Running a television’s built-in speakers alongside a soundbar produces a hollow, slightly echoing sound rather than more volume. The two sources are not synchronized, and the mismatch is audible.
Whether you need to do anything about it depends entirely on the connection. Over HDMI ARC it is generally handled automatically, which is what happened with mine. Our note on choosing a soundbar covers connections.
Quick Answer
Yes, they should be off, and with HDMI ARC the television usually does it for you. Optical, Bluetooth, and analog connections more often need the setting changed manually.
What Each Connection Does
| Connection | TV speakers |
|---|---|
| HDMI ARC or eARC | Usually disabled automatically |
| Optical | Frequently needs manual change |
| Bluetooth | Varies, often automatic |
| Analog aux or headphone | Usually disables automatically |
| No connection, separate sources | Manual, and worth avoiding entirely |
Why Both at Once Sounds Wrong
Two sound sources playing the same content a fraction of a second apart produce comb filtering, where certain frequencies reinforce and others cancel.
The result is not louder. It is thinner and hollower, with dialogue that seems to come from nowhere in particular.
The delay comes from processing. A soundbar applies its own audio processing, which takes time, so it lags fractionally behind speakers firing directly from the television.
That is also why the effect is worse with more processing enabled. A bar running virtual surround or dialogue enhancement is further behind than one running flat. Our note on why music is louder than dialogue covers processing.
How ARC Handles It
HDMI ARC is a two-way connection, so the television knows a soundbar is attached and receiving audio.
Most sets respond by switching internal speakers off and routing everything to the bar, without any setting being changed.
The same handshake is what lets the TV remote control soundbar volume, which is the other practical benefit of ARC over optical.
With mine, ARC handled it completely. There was no manual step and no setting to find, which is the normal experience on a current television. Our note on connecting a soundbar with Bluetooth covers the alternative.
How to Tell They Are Both Running
The symptom is distinctive once you know what to listen for, and easy to miss otherwise.
Dialogue sounds hollow or distant rather than quiet, as though it is coming from a slightly larger space than it should.
Moving your head changes the character of the sound noticeably, because you are moving through the interference pattern the two sources create.
The simplest test is muting the soundbar. If sound continues, the television is still driving its own speakers and the setting needs changing.
Covering the bar briefly with a cushion works too, since anything still audible is coming from the television. Our note on soundbar app versus remote control covers the settings side.
When You Have to Do It Manually
Optical connections
Optical carries audio one direction only, so the television has no way of knowing anything is attached.
Older televisions
Sets predating reliable ARC implementations frequently need the output changed by hand.
After a firmware update
Updates occasionally reset audio settings, which is why the problem sometimes reappears months later.
When switching inputs
Some sets apply audio output per input rather than globally, so a console may play through TV speakers while streaming does not.
Where the Setting Lives
Look under sound, audio, or speakers in the television’s settings menu, usually with an option named speaker output or audio output.
The choices are typically internal speakers, external or audio system, and sometimes both. Selecting external is what you want.
Some manufacturers name the ARC option differently, using terms like audio system or receiver rather than soundbar.
Where an option for both exists, it is there for specific setups rather than as a general improvement, and choosing it is what produces the hollow sound. Our roundup of soundbars for dialogue clarity covers the audio side.
Knowing which menu holds the setting is most of the battle, since manufacturers name it differently and it rarely sits where people look first.
Reasons People Leave Them On
The assumption that more speakers mean more volume is the main one, and it is wrong because of the cancellation rather than being merely inefficient.
Some people want sound from behind as well as in front, which is a reasonable goal that TV speakers cannot serve because of the timing mismatch.
Others never notice the setting exists at all, particularly on optical connections where nothing in the setup process prompts them to go looking for it.
And a few leave them on deliberately during setup to confirm the bar is working, then forget to change it back.
None of those reasons survives listening to the result, which is why the setting is worth checking even on a system that seems to be working.
When Both Actually Makes Sense
Almost never for normal viewing, and there are narrow exceptions worth knowing.
Some televisions with capable upward-firing speakers use them alongside a soundbar as part of a manufacturer-designed system, which is synchronized deliberately rather than accidentally.
Accessibility setups sometimes route dialogue to a nearby speaker while ambient sound plays through the bar, though a dedicated solution handles that better.
Testing whether a fault lies with the bar or with the source itself is a legitimate temporary reason to run both.
Outside those, the hollow sound is the only result. Our roundup of soundbars for small living rooms covers the hardware.
Volume Control After Switching Over
Turning the television speakers off changes what the volume control is doing, which surprises people.
With ARC, the TV remote adjusts the soundbar directly, so the on-screen volume bar reflects the bar’s level rather than internal speakers.
With optical or Bluetooth, the television’s volume control may do nothing at all once its speakers are disabled, which looks like a fault and is expected behavior.
In that case the bar’s own remote or app becomes the volume control, and the television’s is irrelevant.
Some sets offer a fixed or variable audio output setting, and choosing variable restores TV volume control over an optical connection where the option exists. Our note on tv backlights that match screen color covers connection differences.
If the Sound Still Seems Wrong
Check whether the television is applying its own processing on top of the soundbar’s, since some sets continue to process audio they send out.
Setting the TV’s sound mode to standard or direct removes that second layer where the option exists.
Confirm the bar is receiving the format you expect, since a set outputting stereo to a bar capable of more produces a flatter result than the hardware allows.
And check the volume relationship between the two devices, because a bar set low with the television compensating by pushing its output high produces distortion that looks very much like a connection problem rather than a level one.
Working through those in order usually identifies the cause, and the volume relationship is the one people check last despite it being the easiest to test.
TV Speakers and Soundbar FAQ
Should you turn off TV speakers with a soundbar?
Yes. Running both produces a hollow, echoing sound from timing mismatch rather than extra volume.
Does ARC do it automatically?
Usually. ARC is two-way, so the television knows a bar is attached. With mine it handled it completely, with no manual step.
Why do optical connections need manual changes?
Optical carries audio one direction only, so the television has no way of detecting that a soundbar is connected.
Why does using both sound worse rather than louder?
The soundbar processes audio, which delays it fractionally. Two sources slightly out of step cancel some frequencies and reinforce others.
Where is the setting?
Under sound or audio, usually named speaker output or audio output. Choose external or audio system rather than internal or both.
Why did it come back after an update?
Firmware updates sometimes reset audio settings. Some sets also apply output per input, so one source can revert while others do not.
Is there ever a reason to use both?
Rarely. Some manufacturer-designed systems synchronize a TV’s upward-firing speakers with a bar deliberately, which is different from switching both on.
What if it still sounds off?
Check whether the television is processing audio before sending it. Setting its sound mode to standard or direct removes that second layer.
