How to Connect 2.1 Speakers to an LED TV?

Did you get yourself brand new 2.1 speakers? Or maybe you found an older model somewhere in your house, and you want to know how to connect it to your LED TV? You’ve come to the right place! Today, we’re teaching you how to connect your 2.1 speakers to an LED TV. Moreover, we will incorporate some useful tips on where to place your speakers/subwoofer for the best listening experience. So, without further ado, here’s the easiest way to connect 2.1 speakers to a LED TV!

What is a 2.1 Speaker System?

Do you know what these numbers in the speaker system names mean? If not, that’s completely fine! Many people do not really get the difference between various numbers in the name of a speaker system. So, let’s learn!

Edifier USA M3600D 2.1 speaker system

The first number represents the number of speakers the system has and the effects they produce. In the 2.1 system, you have two speakers: left and right. So, your system will come with one speaker that’s responsible for the left channel and the second one that represents the right channel. The .1 in the name of the speaker system means that your system comes with a subwoofer! This speaker is responsible for delivering lower frequencies that the left and right speakers cannot produce. Thus, we recommend that you always opt for a model with the subwoofer for the optimal experience.

Step 1: Find the Best Place to Put your 2.1 Speakers

As we have already mentioned, you will have three units that you’ll need to place. Your system will come with a speaker that carries the left channel, a speaker for the right channel, and a subwoofer.

When it comes to your speakers, it’s best that you place them further away from each other to create a wider soundstage. They should also be on different sides of your TV. 

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• Types of Wireless Speakers for TV
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• Wired or Wireless – Which Type of Headphones Is Better for Watching TV?

 
The height at which you should place your speakers requires a pretty simple calculation. Experts recommend placing the speakers at the height of the listeners’ ears while they’re sitting. So, if you’re buying some kind of speaker stand, you should keep this height in mind. It’s also important that you place the speakers at the same height. That way, you’ll make sure that your sound doesn’t come off as weird. The angle at which you’re placing your speakers is not that important. However, you should try positioning them towards your sofa.

Placing your Subwoofer

As a device that produces bass, subwoofers can be pretty difficult to place if you want to achieve the optimal listening experience. So, you will need to move your subwoofer around and try out different positions to find the perfect one. Thankfully, we have some useful tips for placing your sub that can save you some time! 

Finding the right place for your subwoofer is very important for the overall performance (source – SVS)

The best tip we can give you is to be mindful of the walls and corners of the room. On the one hand, the added dimension can help your subwoofer produce a louder and punchier sound. That’s really useful for the “weaker” models. On the other hand, in case you have a stronger subwoofer, there is a chance that a flat wall might distort the audio output and make it boomy. So, the first thing you should try out is placing your subwoofer in the corner of the room to check what happens.

Another thing to keep in mind is the airflow opening on your subwoofer (aka bass reflex port). In case you have a model with this opening, it’s best to place it a bit further from the wall to avoid disrupting the airflow. Experts recommend putting your device 6 to 12 inches, or 15 to 30 centimeters, away from the walls of your room.

In any case, you should keep in mind that these tips are not strict rules that will always result in a perfect listening experience. Therefore, as we’ve mentioned, you should move the left and right speakers and the subwoofer around and find the perfect spot.

Also Read: Ways to Connect Speakers to an Amp.

Step 2: Connect Your Speakers to your LED TV

If you’re using the subwoofer that came with your speakers, you should check the manual your system came with to ensure that everything is properly connected. In case your situation is different, or you lost your instructions somehow, that’s OK. We will show you the easiest way to connect your 2.1 speakers to your LED TV.

Your first step will be connecting the speakers to the subwoofer. You should take your speaker cables (usually included in the package) and connect them to the right and left audio output ports of the subwoofer. Be careful not to make the mistake of which speaker cable port goes into which jack.

Depending on the available inputs on your speaker system, you will have to use a different kind of cable

Then, you should establish which connection options you have at your disposal. In most cases, all the audio inputs will be on the rear panel of your subwoofer. In some cases, the audio inputs will be on one of the speakers or on a dedicated volume control unit.

Now, more advanced units will have multiple connections including both – analog (AUX, RCA) and digital (coaxial, optical). All the systems will have at least one analog input – either 3.5mm or RCA inputs. Most TVs, on the other hand, should have at least one analog audio output (like a headphone output or RCA output).

So, the simplest way to connect your LED TV to your 2.1 speaker system is using those analog inputs. Depending on the available connections, you’ll need one of the following three cables – 3.5mm (M) to 3.5mm (M) audio cable, RCA to RCA cable, or 3.5mm (M) to RCA cable. 

Check out our article on ‘How to Connect Speakers to TV Without Receiver?’

Types of analog audio cables you can use to connect your 2.1 speakers to an LED TV

Just connect one end to your TV’s audio output and the other end to your subwoofer’s audio input, select the right audio output in your TV’s audio settings, and you’re ready to go. Play something on your LED TV to check whether you connected everything properly. 

If your TV has coaxial or optical audio outputs and your speaker system have corresponding digital audio inputs, you can use a coaxial or optical cable to connect them. 

If your LED TV and your 2.1 speaker system don’t have matching ports, then you’ll need not just the cables but some additional equipment, too. For example, if your TV doesn’t have analog outputs (only digital) and your speaker system doesn’t have digital inputs (only analog), then you will need one digital cable, one analog cable, and a device called DAC (digital-to-analog converter). This device will convert digital audio input coming from your TV to analog audio output going to your speakers. In this case, you will have one digital audio cable connecting the TV to the DAC, and the other analog cable connecting the DAC to your speakers. 

If your TV has only digital outputs and your speakers only analog inputs, you’ll need a DAC

Also Read: How to Connect Speaker Wire to TV?

Final Thoughts on How to Connect 2.1 Speakers to a LED TV

Congrats! You reached the end of the article, and you now know how to connect your 2.1 speakers to an LED TV! We tried to find the easiest way to connect the devices to ensure that the whole process is quick and painless.

Did you manage to find the optimal spot for your subwoofer and speakers? Tell us in the comments below! Also, make sure to check other useful articles on our website. See you in the next one!