How to Connect Your Wireless Headphones to Any TV?

Want to binge-watch shows without disturbing others in the house? Well, wireless headphones are the perfect solution – watch on full volume at any time of the day! Different people have different reasons why they want to connect wireless headphones to their TV – some want to cut off household chaos, whereas others don’t want to wake up their flatmates while watching their favorite show at night.

Whatever your reason may be, if you are wondering whether it is possible to connect the wireless headphones to your TV device, then the answer is yes, you can. And here, we are going to see how you can make it possible.

Table of Contents

Tutorial Lesson 1: How do wireless headphones work with a TV?

When it comes to personal listening, wireless headphones are a perfect option. Now, if your television has in-built Bluetooth, you can directly connect your Bluetooth TV headphones with it. If you already have headphones, you can use them but if you are interested in an enhanced listening experience, check out some more Bluetooth headphones that will provide you ANC, great audio output, and faster connections without any interference, and no audio lag.

Now, what if your TV doesn’t have an in-built Bluetooth feature? In that case, you need to choose a good-quality Bluetooth audio transmitter.

For a wireless connection where you don’t have to deal with dangling cables around you, there are two things that you need – a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver. The sounds you hear with your headphones are analog signals, whereas the wireless transmitter gives out digital signals. The wireless receiver acts as the middleman and converts the digital signals into analog signals.

In this case, your wireless headphones for your tv act as the wireless receiver. But when it comes to the wireless transmitter, you can use your TV itself when it has an in-built Bluetooth connection. If it doesn’t, then a Bluetooth audio transmitter will act in its place. If you want to know whether your TV has Bluetooth support, jump to Tutorial Lesson 2.

Tutorial Lesson 2: How to check if your TV has Bluetooth support?

Many people make the mistake of assuming that their TV supports Bluetooth, whereas, in reality, not all TVs have an in-built Bluetooth feature. But there are ways in which you can check it out. They are as follows –

If you have bought a Smart TV, then it probably has Bluetooth support, but you can further confirm it, as you’ll see here.
In the case of a Samsung TV, check the Remote. If it is a Smart Remote, then it has built-in Bluetooth. If you cannot understand from the remove, then move on to the next point.
You can always check the Settings in Samsung TVs to confirm whether it has built-in Bluetooth or not. Select the Sound option from the Settings menu. Then, click on Sound Output. If you see the Bluetooth Speaker List option on your screen, it is confirmed that your TV has Bluetooth support.
But if your TV is of a different brand than Samsung, then the first thing you should do is check the User Manual. There, you should find information regarding Bluetooth support of the television. Other than that, you check the ‘Audio’ settings from the menu.
Lastly, if you do not find a service menu on your television, the chances are that it has a hidden service menu that you need to look up. When technicians perform diagnostic checkups, this menu comes into play.

Yes, My TV does have Bluetooth Support.

If your TV has Bluetooth support, your life just became a little bit easier so, congratulations! You don’t have to go through too much hassle.

How to connect Bluetooth headphones to the TV?

When you have Bluetooth headphones, life becomes effortless because they can be connected to Bluetooth-enabled devices in a few seconds! But that only applies to your laptop or a mobile phone; in the case of TV, a person needs to go through a series of steps before one can connect the Bluetooth headphones to their TV.

Here is a step-by-step breakdown of everything you need to do –

Step 1 – Firstly, set your headphones to pairing mode. To know that your wireless headphones have entered the pairing mode, look for the blue blinking light on them.
Step 2 – Since your TV supports Bluetooth, turn on the function. Accessing Bluetooth is different for each TV. In this example, we will list the steps you need to follow for an LG TV.

You can either press the Gear icon on your Remote or choose Settings from the menu on the screen.
Then, click on the ‘Sound’ option. Then, go to ‘Sound Out’ and click on it.

Step 3 – After you have enabled the Bluetooth, your TV will perform a scan to search for all the Bluetooth-enabled devices in its vicinity that have been set to pairing mode.

Then, go to the option ‘LG SoundSync/Bluetooth.’ After that, you will see ‘Device Selection.’ Select it.
Your television will then start to look for available Bluetooth-enabled devices around it.

Step 4 – Once the scanning has been completed, your TV will show you a list of detected devices. You should be able to spot your Bluetooth headphones in that list. Under the ‘Available Devices’ section, all the Bluetooth-enabled devices set to pairing mode will be listed.
Step 5 – From that list, you need to choose your pair of headphones. After the pairing has been completed, check the ‘Paired Devices’ section. Your Bluetooth headphones should be listed there.

