Modern Xiaomi TVs are famous for their stylish design and smart features of the Android TV platform, but often their built-in speakers leave much to be desired. The thin body physically does not allow you to accommodate powerful acoustic systems, which loses the depth of bass and sound volume when watching movies or playing. Connecting external acoustics is the most effective way to turn an ordinary room into a home theater without significant financial investments.
Owners of Mi TV and Redmi TV devices have several options for extending their audio system, from simple wired solutions to modern wireless protocols. The choice of the specific method depends on the model of your TV, the type of acoustics available and personal preferences for sound quality. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods, help avoid typical errors and customize the perfect sound.
Before switching, it is important to determine which connectors are present on the back of your device. Models can differ in the presence of an optical output, the quality of a Bluetooth module or support for ARC technology. Understanding the technical characteristics of your equipment will allow you to choose the optimal connection path and avoid buying unnecessary adapters.
Preparation of equipment and choice of connection type
The first step is always to visually inspect the back or side of the TV, and that's where the ports are going to be transmitted through the audio signal, and make sure you can see the markings clearly, because you're confusing them. HDMI (ARC) conventional HDMI It is very easy, and this will result in no sound.
If you plan to use a wireless connection, make sure your speaker is in pairing mode.For wired options, you may need additional cables that often don't come bundled with budget acoustics), AUX-cable 3.5 mm or HDMI-high-capacity cable.
Special attention should be paid to supporting sound standards. Many modern soundbars and receivers support Dolby Digital or DTS surround sound. To take advantage of these features, the TV must transmit a signal in the appropriate format, which often requires switching settings in the system menu.
Wireless connection via Bluetooth
The easiest and most popular way to buy no extra wires is to use Bluetooth technology. Virtually all modern Xiaomi Mi TV Stick, Mi Box and smart TVs have a built-in module, which is ideal for connecting portable speakers or compact soundbars.
To get started, you need to activate the search mode on your speaker system, usually by holding a power button or a special button with a Bluetooth image for a long time, and once the indicator on the speaker starts flashing quickly, you can move to the settings of the TV.
⚠️ Attention: When connected via Bluetooth, there may be a slight delay in sound (latency), which can be noticeable when watching dynamic action movies or playing when the shot occurs later than the visual effect.
On the remote, click the settings button (cogs) and go to Settings. Select Remote and Accessories or Bluetooth, depending on the version of the Android TV operating system. The TV will start scanning available devices within range.
- 🔍 Turn on the column pairing mode before you start searching on the TV.
- 📺 In the Bluetooth menu, select "Add Accessory" or wait for your column name to appear in the list.
- 🔗 Click on the name of the pairing device and confirm the action if required.
- 🔊 After successful connection, the sound will automatically switch from the TV speakers to the external system.
If the connection is established but there is no sound, check the audio output settings. In some cases, the system may leave the output to the internal speakers, requiring manual switching, and it is worth considering that the quality of Bluetooth transmission may be inferior to wired counterparts due to compression of the audio stream.
Use of HDMI ARC and eARC connector
The best way to transmit sound is to use an interface. HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel, which allows you to stream high-resolution multichannel audio and, most importantly, control the volume of the speaker directly from the TV remote, eliminating the need to use two remotes at once.
To implement this method, make sure that both the TV and the acoustic system (soundbar or receiver) support ARC technology. On the back of a Xiaomi TV, the desired port is usually signed with the appropriate acronym. Using a regular HDMI port without ARC support will not allow you to transmit sound to an external device.
Sequence of action:
1. Connect the HDMI cable to the ARC-marked port on the TV.
2. connect the second end of the cable to the HDMI OUT (ARC) port on the soundbar.
3. Turn on both devices and wait for the system to boot.Once you have a physical connection, you need to activate the function in the software part. Go to Settings -> Sound -> Additional settings. Find Digital Output or S/PDIF and ARC and select Pass-through or Auto mode, which will allow the TV to transmit the original audio stream without additional processing.
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Use only certified HDMI cables version 1.4 or higher. Cheap cables may not support the audio stream backwards that is required for ARC to operate.
