Your soundbar should always sound better than a flat-panel TV’s built-in speakers, but I’m willing to bet it’s not working at its peak potential. If your audio still feels flat, compressed, or underwhelming, instead of bigger, clearer, and more cinematic, the issue might not be your speaker at all, but the cable that connects it.
Plenty of people I know still rely on optical (TOSLINK) audio cables for their soundbars. This is perfectly understandable, as for years it was the standard for soundbar connections, and many TVs still feature an optical port. However, technology has moved on. Now that streaming services deliver immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X an optical connection becomes congested with all that extra data. The answer? Opt for an HDMI ARC (or eARC) connection and prepare to be amazed at the difference it makes.
Optical audio is a dying format
TOSLINK cables physically can’t carry modern surround formats
Digital connectivity is continually expanding, and as devices and services become more advanced, they require more bandwidth to function. Optical cables were designed decades ago, when stereo and basic surround sound were the standard. As a result, the most they can handle is compressed 5.1 formats like Dolby Digital and DTS.
Even when delivered in compressed formats, modern streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video rely on Dolby Atmos metadata. Optical simply cannot pass this much information, so what does your TV do? It downmixes your audio to a simpler format, so even though your soundbar supports Atmos, it isn’t delivering the goods.
HDMI ARC carries more data and better audio
One cable that fully unlocks all your soundbar’s features
HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) was designed to address this problem. Unlike optical, it can carry higher-bandwidth audio formats, including Dolby Digital Plus, which most streaming services use for Atmos. You can go one better with HDMI eARC, which is available on newer TVs and soundbars. This offers a larger bandwidth and supports uncompressed formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS:X.
If your TV and soundbar both support ARC (or eARC), then you’re all set—prepare to experience full immersive sound in all its glory. However, there’s more to this than just improved sound quality. Switching to HDMI ARC improves the overall experience by supporting automatic lip-sync correction, helping prevent the annoying delay between dialogue and actors’ mouths. It also supports HDMI-CEC, so your TV remote can control your soundbar’s volume and power, keeping your coffee table clutter-free. Compared to optical’s simple audio conduit, these features are a real game-changer.
Some say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”
The argument that optical is more reliable and just works
There are plenty of folks who say optical cables work just fine, and, to be fair, they do have a reputation for reliability. As a guitarist who uses quarter-inch jack connectors invented in 1877, I understand this mentality. Optical is simple, immune to electrical interference, and there’s usually no setup headaches.
HDMI ARC, on the other hand, can sometimes be finicky. CEC connectivity can fail, settings can be overly complicated, and brand compatibility isn’t always straightforward. Users who primarily watch cable TV and older content and want their soundbar to deliver sound with minimal fuss might feel that optical is the safer choice. Additionally, compared with a TV’s built-in speakers, any soundbar is a significant upgrade in audio quality, which may be sufficient for casual users.
Reliability isn’t worth sacrificing performance
A few minutes of setup unlocks years of better sound
While it may require a little extra effort to get an HDMI ARC setup all singing and dancing, as long as it’s configured correctly, it’s no less stable than optical, and the payoff is significant. Not only are you getting much higher-quality audio, better format support, improved vocal syncing, and easier control, but you are also future-proofing your system for future developments that require higher bandwidth.
Content is constantly evolving, and it’s increasingly essential to move with the times. With streaming, gaming, and physical media now built around HDMI audio standards, sticking with optical is like choosing compatibility with the past rather than the present. Perhaps most importantly, if you paid for a soundbar that provides Dolby Atmos or advanced surround sound, you deserve to get your money’s worth. For the relatively small price of a cable, it should be an easy decision.
Switching to HDMI ARC could be the easiest audio upgrade you ever made
The simple truth is that, while optical audio isn’t bad (after all, anything is better than your TV’s built-in speakers), it is outdated. Modern surround sound formats and immersive audio require a broader bandwidth, and HDMI ARC and, in particular, eARC were created to meet this demand.
If your soundbar supports HDMI ARC and your TV has the port, there’s no good reason not to use it. One cable swap can unlock better sound quality, better features, and improved functionality. Before you blame your soundbar, check the cable. If you find yourself regretting buying a soundbar, chances are this relatively inexpensive piece of tech could make all the difference.