You've bought a new soundbar like a Sonos Arc or Bose Smart that supports audio formats like Dolby Atmos. But your TV doesn't have Dolby Atmos. How do you get the best possible sound?
First, it's important to understand that a TV without Dolby Atmos support won't be able to produce better audio formats, no matter what soundbar you connect. This is because the apps on the TV can only play the audio formats that the TV itself supports. You would therefore first need to upgrade such a TV with an Atmos-capable player.
If you don't have an additional source device connected, such as a Fire TV, Apple TV, Blu-ray player, or a console like the Xbox, there's no way to optimize the sound. In this case, you can connect the soundbar directly to the TV's HDMI ARC port. This will give you the best possible sound under the given circumstances.
However, if you use an external player that supports more advanced audio formats like Dolby Atmos, you can enjoy even better sound quality. In this case, we recommend using an HDMI audio extractor or HDMI eARC pass switch that supports these formats. This bypasses your TV's limitation to HDMI ARC. This allows you to truly get the most out of your soundbar. The following devices are compatible with a current soundbar:
- AX310 - for a single player - also supports 8K / 4K120Hz for game consoles - no remote control required - fully automatic
- NEW: AX340 - for 1 to 4 players and 1 TV - supports 8K / 4K 120Hz - with remote control - automatic switching of inputs possible
- VAX04101 - for 1 to 3 players and 1 TV - supports 4K 60Hz - with remote control - automatic switching of inputs possible
- VAX04201 - for 1 to 3 players and 2 TVs - supports 4K 60Hz - with remote control - no automatic switching possible
Please note that many streaming services require Dolby Atmos to be 4K video. Your TV (or projector) should therefore be capable of handling 4K (UltraHD) video to use Atmos.