Congratulations! You have successfully connected your Bluetooth headphones to your TV.

Check out this link to know more about how to connect your headphones to any TV with Bluetooth.

Kristin’s YouTube video on How to Connect Bluetooth Wireless Headphones to any TV is worth a watch!

No, My TV has not got Bluetooth Support.

If your TV does not have Bluetooth support, there is no need to panic because there are ways in which you can connect your wireless headphones to any TV. Let’s have a look.

How to Connect Wireless Headphones to TV without Bluetooth?

If the built-in Bluetooth feature is not available for your TV, you need to buy a Bluetooth transmitter. They are not costly, and if you check on Amazon, you will get them in a reasonably affordable price range. In fact, they cost much less than upgrading your TV to a Bluetooth-enabled one.

You can also opt for other devices that will help in the process, like dedicated wireless headphones, media streamers, and gaming consoles.

Out of all these options, the Bluetooth transmitter will be the most pocket-friendly option. Depending on the brand, you can get them anywhere in the range of $10-$40. The transmitters either rely on a USB connection or a 3.5mm headphone jack. Here’s a small tip – before you make any purchase, don’t forget to check your TV to know which audio outputs it supports; otherwise, you will end up buying the wrong product.

Bluetooth Audio Transmitter

If your TV doesn’t have the Bluetooth feature, then one of the easiest ways to connect your wireless headphones is to opt for a Bluetooth audio transmitter. They are an external device with the help of which you can connect your wireless headphones to your TV.

They simply need to be connected to the audio output of your TV, and the audio will be transmitted through Bluetooth even though your television is not Bluetooth-enabled.

Quick Lesson 3: Checking what audio output is available on your TV

Irrespective of the TV model you have at home, it is of utmost importance that you check its audio output to ensure that it is compatible with the setup that you are planning. Making sure of this detail beforehand will save you from a lot of complications later.

There are different types of audio outputs that televisions have, and here, we are going to discuss some of the most common ones –

AUDIO – The audio output that is marked as ‘AUDIO’ is meant for the 3.5mm headphone jack. Wired headphones and wired speakers are some common devices that use these audio jacks. You will find a lot of audio devices having this connection which makes it popular among the masses.
L and R – These are for the RCA jacks. You will usually find them in red and white colors to make it easier for people to understand where to plug in which wire. In some older TV models, you will find only the RCA jacks and not anything else.
OPTICAL – Lastly, you will find another audio output labeled as ‘OPTICAL.’ They are usually square in shape and not so popular as the RCA jacks or the 3.5mm headphone jacks. The OPTICAL audio outputs are mostly used in DVD systems and CD players, but if you don’t need them, you can make a different use for this audio output. Get a DAC, and then you can easily convert it to a 3.5mm headphone jack or RCA.

Never take the audio outputs for granted. You need to familiarize yourself well with these systems so that you don’t buy devices or adapters that are not compatible with your TV.

Media Streamers

Media streamers are becoming popular day-by-day, especially because you can enjoy a lot of features at an affordable price. They are like small USB devices that can be plugged into your TV, and then you can watch any of your favorite streaming sites.

A very familiar example is that of the Amazon Fire TV stick. But another significant benefit of these devices is that they offer a Bluetooth interface, and thus, you can easily connect your wireless headphones to the TV even when it doesn’t have a built-in Bluetooth functionality.

Amazon Fire TV Cube

You can connect your wireless headphones to the TV through Amazon Fire TV Cube as well as Fire TV stick.

If you are using the former one, here are the steps that you should follow –

Step 1 – Go to the service menu on your Fire TV, and from there, click on the Settings Option. Then, choose Controllers and Bluetooth Devices.
Step 2 – Select the option ‘Other Bluetooth Devices.’
Step 3 – Keep an eye on the ‘Discovered Devices’ list because if you have kept your pair of headphones in pairing mode, they will appear here.
Step 4 – When you see your device, select it and wait for them to get successfully paired.

If you want the same thing at a much more budget-friendly rate, we’d suggest that you check out Fire TV stick.

NVIDIA SHIELD TV

This is another useful device that will act as your smart home hub, gaming console, streamer, and media server.

If you are using this one for connecting your wireless headphones, these are the steps that you need to follow –

Step 1 – Start by selecting Wireless and Networks/Connected Devices from the service menu.
Step 2 – Enable the option and then wait for the device to perform a scan and find your wireless headphones.
Step 3 – When you can see your headphones listed, select them and wait until they have been paired successfully.

