If you have any issues with your soundbar, see our expert guide to common soundbar problems . How to set up your soundbar The answer could be simply that your soundbar isn't actually producing any audio, meaning you'll still be listening to your TV's speakers.

If you’re using a 3.5mm aux cable to connect to your soundbar, this is likely the culprit. First, ensure both ends of the cable are fully and securely inserted into your TV and soundbar. Make sure it’s not too close up against a wall, as this will result in boomy bass. You can put it inside your TV cabinet as long as it doesn’t cause distracting vibrations. 2. Keep it centred It’s rare to see these once-familiar red and white cables as a primary input for soundbars these days. Analogue cables are simple to set up by plugging the coloured plugs into the matching port.Less useful these days are analogue connections such as stereo RCA and 3.5mm inputs, and they’re becoming less common on soundbars, too. They’re still worth having for emergency use, but don’t worry too much if your soundbar doesn’t have these. Most TCL TVs come with HDMI ARC, so this should be your preferred connection for connecting and controlling your soundbar with a TCL TV remote. Make sure to use a high-speed HDMI cable that supports ARC and CEC control.

Close attention is paid to sound reproduction across the frequency spectrum, with a focus on the three cornerstones of soundbar performance: bass response, dialogue clarity and crispness of treble. If there are different EQ presets available, we’ll try these out with appropriate content and all tests are run at a variety of volume levels, including maximum volume to push the product to its limits. Start by turning the volume of the soundbar all the way down, using your soundbar remote. Then play around with the volume settings to find the optimal volumes on each device to produce the best sound for your system. You might need to change the delay and volume levels, as every room has its own shape, layout and furniture, and these all affect the sound. 5. Adjust the subwoofer level The digital optical and HDMI ARC connections are made just like the instructions above. You’ll use the Sound > Sound Out area to change the output to HDMI or optical. Like any other speaker system, soundbars benefit from a bit of extra time and care when you first set them up. Use our easy-to-follow guide to find out how you can get the best-quality audio from yours.Ideally, you’ll have walls to the left and the right of the soundbar to reflect the sounds to your ears. The Multibeam 1100 looks as good as it sounds, too, with an attractive and relatively compact design that houses a beautifully detailed LED display. Sadly, that display is positioned on top of the bar rather than on the front of it, meaning you can’t see it when watching TV. That minor gripe aside, there’s very little not to like about the Multibeam 1100. The absence of DTS:X support will be an issue for those with large Blu-ray collections, and adding rear speakers and a subwoofer for true sonic envelopment is costly, but neither issue prevents the Multibeam 1100 from rising above almost all of the single-speaker solutions on the market. When connecting through ARC, your TV may automatically recognize your connection after inserting the cable. Otherwise, use the menu on your VIZIO remote and go to System > CEC, then change the setting to ‘Disabled’, ‘Enabled’, or ‘ARC only’, based on your needs. Fortunately, we have an incredibly extensive range, so you can find almost any Hitachi control you need by entering the model number of the product into the search box. Choosing the right one for you While each TV brand’s method of connecting to and controlling your soundbar is slightly different, it’s fairly straightforward to connect the two. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to do to control a soundbar with your TV remote. Find the Optical or HDMI ARC Connection on both the Soundbar and TV