Connecting external speakers to your TV can dramatically improve your viewing experience, giving you richer, clearer, and more powerful sound compared to built-in TV speakers. Whether you’re using a soundbar, bookshelf speakers, or a home theater system, the process is generally straightforward — you just need to know which connection type suits your equipment. Here is how to connect speakers to TV.

Before you start, check what kind of speakers you’re working with.

Active (powered) speakers or a soundbar: These have their own built-in amplifier and can connect directly to the TV.

Passive speakers: These need to connect through an amplifier or AV receiver because they don’t have their own power source.

Knowing this will help you figure out the right connection method.

Look at the back or side of your TV to see what audio outputs it has. Common outputs include:

Note that some newer TVs may not have analog outputs, only digital.