Sling AirTV 4K

If you are using the Sling AirTV 4K, follow these steps –

Step 1 – On the top of the player, you will find the Remote button. Long-press the button, and the pairing screen will pop up on your window.
Step 2 – Then, a screen saying ‘Searching for Accessories’ will come.
Step 3 – To complete the pairing process, follow the steps that come on your screen.

Xiaomi Mi Box

For people using the Xiaomi Mi Box, the steps are as follows –

Step 1 – First, open the Service menu of your Mi Box.
Step 2 – From there, select the Remote & accessories option. After that, click on Add accessory.
Step 3 – Now, to complete the pairing process, follow the instructions that come on the screen.

Roku

The exact Bluetooth connection method is used in all the products of Roku through Private Listening.

Step 1 – First, you need to download the Official Roku App on your iOS or Android tab/phone. Here, you need to ensure that the Roku streaming device and the tab or phone you are using are on the same Wi-Fi network.
Step 2 – On your tab or phone, you will find a list of Detected devices where you need to look for your Bluetooth headphones and then connected them.
Step 3 – Then, open the Roku app. Right at the end of your screen, you will find the Remote tab. Click on it.
Step 4 – Enable the Bluetooth connection on your tab or phone and set the headphones into pairing mode.
Step 5 – When you open the Remote tab on the app, you will find the ‘headset icon.’ Click on it.

Congratulations, you have successfully completed the process, and now, you can use your wireless headphones with your TV and stream audio through the Roku streaming device without any problem at all.

Remember that if there is a delay in transmission due to the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth latency or if the Wi-Fi connection has become saturated, you might face problems like Audio-Video desync very frequently.

Apple TV 4K (Check Price)

In the case of Apple TV, you can use Bluetooth headphones very easily. All you have to do is set your pair of headphones into pairing mode and then select the Settings option on your television. Select the Remotes and Devices option. Then, choose Bluetooth.

You will see your Bluetooth headphones on the screen once they have been found. Choose your headphones and then proceed to pair and connect.

Dedicated Wireless TV Headphones

Suppose you are not a big fan of Bluetooth headphones but want to connect headphones to the TV (which does not have the Bluetooth feature as well). There is another option that you can try out – dedicated wireless headphones are specially made for these situations and are not too expensive.

These headphones can connect to your TV with a 3.5mm analog jack through its base station. You can also use OPTICAL. Instead of using Bluetooth, they function with radio frequency. Do you know what the main advantage of that is? You get a much-extended range – sometimes as far as 300 ft. giving you much more freedom while listening. On the other hand, with Bluetooth headphones, you are going to get a range of only 30 ft. or so.

Since the base station almost always remains connected to your television, they are termed dedicated wireless headphones. These can be as low as $20 and go as high as $300.

There are different types of connections that dedicated wireless headphones use, such as IR, RF, and also Bluetooth.

Quick Lesson 4: The benefits and downsides of Bluetooth, RF, and IR connections

You should be aware of the different pros and cons associated with the three main types of wireless connections – Bluetooth, RF or Radio Frequency, and IR or Infrared. So, we have provided a detailed set of pros and cons for them below.

Bluetooth Connection

The pros of a Bluetooth connection are –

You can do the pairing easily with other Bluetooth devices.
The connection stability in this one is much more than that of IR or RF.
You can change your Bluetooth headphones any time you want.

The cons of a Bluetooth connection are –

The setup steps are much more in number.
The audio transmission might be delayed, and thus, you might face audio latency problems, which is not at all favorable while watching TV.
The transmission speed of Bluetooth is way slower than IR or RF.

Radio Frequency Connection

With RF headphones, you can roam about your apartment as much as you want because they can offer more range than Bluetooth headphones. As long as you stay within that range, your sound quality will be perfect.

But there are downsides to it as well. If there are other devices in your home that are utilizing the same range of frequency, it will affect your RF audio device’s functioning.

The pros of having RF headphones are –

The rate of transmission is much faster.
The setup is comparatively easier.
You can enjoy a long-range on your audio device.
There are no audio latency problems.

The cons of having RF headphones are –

You have to ensure that you have kept your TV in a separate room away from other devices utilizing RF.
Your TV sound experience is always at risk of interference from other RF devices like mobile phones or microwaves.
You cannot easily connect these headphones with your mobile phone, PC, or laptop.

Infrared Connection

The significant benefit of having an infrared connection over RF is that you don’t have to worry about any other device in your home that might cause interference. Neighboring devices do not affect IR.

But their drawback is that they follow the line-of-sight technology. In simpler terms, if there is something present between the receiver and the transmitter causing an obstruction, then your connection strength will falter reducing the audio quality.

