How to Fix No Sound on Bluetooth Home Theater System

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

You've connected your Home Theater through Bluetooth to your various devices and now you want to play music or watch a movie on your big screen. Only, when you turn everything on, there's no sound. Sometimes, problems can occur with the Bluetooth connection to your home theater system.

This guide will walk you through double checking connections, range, volume, and finally re-pairing if its needed.

Tools You'll Need:

  • A paperclip
  • iPhone charging cable
  • Access to a computer with iTunes installed
  • Any other non-consumable tools needed
  • Comment out tools section if no tools are necessary

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Supplies You'll Need:

  • Zip ties
  • Any other consumable supplies
  • Comment out supplies section if no supplies are necessary

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Before You Begin:

  • You must have access to a computer with iTunes installed.
  • You must have that thing for the other thing so you can do the thing.

You must have this thing before you whatever.

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Bluetooth connection between phone and speakers

2. Make Sure Bluetooth is Connected

If you are having trouble with your Bluetooth device not pushing sound to your Home Theater System you'll need to verify Bluetooth is working and connected between the two devices.

  1. Make sure that your Bluetooth connected device and Home Theater are close to each other (within a couple of feet) for the initial connection.
  2. Check that your Bluetooth connected device is on and fully charged or connected to power.
  3. On your Bluetooth connected device, go to Settings then Bluetooth and make sure that Bluetooth is on. 
Windows

Windows

  1. Click the Start button.
Windows 10 Start Menu
  1. Tap on Settings.
Windows 10 Settings
  1. Then click on Devices.
Devices Settings
  1. Select Bluetooth & other devices from the left-hand column and ensure the Bluetooth switch is in the On position to the right.
Bluetooth & other devices and the Bluetooth toggle highlighted
  1. If properly paired the device will show the Paired status under its name.
Paired device highlighted

Apple

Apple macOS

  1. On the menu bar, click the Apple menu, then System Preferences.
macOS Apple Menu with System Preferences highlighted.
  1. Select Bluetooth.
System Preferences with Bluetooth highlighted.
  1. Ensure that it says Bluetooth: On. Turn it on with the button if it isn't.
Screenshot of the Bluetooth properties box. Annotation that shows how to turn the Bluetooth radio on.
  1. Your computer will search for any Bluetooth devices in range.
  2. Once your device is located, click Pair.
Bluetooth properties box with directions to click the Pair button next to the device you wish to connect to.
  1. Once the pairing process is complete, your Mac will automatically connect to the device whenever it is in range.
Android

Android

Depending on what device (Smartphone or Tablet) and which generation you have, the menu theme and options might look slightly different on your screen. However, the steps should be similar to all Android devices and generations.

Using the Dropdown Menu

  1. Swipe down from the top of the device screen if it's a phone or up from the bottom of the device screen if it's a tablet to access the menu.
  2. Locate the Bluetooth icon.
Bluetooth icon.
  1. Press and hold the Bluetooth icon.
  2. Swipe the switch to your right to set the Bluetooth accessory in pairing/discovery mode.
  3. A list of nearby devices and previously paired devices will be shown.
  4. In the list of Available Devices, choose the Bluetooth accessory you wish to pair with.
Android bluetooth menu showing the bluetooth switch in the on position and a list of bluetooth devices currently in range.

Using Settings within the Android Menu

  1. Locate and tap the Apps Menu.
Android apps icon.
  1. Locate and tap the Settings icon.
Android Settings icon.
  1. Select the Bluetooth. You may need to select Connections first.
  2. Swipe the switch to your right to set the Bluetooth accessory in pairing/discovery mode.
  3. A list of nearby devices and previously paired devices will be shown.
  4. In the list of Available Devices, choose the Bluetooth accessory you wish to pair with.
Android bluetooth menu showing the bluetooth switch in the on position and a list of bluetooth devices currently in range.

Apple

Apple iOS

  1. Open Settings.
iOS Settings.
  1. Tap Bluetooth.
iOS Bluetooth.
  1. Ensure Bluetooth is On then review the list and make sure your device is on it.
Bluetooth toggle switch highlighted in iOS settings.

3. Check Bluetooth Range Between Home Theater

The device needs to be within a reasonable range in order to connect.

  • In general, to pair and use a Bluetooth device, the device needs to be within 10 feet of your home theater.
  • Some medium and higher-power devices can be farther, up to about 30 feet, but this tends to be for larger devices that plug in or have very large batteries, such as a computer, media streaming device, or a plug-in speaker system.
30 feet in between a home theater and bluetooth icon

Try moving the Bluetooth device closer if you have trouble.

