Compatibility & scope
Based on Hisense's English e-manual whose PDF metadata title is E-Manual MT9603 VIDAA U9 NA/SA (the manual prints no date or version; the PDF was created in 2025), downloaded from Hisense Chile (hisense.cl), where it is hosted for the 58Q6QV, 40Q4SV and 50A4NV. These are model codes from Hisense Chile's site; equivalent models elsewhere and other TV brands that run VIDAA may differ. The manual says the sound options vary by model, country, region and the Audio Output selected. The 58Q6QV copy lists two extra Audio Output choices (SPDIF with TV Speaker, and TV Speaker With Soundbar (Hi-Concerto) for specific soundbar types) that the 40Q4SV and 50A4NV copies don't; in those two copies the volume troubleshooting entry also calls the CEC setting HDMI-CEC, while their HDMI & CEC section calls it CEC Control. The manual doesn't cover settings on the soundbar itself beyond its Input Selector, and doesn't say which Hisense soundbars get the SoundBar Settings menu. Documentation reviewed; no TV hardware tested.
In this guide
Use the HDMI ARC/eARC socket if the soundbar supports it
To play a VIDAA TV’s sound through a soundbar, connect it with an HDMI cable to the TV socket labelled HDMI ARC/eARC and switch the soundbar on. On TVs that match Hisense’s 2025 U9 e-manual, the TV’s Audio Output should then switch to ARC by itself. If the soundbar doesn’t support ARC or eARC, use the optical socket, labelled DIGITAL AUDIO OUT, and set Audio Output to SPDIF(Optical) instead.
ARC (Audio Return Channel) sends the TV’s sound back down an HDMI cable to the soundbar; eARC is the enhanced version. Only the socket labelled ARC/eARC does this; the TV’s other HDMI sockets are inputs for players and boxes.
| HDMI ARC/eARC | Optical | |
|---|---|---|
| TV socket | HDMI ARC/eARC | DIGITAL AUDIO OUT |
| Cable | HDMI (not supplied) | Digital audio cable (not supplied) |
| Audio Output setting | ARC (usually chosen automatically) | SPDIF(Optical) |
| TV remote controls the soundbar’s volume | Yes, with CEC Control on | Not described in the manual |
| Soundbar must support | ARC or eARC | A digital audio input |
The manual applies the same steps to speakers, amplifiers and other audio receivers. Ports vary by model, so check the labels on your TV.
Connect with HDMI ARC/eARC
- Connect the soundbar to the TV socket labelled HDMI ARC/eARC with an HDMI cable. On the soundbar, use the HDMI socket its manual names for ARC or eARC.
- Switch the soundbar on.
- If the soundbar has an input selector, set it to TV.
- On the TV, the Audio Output should change to ARC on its own once the connection is made. To check, press Home on the remote, open Settings (the gear icon) and go to Sound → Audio Output.
- If ARC isn’t selected, select it there.
You should now hear the TV through the soundbar.
Turn on eARC
If the soundbar supports eARC, also go to Settings → Sound → Audio Output Settings → HDMI-eARC and switch it On. Hisense says the sound mutes briefly while the device connects, so a short silence is expected.
Control the soundbar’s volume with the TV remote
Turn on Settings → Connection → HDMI & CEC → CEC Control. With an HDMI ARC/eARC connection, this lets the TV remote change the soundbar’s volume instead of the soundbar’s own remote. The soundbar has to support HDMI-CEC too. CEC also lets the TV remote control players and set-top boxes, and links the TV’s power to theirs; that’s covered in the VIDAA HDMI & CEC guide.
Connect with an optical cable
Use this when the soundbar has no ARC or eARC.
- Connect the soundbar to the TV socket labelled DIGITAL AUDIO OUT with a digital audio (optical) cable.
- Switch the soundbar on first, then switch the TV on. Hisense gives this order.
- Press Home, open Settings and go to Sound → Audio Output.
- Choose SPDIF(Optical).
If the soundbar has more than one input, its manual says which one to select for an optical connection; the TV manual doesn’t cover the soundbar’s settings.
The manual doesn’t say the TV remote can change the volume of an optical soundbar.
Keep a player or box connected at the same time
You can plug a Blu-ray player, games console or set-top box into one of the TV’s ordinary HDMI sockets and still send the sound to an ARC/eARC soundbar. Hisense calls this a series connection: the device goes into the TV, and the TV passes the sound on through the ARC/eARC socket. It also warns that some audio systems don’t support a series connection. To switch between the devices on screen, see switching inputs on a VIDAA TV.
If there’s no sound from the soundbar
- Check mute and volume on the TV remote, and the volume on the soundbar.
- Check the socket and setting match. HDMI goes in HDMI ARC/eARC with Audio Output on ARC; optical goes in DIGITAL AUDIO OUT with SPDIF(Optical).
- Check the soundbar’s input. For HDMI ARC/eARC, Hisense says to set an input selector to TV; for optical, check the soundbar’s manual.
- Check the cable is secure at both ends and not damaged.
- Check the source. If a set-top box or player is playing, check its own volume, and check you’ve selected the right HDMI input on the TV.
