular app, like YouTube or Netflix, that sometimes have separate sliders on their internal menus to correct the sound delay, which take precedence over the system settings of the TV, which is especially true for older versions of apps.
Using a TV as a Bluetooth headset
A unique feature of some Xiaomi models is the ability to use the TV itself as a Bluetooth transmitter to connect wireless headphones, which allows you to watch movies late at night without disturbing others with loud noises.
To activate the mode, you need to go to the Bluetooth menu, select Add Device, and put the headphones into pairing mode. Once successfully connected, the entire audio stream will be redirected to the headset.
If you fail to connect the first time, try removing the device from the forgotten list and repeat the procedure. Sometimes it helps to completely reset the Bluetooth module in the system settings. Also make sure that the headphones are not connected at this time to another smartphone or tablet.
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For games using a Bluetooth headset, the delay of sound can be critical, in such cases it is preferable to use a wired connection via a 3.5 mm connector or an optical output with an external DAC.
Solution: No sound or quiet sound
If the sound is completely absent after all the settings or remains unnaturally quiet, the problem may be of a software or hardware nature. The first thing to check is whether Do Not Disturb or Subtitles Only is activated.
A common cause of silent sound is the wrong audio stream format. If the source is sending a signal in a format that the TV cannot decode (for example, multichannel DTS on a model without a license), the sound may be absent or very quiet. Switching the output format to PCM in the source settings often solves the problem.
If the software methods don't work, it may be a hardware malfunction of the speakers or amplifier. However, before you bring the device to the service, try to reset the TV completely, which will delete all user data and return the system to its original state, which often eliminates software failures of the audio drivers.