Many modern projectors have built-in speakers. But if you need to cover a large room or want to obtain a higher-quality audio reproduction, you have to connect speakers to the projector. In this article, I will cover how to get sound from projector to speakers depending on the capabilities of these devices.
The Methods of Connecting Speakers to a Projector
There are wired and wireless methods of hooking speakers to a projector. Some of these connection types are also suitable for connecting a projector to a phone. Depending on the equipment you are using, you will encounter setting up a connection between the projector and:
- Stereo speakers
- Soundbar
- Bluetooth speakers
- A/V receiver
Types of connections to use a projector with speakers
As every projector and speaker set has different inputs and outputs, it will be fair to break down connection methods based on the available connectors:
- 3.5mm jack inputs and outputs. – Audio jacks will let you send a stereo signal to a set of speakers or a soundbar.
- RCA connectors. – If your projector has RCA connectors, you can hook it to stereo speakers (each speaker will need one cable).
- S/PDIF connection. – It transmits the highest quality sound through the coaxial cable but will require you to use a medium between your projector and speakers since speakers are not built with it.
- Optical/TOSLINK. – It is used for a soundbar to deliver a surround sound experience.
- Bluetooth. – Works great for sending sound from projector to speakers wirelessly.
How to connect a projector to stereo speakers
Note that only active stereo speakers can be directly hooked to the projector via corresponding cables and adapters. If you have passive speakers or a complicated home theater system, you will need to use an AV receiver to pass audio to the speakers.
In case your speakers are wired together, you can use a single 3.5mm audio cable to connect them to a projector. However, most speakers use separate left and right channel RCA connections. So if the projector has one 3.5mm audio output and speakers – RCA inputs, you will need to get a 3.5mm to 2x RCA stereo audio splitter.
To connect speakers to the projector:
- Place your speakers in the desired location and plug them into the outlet.
- Connect the cable to the output on your projector.
- Connect another end of the cable to your speakers.
- Turn the projector on and regulate the volume.
How to connect a projector to a soundbar
Connecting a soundbar is similar to hooking stereo speakers to the projector, except you have one more connection option – TOSLINK (if both support optical connection). So, here is what you should do:
- Position the soundbar in the desired location and plug it into the power source.
- Connect the cable to the output on your projector.
- Connect another end of the cable to your soundbar.
- Turn the soundbar on and adjust the volume on your projector.
How to connect a projector to speakers via a receiver
If you have passive speakers or a highly sophisticated home theater system, you will need to send a sound from your projector to speakers using an A/V receiver. Here is a quick outline of how you can do that:
- Hook all your speakers to a receiver using a speaker wire or coaxial cables.
- Connect all audio and video inputs you plan to use to a receiver.
- Insert an HDMI cable into one of the receiver’s video outputs.
- Plug the second end of the cable into the video input of your projector.
- Set the receiver source to your desired input, and get the video output to the projector.
How to pair a projector with Bluetooth speakers
If your projector and speakers are Bluetooth-enabled, you can set up wireless connectivity between them.
- Turn on the speaker and pick the pairing mode.
- Enable Bluetooth on your projector through a setup menu and search for the speaker.
- Pick the speaker from the list of devices (you may need to enter a pairing code).