- Rule out the TV. Go to Settings → Support → Self Diagnosis → Sound Test. The test sound plays through the TV’s own speakers. If you hear it, the TV’s own sound is working, which points to the soundbar’s connection or settings. To use the TV speakers again meanwhile, choose TV Speaker in Audio Output.
If the soundbar still won’t connect, check that the cable is securely connected to both the TV and the soundbar, then check the soundbar’s own manual for its ARC or optical setting.
Sound is out of sync with the picture
Go to Settings → Sound → Audio Output Settings:
- set Digital Audio Output Delay to 0
- adjust Lip Sync until speech matches the picture
Hisense notes that these options depend on the model and the Audio Output selected, and that a weak signal can cause a delay that isn’t a fault.
The TV remote doesn’t change the soundbar’s volume
Check the HDMI cable, then check Settings → Connection → HDMI & CEC → CEC Control is On. If you’ve just turned the TV on, wait a moment: the manual says volume can lag while the TV starts up. If the volume changes on its own, check whether Auto Volume Control is on under Settings → Sound → Sound Mode Settings.
Sound cuts out or is distorted
Check the cable and connectors for damage, make sure the cable is in the soundbar’s correct socket, and move appliances such as microwave ovens away from the TV.
If none of this works, note the TV model, the soundbar model, the socket you used and what Audio Output shows, and contact Hisense support for your country.
Common questions
How do I get 5.1 surround sound?
The soundbar or receiver must support 5.1. Then go to Settings → Sound → Audio Output Settings → Digital Audio Output Format and choose Dolby Audio - Dolby Digital Plus. The same menu also offers Auto, Pass Through, PCM, Dolby Audio - Dolby Digital and DTS Surround; the choices vary by model.
Can the TV speakers play along with the soundbar?
Only in limited cases. The copy of the manual hosted for the 58Q6QV lists SPDIF with TV Speaker (optical soundbar plus TV speakers) and TV Speaker With Soundbar (Hi-Concerto) (an HDMI ARC/eARC soundbar of specific types) in Audio Output. The copies hosted for the 40Q4SV and 50A4NV don’t list either, so check whether your Audio Output menu has them.
What is the SoundBar Settings menu?
Some soundbars, which the manual calls “specific soundbar types” without naming them, can be adjusted from Settings → Sound → Audio Output Settings → SoundBar Settings (TV Mode, EQ modes, surround, bass, treble and indicator brightness). With those soundbars a notification can appear when they connect. If your soundbar isn’t one of them, you won’t see the menu, and that doesn’t mean the connection failed. It only works while Audio Output is on ARC and the soundbar is on.
How do I connect Bluetooth headphones or a Bluetooth speaker instead?
That uses the TV’s Bluetooth menu and the Bluetooth Speaker audio output; see the VIDAA Bluetooth headphones guide.
Sources & scope
Pages printed 39, 50–52, 60–61, 75–76, 82–83, 90, 92–93, 98 (PDF 40, 51–53, 61–62, 76–77, 83–84, 91, 93–94, 99)
View sourcePDF page = printed page + 1. Consulted: Connecting Speakers or Other Audio Receivers (optical), Connecting a Digital Audio System with ARC/eARC, Select Speakers, Audio Output Settings Setup (HDMI-eARC, Digital Audio Output Format, Digital Audio Output Delay, Lip Sync), SoundBar Settings, Use HDMI & CEC, Sound Test, and the Troubleshooting entries for no sound, Sound Issues and a soundbar that can't connect or is unstable. Rendered PDF 52, 53 and 61 checked. The same text is in the hisense.cl e-manuals hosted as User-Manual-40Q4SV.pdf (PDF 39, 50–52, 59–61, 75, 80–82, 89, 91–92, 97) and User-Manual-50A4NV.pdf (PDF 42, 53–55, 62–64, 78, 83–85, 92, 94–95, 100), except that their Select Speakers page has no SPDIF with TV Speaker or Hi-Concerto option, and their volume troubleshooting entry calls the CEC setting HDMI-CEC. The manual's front matter lists no models, date or VIDAA version: model names come from the hosted file names, and VIDAA U9 NA/SA and 2025 from the PDF metadata title and creation date (May 2025; uploaded to hisense.cl in November 2025).
These instructions are based on manufacturer documentation. They have not been device-tested for this guide.
Based on Hisense's English e-manual whose PDF metadata title is E-Manual MT9603 VIDAA U9 NA/SA (the manual prints no date or version; the PDF was created in 2025), downloaded from Hisense Chile (hisense.cl), where it is hosted for the 58Q6QV, 40Q4SV and 50A4NV. These are model codes from Hisense Chile's site; equivalent models elsewhere and other TV brands that run VIDAA may differ. The manual says the sound options vary by model, country, region and the Audio Output selected. The 58Q6QV copy lists two extra Audio Output choices (SPDIF with TV Speaker, and TV Speaker With Soundbar (Hi-Concerto) for specific soundbar types) that the 40Q4SV and 50A4NV copies don't; in those two copies the volume troubleshooting entry also calls the CEC setting HDMI-CEC, while their HDMI & CEC section calls it CEC Control. The manual doesn't cover settings on the soundbar itself beyond its Input Selector, and doesn't say which Hisense soundbars get the SoundBar Settings menu. Documentation reviewed; no TV hardware tested.