Samsung TV No Sound—What to Do?

Samsung, the South Korean electronics giant, makes a vast array of high-end electronic products, from smartphones to smart TVs. Televisions are one of the most important product lines for Samsung.

Although Samsung electronics have a reputation for high-quality, reliable TVs, they are subject to failure and problems. One of the most common issues reported with Samsung TVs is troubles with the audio. Often, the cause of such an error is simply glitches or bad connections, but it could result from a hardware failure. In this article, you’ll learn how to troubleshoot audio problems on your Samsung TV so that you can get back to enjoying your favorite streams!

Samsung TV Audio: Basic Troubleshooting

Step 1: Check the Mute Status

The first things to try are, of course, the simplest ones. If you have a picture on your TV but no sound, the problem might be as simple as having the “Mute” function activated by the remote. Grab your remote and unmute the TV by pressing the “Mute” button again.

Step 2: Check the Current Input Setting

Next, check what the input setting is on your Samsung TV by hitting “Source” on the remote and cycling through the available inputs. If your Samsung TV’s source gets set to a component that you don’t have set up, there won’t be any audio coming through the speakers.

Step 3: Check for a Connected Headset

Do you ever use a headset on your TV? Gamers, in particular, might be using a wired set of headphones plugged into an audio out jack, and if the headphones are plugged in, then any audio is being routed to that equipment, and you might not hear the sound playing if you aren’t wearing the headset. Assuming you never use a headset on your TV, check the headset port for any debris. Your TV may pick up something in the port which won’t allow the audio to route properly.

Step 4: Check All Physical Connections

If you still don’t have sound, check all your physical connections between the TV and any hardware associated with it. This includes gaming consoles, satellite receivers, and cable TV boxes. Make sure that all the connectors are plugged in securely to the right ports.

Step 5: Check the Sound Settings

Finally, check to see what output channel got selected for sound. If you have external speakers connected to your TV, ensure your audio output goes to them. Conversely, if you’re not using external speakers, make sure the TV’s internal speakers are not disabled. You’ll find that information on the audio section of your TV’s on-screen menu.

Samsung TV Audio: Advanced Troubleshooting

If none of the above suggestions improve the audio problem on your Samsung TV, you’ll need to move on to some more advanced techniques.

Step 1: Power Cycle Your Samsung TV

The first thing to try is a standard old-fashioned power cycle. Turn off your Samsung TV and unplug it from the wall. Give it a minute so that any lingering charge in the capacitors or memory can fade. Then, plug the TV back in and turn it back on. As with many other kinds of hardware, turning the TV off and back on again often resolves temporary or transient problems that are otherwise hard to diagnose.

Step 2: Check the Current Language/Region Setting

Ensure your TV has the right language set in the information setup. Press “Menu” on the remote and find the section dealing with setup. Find the language/location setting, and make sure it is set to “USA”.

Step 3: Run The Built-In Audio Diagnostics Test

The last stage of advanced troubleshooting is to run the built-in sound diagnostic test in Samsung TV’s support menu. Depending on the make and model of your Samsung TV, this test may reside in different places within the menu structure. Press “Menu” on the remote, then select the “Support” menu. From there, select the “Self Diagnosis” option and then choose “Sound Test”. The TV will play a melody out of the built-in speakers. If you hear the sound, then the audio problem (whatever it may be) isn’t in the TV’s components. If you don’t hear the melody, there is most likely a problem with the sound circuitry in the TV, or the built-in speakers are damaged.

Samsung TV Audio: Other Fixes

Several other possibilities affect the sound on a Samsung Smart TV that standard and advanced troubleshooting don’t catch. Other things to troubleshoot or try include the following:

• Ensure that the Settings on the TV get set to “USA” as your home country. By going to Settings and looking for a location or region option. Each TV model will vary, so you may need to look for your model or use the owner’s manual to locate this setting.
• Try using an external speaker or soundbar. Often, rerouting your sound to another device will bypass whatever issue your TV is having. Besides, a soundbar can greatly increase your sound quality.
• Check other HDMI ports. Unplug all of your equipment and plug it back into different ports on your TV. Also, ensure that all ports are clean and free of any debris.
  
• Check the HDMI Input Audio Format in Settings. Toggling between different options may bring your audio back to life.
  
• Check your internet speeds using SpeedTest. If you’re streaming movies, or your cable box relies on high-speed internet to function properly, a slower speed could result in loss of sound to your TV.
• A Bluetooth-compatible device can have trouble routing the audio properly. Call Samsung for assistance with disabling Bluetooth capabilities on your TV. Although you may not use this feature, there could be a glitch in the television that has enabled some sort of Bluetooth frequency.

If you’ve tried all troubleshooting options in this article and nothing works to solve your Samsung TV audio problem, or perhaps you don’t have the option to add a soundbar, it’s probably time to take the following steps.

The Next Steps

If your tests indicate that the problem is with the TV itself, you need to decide whether to repair the TV or purchase a new one. With TV prices steadily falling to surprisingly low levels, it is hard to justify repairing any TV sets that aren’t brand-new and at the highest end; a replacement is usually cheaper than the repair. However, depending on how old your Samsung TV set is, you may still be under warranty and can get a new TV without any charge.

Contacting Samsung Support can be a hassle, but it may be your only resort to save your television.