

Listeners who want fewer cables in their setup will find an HDMI ARC connection is ideal.Īlso, HDMI ARC enables two-way data transmission between devices over a single connection, unlike Optical. If you use an optical connection, you need to use two cables to connect your devices: an HDMI cable for the video signal and an optical digital audio cable for the audio signal. HDMI cables that support the Audio Return Channel standard (ARC) can pass both audio and video signals on one cable. So, how do you choose between them? Well, for starters, there is one big difference. Most importantly: for most setups, there isn't a noticeable difference in sound quality between the two.

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They can both stream stereo content, including most music and older TV shows, as well as 5.1 surround sound formats like Dolby Digital, which you're likely to find on both streaming platforms and Blu-rays. Both HDMI and optical cables can pass digital audio from one device (like a TV) to another. It's worth going over the similarities and differences between these two options to help you understand what's best for your setup. That said, there may be some instances in which you need to connect over Optical, also known as Toslink or S/PDIF.

HDMI ARC vs Optical: What's Best For My Soundbar? The simple answer is that it's usually best to connect your TV to your soundbar via HDMI ARC.
