Some models of the Epson projector have high-quality built-in speakers. However, for the most part, pairing it up with a Bluetooth speaker, soundbar, headset, or earbuds will more often than not give you a significant improvement over the regular speakers.
It’s the same deal with laptops, some of which require a restart after you’ve been using their speakers for too long as though you need to refresh the software or something.
How to Connect Epson Projector to Soundbar
To connect the Epson projector to your soundbar, you should check the available audio ports on the projector compared to the ports on the soundbar. Modern Epson projectors can connect wirelessly via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi or in a wired capacity through digital optical cables or an HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) cable.
Wired vs. Wireless Connections
As far as post-2020 soundbar and projector models are concerned, setup should be a breeze. For wired connections, just shut down both devices, link up the optical port of your soundbar to the optical port of your Epson projector, and then turn them on.
As for Bluetooth connections, it’s about turning on Bluetooth on your Epson projector, putting your soundbar in pairing mode, and then having your projector recognize and link up to the soundbar by selecting it on the menu or settings.
The Lowdown on HDMI ARC Connections
As for HDMI ARC connections, make sure both support ARC to allow for a singular daisy-chained connection between the media source, the projector, and then the soundbar or sound system without any extra audio wiring both analog and digital.
Otherwise, for regular HDMI, you need those extra wires. It’s also fairly straightforward to link up your projector to your soundbar via 3.5mm audio jack since nearly all devices still use that format even in 2021.
What if The Epson Projector Lacks an Audio Out Port?
For one thing, that might mean you have an ancient Epson projector that might not even be of the Digital Light Processing (DLP) variety but instead of the traditional Light Crystal Display (LCD) variety instead.
There are a number of Epson projectors used for interfacing with laptops that lack an audio output and instead depend on the media source or external speakers for their sound requirements. They mostly have VGA ports as well. Those with an A/V port have the audio cables link elsewhere.
To improve audio quality or get any audio from this old-timey SVGA, XGA, or WXGA “soundless” projectors, you need to connect the external speakers to the DVD/BD player, laptop, desktop, gaming console, and mobile device instead.
Use the Audio Out of the Source Media Device
If your Epson projector lacks an audio out, then use the audio out of your laptop, media player, game console or video device. For example, most notebook PCs from Dell or Apple MacBooks have a 3.5mm audio out port for headphones and earphones.
Speakers or Bluetooth Soundbars
You can connect your speakers from there to get sound from your soundless Epson projector. Otherwise, you also have the option to pair Bluetooth soundbars to your video device instead in case your old-timey projector doesn’t have built-in Bluetooth itself.
Read more: The 9 Best Soundbar for Projector
Blu-Ray Disc or DVD Players
When using a Blu-Ray Disc (BD) or DVD player, those video devices tend to have audio out ports colored red or white. They should also have audio out ports for optical TOSLINK or SPDIF for good measure. As for BD players with two HDMI ports, you can use the second port for external speakers.
Miracast Mirroring or Screen Duplication
If you’re using Miracast instead to display laptop, smartphone, or tablet video, a 3.5mm audio cable or Bluetooth soundbar pairing should be enough to get sound out of your video device when your Epson lacks its own speaker and/or audio out.
Streaming Device on the HDMI Port
If you’re using Roku Streaming Stick or Amazon Fire TV Stick to stream Netflix and the like on your projector, then pair a wireless Bluetooth soundbar unto your streaming device instead of the projector.
You can also connect the video source to the soundbar then connect the projector to the audio system’s video out port. Alternately, use an A/V receiver to streamline everything.
Which Soundbars Should You Get Your Hands On?
To be honest, any soundbar will do. It mostly depends on your Epson projector, really. As long as you have the latest Epson projectors on hand, compatibility among various soundbar products shouldn’t even be an issue.
The most popular soundbars in 2021 that should link up quite nicely with the latest 2021 Epson projectors available include the LG soundbar, the Vizio soundbar, and the Bose soundbar, among many other brands out there.
The best wireless ones are made by Harman Kardon, Onkyo, and Logitech. They now make whole sound systems or speaker setups for home theaters that are wireless. They specifically use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth technology in order to interface with the smart device Epson projectors.
The Smart Soundbar and its Wireless HDMI Output
Soundbars have themselves become “smarter” than the average soundbar. However, even with their extended uses and extra services, they should work the same way as your average Bluetooth or Wi-Fi functionality.
Once you confirm both your Epson projector and your soundbar have Bluetooth built into them, the setup to connect them shouldn’t be different from connecting a Bluetooth speaker to your HDTV or phone. Just put the soundbar in pairing mode and select it from the Epson device menu.
The beauty of having both a smart Epson projectors and smart soundbars is that they tend to recognize each other automatically by sharing the same Wi-Fi connection. This allows you to pick them off of a menu on your console or user interface, leading to automatic recognition and connection.
What You Need to Know
How you go about connecting your Epson projector to your soundbar depends on what model of projector it is. It’s also dependent on what model of soundbar you got, which can range from ones with an optical TOSLINK or SPDIF digital port to a standard 3.5mm analog port.
You’ve also hit the jackpot if both your Epson projector and your soundbar of choice support HDMI Audio Return Channel, because this reduces your wiring needs to a single daisy-chained HDMI connection.
Finally, pair up your Bluetooth soundbar with the appropriate smart Epson projector model for some wireless action. Other Epson projectors can also support Wi-Fi connectivity to boot.
References:
- Jonah Matthes, “How to Connect a Soundbar to a Projector“, TheHomeTheaterDIY.com, Retrieved May 1, 2021
- “How do I connect external speakers to my projector to improve the audio quality if my projector does not have an Audio Out port?“, Epson.com, January 18, 2019