Does a Soundbar have a Headphone Jack? If you are looking for a soundbar you can pair with your headphones, there are many of them available.
Some soundbars have a headphone jack and other input/output sources. Make sure to buy a soundbar with coaxial and optical inputs for the best sound, you should be able to plug in your headphones.
Headphone support brings loads of new experiences and innovates how you listen to music. Many soundbars will push for this feature due to the rise in demand.
Can you listen to a soundbar with headphones?
Not all soundbars have a headphone jack, so you cannot plug your headphones into those. Such soundbars do not use the audio out.
Soundbars are typically designed to be standalone and all-inclusive units. If you can hook your surround sound speakers to your soundbar, it may have audio out.
You have to connect your soundbar to the digital audio out port to output sound from your TV and then your headphones to the soundbar.
Connecting your soundbar to the HDMI ports or through Bluetooth may prevent the TV from sending out sound from both the soundbar and headphones.
Do soundbars have audio out?
As mentioned earlier, not all soundbars have audio out because they are designed to be all-inclusive and standalone units.
In most cases, if you are able to plug in your surround sound speakers to your soundbar, it may mean that it supports audio out.
You have to connect your headphone to the audio out port on your soundbar (if any). Unfortunately, you may be unable to hear the sound if you connect your headphones to the soundbar using Bluetooth connective because your TV will not output sound from both sources.
There may be a solution for your TV sound not working. Consider disconnecting your soundbar from the TV HDMI-ARC input if you want the sound to play on your headphones. You may use the optical audio output to run the headphone transmitter.
You could also use your TV to switch HDMI. An HDMI-ARC audio extractor allows you to provide audio outputs for your soundbar and headphone transmitter.
How do I connect my headphone jack to my soundbar?
Your headphone connection to the soundbar may now differ since you want to hear sound from your headphones.
First, connect your headphone to the digital audio port to output sound from your TV speakers and headphones.
If you connect your headphones and soundbar to the TV headphone jack, or even the HDMI ports, or use Bluetooth, your TV will not output sound. It cannot send sound through both soundbar and headphones.
In this case, you only have to connect your headphones to the TV headphone jack, and your soundbar to the digital output port for the TV to output sound from both the headphones and soundbar.
Also, if you connect your soundbar to the HDMI ports or use Bluetooth connectivity, how TV will not output sound from both the headphones and the soundbar simultaneously.
Headphone problems with soundbar
You should have sound from headphones only without TV interference when you adjust the settings by going to Menu» Sound» Advanced settings» Volume». However, this may not work.
Sound also coming from the TV
If your TV only has the built-in speakers in the audio out port, the sound will come out from the headphone nicely but you may be unable to control the volume level.
You may also have sound coming from the TV speakers when you turn up the volume. This is a problem that affects the TV output, not the headphones because the sound may come to the headphones when you mute or lower the volume of the TV volume.
The solution may be to plug your headphone straight into the AUX on your soundbar. If the soundbar and headphones are a 3.5mm connection, just connect a straight 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable. If soundbar AUX is twin red/white RCA, you need a 3.5mm to twin RCA cable.
Volume control problem
Note that some TVs use a hybrid headphone/audio out.
If your TV uses hybrid headphone/audio out, you should have a menu setting that allows you to turn the TV speakers off and change your audio output. Otherwise, you need a headphone AMP that has volume control.
Your TV greatly determines how you connect your headphones to your soundbar. You want to check your TV settings menu for options that allow you to get sound from the headphone jack only.
No jack on the soundbar
You are supposed to plug your headphones into a jack that says “headphones”. This will then automatically disable sound from your TV. The jack now serves as an auxiliary output that feeds a stereo input to play the sound through your headphones.
Therefore, the audio out port stays on and does not change alongside the settings for the volume from your TV.
Your TV should have a feature below the audio settings that allows you to disable output to your TV speakers. However, headphones only need to go in the jack labeled for headphones for your TV to control the volume correctly.
You may need your stereo remote to control sound.
No sound for streaming services
If you have no sound while watching Netflix or other streaming services, you may have to buy a SPDIF optical sound decoder or ch 5.1 audio digital decoder AC-3/DTS which converts the signal to RCA and 3.5, it also uses a volume dial.
You can now listen to your streaming service sound using your headphones connected to the soundbar.
If you use SPDIF splitter only, you will have only cable out and DVD player out without an audio sound. The digital audio decoder from Optical to RCA and 3.5 will convert Dolby sound back to RCA or 3.5 headphones plugged in.
What to look for when buying soundbar with headphone jack
Look for the following when buying a soundbar that has a jack for headphones:
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Multiple connections
The soundbar should support optical wired and 3.5mm (AUX and RCA) audio input. With this, you can connect your soundbar with your headphones.
You can also use your soundbar as a Bluetooth 5.0 device to play various streaming music stored on the phone over the headphones.
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Sound
You are also looking for a sound type that brings a cinematic experience. Buy a product with built-in voice-enhancement technologies that enhance sound.
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Certification
Certified soundbars are built on quality and are typically trusted to the consumers, so you get the best for your money.
