KD43XH8196 headphones

[AlanSmith68]

I've just bought a KD43XH8196. If I plug my headphones into the headphone socket located at back of TV, it cuts the sound from the TV speakers. I can't find a way to flip between headphone and TV speaker. Only way I can get the TV speakers to work again is to unplug the headphones, which is a pain cos the socket is at the back of TV. Any ideas?

[LightFoot]

Hi @AlanSmith68 

What options do you have in the Audio output settings?

On my TV it is Home -> Settings -> Display & Sound -> Audio output.

[retiredbri45]

We have the 49inch version of the same TV and I went to Settings and in Display/Sound category, there is a choice between Speakers OR Headphones.

In regards to having BOTH, the following might be of use.

I have a severe hearing loss meaning I wear Hearing Aids all the time. I did extensive research into TVs that support external sound outputs. The two options seem to be via HDMI or/and the Optical Interface. It seems (from my findings) that the HDMI route is mainly used for Sound Bars (and if selected) cuts out the TV speakers. (Not tried it because I suspect you have to plug the in the HDMI cable to enable it)

The Optical route however is not switched and the audio output is available IN ADDITION to the TV Speakers.

For my hearing loss, I purchased an interface box that had an input for an optical input.  It provides a Headphone output with a volume control. It also has a “hearing aid Loop interface” similar to that used in many Public places (theatres. Cinemas etc).

For programmes in home, I use the Headphones to hear while my wife uses the TV speakers. We can independently alter the volume and my wife can Mute the TV speakers. The Mute does not affect the Optical output.

I’m sorry that this is not what you wanted but most sets are like this. There may well be a trend to get rid of the Optical connection because the HDMI route offers better quality.

There may be interface boxes available to convert the Optical signal to Audio or others on this Forum may have some ideas.

Regards

Retiredbri45

[AlanSmith68]

My TV also has Home -> Settings -> Display & Sound -> Audio output

but nothing there to flip between speakers and headphones ... just speakers and audio system 

If I plug in headphones I get a message on screen saying "headphones connected" and if I unplug them I get another message saying "headphones disconnected"

Only way I can get it back to TV speakers is to unplug the headphones .. now that would not be too much of an issue if the headphone socket was at the side of the TV, but for some reason Sony decided to add it to the back of the TV ... which it is as much use as a chocolate teapot if the TV is fixed to a wall !

So I then thought I'd try some bluetooth headphones .. but for some reason my TV cannot "see" them, even though I've put them into pairing mode.

[royabrown2]

@AlanSmith68 

The inability of these TVs to handle Bluetooth headphones is legendary.

However, you can get an optical-to-Bluetooth converter on Amazon quite cheaply, and use your TV optical out into the converter, and then pair with that.

Doesn't mute the TV speakers, and lets you set the headphone volume independently.

There are a few reports of me suggesting this on the Community, and people reporting success with it, though (full disclosure) I have never actually done it for myself.

[AlanSmith68]

Thanks for the info, I've already got a Sony sound bar which is using my optical connection.

Think I'll just give up on headphones !

[royabrown2]

@AlanSmith68 

Why are you worried about cutting out the TV speakers when you are using a soundbar?

[AlanSmith68]

?

My original problem was "why can't I flip between wired headphones and TV speakers by choosing an option on the remote... I need to unplug headphones to switch back to using TV speakers, which is awkward when TV is fixed to wall and headphone socket is on back of TV" ...

Then it went to "why can't I link my set of Bluetooth headphones to TV" and someone suggested using a Bluetooth to optical converter and doing it that way, but my optical port is already being used for my soundbar.

[royabrown2]

@AlanSmith68 

I guess you use the TV speakers together with the soundbar, then?

Most people don’t, they use the soundbar instead of the speakers. 

Both for the quality, and because in 50% of cases, using both leads to a peculiar hollow sound.