It’s quite tricky getting high quality sound from a Sony TV to an amp. I’ve done it via RCA jacks from the back of my Sony KDL 43 W755C to a spare input on the back of my Creek amp. As a bonus everything I play back through my Sony bdp S6500 DVD player also gets fed to the amp via the TV.
The tricky part was finding the necessary setting you have to change on the TV menu to enable audio out. I can try to look it up for you if you want.
In the meantime a soundbar can be a considerable improvement upon the TVs inbuilt sound if it’s wallmounted, and a soundbase even moreso if it sits upon a stand.
Funnily enough my non-audiophile family prefer the sound from the TV to that from my speakers claiming the extra bandwidth and bass gives them headaches.
I don’t know how I put up with them.
They probably feel the same.
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@zimmerma
I live near Montreal and I am a client of Videotron.
I have an old Illico module , with audio RCA outputs , in the rear pannel.
I saw the same with newer Illico modules.
I do not know about the new Hellix modules.
so I am a bit supprised about the lack of these RCA outputs on your Illico unit.
Your television may have a digital output that you may connect to you preamplifier for a less ´´ boomy ´´ sound than analog.
I just speculate about boomy and analog interconnect.
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What outputs does it have? Have you asked the cable company if they have other boxes available?
I bought my girlfriend a ZVOX 2.1 "soundbar" (it has a subwoofer in it in addition to the two speakers) a few years ago and it sounds a lot better than the speakers in a TV. She likes it, and I think it's OK when I visit, but I probably wouldn't have been satisfied with it for long if it was my system. But most people would think my system is over the top. |
Some of the higher end ZVOX speaker systems are pretty nice. They will accept a digital input from your cable box.
You could also likely output digital from your cable box into a simple, inexpensive DAC and out of the DAC via analog RCAs, into your pre-amp. |
Thank you for these responses.
Maxwave: I have the Helix base, which has no analogue outputs. You are correct about Illico's RCA outputs... but Videotr5on is phasing out that format, so Helix is the future for Videotron.... Thus no analogue outputs.
To the other responses: I am puzzled that today's TVs do not have RCA audio outputs, just inputs, which I do not see the point of. Perhaps someone can enlighten me.
I have yet to try an adapter cable that takes the TV's headphone output to the preamp's RCA input.... However, as cd318 notes, "The tricky part was finding the necessary setting you have to change on the TV menu to enable audio out."
He offers to try to find the settings for me... I would be grateful.
But, about those sound bars... No one has as yet offered an opinion about their efficacy.
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@zimmerma
So, I am at a loss how to get the audio signal from my TV to my preamp
Does the cable box, or TV, have digital output? I’m guessing one of them, or both, do have digital output. Just get a DAC, connect the DAC via a digital cable (optical or coax) from the cable box, or TV, and analog RCA cables out of the DAC, into your pre-amp. Do you know what a DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) does? It would seem to be a perfect solution to get a digital signal out of your TV, into your pre-amp.. You can find DACs starting at about $10 on Amazon. If you want to step up to an "audiophile approved" DAC, the Shiit Audio Modi starts at just $99 and has a money back return policy. https://www.schiit.com/products/modi-1 |
Even easier and cheaper and is a lot better than the tv sound.
I run a Polk soundbar in my bedroom from an older Sony 55 inch tv.
It has a direct toslink digital input.
The tv has a toslink digital output.
The soundbar is mounted on the wall above the tv, toslink cable joins the two, heck it even auto turns on when it senses a digital signal!
The setting is just in the audio menu, select either tv speakers or external speakers, select external and you are all set.
The Polk has a tiny remote for volume and bass boost.
Cost was like $90 from ebay I think, maybe 3 years ago.
Is it hifi?
No but it sounds very good to my ears for my bedroom.
For main living room full on boogie home theater usage.
I would say it would not work for me but I love spending money so what do I know!
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I run a ZVOX soundbase (the deep cabinet style) that the OLED sits on. They’re pretty much identical widths. So far so good. And it enables me to keep the two systems separate, which I prefer. |
From my experience a sound bar is worth it.
I bought the Yamaha Sound Bar a few months ago - took only a few minutes to connect to my Yamaha subwoofer. My apartment bedroom is pretty small so the bass is a good upgrade from my normal tv speakers.
Most sound bars are under $100. I thought it was a good purchase, but I'd be hesitant on buying one over $150 since you can buy a subwoofer for that much. |
Every sound bar that I have heard—granted, not very many—has sounded like crap to me.
I think that Reubent post is the way to go. Presumably his device has at least one digital output beside HDMI, because DACs with HDMI inputs are scarce things. |
Most TV's have at least an optical digital out. Just have to make sure you set the output to stereo or DD. So, HDMI from cable box to TV, optical digital from there. My new LG sadly lacks analog outs, but my previous TV had a mini stereo jack out.
Yeah, sound bars are worth it, in that they are convenient, relatively inexpsnisive ($300-$2,500) and can add a sub along with it.
The irresistible part of this for many is leaving the high end music system alone. :)
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So the LG I got earlier this year has ARC (Audio Return Channel) on one of the HDMI connections. I'm using that to feed a Yamaha sound bar (YAS-107). The TV automatically turns the bar on and off and controls the sound bar volume.
While I'd never mistake the sound bar for a full home theater it definitely sounds way better than the TV and requires no real effort for casual viewing. For me it's a no brainer.
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Use the optical output of your tv to a DAC (inexpensive or audiophile quality) from DACs analogue out to your preamp. In the Sony's TVs menu switch to external speakers. |
I also doubted whether to buy it, but when I bought it, I did not regret it. I bought an inexpensive Sony soundbar because I had doubts, you can look here https://homemakerguide.com/best-soundbar-under-300/. But the quality turned out to be great, it is still with me. I like the sound, the way the sound bounces off the walls. It's awesome. I'm sure you'll pick one up for yourself as well.
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I regularly install Sono Arc’s and Beams. They sound fantastic, they are not a substitute for a complete installed HT rig, the kill stock tv speakers.
tv speakers use to be on the front, with razor egde tv screens wanted by consumers the speakers were moved to the back :0/
hence the need for front speakers as it began :0) |
