How to Connect Headphones to a TV
One check in the sound menu decides your method. Here is the setup for TVs with Bluetooth, the fix for those without, and how to cure the lip sync.
Check whether your TV has Bluetooth before buying anything, because that single fact decides the method. Most Samsung, LG, Sony and Android TV sets made since around 2018 do, and pairing takes a minute in the sound menu. Sets without it need a transmitter on the optical or headphone output, which is a USD 30 accessory rather than a reason to replace the TV.
Every route has a lip sync consequence, and that is the part people discover after the connection works.
Find out what your TV has
Look in the sound menu for a sound output or audio output list. If it offers Bluetooth speaker list, Bluetooth audio device or similar, the TV has it.
Look at the back and side panels for a 3.5 mm headphone socket, an optical output marked Optical or Digital Audio Out, and red and white analog outputs.
The headphone socket has become rare on modern sets. Optical is almost always present, which is why transmitters connect there.
A TV that pairs with a Bluetooth remote or a game controller does not necessarily support Bluetooth audio, since those are different profiles. The sound menu is what tells you.
If the TV has Bluetooth
Put the headphones into pairing mode first, then:
- Samsung: Settings, Sound, Sound Output, Bluetooth Speaker List, then select the headphones.
- LG: Settings, Sound, Sound Out, then Bluetooth or LG Sound Sync and Device Selection.
- Sony and Android TV: Settings, Remotes and Accessories, Pair Accessory, or Settings, Display and Sound, Audio Output.
- TCL and Hisense on Google TV: Settings, Remotes and Accessories, Pair Accessory.
Roku TVs are the exception. Most do not pair headphones directly, but the Roku mobile app offers private listening, which sends the audio to your phone over Wi-Fi for headphones plugged into it. It works well and costs nothing.
Two limitations apply to almost all TV Bluetooth. Only one pair connects at a time on most sets, and the TV speakers usually mute when headphones connect, which is unhelpful if someone else is watching with you.
If the TV has no Bluetooth
A Bluetooth transmitter takes the TV’s audio output and broadcasts it. Connect it to the optical output where possible, since that carries a clean digital signal at fixed level.
- Plug the optical cable from the TV into the transmitter, and power it by USB.
- Set the TV’s audio output to PCM rather than Dolby Digital or Bitstream, since most transmitters cannot decode compressed formats and you get silence or static otherwise.
- Put both the transmitter and the headphones into pairing mode and let them find each other.
- Set the TV sound output to Optical or External Speaker.
Buy a transmitter supporting aptX Low Latency, and check your headphones support it too, since both ends need it. Without that you are looking at lip sync problems that no setting will fix.
Better transmitters support two headphone connections, which solves the shared watching problem. Our guide on connecting wireless headphones to a TV without Bluetooth goes into the hardware choices.
Dealing with lip sync
Bluetooth delay is the most common complaint after any of this works, and it is worst with standard codecs.
The fix in order of preference:
Use a low latency codec on both ends, which brings the delay down to around 40 milliseconds, below the threshold most people notice.
Use the TV’s audio delay setting, usually called Audio Delay, AV Sync or Lip Sync in the sound menu, and increase it until mouths and voices line up. This delays the video path to match, and it is the setting most owners never find.
If the source is a streaming box rather than the TV app, check the box has its own audio delay control, since adjusting it there is sometimes more effective.
Analog and wired connections have no delay at all, which is why the humble headphone socket remains the best option when a TV still has one.
Wired options that still work
A 3.5 mm socket on the TV takes headphones directly, though the socket is often set to mute the speakers and sometimes has its own volume control in the menu.
Red and white analog outputs take a 3.5 mm adapter cable. These are fixed level on some sets, meaning the TV volume control does nothing and you need headphones with their own volume wheel or an inline volume control.
A headphone amplifier is worth considering for long cable runs, since a 5 m cable from the TV to the sofa loses level and the TV output is often weak to begin with.
Many soundbars and AV receivers include a headphone socket, which sidesteps the TV entirely if your audio already goes through one.
If there is no sound after connecting
Check the TV’s sound output selection, since pairing a device and selecting it as the output are separate steps on most sets.
Check the digital audio format is set to PCM if a transmitter is involved.
Check the headphones are not connected to a phone at the same time, which is a frequent cause of silence from the TV.
Try the TV’s own apps rather than an external box, since the audio path differs and narrows down where the problem is.
If nothing works at all, our guide on why headphones stop working covers isolating the headphone from the source.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my TV supports Bluetooth headphones?
Open the sound menu and look for a sound output list. If it includes Bluetooth speaker list, Bluetooth audio device or similar, it supports them. A TV that pairs a Bluetooth remote does not necessarily support audio, since those use different profiles, so the sound menu is the reliable check.
Why is the sound behind the picture on my Bluetooth headphones?
Standard Bluetooth codecs add 100 to 200 milliseconds of delay. Use aptX Low Latency at both ends to bring it to around 40 milliseconds, and then use the TV’s audio delay, AV sync or lip sync setting to line the remainder up. Wired connections have no delay at all.
Can two people use headphones with one TV?
Rarely through the TV itself, since most sets support one Bluetooth audio device at a time. A transmitter supporting dual connections solves it, and so does a headphone amplifier with multiple sockets for wired listening. Roku’s private listening works for one phone at a time per app session.
Why do I get no sound through my Bluetooth transmitter?
Usually the digital audio format. Most transmitters accept PCM only and cannot decode Dolby Digital or Bitstream, which produces silence or static. Change the TV’s digital audio output format to PCM, then confirm the TV sound output is set to Optical or External Speaker.