It is absolutely annoying when you are already so immersed in a movie or show and suddenly your soundbar just cut off then returns back to life after a few seconds. It not only disrupts the moment but also ruins the whole experience. If this problem keeps persisting, you may not even feel like using your soundbar anymore. Isn’t that a total waste of money? It is a waste of time as well since you took the time and effort to audition other sound systems until you finally decided on this soundbar.
Soundbar cuts out during quiet scenes could be just one of the reasons, there are a few more issues that you may like to know. Along with the causes, we will also share with you the fixes. So take out your notepad and write it down, or you can just print out this article to start troubleshooting your soundbar today.
More Info at Amazon – Bose TV Speaker – Soundbar with Bluetooth and HDMI-ARC
Table of Contents
Soundbar Energy Saving Mode
I mean manufacturers implementing energy-saving mode and other eco-friendly technologies are great and all but there are times is just a little bit too much especially when it negatively affects user experience. So what does an energy-saving mode do? When there is no audio signal for a split second, the soundbar will just revert to energy-saving mode and cut off your speakers. Once it received a signal input, it will take another second or two to revert back to normal. Usually, you won’t be able to manually switch this mode off but don’t worry. There are two methods to solve this issue.
The first method is quite straightforward, you will just need to max the volume of your connecting device then slowly turn up the volume of your soundbar to the loudness that you want. This method may not be practical as you may have lowered down the volume for good reasons such as not disturbing your family members while watching a movie.
This is where the second method comes in, you can use a signal generator app in the background. Set a low frequency that is low enough that your soundbar won’t be able to play it thus rejecting the frequency. Even though the soundbar rejects the signal from your app but it won’t cut off. Soundbar paired with a subwoofer can reproduce very low-frequency sound, so you’ll need to set an even lower frequency from your app. To play safe, you should also lower down the volume/loudness of the signal generator app.
Television Setting
There is a possibility your television may also have energy-saving mode and will cut off when there is no audio signal. Try turning this mode off from your television and see if the problem still persists.
Updating Soundbar Firmware
It could be that you are not using the latest firmware and it is time for an update. As different brands and models may have various ways of updating to their latest firmware, I will suggest that you contact the support and ask for a guide on how to update your soundbar. It is wise to avoid getting firmware from unknown sources and you should always download files/firmware from the manufacturers’ sites unless their support guides you to another source.
Bluetooth Interferences
If you are playing back sources via devices that are connected to your soundbar via Bluetooth. There may be something interfering with your Bluetooth connection, the intermittent loss of signal may cause your soundbar to cut off since it may think there’s no audio signal and it just goes eco mode. It could also be heavy Bluetooth traffic which means there are too many devices connecting to your soundbar via Bluetooth.
You may want to check what is interfering or blocking your Bluetooth signal, there may be objects in between the path blocking the connection. You should disconnect all devices that are connected via Bluetooth except the one you are using currently, to lighten up the traffic.
Internet Connectivity
If you are playing back sources that require a stable internet connection, such as Netflix, Disney+, etc. Internet jitters will affect the arrival time of data packets and a split-second delay may cause your Soundbar to go quiet. It could be also the internet latency which is slowing down due to high traffic. You may try to lower the settings for example; from 4K to Full HD and/or from Full HD to HD. The lower the resolution, the smaller the file size and your internet may be able to cope during peak periods. You may also want to check with your internet service provider, it could be an issue on their end.
Set TV to PCM Output
If you have set your TV to encode outgoing signal as Dolby Digital, this may cause a few problems for you. Set it to PCM output, test, and see if the problem persists.
More Info at Amazon – Klipsch Cinema 600 Sound Bar 3.1 Home Theater System
Faulty Soundbar
This could be quite rare but it may still happen especially you have been using your soundbar for a couple of years. Wear and tear are unavoidable but before you send your soundbar for repair, you may want to do one last check on the connections. Such as loose cables, damaged cables, damaged connecting ports on other devices, and other possible connectivity issues. If everything else is okay and you have done all the necessary troubleshooting then you should send it in for repair.
The Bottomline
It seems like when a soundbar cuts out during a quiet scene in a movie or music playback, is usually the energy-saving mode issue. It could be how some manufacturers the way they set it, is too fast and not practical, for instance, soundbar to cut off if there is no audio signal within less than a second. To avoid this problem in the future, you may want to check online first. See if there are any similar complaints on the soundbar that you are about to purchase and was there any solution to it. If this is your first time buying a soundbar, don’t be disheartened by this, as this issue should have been solved by the manufacturer with just a software update. Just do some research online first.
