How to Connect Your Wireless Headphones to Any TV (2024)

Enjoy private listening by connecting wireless headphones to any TV using this guide.

Wireless headphones offer a convenient and private way to enjoy TV shows and movies without disturbing others. They also provide an immersive experience that can enhance the overall viewing experience.

However, not all TVs have Bluetooth, and others have compatibility requirements that limit your headphones options.

Luckily, the process is quite simple. For the most part, all you need to know is if your TV has Bluetooth and how to activate it. If not, you can always use third-party devices. Read on as we guide you through all the ways to connect wireless headphones to your TV!

Does Your TV Have Bluetooth? Here’s How to Check

Not all TVs come with Bluetooth, especially older models. However, most of the smart TVs available today are Bluetooth-ready out of the box.

The first TV to have Bluetooth functionality was the HP MediaSmart, which came out in 2007. If you bought a ‘smart’ TV after that period, chances are it has built-in Bluetooth.

But if you’re unsure whether your TV has Bluetooth, here are different ways to check:

• Check the TV’s box for the Bluetooth logo. If your TV has Bluetooth, chances are the manufacturer will show it on the box as a selling point.
• Read the TV’s manual, most likely under the Settings or Connectivity section. If your TV has Bluetooth, it should have a guide on how to use the feature.
• Check the TV’s Settings app for a Bluetooth menu. It’s usually located under the System or General menu. You can also check the Output menu. If there’s an option for a Bluetooth speaker (or something along that line), then your TV has Bluetooth.
• Look at your TV’s remote. If your TV comes with a smart remote, it most likely has Bluetooth since that’s how smart remotes connect to the TV.

How to Connect Wireless Headphones to a TV With Bluetooth

Bluetooth is currently the standard wireless connection for headphones and most daily devices. With that said, connecting Bluetooth headphones to PC or Mac is usually simpler due to our familiarity with the interface.

However, the same cannot be said for TVs, as the software development for TVs isn’t as mature as PCs or smartphones, hence the clunky user interface.

In any case, here’s a quick guide on how to connect Bluetooth headphones to your TV:

The steps below may vary slightly depending on the brand and model of your TV. But for the guide below, we use an LG TV as an example.

1. Put your headphones into pairing mode. This is usually indicated by a blinking light on the headphones.

   

2. Activate the Bluetooth on the TV by going to Settings (gear icon on the remote) > Sound > Sound Out.

   

3. Select Use Wireless Speaker.

   

4. Click on Bluetooth Device.

   

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5. Wait for your Bluetooth headphones to show up in the Connectable Devices list.

   

6. Select your headphones from the list to pair with your TV.

   

How to Connect Wireless Headphones to a TV Without Bluetooth

Even if it turns out that your TV doesn’t have Bluetooth, there are still workarounds you can do to use wireless headphones with it. Here are the three most efficient solutions:

• Bluetooth Audio Transmitter
• Media Streamers
• Dedicated Wireless Headphones

Using a Bluetooth audio transmitter

A Bluetooth audio transmitter is an external device that enables Bluetooth audio transmission from your TV to your headphones. It’s by far the easiest way to use wireless headphones with a TV that doesn’t have Bluetooth.

However, not all transmitters will work on every TV.

To plug the transmitter successfully into the TV audio output, you need to understand what type of audio output is available on your TV.

The different types of audio output can be found at the back of the TV. An example can be seen in the above image. All the audio outputs are in the red box.

• The ones labeled “L” and “R” are the RCA jacks
• The one labeled “AUDIO” is the 3.5mm headphone jack
• The one labeled “OPTICAL” is the optical TOSLINK output

Some older TV models only have RCA jacks and not the 3.5mm jack or the optical TOSLINK output. There are also some TVs that only have optical TOSLINK as the audio output. If that’s the case, you’ll need a converter to change the TOSLINK output into 3.5mm and RCA audio output, like the Prozor DAC.

There are thousands of excellent Bluetooth transmitters out there, so picking one can be overwhelming. Read our guide on the best Bluetooth audio transmitters for TV to know which one you should get.

Using media streamers

Media streamers are set-top boxes that allow you to watch shows from the internet on your TV. Some of these streamers provide a nifty Bluetooth interface that allows your wireless headphones to be connected.

Our recommended media streamers include:

• Amazon Fire TV Cube
• NVIDIA SHIELD TV
• Xiaomi Mi Box
• Roku
• Apple TV 4k

We’ve also compiled how you can use each of the streamers above to connect your Bluetooth headphones to your TV.

Amazon Fire TV Cube

1. Go to Fire TV’s service menu and select Settings > Remotes and Bluetooth Devices.

   

2. Choose Add Bluetooth Devices.

   

3. Wait for your Bluetooth headphones to appear on the screen. Make sure your headphones are in pairing mode.

   

4. Once it appears, select it and wait for the pairing to be successful.

   

NVIDIA SHIELD TV

1. On your SHIELD TV screen, find and select the Settings menu.

   

2. Click on Remote & Accessories> Add Bluetooth accessories.

   

3. Wait for your Bluetooth headphones to appear in the devices list. Make sure they are in pairing mode.

   

   See Also

   How to Connect Your Bluetooth Speaker to Your Phone

4. Select your Bluetooth headphones from the devices list.

   

Xiaomi Mi Stick TV

1. Go to the Mi Box’s Settings menu (gear icon) at the top right corner.

   

2. Select Remote & Accessories > Add accessory.

   

3. Wait for your Mi Box to detect your Bluetooth headphones. Make sure the headphones are in pairing mode.

   

4. Select your headphones from the devices list on the right to complete the pairing process.

   

Roku

Connecting your Roku products to wireless headphones requires additional Macgyver-level configuration.

