Why is my TV sound so bad? How can I fix it?

If you own a sleek modern TV without external speakers or a soundbar , you've probably turned the volume all the way up more than once to hear the dialogue in your favorite movie or show.

Many modern TVs sound terrible despite being excellent in most other aspects. However, there are a number of ways to fix this annoying TV sound problem.

Why do modern TVs sound terrible?

While modern TVs have reached new heights in picture quality, their sound quality often falls short. This is largely due to their sleek design. As TVs have gotten thinner over the years, there has been less room for internal speakers.

The smaller speakers built into modern TVs often don’t deliver the cinematic sound experience viewers expect. In this case, the easiest fix is ​​to play around with your TV’s audio settings until you see a noticeable improvement. If that doesn’t work, you may need to use a soundbar or external speakers.

How to fix poor TV sound

Here are some ways to make your TV sound clearer and more audible:

1. Use appropriate audio settings

If you've just purchased your TV or haven't made any changes to the default sound settings, check to see what sound mode your TV is in. For example, using Standard or Clear Voice mode on your TV will make speech easier to understand. Your TV may also have some preset sound modes to optimize the sound quality to your liking. You can access these settings by navigating to your TV's Settings menu and checking the Sound/Audio section .

2. Adjust equalizer settings

If that doesn't work, look at your TV's equalizer settings, including bass and treble levels. Navigating to the Settings menu and accessing the Sound/Audio settings menu will allow you to do this. Too much bass can make dialogue hard to understand, so be sure to turn down the bass for a more balanced sound. Similarly, treble can make dialogue sound sharper, but too much treble can make it sound harsh. Find the right balance between these two settings to ensure that the sound is easy to listen to.

3. Check if the speaker is too close to the wall

There are also other things that can be done to improve the sound quality of your current speakers. One of these is to change the position of the speakers. If the speakers are placed too close to a wall, the bass frequencies can be exaggerated, making the sound muddy and making dialogue difficult to understand. This is because low-frequency sound waves are scattered in all directions from the speaker, including behind it, while higher frequencies only travel forward.

Speakers placed too close to a wall will reflect low-frequency waves, amplifying the bass. Because of this, if you have external speakers, try moving them forward to create distance from the wall. It may take some adjusting to find the right position.

Invest in a Soundbar or Buy a Home Theater System

If these tweaks don’t make a difference, investing in a soundbar or even a home theater system can significantly improve the sound quality of your TV. Of course, a soundbar is the more cost-effective solution. However, if you have the money and want an even more immersive experience, you should set up a full home theater system with multiple speakers and a subwoofer for the best audio experience.