The dirty secret of the modern TV industry is that picture quality has never been better and sound quality has arguably never been worse. As displays have become incredibly small and engineering resources have gone into panel technology and processing, speakers have become smaller, weaker and increasingly pointed away from the person trying to view them. The result is stunning visuals paired with sound that can make dialogue hard to follow and action sequences sound like they’re happening in another room. The good news is that a few settings changes can help, and they’re all free.
There is no setting that will magically transform your TV sound into movie theater sound. Physics is at play, and the tiny speakers on modern TVs just can’t create quality sound. However, there are other settings and other tricks that can help.
TV settings for better sound
TV manufacturers know that bad sound is one of the biggest complaints people have about today’s TVs. They’ve added sound processing features — some good, some bad — to many TVs. Again, there is only so much they can do, but they can only help.
Sound mode: Some TVs have different types of sound that adjust to emphasize or reduce different frequencies so that they sound better with different content. These should have obvious names when you find the setting, such as Clear Voice or Talk Mode.
Box enhancements: Some TVs have different features that enhance sound frequencies that are more common in speech. These have names like Speech Boost, Dialogue Highlighting, Speech Clarity and similar.
The EQ: Some TVs have an equalizer, or EQ, feature. This will allow you to adjust the relative volume of high and low frequencies, treble and bass, respectively. Try lowering the bass a few notches first, then raise the treble. If there is a separate midrange controller, changing that is another option to try. The difference should be noticeable, but you may have to play with it a bit to make it sound better than flat (aka no EQ at all).
Conversely, with some TVs, you can experiment with changing both bass and treble down slowly. In some cases, this may result in increasing the midrange, where most voices are present. Depending on how the EQ is designed, this may not work, however.
Automatic volume control: Some TVs have the ability to reduce loud sounds and amplify quiet ones. If you’ve ever watched a movie, turned up the volume to understand the dialogue, and then you’re thrown out of the room when the action starts (or the commercials appear), check out this setting. It may also be written “press.” This may cause the volume to “pulse” as it grows louder and softer during different scenes, but that may be a better option depending on how annoyed you were without this feature.
Stereo vs. surround sound (source settings)
If you are using an external source, such as a streaming device, cable/satellite box or game console, check the settings on those devices. They will usually default to sending surround sound, expecting your TV to determine that even though it doesn’t have surround sound capability. Switching to stereo or PCM stereo will result in your TV receiving simple two-channel sound. In some cases, this may be a completely different mix of program, movie or game audio. The result can be a dialogue that is easier to understand, as the creators will mix it in a different way.
It’s also worth checking the menus of the streaming service you’re using. For example, some Amazon Prime shows have a built-in dialogue boost mode called, appropriately enough, Dialogue Boost.
Move the TV
This TV will sound awful, but at least it’s not as high above the fireplace as it could be.
This is probably the most difficult solution in the entire list. I know many of you probably can’t get the TV out of its place. I have seen TV setups that have a very negative effect on sound quality, and if you have one of these, you may want to consider moving the TV or one of the options below.
- TV inside a cabinet or shelf
- A TV on a stand with no wall behind it
- TV in the corner (especially near the ceiling)
TVs are designed with the expectation that they will be sitting on or near a flat wall. Sound, in most cases, will bounce off this wall. If it is in a closet, between shelves or there is no wall behind it, the sound can be muffled or difficult to hear from where you are sitting. If moving the TV isn’t an option, consider what you can do to “free the sound” from its prison.
If your TV is on a regular TV stand, try moving it closer or further away from the wall. The sound will change, but depending on your room, it may be better (or worse).
And if all else fails…other non-free options
Even a basic sound bar will likely be a huge improvement over TV speakers.
If you’ve tried all of the above and still aren’t satisfied with your TV’s sound quality, you have two options. This is not exactly to make the sound louder, although they can; they are about making the sound better. In most cases, you can listen at lower volumes and hear the conversation better compared to the built-in TV speakers.
The cheapest solution is a sound bar. They are inexpensive soundbars that sounds amazingly good — better than any TV speaker. The setup is usually one wire from your TV and power to the bar and, often, a wireless subwoofer that can go anywhere in your room. Sound bars can transform your experience of watching shows and movies. Most can double as Bluetooth speakers for music when you’re not watching TV. They are great additions to any room with a TV.
The next step up is a receiver with different speakers. These can be as simple as two bookshelf speakers, or as elaborate as a seven-speaker system with one or more subwoofers. In general, these will sound much better than a soundbar, with convincing and engaging surround sound, but the cost and effort to install is much higher. Setup isn’t difficult, but it will take longer than the plug-and-play feature of most sound bars.
Somewhere between these options are soundbars that feature surround speakers, some of which are wireless, making installation easy. Any of these options will greatly improve the sound in your room. If you struggle to understand the dialogue or just want a cinema-like experience at home, it’s worth the cost.
About the author: In addition to covering audio and visual technology, Geoff conducts photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, medieval castles, the famous 10,000 mile cruise and more.
Again, check Budget Travel For Dummieshis letter, and his a best-selling sci-fi novel about submarines the size of a city. You can follow him on Instagram and YouTube.
