Connect Brane X to your TV

This article is for anyone who wants to use a single Brane X as a TV speaker. It covers the three ways to connect, what each one needs and where each one falls short, so you can pick a route and finish with TV sound playing through your speaker. If you have two speakers, read Set up a stereo pair with your TV.

Which should I choose?

• Your TV can connect to Bluetooth speakers: try Bluetooth. It is wireless and covers everything the TV plays, but you may need to correct an audio delay in the TV’s settings.
• You have an Apple TV and mostly stream: use AirPlay. It is wireless and stays in sync with the picture.
• Neither applies, or you use a games console or disc player: use a cable with Soundbar Mode. It works with almost any TV and keeps sound in sync with the picture, but you may need an adapter.

A good order to try them in: check Bluetooth first, since it needs nothing extra. If your TV has no Bluetooth or no usable delay setting and you mainly stream, an Apple TV is the simplest wireless route. Otherwise go wired.

Leave it plugged in

If the speaker lives next to your TV, you can leave it plugged in and powered on all the time. Park RAD on Idle, in the Brane Audio app under Advanced Settings, is off by default. Turning it on lets the speaker park its bass driver after 5 minutes idle to reduce power draw. When playback restarts, bass is reduced until the driver has finished pressurizing. See Speaker settings in the Brane Audio app.

Option 1: Bluetooth from the TV

What you need for Bluetooth

• A TV that can connect to Bluetooth speakers. Most recent TVs can. Look in the TV’s sound or Bluetooth settings, or check its manual.

Steps for Bluetooth

1. Press the Bluetooth button on the speaker. The blue light on the front starts pulsing.
2. On the TV, open the Bluetooth settings and search for devices.
3. Select your Brane X. Unless you have renamed it, it is called “Brane-” followed by its serial number.
4. Play something and check that speech lines up with the picture.

Limits of Bluetooth

• Bluetooth adds a delay, so sound can lag behind the picture.
• Some TVs have a setting to correct it, and the name varies by brand: Lip Sync, Wireless Delay and Latency Mode are common. Some use a fixed correction, which may not line up exactly, and some give you a slider.
• Not every TV has such a setting. If yours does not and the delay bothers you, use one of the other options.

Bluetooth sets the audio output of the TV itself, so it carries every device connected to the TV. More on pairing in Connect over Bluetooth.

Option 2: AirPlay from an Apple TV

What you need for AirPlay

• An Apple TV 4K streaming box. The Apple TV app on a smart TV is not enough.
• Your Brane X on the same Wi-Fi network as the Apple TV. See Connect to Wi-Fi.

Steps for AirPlay

1. Make sure the speaker is on and its Wi-Fi light is solid white.
2. On the Apple TV, open Settings.
3. Go to Video and Audio, then Audio Output.
4. Choose your Brane X.

On tvOS 26 or later, the Apple TV can keep the speaker as its default audio output, including after it sleeps and wakes. To switch speakers for one session only, press and hold the TV button on the remote to open Control Center, then select Audio Controls.

Limits of AirPlay

• AirPlay only carries what the Apple TV itself plays. A games console, disc player or the TV’s built-in apps need one of the other two options.
• Many smart TVs list AirPlay support, but they can only receive AirPlay. They cannot send their sound to an AirPlay speaker.
• System alerts and game sounds from the Apple TV still play through the TV’s own speakers.
• On tvOS earlier than 26, the selection resets when the Apple TV sleeps. Update tvOS, or choose the speaker again after each sleep.
• If your Brane X is not offered under Audio Output, check that its Wi-Fi light is solid white and that it is on the same network as the Apple TV, then update the Apple TV to the latest tvOS.

Option 3: A cable with Soundbar Mode

Soundbar Mode (previously called AUX Passthrough) makes Brane X behave like a wired analog speaker, so the sound stays in sync with the picture. You turn it on in the Brane Audio app: open your speaker, then go to Input Options > Soundbar Mode. See Use Soundbar Mode.

What you need for Soundbar Mode

Brane X has a 3.5mm AUX input on the back. What goes between the TV and that input depends on the audio ports your TV has.

TV with a 3.5mm headphone or audio output:

1. TV 3.5mm output
2. 3.5mm AUX cable
3. Brane X AUX input

TV with an HDMI ARC or eARC port:

1. TV HDMI port labeled ARC or eARC
2. HDMI cable
3. HDMI ARC audio extractor with a 3.5mm output
4. 3.5mm AUX cable
5. Brane X AUX input

TV with an optical (TOSLINK) output:

1. TV optical output
2. Optical cable
3. Optical-to-analog converter (DAC) with a 3.5mm output
4. 3.5mm AUX cable
5. Brane X AUX input

More on adapters in the TV setup questions on the TV setup page.

Steps for Soundbar Mode

1. Connect the chain for your TV’s audio port.
2. In the Brane Audio app, select your speaker, go to Input Options and turn on Soundbar Mode.
3. If your TV asks which audio output to use, choose the one you connected: headphone, HDMI ARC or optical.
4. If you use an HDMI or optical adapter, set the TV’s audio format to PCM.
5. Play something. A solid green light on the front of the speaker shows that the wired signal is arriving. Use the TV remote or the adapter’s own control for volume.

Limits of Soundbar Mode

• HDMI only works from the TV’s ARC or eARC port. Usually only one HDMI port has it, so look for the label. Some TVs also have an ARC setting that must be switched on.
• HDMI extractors and optical converters of this kind only understand PCM audio. If the TV sends anything else you get silence, a pop or distorted sound. See Fix no sound from an HDMI or optical adapter.
• Wireless sources take priority over AUX. Stop Bluetooth, AirPlay, Spotify or Alexa playback to hear the TV.
• Input Options also has Max Volume, which sets how loud the speaker is when the TV volume is at 100%. You can raise it if the sound is too quiet, but a higher setting can let hiss through.
• No green light with Soundbar Mode on means no signal is reaching the speaker. Check the TV’s audio output setting, the adapter and the cables.

Still stuck? Contact support and tell us what you have tried so far.