The pros of having an infrared connection are –

There are no chances of audio delays.
The rate of transmission is faster.
The sound quality is known to be the best in this connection type.

The cons of having an infrared connection are –

You cannot enjoy a long-range as you do in RF connections.
You always have to maintain the fact that there is no obstruction between your headphones and your TV; otherwise, the connection will falter.

Gaming Consoles

Using gaming consoles (how to connect bluetooth headphones to Xbox One guide) to connect wireless headphones to the TV is not the conventional procedure, but it can be done when you don’t want to use any of the methods mentioned above. But keep in mind that gaming products like the Microsoft Xbox One or the Sony Playstation 4 do not come cheap. So, you need to figure out how much you are willing to spend on this one.

Personally, we would recommend you buy the Sony PS4 or the Nintendo Switch.

Sony PS4 Pro / PS4 Slim (Check the Price)

If you choose to buy this one, you should know that only specific headsets in the market can be used with it. Yes, there is a workaround that can overcome this restriction, but it requires you to use a USB Bluetooth adapter, and even then, not all headphones would support this setup.

Here is the process that you need to follow –

Step 1 – Select the Settings menu on your PS4 and then click on Devices. From there, choose Bluetooth Devices.
Step 2 – If you have already set your headphones in pairing mode, you will find them on your screen and then, you have to select them to connect.
Step 3 – If the connection is made successfully, then your process is done.

But if you see this message on your screen – ‘Bluetooth audio devices are not supported by the PS4’ then the previous method was not successful. You might also see error messages like ‘Cannot connect to the Bluetooth within the time limit.’ These messages mean that you have to do a little bit of workaround to get the job done.

You will need a Bluetooth USB adapter for this method.

Follow these steps –

Step 1 – Find the USB slot on your PS4 and insert the adapter.
Step 2 – Turn your Bluetooth headphones on.
Step 3 – Go to the Settings menu on your PS4 and select the Devices option. From there, choose Audio Devices.
Step 4 – You will see an option Output Device. Click on it. Then, click on the USB Headset option.
Step 5 – Find the Volume Control option and select it. Adjust the volume to your preference.
Step 6 – Then, select Output to Headphones. Lastly, click on the All Audio option.

And your headphones are successfully connected!

Nintendo Switch (Check the Price)

Like the PS4, the Nintendo Switch also works with a select few headphones, and you should check the compatibility before choosing this one over other methods mentioned here. You also need a USB dongle to connect your wireless headphones to it.

The Nintendo Switch can be either in the docked mode or undocked mode. We have mentioned both the procedures here.

When docked:

Step 1 – Set your wireless headphones into pairing mode.
Step 2 – On the side of the dock, you will find the USB port. Plug the dongle in.
Step 3 – The USB volume control instructions will pop up on your screen. Your headphones are now ready to be used!

When undocked:

Step 1 – Set the wireless headphones into pairing mode.
Step 2 – At the bottom of the dock, you will find the USB-C port. Insert the USB-to-USB-C connector into the port.
Step 3 – Then, in the connector, plug your dongle in so that you can connect your headphones.
Step 4 – The USB volume control instructions will pop up on your screen. Your headphones are now successfully connected!

Frequently Asked Questions:

How to Connect Bluetooth Headphones to TV Without Audio Output?

Audio output is present in all modern televisions these days. It is not possible that your TV doesn’t have it. The most likely problem is that you are not able to identify which is the audio output. Think about it this way – you definitely have an audio output if you can connect speakers to your TV.

How Do I Play Sound from Both the TV and Headphones at the Same Time?

This feature has nothing to do with the headphones but with the TV. This feature can be availed only by those whose TV models have it. And the bad news is that there are only a few TVs in the market that will allow this feature. Most TVs in the market will only allow the headphones to work when they have been connected, muting the internal speakers in the process.

However, specific LG TV models support this feature where you can play the headphones and the internal speakers simultaneously. You can try to see if your LG TV supports this – Go to the Settings option and then select Sound; from there, select the Sound Out option. If your TV supports the feature, you will see an option ‘Internal TV Speaker + Headphones.’ Select it, and the feature should work. But in some television sets, this feature works only for wired headphones and not wireless ones.

Conclusion

Headphones are not only a popular accessory today but also a necessity in some cases. Whether you are seeking incredible audio quality or simply the convenience of using a wireless gadget to watch movies at night when you live with a flatmate, and you both don’t disturb each other, headphones can offer a solution in many situations. We hope that this article has provided you a comprehensive idea of how you can connect your wireless headphones to the TV, irrespective of whether it supports Bluetooth or not.