The newer models’ eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) technology delivers even more bandwidth, which is critical for object sound formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. If your acoustics support these formats, using eARC is the only way to unlock their potential.
Optical output connection (S/PDIF)
Optical output (Toslink) is a classic and reliable way of connecting, which is present on most Mi models. TV. It transmits digital audio through pulses of light, which completely eliminates the effects of electromagnetic interference, and the sound quality here is much higher than using analog cable. AUX.
To connect, you'll need a Toslink cable, and one end is inserted into an S/PDIF or Optical port on your TV, and the other end is inserted into the appropriate input on the speaker or receiver, and the cable has protective caps on the ends that you need to remove before use, but you shouldn't remove them in advance so as not to contaminate the end with dust.
| Characteristics | Optical cable (Toslink) | AUX cable (3.5 mm) | HDMI ARC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signal type | Digital. | Analog | Digital. |
| Maximum quality | 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital | Stereo (2.0) | 7.1, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X |
| Control from the remote | Partially (depending on model) | No (usually) | Yes (full) |
| Support for video signal | No (only sound) | No (only sound) | Yes. |
In the settings of the TV, you need to manually switch the output. Go to the Settings -> Sound -> Output and select Optical Output or External Speakers. Also in the Digital Format menu, you should choose Auto or PCM, unless the speaker decodes complex surround sound formats.
Why is there no sound through the optical output?
An important advantage of optical connectivity is that it lacks the latency of Bluetooth. However, this method does not allow you to control the volume of the soundbar from Xiaomi’s native remote in all scenarios.
Analog connection via AUX and 3.5mm jack
If your speaker system doesn't have digital inputs, the only option is analog connection. The 3.5mm (Mini Jack) connector is often labeled as Audio Out or represented by the headphone symbol. This method is universal and allows you to connect almost any active speaker or computer acoustics.
The sound quality will depend on the TV’s built-in digital-to-analog converter (DAC) – on Xiaomi’s budget DAC models, it can be simple, resulting in background noise or insufficient detail in high frequencies – but it’s enough for normal TV viewing.
- 🎧 Use a quality cable AUX screening to minimize interference.
- 🔌 Make sure the cable is inserted before the characteristic click into the connectors of both devices.
- 🔉 In the audio settings, select "Line output" or "Hearphones" if no automatic switching has occurred.
It's worth noting that when connected via an analog connector, the TV's internal speakers are usually turned off automatically, and the volume is adjusted simultaneously on the TV and on the speakers, if they have their own amplifier. For best results, set the volume on the TV to 80-90%, and perform the main adjustment on the speakers.
⚠️ Attention: Cables AUX Cheap wires can bleach or crack when you're moving. If you hear extraneous noises, try replacing the cable with better quality.
This method is also handy in that it allows you to quickly turn off the external acoustics and return the sound to the TV just by pulling out the plug.This can be useful if you watch a news channel during the day and want to watch a surround sound movie through HDMI in the evening.
Customizing the sound and troubleshooting problems
After physical connection, it often requires fine tuning of the software part. Android TV on board Xiaomi offers quite flexible tools for calibration. Go to the Sound menu and pay attention to the equalizer. Movies or Custom Mode, where you can add bass, are often suitable for movies.
One of the common problems with audio and video desynchronization is that if actors' lips are not moving in the rhythm of their voice, look at the settings for Sound Delay Correction or Audio Delay. By changing the value in milliseconds, you can achieve a perfect match. Usually, a 50-150 ms shift is enough.
☑️ Diagnostics of lack of sound
It’s also worth checking Dolby Digital’s settings. If your system doesn’t decode this format, turn on the Dolby Digital Plus option –> Off or switch the output format to PCM. This will force the TV to decode the sound itself before sending it to an external device, which solves the silence problem in the YouTube menu or app.
In some cases, resetting the audio settings to factory values helps, especially if you've experimented with different combinations of cables and equalizer settings, resetting will return the standard settings, after which the connection often happens automatically and correctly.
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If the sound appears but is quiet or hoarse, check to see if the TV is on Night Mode or volume limit, which is often activated by default for hearing safety.