How To Connect Onn Soundbar To TV With Optical Cable?

Asking how to connect Onn soundbar to TV with optical cable? Well, keep reading!

Having your Onn soundbar to output audio from an optical cable is really easy, as long as you’re familiar with your configuration.

In this post, you will learn the complete process of settings up the audio transfer from your soundbar to TV via the optical unit.

For connecting Onn soundbar with an optical cable, plug the cable into the OPT/OUT of your TV and then in the slot on the back of your Onn soundbar. Next, head to the audio settings and make sure to select the optical slot as an audio output for your TV device.

There are quite a few things that you should pay attention to when connecting your soundbar via optical cable.

Next, we’ll present the process in a step-by-step guide for the ones of you that have never done it before.

How to Hook Up Onn Soundbar To TV With Optical Cable?

Even if not commonly used, the optical unit is one of the best audio outputs you can provide your soundbar with.

The sound coming out of your soundbar will not be as good as when using HDMI ARC for instance, but it would still be high and clear quality.

Note: If you’re not an expert, the difference is indistinguishable.

Let’s now start with the very first step of connecting your Onn Soundbar to TV via optical cable:

Step #1 Inspect Your Setup

As of the first step, we suggest inspecting your setup. In other words, turn on both your TV and soundbar, which you’re going to wire up later.

Simply make sure the devices that are going to be connected with optical cable are turned on, so you can tell when the audio starts working.

If you’re setting up your Onn soundbar for the first time, you will know that your soundbar is up and running when the blue LED is flashing.

Any other light than that might mean your soundbar isn’t working correctly and we suggest hard resetting it to proceed further.

Step #2 Locate The Optical Inputs

Now that you have both your soundbar and TV working correctly, you must locate the optical slots.

With the Onn soundbar, it is relatively easy to find the optical slot on the back of the device.

Where Is The Optical Input On My Onn Soundbar?

The optical input on your soundbar should be located on the back of the device.

More accurately, you will have 3 inputs and, in the middle, it should be the optical one.

You will find that the input is round and has a little screw on it, where you have to tighten up the cable.

Where Is The Optical Input On My TV?

Based on whether your TV is smart or not, the optical input is usually located on the side panel of the TV.

With older models, it could even be on the back of the TV and it should look alike the one on your soundbar.

Look for an input that has a label and states “OPTICAL/OUT”, or just “OPT/OUT”. This is the optical output where you have to attach the cable later.

Now that you found the inputs both on your soundbar and TV, that means that they can be connected, and it will work. 

Let’s move on to the next step where you will get an appropriate optical cable.

Step #3 Get An Optical Cable

In this step, you will be getting an optical cable that will fit your configuration perfectly.

Having a short cable, for example, might cause it to stay in unnatural positions and twist its body.

This is what you really want to avoid in order to retain your soundbar’s audio clear.

We suggest measuring the distance between your soundbar and TV and getting a cable that is at least a few inches longer.

This way, you will always have allowance in your configuration, and you won’t have to re-position your TV or Soundbar so the cable can reach in.

Now when you know that your TV and Soundbar can be hooked up via optical cable and you have a cable long enough to be in a resting position, it’s time to connect both devices.

Step #4 Connect The Optical Cable

Once you’re here the process is almost over. Is time to connect your soundbar to the TV using the optical cable you’ve got earlier.

Double-check if everything is running normally and proceed with the steps down below to connect your optical cable:

1. Position your devices in comfortable places to secure the optical cable.
2. Connect the first end of your optical unit, onto the OPTICAL/OUT, slot on your TV.
3. Plug the other end of the optical cable, into the only available optical slot on your soundbar.

Once you’re done with the steps above, you will want to make sure that the cable is in a natural position. 

It is quite important for the cables in general, especially for the optical units.

Your TV might still be using its in-built speakers to output audio, so you would have to choose another audio output device. Let’s learn how in the last step.

Step #5 Configure TV Audio Settings

Now that you know how to connect Onn soundbar to TV with optical cable, your last step is to activate the optical output from your device’s settings.

Since we cannot provide you with a straightforward guide for your exact TV model, down below is universal instructions on how to configure the TV audio outputs:

1. Head to the menu of your TV and enter the settings configuration.
2. Search for a tab labeled as “Audio”.
3. Enter the audio tab and locate the “output” slider.
4. From there, choose “Optical input” or “OPTICAL/OUT”.
5. Save the changes you’ve made to the input of your TV.

Some TV devices may have a default audio device.

If no third-party home theatre or soundbar is connected, the default device would be your TV’s in-built speakers. You will want to change the default device to your soundbar.

Tip: By changing this feature, you might be able to optimize shared boot for your TV and soundbar. 

In other words, your soundbar will start automatically when you turn ON your TV.

To connect Onn soundbar to your TV via optical connection, first, prepare your setup and locate the optical inputs. Next, acquire a long enough optical cable and attach it to the “OPTICAL/OUT” input on your TV and to the OPT/IN on your soundbar. Lastly, go to your TV’s audio settings and save the audio output to “optical”.

Read Next: How To Connect Onn Subwoofer To Soundbar?

Bottom Line:

After learning how to connect Onn soundbar to TV with optical cable, we hope you were able to set up your configurations and make your soundbar work.

Even if optical is not widely used nowadays, it is still good cable connectivity when it comes down to output audio devices!

If this guide was helpful to you, don’t miss out on more and check out our online technical blog to find many more solutions for your smart home inquiries.