Practical guide
TV to stereo: HDMI ARC or optical?
Use HDMI ARC/eARC when both the TV and audio device support it and you want one-cable audio plus possible TV-remote control. Use optical when ARC is unavailable, unreliable, or unnecessary and both devices have compatible optical ports. For a two-channel stereo, set the TV’s digital output to PCM if bitstream audio produces silence.
When this answer applies
- Your TV has an HDMI port labeled ARC/eARC or an optical digital output
- Your audio device has the matching input
- You are connecting a stereo, powered speakers, receiver, or compatible streamer—not passive speakers directly
Do it in this order
- Read the labels on both devices; a normal HDMI input is not automatically an ARC port.
- For ARC, connect the labeled TV ARC/eARC port to the labeled ARC/eARC output on the audio device, then enable ARC/eARC and HDMI-CEC in the TV menu.
- For optical, remove protective caps, connect optical out to optical in, and select the correct input.
- If there is no sound, set the TV digital-audio format to PCM/stereo and temporarily disable advanced surround formats.
- Power-cycle both devices and test a built-in TV app before adding a console or set-top box.
Limits to know
- ARC control behavior varies by TV and audio-device pairing.
- Optical generally does not carry the same control data as HDMI-CEC and has lower format capacity than eARC.
- The FiiO K11 R2R accepts optical audio but does not include HDMI ARC.
Sources
These sources support connection and specification statements. RoomCircuit does not present manufacturer claims as independent testing.
HDMI Licensing Administrator: eARC overviewSony USA: ARC overviewSony USA: ARC/eARC no-sound checks