Insignia Soundbar Setup Guide – Complete Steps

What are the steps for the Insignia soundbar setup? If you’ve just bought such a soundbar, there are a few things you must pay attention to!

You must determine a good position when you are setting your Insignia soundbar. Next, check which connectivity solution you want to use and proceed by following the steps.

If you need some help handling the multiple ports on your Insignia soundbar and how to connect it to different devices, check the guide below!

Insignia Soundbar Setup – All You Need To Know

There are many steps involved in setting up your Insignia soundbar.

Some of them will depend on the model you’ve bought, and those are related to connectivity.

However, we will first approach general guidelines applying to all models.

Step #1: Place The Soundbar Correctly

We are not audio engineers, and neither are you (we believe). Still, there are a few guidelines about setting up a soundbar.

Such guidelines will ensure that:

• Audio quality is using the soundbar’s maximum capabilities
• Your soundbar does not interfere with other devices in the same room
• Your soundbar is safe

Finding the perfect balance between the three points above might be a challenge depending on where you want to place the soundbar. 

For example, if you have pets or kids at home, you probably don’t want a soundbar where they can easily reach you.

But, oddly, your kids might want to mess with the settings, and your pets will move it from the correct place.

Avoid Placing Toward Walls

Even though it is obvious, it is important to remember that your Insignia soundbar’s sound output should not be too close to the walls. 

For example, in a room that is 3x5ft, the best place for the soundbar is in the 3ft wall.

That way, audio can spread with better quality. On the other hand, if you place it on the 5ft wall, your experience will suffer from audio reflection.

Placing The Soundbar In The TV Room

If you are installing it in a TV room, the optimal place for your soundbar is below the TV on a shelf.

Remember not to place any other objects in front of it and attempt to clear its sides so the sound can be carried without issues through the room.

Placing The Soundbar On Your Desktop

On the other hand, you might want to use the soundbar with your desktop computer.

The optimal position for your soundbar should be right in front of your monitor.

It must face toward you and be angled upward for the best sound projection.

If possible, ensure that your keyboard or other peripherals do not block its sound output.

Placing The Soundbar Alone

Perhaps the soundbar will not be used for a fixed device such as a TV or a computer, but you simply want to keep it in your living room or bedroom.

In that case, put it on a shelf high from the ground where it can project its sound well across the room.

Tip: Remember to place the soundbar on a stable surface for all the situations above. If possible, check that it is well-leveled too. 

Step #2: Determine The Sort Of Connection You Will Use

Currently, Insignia sound bars present the following connectivity solutions:

• HDMI/HDMI-ARC
• USB (DAC)
• Optical input
• Bluetooth
• RCA

Sometimes your decision is bound by the devices you have at home.

However, you are free to choose other times, so let’s discuss those connectivity solutions.

The Best Audio Connectivities

The two best solutions are HDMI/HDMI-ARC and optical input. Most TVs and computers nowadays have HDMI as a standard for connecting external devices.

In addition, some TVs and other audio devices (such as subwoofers) also have optical input. 

Both connections are very stable and deliver high-quality audio. However, it would be advised to use optical input if available for the TV.

That way, you keep the HDMI ports free for other devices such as game consoles, TV sticks, etc.

Other Options

Older TVs will probably require you to use RCA, which is already dying out and is not the best audio transmission you have in your hands. 

As for a computer already using its HDMI output, the best option is using USB.

USB is behind HDMI in audio quality but is still very reliable. 

What About Bluetooth?

Even though Bluetooth is by far the most convenient connectivity at hand, it does not present the best audio.

Because it depends on waves, its audio quality or connection stability can drop if many objects are around.

That can cause the audio to cut or stutter sometimes.

Step #3: Connect Your Soundbar

How to set up the Insignia soundbar? Once you’ve settled on the connectivity method you will use, it is time we connect the soundbar. 

In the Insignia soundbar box, there is a power adapter.

So after you’ve chosen the place to position the device, you must connect the power adapter to the soundbar and a power outlet.

Method #1: Use Cables To Connect To The TV

You can choose whatever connection when you want to connect the soundbar to a TV.

All the wired connections are the same when plugging into the TV.

Here are the steps:

1. Press the Power button on the soundbar remote
2. Press “source” to choose the correct audio input
3. Connect the cord of the chosen connectivity on your soundbar
4. Connect the other end of the cord on the TV
5. Go to the TV’s settings
6. Choose the correct audio output

Pay attention to the source on your soundbar and the audio output on the TV’s settings. 

If your soundbar has four connectivity options, pay attention to the number on each of its ports.

Those numbers are also on the front of the soundbar, and a light for each one will blink when you press “source.”

That is how you know you are choosing the right source. The audio source you choose must also match the audio output on the TV.

So if you’ve connected using HDMI, you must choose it both in the soundbar’s source options and the TV’s audio output settings.

Note: All cabled inputs can be plugged in simultaneously. Since the Source button manages them, the audio will still be received correctly.

Method #2: Connect Via Bluetooth To The TV

To connect via Bluetooth, you will have to put the soundbar into pairing mode:

1. Press the (source) button on the remote control or the soundbar to adjust for the Bluetooth source
2. Wait to see a blue light blink slowly.

The TV must also enter pairing mode:

1. Press the “Menu” or “Settings” button on your TV remote.
2. Look for “Bluetooth” 
3. Turn on Bluetooth on your TV 

Now you can pair the devices:

1. The TV will automatically search for available devices.
2. Your device should show up as a serial number starting with “NS.”
3. If a PIN code is requested, enter “0000.”

Note: If the Bluetooth connection to the TV fails, try restarting both devices.

Method #3: Use Cables To Connect To A Computer

The types of connectivity available on your computer will depend on what its motherboard supports.

If you have a desktop PC, check the ports on its back. If you have a laptop, check the ports on its sides. 

Here is how to connect efficiently using wired solutions:

1. Press the Power button on the soundbar remote
2. Press “source” to choose the correct audio input
3. Connect the cord of the chosen connectivity on your soundbar
4. Connect the other end of the cord to the computer
5. Go to the computer’s audio settings
6. Choose the audio output that matches the source

Method #4: Connect Via Bluetooth To Any Bluetooth-Enabled Device

How to pair the Insignia soundbar? Method #4’s purpose is to show how you can connect your soundbar to a myriad of devices: computers, smartphones, tablets, and any other device that can send audio.

It only does not apply to TVs because TVs have a few extra steps when setting Bluetooth connections.

The first thing you must do is put the soundbar into pairing mode:

1. Press the (source) button on the remote control or the soundbar to adjust for the Bluetooth source
2. Wait to see a blue light blink slowly.

Next, go to your device’s Bluetooth settings.

1. Activate Bluetooth
2. Wait for the computer to find the soundbar
3. Once it finds it, choose to connect

Tip: If the device you are trying to connect can't find the Bluetooth soundbar, simply reset the Bluetooth on it.

What We Learned

Performing the Insignia soundbar setup is very easy. Once you understand how each connection works, there is no error to get the best audio quality.