All of the Roku products (Ultra, Premiere+, and Streaming Stick+, follow the same Bluetooth connection method via Private Listening. This requires a third-party device (phone or tablet) to work and requires your Roku streamer and phone/tablet to be on the same WiFi network to do so.

1. Download the Official Roku app for Android or iOS.

   

2. Make sure your phone and Roku streaming device are connected to the same WiFi network.

   

3. Connect your Bluetooth headphones and phone/tab.

   

4. Launch the Roku app, then tap the Remote tab at the bottom of the screen.

   

5. On the Remote screen of the Roku app, press the headset icon.

   

Do note that there may be slight delay between the audio and video. This may be caused by the inherent delay from the daisy-chained connection from Roku > phone > headphones, factoring in Bluetooth and WiFi latency.

Apple TV 4K

1. From the Apple TV Home screen, go to Settings

   

2. Click on Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth.

   

3. Wait for your Bluetooth headphones to be discovered. Make sure they are in pairing mode.

   

4. Once discovered, select them from the list.

   

Getting dedicated wireless TV headphones

Dedicated wireless TV headphones come with a base station. The base station acts as a transmitter that is connected to the TV, which will then transmit the audio signals to the headphones.

The base station is rarely disconnected from the TV, hence the term ‘dedicated’.

The upside of having dedicated headphones is that you have immediate access to a wireless audio connection to the TV.

The downside, however, is that using this method requires you to invest in a new pair of headphones.

Moreover, dedicated wireless headphones come with different types of wireless connections. Other than the familiar Bluetooth connection, there are Radio Frequency (RF) and Infrared (IR) options.

Bluetooth headphones use short-range radio waves to transmit audio signals to a paired device. Infrared headphones require a direct line of sight to transmit and therefore have a limited range. Radio frequency headphones, on the other hand, offer a longer range and are less susceptible to interference. Read our guide on Bluetooth vs. wireless headphones for more information.

Recommended wireless headphones for TV:

• Best Bluetooth: Avantree HT5009
• Best RF: Sennheiser RS 195
• Best IF: TV Ears Digital

What to Do When Your Bluetooth Headphones Won’t Connect to Your TV

If you still can’t get your Bluetooth headphones connected to your TV, there may be some underlying software issues you need to fix. Here are some of the tried-and-true troubleshooting tips to try if that happens:

• Reset your headphones: Bluetooth headphones run on firmware that may experience glitches or issues. Resetting your headphones helps to turn them back into a clean slate, removing the issues that cause your headphones’ connection problems.
• Restart your TV: Similarly, your TV may also run into software glitches from all the different settings it has going on. Restarting helps to start all of the processes afresh, which can sort out connection problems.
• Move headphones closer to the TV: Bluetooth and other wireless protocols have limited range. Additionally, they’re also susceptible to interference from solid objects like walls and furniture. Eliminate these possibilities by simply placing the headphones closer to your TV.
• Switch off other wireless devices: Other wireless connections, like Wi-Fi and other Bluetooth devices, may also interfere with your headphones-to-TV connection. If you have multiple wireless devices in the room, try turning them off.

FAQs on Connecting Wireless Headphones to TV

Can I play sound from both the TV speakers and headphones at the same time?

The ability to use headphones while also playing the audio from the TV’s speakers is dependent on the model of the TV. However, not many have this feature. Most of the time, connecting headphones will mute the TV’s internal speakers.

Luckily, some LG TV models do support this feature, so if you own an LG TV, you’re in luck. You can try the steps below to see if they work for you.

1. On your TV’s remote control, click the Settings (gear icon).

   

2. Select the three dots icon, then go to Sound.

   

3. Select Use External Speakers with TV.

   

4. Select Bluetooth Device + TV speakers.

   

Additionally, you can also use the internal TV speaker and audio out simultaneously. To do so, follow the steps above, but select Internal TV Speaker + Audio Out (Optical) instead.

Unfortunately, this feature only works on certain TV models. Some models only support internal TV speakers + wired headphones playback. The best way to find out is to try this out yourself.

But what if you don’t want to fork out the price of a brand-new TV just for this simultaneous playback feature?

There is a simpler and cheaper solution: the Avantree Oasis Plus. It’s a Bluetooth transmitter that supports dual link, which means you can connect two devices simultaneously, such as two pairs of headphones or a pair of headphones and a speaker.

What are the best wireless headphones for TV?

So with all the knowledge you learned, you can now be the go-to source for anything headphones and TV-related. But what about the best wireless headphones for TV?

No worries, we got you covered with this compiled list of best wireless headphones for TV.

It has a good mix of Bluetooth and RF headphones with varying prices and designs. You are bound to find something that you like.

Conclusion

While it may not be as familiar, connecting wireless headphones to your TV is very similar to how you would connect Bluetooth headphones to your phone. After reading through this article, you should have no issue pairing any type of wireless headphones to your TV, even if it doesn’t have Bluetooth built-in.

In any case, we hope that you are now watching your favorite TV shows or movies comfortably on your headphones.

Did you find something interesting while connecting your wireless headphones to your TV? Or did you run into any issues like audio dropouts, sound delays, or low volume in the process? Let us know in the comments!