Connect Wireless Headphones to a TV Without Bluetooth
A transmitter on the optical output costs USD 25 to 60 and solves it. Here are four routes by what your TV has, and the codec that fixes lip sync.
Use a Bluetooth transmitter plugged into the TV’s optical or 3.5 mm output, at USD 25 to 60. It takes audio from the television and broadcasts it to your headphones, which is exactly what a TV with built in Bluetooth would do. Choose one supporting a low latency codec, because standard Bluetooth adds 100 to 200 milliseconds and puts lips visibly out of sync.
There are three other routes worth knowing, and which one suits you depends entirely on what outputs your television has.
Check what the TV actually has
Look at the connector panel and find the outputs rather than the inputs.
Optical, marked TOSLINK or Digital Audio Out. The best option for a transmitter, since it carries a clean digital signal and is present on almost every television made in the last fifteen years.
A 3.5 mm headphone jack or red and white RCA outputs. Common on older and cheaper sets, and increasingly absent on new ones.
HDMI ARC or eARC only, which is where many recent slim televisions have ended up. This needs an extra step, covered below.
If your set has none of those, it is unusual, and a soundbar with a Bluetooth output is the remaining route.
The transmitter route
A Bluetooth transmitter is a small box that takes an audio input and broadcasts it. Plug it into the optical or 3.5 mm output, put your headphones in pairing mode, and press the pair button on the transmitter.
Three things to look for when buying.
A low latency codec, meaning aptX Low Latency or aptX Adaptive. This brings the delay under about 40 milliseconds, which is the difference between watchable and unwatchable. Your headphones must support the same codec for it to engage, which is the detail most people miss.
Dual output, if two people want to listen. Many transmitters broadcast to two headphones at once, which is the common reason people buy one.
Optical input, rather than analog only, since it avoids the noise and level problems a 3.5 mm connection can introduce.
Expect USD 25 to 60. The very cheap ones are typically SBC only, which means full latency and no lip sync.
If the TV only has HDMI ARC
An HDMI audio extractor sits between the TV and whatever else, splitting off the audio to an optical or analog output that a transmitter can then use.
Expect USD 25 to 60, and check it supports the resolution and refresh rate your setup uses, and that it handles HDCP, since a non compliant unit produces a black screen.
Some transmitters now include an HDMI ARC input directly, which combines both boxes into one and is tidier if you can find one that suits.
Our guide on connecting speakers to a TV covers the output options in more detail.
The alternatives
RF wireless headphones, sold specifically for television use. A base station plugs into the TV and the headphones connect over radio rather than Bluetooth. Latency is essentially zero, range is much better than Bluetooth, and the headphones themselves are usually mediocre and only work with that base station. USD 60 to 200, and genuinely the right answer for someone who watches a lot of television and does not care about using the headphones anywhere else.
A streaming box with Bluetooth. If you watch through an Apple TV, a Chromecast, a Fire TV or a games console, most of those pair Bluetooth headphones directly, bypassing the television entirely. Free if you already own one, and it only covers content played through that box rather than broadcast television.
Your phone as the source. Watching through a streaming app on a phone or tablet paired to your headphones sidesteps the whole problem, at the cost of the screen size.
A long headphone cable, which sounds like a joke and is a legitimate answer for someone sitting eight feet from the set with a 3.5 mm output available. Zero latency, no batteries, USD 10.
Choosing
| Situation | Best route | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| TV has optical, you own good headphones | Low latency Bluetooth transmitter | USD 25 to 60 |
| Two people listening | Dual output transmitter | USD 30 to 60 |
| TV has HDMI ARC only | Audio extractor plus transmitter | USD 50 to 120 |
| Heavy TV use, headphones not needed elsewhere | RF headphones with base station | USD 60 to 200 |
| Watching through a streaming box | Pair to the box directly | Free |
| Sitting close, TV has a 3.5 mm output | A long cable | USD 10 |
Getting the sound right afterward
Set the TV’s digital output to PCM rather than Bitstream when using an optical transmitter, since most transmitters do not decode Dolby Digital and the result is silence or static.
Check whether the TV mutes its own speakers when an external output is active, since many do and that is a problem when someone else wants to listen normally. Some sets have a setting to keep both running, often under accessibility rather than sound.
If lips are out of sync, look for an audio delay or lip sync adjustment in the television’s sound settings and adjust in small steps while watching someone speak.
Keep the transmitter in line of sight rather than behind the television, since the metal chassis attenuates the signal considerably.
Frequently asked questions
How do I connect wireless headphones to a TV without Bluetooth?
Plug a Bluetooth transmitter into the television’s optical or 3.5 mm output, at USD 25 to 60, then pair your headphones to the transmitter. Choose one supporting a low latency codec such as aptX Low Latency, and check your headphones support the same codec, since otherwise the delay stays at 100 to 200 milliseconds and lips fall out of sync.
What if my TV only has HDMI ARC?
Use an HDMI audio extractor between the TV and your other equipment, which splits off an optical or analog output for a transmitter to use. Expect USD 25 to 60, and check it supports your resolution and refresh rate and handles HDCP. Some transmitters now include an HDMI ARC input directly, which combines both boxes into one.
Are RF TV headphones better than Bluetooth?
For television specifically, often yes. RF headphones with a base station have essentially zero latency and considerably better range than Bluetooth, which matters if you move around the house. The tradeoff is that the headphones are usually mediocre and only work with their own base station, so they are a poor buy if you want one pair for everything.
Why is there no sound after connecting a transmitter?
Usually the digital output format. Set the television to PCM rather than Bitstream, since most transmitters do not decode Dolby Digital and produce silence or static when fed it. Also check the TV has actually switched its audio output to the external connection, and that the transmitter is paired rather than merely powered.