Your soundbar should be certified by an agency like the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). The FCC, for example, checks the electromagnetic radiation from the soundbar to be sure it emits below advisable limits.
Certification also ensures that a soundbar manufacturer has followed the requirements necessary to give you the best and most healthy experience using the product.
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Warranty
You need coverage so that you can return any faulty soundbar to the manufacturer and get your money back or a replacement. A good warranty typically extends to at least 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, or permanently.
Best Soundbar with Headphone Jack
In this section, we look at some of the soundbars you can invest your money on that use headphone jack.
Below are the best soundbar with headphones jack:
KMOUK Sound Bar for Small TV, Bluetooth 5.0, Mini Soundbar for PC/Home Theater
Kmouk is a big name in the soundbar industry with the following features to offer:
Bluetooth transmission
Kmouk supports Bluetooth 5.0 wireless transmission technology. It is powerfully designed with anti-interference ability and lossless audio transmission.
Kmouk can connect wirelessly to a cell phone and allows you to stream audio content when you do not have your headphones jack handy.
All you have to do is to enable the Bluetooth function of your phone, select Kamouk device HSB001 from the list to pair, and start listening.
Touch control
You can adjust the sound by tapping the volume button. To power off, press and hold the power button for about 1.5 seconds.
To adjust the audio input mode, double-click the ‘M’ button. The selectable modes include Bluetooth, AUX, and OPT.
Multi-device compatibility
Apart from Bluetooth, this soundbar also supports Optical, RCA, and AUX connections. You can easily set it up, plug it, and start playing.
If you prefer a wired connection, ensure to use the corresponding cable. Your sound source should be set to the selected output device.
AUX connection
When you set your soundbar to AUX mode, the white indicator light turns on. To enable AUX, click the AUX button on the remote control. Alternatively, you can double-tap the ‘M’ button on the panel of the soundbar.
Make sure to connect the AUX wire to the output port of the TV and not the input port. Finally, set the TV/PC output to headphones or audio output.
Control soundbar remotely
You can control this soundbar remotely to adjust the setting. Use the mute button to remotely mute your soundbar. see on Amazon
Wohome Small Sound Bars for TV, 50W 16-Inch
The reported downside of this soundbar is that it does not have the capability to play streaming channels/services.
Other interesting features you get with the Wohome soundbar include the following:
HiFi audio
This soundbar uses 2x powerful full-range drivers to enhance deep bass and crystal clear sound that meets your gaming and streaming needs.
Sound equalizer modes
There are up to 5 sound equalizer modes, including jazz, rock, flat, pop, and voice.
Wireless connection
With Bluetooth 5.0, you can replace your headphone jack to listen to your Bluetooth-enabled headphones wireless.
Wired connectivity
You can connect your wired headphone jack, thanks to the support for AUX USB and even optical inputs. This soundbar comes with the RCA cable and optical cable supplied, so no need to buy any extra cables. see on Amazon
BESTISAN Soundbar, TV Sound Bar with Dual Bass Ports Wired and Wireless
The Bestian soundbar arrives with a power adapter, remote control, audio cable, optical cable, service card, and a product manual in the box.
It allows you to use your headphone jack and enjoy the following features:
Multi-device support
The multiple device support allows you to connect many of your devices, including your headphones to your soundbar.
This soundbar uses Optical, AUX, RCA, and even Bluetooth connections.
Bluetooth transmission
This soundbar uses Bluetooth 5.0, which you can use to replace your headphone jack when not in need of a cabled connection.
Sound
The sound is optimized for your ears. This soundbar uses dual full-range drivers and a patented bass port to rousing highs and deep lows.
Processor
The Digital Signal Processor(DSP) feature presents audio with rousing highs and deep lows. see on Amazon
Does longer cable affect sound quality?
A longer cable affects the sound quality, so you have to consider the length of your headphone cable. Nonetheless, longer cables are still okay even if they are long. The sound will not be astoundingly bad to the hearing.
Shorter headphone cables tend to have less resistance. When you connect a thicker wire to your soundbar or the lower the gauge, the resistance will be less.
Thus, speaker impedance, length, and gauge combine to affect the resistance. Consider using Bluetooth as your connection method since it plays properly even at a longer range.
Can you use a headphone jack as an AUX?
You can use a headphone jack as an AUX. Besides, your standard AUX connector size is 3.5mm, and the size of a typical headphone jack varies from 2.5mm to 6.35mm.
You can use the headphone jack in the AUX-in and not the other way around. AUX cables are also essential when mixing consoles.
Final thoughts on Does a Soundbar have a Headphone Jack?
In essence, you can use your headphone jack in a soundbar that supports headphones.
Meanwhile, you should not keep your ears busy with the headphones for too long. Your ears contain thousands of cells, some of which have little hair-like structures known as hair cells.
The hair cells transmit sound from your ears to the brain for further processing. Thus, exposing your ears to prolonged audio can damage these cells permanently, which impedes hearing or results in hearing loss. Perhaps, the word should be moderate – use the headphones moderately.