There's little or no sound from my TV speakers with my soundbar or home theater system connected to the S-CENTER port

IMPORTANT: This article applies only to specific products and/or operating systems. Check Applicable Products and Categories for details.

If you don't hear any sound from the TV speakers when connecting to a soundbar or home theater system using the S-CENTER port, this is not a TV or audio/video device malfunction.

1. Center speaker features:

   The TV speaker sound is created according to the TV's built-in speaker configuration. The sound positioning tweeters or vibrating frame tweeters at the top of the TV screen handle the high-frequency components to create an optimum sound position behind the picture. This allows the sound to precisely match what is on the screen for a truly immersive experience.

   When connected to the TV's S-CENTER SPEAKER IN port, the low—and mid-range frequencies are output from the soundbar or home theater system so that those sounds may be more pronounced than the higher-range sounds from the TV speakers.

2. Specifications and connection:
   • Confirm that the TV has an S-CENTER SPEAKER IN port with the Acoustic Center Sync feature supported.
     Hints: Some BRAVIA™ TVs support the Acoustic Center Sync feature. For details, refer to the TV product website or the Acoustic Center Sync section in the article Which Sony audio products can use the exclusive features of BRAVIA TVs?
   • Make sure that the TV's S-CENTER SPEAKER IN port and the Soundbar's S-CENTER OUT port are connected using the TV center speaker mode cable. For details, refer to the operating manual or Help Guide.
   • Depending on the audio source, the sound will not be output from the TV.
3. Soundbar settings:
   • HT-A5000, HT-A3000
     • Press the SOUND FIELD button on the remote control, and then select Sound Field: Effect On.
       Note: If the output audio source is multi-channel, the sound will be output from the TV speakers even when Sound Field: Effect Off is selected. If the output audio source is 2-channel, the sound will not be output from the TV speakers even when the Sound Field: Effect On is selected.
     • Follow either of these two methods:
       • Press the HOME button on the remote control, select Setup → Advanced Settings → Audio Settings → Sound Field Setting, and then select Sony | Vertical Surround Engine.
         Note: If you select Dolby Speaker Virtualizer or DTS Virtual: X/DTS Neural:X, the sound will not output from the TV.
       • Press the HOME button on the remote control, then set the 360 Spatial Sound Mapping to On.
         Note: This setting is available only when the optional speaker is connected.
   • HT-A9, HT-A7000
     • Follow either of these two methods:
       • Press the HOME button on the remote control, select Setup → Advanced Settings → Audio Settings → Sound Effect, and then select Sound Mode On.
         Note: If you select Dolby Speaker Virtualizer or DTS Neural:X, the sound will not output from the TV.
       • For HT-A7000 only: Press the HOME button on the remote control, then set the 360 Spatial Sound Mapping to On.
         Note: This setting is available only when the optional speaker is connected.
     • Press the IMMERSIVE AE button on the remote control, and then select Immersive Audio Enhancement: On.
       Depending on the audio source, the sound will be output from the TV by activating the Immersive Audio Enhancement function.
       Note: If the output audio source is Dual Mono, the sound will not be output from the TV speakers.
   • BRAVIA Theatre Quad (HT-A9M2)/BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9 (HT-A9000)/BRAVIA Theatre Bar 8 (HT-A8000)
     • On the remote control screen in the Sony | BRAVIA Connect app, select Settings → Sound Settings → Sound Field Setting, and then set 360 Spatial Sound Mapping to On.
       Note: Depending on the input, audio signal, or sound field settings, sound may not be output from the TV, and additional settings will be required. For example, on the remote control screen in the Sony | BRAVIA Connect app, you will need to set Sound Field to On and Sound Field Settings to 360 Spatial Sound Mapping. For details about the conditions and procedure, refer to the Help Guide.
     • In the Sony | BRAVIA Connect app, select Settings → Sound Settings → Sound Output Check, and then select Test Tone to check if the sound is output from the TV.