TV setup

Best Method: Apple TV box

An Apple TV box is the simplest wireless way to use the Brane X with a TV. It is an AirPlay sender, so it sends audio to the Brane X over your Wi-Fi network with no delay. Both must be on the same network.

1. On the Apple TV, open Settings.
2. Go to Video and Audio > Audio Output.
3. Choose your Brane X. A group appears under the group's name.

On tvOS 26 or later, the Apple TV keeps Brane X as its default audio output, including after sleep. On earlier tvOS the selection resets when the Apple TV sleeps, so update tvOS or select the speaker again. System alerts and game sounds still play through the TV's own speakers. To switch for one session, hold the TV button on the remote to open Control Center and select Audio Controls.

If the Brane X is not offered, check that its Wi-Fi light is solid white and that it is on the same network as the Apple TV, then update tvOS. Use the Apple TV box, not the Apple TV app on a TV. TVs that advertise AirPlay are receivers: they can play audio sent to them but cannot send audio to the Brane X. AirPlay carries only what the Apple TV itself plays, so for a game console, a disc player or the TV's built-in apps use Bluetooth or a cable.

Bluetooth Connection

Some TVs offer a Bluetooth speaker option in their audio menu, but Bluetooth has some delay built in. Depending on the TV, you may need to adjust its lip sync setting.

Physical Connection (Soundbar Mode)

Use the Brane Audio app to set your speaker to Soundbar Mode, previously called AUX Passthrough. Open your speaker, then go to Input Options > Soundbar Mode. This works over Bluetooth, so the speaker does not need Wi-Fi.

This mode minimizes time delays and ensures proper lip sync. Bluetooth and AirPlay still work, and they take priority over the wired input while they are playing. Leaving it on does not affect wireless sources or wireless groups. A wired source cannot play to a group while Soundbar Mode is on.

Connect the speaker to the 3.5mm headphone or AUX output of the TV. If the TV has no analog output, use an HDMI ARC audio extractor or an optical-to-analog converter (DAC). For the adapters, see Which adapters and cables do I need to connect the Brane X to my TV?

Soundbar Mode on the Brane X reduces audio delay when connected to a TV, computer, or other wired audio source through the AUX port, helping keep sound in sync with video playback. To enable Soundbar Mode, open the Brane Audio app, select your Brane X, and go to Input Options > Soundbar Mode. This feature only applies to wired AUX connections and does not affect Bluetooth or AirPlay playback.

HDMI-to-AUX Converter

Recommended converter: HDMI to AUX Converter Box

Connect the converter to the TV's HDMI ARC/eARC port. This converter supports CEC volume control.

Optical-to-AUX Converter

Recommended converter: Optical to AUX Converter Box

Includes a volume remote for the optical connection.

Cables and Adapters

For One Speaker: Use a regular AUX Cable.

For Left/Right Speaker Pair: Use two RCA cables with these RCA to AUX adapters: RCA to AUX Adapter | RCA Cables

Use the HDMI port marked ARC or eARC. Usually only one port on the TV carries the label. Other HDMI ports do not send audio back out.

• Turn on ARC in the TV settings if your TV has that option.
• Use an HDMI cable rated 1.4 or higher.
• Turn on CEC if you want your TV remote to control the volume of an HDMI audio extractor.

Then connect the extractor to the speaker with a 3.5mm cable and turn on Soundbar Mode.

• Apple TV: create a Stereo group with the two speakers in the Brane Audio app (Groups > Create New Group) and set one speaker's slider to the left and the other's to the right. Then on the Apple TV go to Settings > Video and Audio > Audio Output and choose the pair. It appears on the Apple TV as one AirPlay speaker under its group name, and you can choose it as the audio output, including as the default.
• Bluetooth: create the Stereo group in the app, the same way, then put one speaker in pairing mode and connect it from the TV.
• Wired: do not group the speakers, because a wired source cannot play to a group while Soundbar Mode is on. Take the left and right channels from the TV's RCA outputs, or from a 3.5mm-to-RCA splitter cable. Use RCA-to-3.5mm adapters to connect one channel to each speaker, then turn on Soundbar Mode on both.

A plain headphone splitter does not separate left and right, so it will not work.

To split an AUX cable to separate left and right channels, do not use a simple AUX cable/headphone splitter, as it will not separate the channels. Instead, use this cable: Channel Splitter Cable (in combination with two of the RCA to AUX adapters linked above).

In Soundbar Mode the wired signal goes straight to the speaker, so the volume buttons do not change its level. They still control prompts and other sources.

Change the volume on your TV or source instead. If you use an HDMI audio extractor and turn on CEC in your TV settings, the TV remote can control it.

To set how loud the speaker is when the source is at full volume, open your speaker in the Brane Audio app, then go to Input Options > Max Volume. See What is Max Volume in Soundbar Mode?

Max Volume sets the maximum volume for wired AUX audio in Soundbar Mode. In Soundbar Mode the volume is set at the source, so Max Volume decides how loud the speaker is when the source is at 100%.

To change it, open your speaker in the Brane Audio app, then go to Input Options > Max Volume. It appears when Soundbar Mode is on. The default is 75%.

You can raise it above 75%, but a higher setting can let white noise (hiss) come through the speaker. If you hear hiss, lower Max Volume. The best setting depends on your setup, so adjust it while the source plays at your usual listening volume.

Bluetooth adds a small delay, so the sound arrives after the picture. Many TVs have a setting to compensate. Look in the TV's sound settings for options named "Lip Sync," "Wireless Delay" or "Latency Mode." Some TVs offer a slider so you can set the delay yourself.

If your TV has no such setting, use an Apple TV box over AirPlay or a wired connection in Soundbar Mode. Both avoid the delay.

When the TV sends its sound to the Brane X over Bluetooth, everything connected to the TV plays through the speaker.

Set your TV's audio output format to PCM. Many HDMI and optical audio adapters can read only PCM. On Automatic, many TVs send a compressed format such as Dolby that the adapter cannot decode, which causes a pop or click and then silence.

1. Open your TV's audio settings and find the output format, called something like "Audio Format," "Output Format" or "Audio Type."
2. Choose PCM. LPCM also works but is less common.
3. Make sure the adapter is set to the input you are using, HDMI or optical.
4. Turn on Soundbar Mode in the Brane Audio app, under speaker settings > Input Options.

If the TV's choices include Automatic, Passthrough, Dolby or 5.1, those are the settings to change. A solid green light on the speaker means Soundbar Mode is on and a wired signal is arriving. With the mode on and no green light, no signal is reaching the speaker.

Yes, the Brane X can connect to your TV through Bluetooth, a 3.5mm AUX cable, a compatible wired adapter, or AirPlay using an Apple TV box.

For the best audio and video synchronization (lip sync), we recommend a wired connection with Soundbar Mode enabled in the Brane Audio app under Input Options. This minimizes audio delay when using a wired source. If your TV doesn't have a 3.5mm audio output, you can use an HDMI ARC audio extractor or optical-to-analog adapter.

For wireless connections, you can pair the Brane X directly with a Bluetooth-compatible TV or use AirPlay through an Apple TV box connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Bluetooth connections may introduce some audio delay depending on your TV.