Hearing Audio Through Your TV’s Speaker and Headphones at the Same Time
Hearing audio through the TV speaker AND the headphones at the same time
If you'd like to get sound on both your TV speakers AND headphones at the same time, it DEPENDS on whether the TV is able to support getting sound out to two sources simultaneously. It is NOT related to the transmitter. The transmitter receieves the sound from your TV's output and streams it over to your Bluetooth headphones or speakers.
For TV Built-In Speaker Users:
Solution 1: Change your TV's audio settings
First, check your TV’s settings to see if it supports simultaneous audio. Make sure that your TV’s audio output is set to “Internal TV Speaker + Audio Out (Optical)”. This setting’s name may vary depending on the TV’s brand and model.
If your TV doesn't have this setting, but you connect the transmitter to your TV via OPTICAL port AND you can see the following options under the SOUND OUTPUT settings on your TV...
You can actually get sound simultaneously! Follow these steps:
- Go to SOUND OUTPUT and change this to OPTICAL / EXTERNAL SPEAKER
- Once there's sound going out into the headphones, go back to SOUND OUTPUT and change this back to TV SPEAKER
If your TV doesn't support simultaneous output to both the TV speakers and headphones, here are some alternative methods you can consider:
If you use an audio transmitter:
Solution 2: Connect the Transmitter to a TV box / AV Receiver instead
If you have a TV box (DirecTV, Xfinity, Bluray Player, etc.), you should be able to find audio output ports on the back of them. Try to connect the Avantree transmitter directly here instead of the TV. This method essentially allows you to "go around" the TV's built-in speakers.
Con: will not work on streaming apps if you have a Smart TV or streaming device
For External Soundbar Users:
If the previous solutions don't work for you, you'll need to purchase a soundbar, stereo receiver, or external speakers to serve as your TV's speakers, since the TV's speakers won't work with your headphones. In this way, you can have audio coming from the headphones and these external speakers at the same time. Consider: Torpedo Plus
Solution 3: Use a Transmitter with the Passthrough Function
If you have a Soundbar or Stereo Receiver, check your transmitter to see if it supports passthrough. If not, you can return your current product and consider purchasing one of these: Orbit, Oasis Plus, Opera, Medley 6018, HT5009, HT5006, Duet, or Quartet.
Our industry leading "Passthrough" function allows you to put the transmitter/base between a TV and an external speaker and have audio come out from both devices AT THE SAME TIME.
Solution 4: Use an Audio splitter/extractor
- For AUX Output - Use an audio splitter (e.g. Avantree TR302) to share the TV's audio between an EXTERNAL SPEAKER and the Transmitter. The splitter in this example is a 3.5mm audio splitter
- For Optical AUDIO OUT - Use an optical splitter (e.g. J-Tech splitter) to share the TV's audio between an EXTERNAL SPEAKER and the Transmitter. The splitter in this example is an optical audio splitter.
- For HDMI ARC OUT - Use an HDMI Audio Extractor (e.g. HAX05) to share the TV's audio between an EXTERNAL SPEAKER and the Transmitter. The splitter in this example is an ARC supported HDMI audio extractor.