Bose Soundbar not Turning on with TV – How to Fix the Issue

A clear and reliable sound system is a blessing for people fascinated by pure audio and motivated by sound quality. That’s what the Bose soundbars offer, along with being the pioneer of the home audio universe. Whether you play games, watch movies, or listen to music, the Bose soundbars will provide superior audio performance. 

But some errors can occur in these soundbars when you try to connect them to the audio source. If you are also a user of these soundbars, sooner or later, the error of Bose soundbar not turning on with the TV might appear. There can be various reasons behind it, but solutions are also available to solve this unwanted issue.  

Why Bose Soundbar not Turning on with the TV?

As the audio output devices, the Bose soundbars perform tremendously well with fabulous sound quality. The number of users and admirers of these Bose soundbars is spread worldwide. If you own one of these soundbars, you probably have the best audio experience.

But things can go exactly the opposite if you find out that the soundbar is causing trouble and not turning on with your TV. As an audiophile, this unwanted situation can cause you severe headaches. Still, panicking won’t help you fix the issue, and things can worsen because of that.

So, by staying calm, you need to take your step cautiously when dealing with this soundbar error. The first thing you need to do is find out the exact reason that caused the interruption in your fine audio experience. There are various possible reasons which can cause this issue, and here are some of those:

1. Defective Batteries

Pairing your Bose soundbar with your TV, you must control the audio output device through a remote. The remote controller requires batteries to operate and manage the necessary functions of the soundbar. When those batteries die or get defective, the remote won’t work, and you won’t be able to turn on the soundbar.

So, if your Bose soundbar is refusing to turn on while connected to a TV, there is a high chance that the remote batteries are defective.

2. Hardware Problem

After a longer usage period, the hardware issues may start appearing in your Bose soundbars. Unfortunately, the soundbar may cross its path with an accident or hit a sturdy surface. No matter whether of these things happen, they can cause hardware damage to your Bose soundbars.

As the soundbar ages after heavy usage, it becomes pretty vulnerable, which might also cause physical damage. Because of these hardware damages, the Bose soundbar may not operate correctly or even stop turning on your TV.

3. Improper Cabling

Things might get a bit puzzling for you when there is no visible damage, but the Bose soundbar paired with your TV is still not working. If that is your case as well, there is a high chance that the problem is with the connectors of or wiring within the cable. 

The soundbar may refuse to operate because of a low-speed or below-average cable.

4. Overloaded Power Outlet

Improper power connection is another reason things can go wrong for your Bose soundbar and TV. Because of the overloaded circuits or power outlets, the soundbar might refuse to operate with the TV. Because of this overload, both your soundbar and TV can get harmed.

5. Remote Set to the Wrong Device

There might be other Bose devices in your house for various purposes. But the thing is, accidentally, the remote can get connected to any of those devices. If that is the case, you won’t be able to turn your TV on and get audio output from the Bose soundbar until you set it to a suitable device.

How to Solve Bose Soundbar not Turning on with TV? – The Effective Solution Methods to Apply

Those were the possible reasons why your Bose soundbar may refuse to turn on even after pairing with your TV. It might have bothered you a lot as you missed the top-notch audio experience as an audiophile.

Solution – 1: Replacing the Batteries

As we know, you will require a remote control to operate your Bose soundbar, and two batteries are needed for that remote to run. Because of the damaged battery or low power in the battery, the remote might stop working, which we have known in the previous part.

So, you will have to change those faulty remote batteries as soon as you can. You can take another pair of batteries to check whether your older batteries are actually damaged or not. When you are sure those batteries are faulty, you must get a new pair of alkaline batteries for your remote.

Then insert those new batteries into your remote, try controlling the soundbar with it, and hopefully, the soundbar will start working.

Solution – 2: Checking the IR Signal of the Remote

The remote actually operates through the IR or Infrared signal, which contacts the device for control. When this IR signal works appropriately, the remote will be all set to control your soundbar. But, when the IR signal stops working, the remote is as good as dead with no option of working.

So, the remote’s faulty IR signal might be responsible for why your Bose soundbar and TV stopped operating together. That’s why you need to check it and make sure the IR signal is alright and working correctly. You can test it with a digital camera or even with your phone camera, and here is how you can do it:

Step-1: Turn on the camera of your digital camera, camcorder or mobile device, whichever you are using.

Step-2: In the next phase, you will have to grab the remote in a way that the IR signal section stays on the other side of where you held it. The next task is to point the IR signal side of the remote toward the lens of your camera device.

Step-3: You need to look at the LCD screen of the camera device or into the viewfinder if you use a digital camera. Take the remote control into your hand, and press and hold any of its buttons.

Step-4: If the remote send any kind of signal through the IR, you will be able to catch a thin ray of light in the viewfinder or screen.

So, if the IR signal of your soundbar remote is alright, then the issue is somewhere else. But when the IR is not working, you need to change the remote as soon as possible to turn the soundbar on with the TV.

Solution – 3: Check the Cabling of the Bose Soundbar

Cabling is another major issue where faults occur a lot to prevent the soundbar from operating while connected to a TV. Weak and improper cables can cause connection interruption and even shut down the soundbar. Usually, the HDMI cables are used for establishing the connection between the TV and the soundbar.

But there can be some compatibility issues among different brands and models which may interfere and prevent the soundbar from turning on. In such a situation, you can try changing the older HDMI cable and replacing it with an optical cable.  

After doing so, there will be another task for you to perform, which is to program the remote to control the connected device. Sometimes, the problem can be with the speed of your older HDMI cable. Along with that, an issue can also appear regarding the connectors or wiring within the cable.

To deal with these cable issues, you need to get a new high-speed HDMI cable first. Then establish the same connection as you did with your older HDMI cable. Hopefully, there won’t be any issues anymore, and both the soundbar and TV will turn on and sync properly.

Solution – 4: Resetting

All the solution methods above are way useful and effective, but there is no clear assurance that these will surely fix the issue. That’s where the last solution method comes with the task of resetting the entire system. It will reboot the device and clear all the older settings and paired devices to let you start fresh with the device.

If you have made up your mind about resetting your Bose soundbar, here are the steps you need to follow:

Step-1: The first thing you need to do is turn the power off your speaker or soundbar to shut it down. Your next task will be unplugging the power cord from the back of the soundbar or the power outlet to keep everything safe and in check.

Step-2: When you are done with the step above, you will have to wait for about 5 minutes before resuming the process. After the time is up, reconnect the power cord to the place where it was before. 

You will hear an ascending tone within 10 seconds of establishing the connection to confirm power is connected properly in the right spot.

Step-3: After the ascending tone is heard, wait for about 5-10 seconds. When that small waiting period is over, you are all set to resume the normal use of your speaker.

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Final Words

The Bose soundbars are well-admired worldwide because of their top-notch audio output quality. These soundbars are blessings for audiophiles, no matter whether they are gamers, musicians, or just music lovers. But things can become hectic if you find your Bose soundbar not turning on with the TV.

Fixing this issue is not much of a complex thing if you go systematically. Firstly, find out the probable reason that caused this unwanted situation to appear. After doing so, apply any of the solution methods above according to the responsible reason.