If Not In Range

If possible, move the device you wish to stream from closer to your home theater.

If this is not possible, Bluetooth streaming may not be the technology you wish to use. Check to see if your home theater or surround sound system provides support for DLNA or Miracast streaming, possibly through your Smart TV, instead.

4. Check Home Theater Volume

Checking receiver settings can make a huge difference when experiencing issues with your home theater system. This guide will touch upon common things that can be checked on A/V receivers. However, depending on the manufacturer and model receiver your have within your setup, your receiver may not have the features or options that are gone over here.

  1. Many A/V Receivers have volume knobs that do not have a defined minimum or maximum volume, meaning they can be turned in either direction infinitely. This makes it difficult to tell what your volume level might be by simply looking at the knob. Make sure your volume level is actually high enough for you to be able to hear things across all your speakers.
Master volume knob being turned
  1. Some A/V Receivers come equipped with a Muting or Mute button that does not have an indicator lamp to let you know that it may be engaged. Ensure your receiver is not muted by pressing this button to toggle on or off.
Mute button
  1. If your A/V Receiver has a speaker selector knob, you may not be hearing audio at all, or you may be hearing distorted or weak audio. Depending on where your speakers are connected in the rear of the receiver, you may need this knob to be adjusted differently.
AV receiver speaker selector knob.
  1. If your A/V Receiver has an on-screen menu system, you may need to check to ensure that your speaker output settings are correct. In some cases, you may need to tell your receiver that your speakers are Small or Large, which can greatly impact the way certain speakers perform. This will greatly vary depending on the manufacturer and model of receiver you have.
AV receiver speaker setup screen.
  1. If your A/V Receiver does have the on-screen menu system as discussed above, more speaker configuration options may need to be adjusted such as speaker Distance or Trim which defines how much louder or softer an individual speaker will be by default. For example, rear surround sound speakers are traditionally used for ambience and will not sound as loud as front speakers, so you may prefer to give those a bit of a boost.
AV receiver speaker configuration screen.

5. Check Audio Levels on Connected Devices

Let's adjust the volume on the device you're using to connect to your home theater.

 

The Windows logo

A Windows PC

  1. Opening the volume slider found near the time and date.
Windows 10 speaker icon
  1. Set the level of the audio by moving the slider.
Windows 10 speaker volume slider
  1. You can also set specific audio levels for each application:
  2. For touch-screen, long-press the volume icon.
  3. For mouse users, right-click on the volume icon.
Windows 10 speaker icon
  1. Select Open Volume Mixer.
Windows 10 open volume mixer
  1. You can set each application's audio level from here.
Windows 10 volume mixer

Apple

A Mac

Push the Volume Down or Volume Up key in the top-right corner of your keyboard.

Mac keyboard with volume keys highlighted

Google Android

Android

  1. Set the volume to maximum by using the volume button on the side of the device.
Android phone with volume switch highlighted.
  1. You can also set individual volume levels using the volume sliders. They will show on screen after you press the side volume button. Touch the drop-down button next to the slider to expand.
Android volume with dropdown highlighted.
  1. The max level is when you put the slider to the far right.
Volume slider highlighted with arrow indicating maximum volume
Apple

iPhone or iPad

  1. We will check to make sure your volume isn't muted.Set the audio level by pressing the volume keys.
Side of an iPhone showing the volume button


  1. You can also use the Control Center by swiping up from the home screen. Use the volume slider to set the audio level. Sliding to the far right sets the volume to maximum.
The control center volume slider

6. Forget and Re-pair the Bluetooth Device

If you're still having issues with your Bluetooth audio even after restarting the devices, let's go ahead and "forget" them and re-pair them to your Home Theater. Forgetting the devices will erase any settings you have saved and may fix any issues you're experiencing.

Forget or Remove the Bluetooth Device

There are many home theaters and related devices. Depending on the manufacturer and model receiver your have within your setup, your home theater may have different steps.

  1. Access Settings.
Fire TV menu with Settings selected. Screenshot.
  1. Then select Controllers & Bluetooth Devices.
Controllers and Bluetooth Devices selected. Screenshot.
  1. Select Other Bluetooth Devices.
Controllers and Bluetooth Devices menu with Other Bluetooth Devices selected. Screenshot.
  1. Select the device that's having the connection issue.
Add Bluetooth Devices menu with example device selected. Screenshot.
  1. Press the Menu button on your remote to unpair it.
Fire TV remote control with Menu button highlighted. Screenshot.

Re-pair the Device