Vizio is a tech company well known for giving consumers nicely priced televisions and sound bars options. However, they also deal in ads and viewer data (which likely explains how we can get such great prices). As of the end of 2020, they made a revenue of $2.5 billion, which is impressive for a company with a smaller selection of products.
Their TVs are some of the most purchased in the US, in third place with 13% as of 2020, which explains people’s trust in their soundbars by extension. After all, the global soundbar market is estimated to be worth as much as $8.3 billion in 2026. In 2016, Vizio sold 2.5 million sound bar units, which is exceptional!
With so many sound bars being shipped every year, it’s not surprising that there can be some issues at times, like your Vizio sound bar not working. It isn’t surprising to have problems here and there when you buy electronics, but the good thing is that you can mostly fix them by yourself at home!
Here’s my guide to show you how to fix the Vizio sound bar if it isn’t working. But, first, let’s jump right into everything you need to know.
Do you have a particular question about Vizion sound bar not working? Then use the table of contents below to jump to the most relevant section. And you can always go back by clicking on the black arrow in the right bottom corner of the page. Also, please note that some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. For more details, check the Disclosure section at the bottom of the page.
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Why is my Vizio sound bar not working?
If you’re dealing with a Vizio sound bar that isn’t working how it should, there are a lot of possible causes. First of all, it could be a hardware issue, like something wrong with the power button, the speaker drivers, or the power connection.
At the same time, Vizio sound bar problems can be due to software causes. In many cases, these are solved by performing a Vizio sound bar reset to clear out any glitches or bugs in the software.
Vizio sound bar not working: common issues and fixes
If you’re dealing with your Vizio sound bar not working, it’s understood that you might be quite stressed out. It’s hard dealing with any electronic not working the way it should, especially one that provides audio.
The good thing is, I’ve put together some of the most common issues and Vizio sound bar troubleshooting steps that you can follow to get things working the way that they should. So let’s get into it!
Vizio sound bar won’t turn on
If you’re dealing with a Vizio sound bar that won’t turn on despite all your tries, there are a few pretty easy steps that you can follow to try and fix the Vizio sound bar.
First of all, I recommend that you attempt to do what is known as power cycling. This is done to dissipate any residual charge in the hardware, which can sometimes cause problems like this. To power cycle your Vizio sound bar, follow the steps below:
- Remove the power cable from the back of your Vizio sound bar.
- Next, press the power button and hold it down for about five to ten seconds.
- Now, you can put the power cable back into the sound bar.
- Press the power button to turn it on.
You can try another set of troubleshooting steps to see where the problem is coming from and potentially fix it. When you press the power button, look at the LED indicator light.
If the light doesn’t turn on, make sure that you plug the power cable correctly into the back of the sound bar and into the wall. Unplug it at both points before plugging it back in tightly.
Finally, you can ensure that the wall outlet in question is actually receiving power. You can plug in another device that you are confident works and see whether it gets electricity. You can also just plug the power bar into a separate socket.
Vizio sound bar no sound
Are you getting no sound from your Vizio sound bar even when you think you’ve hooked it up the right way? This is one of the more annoying Vizio sound bar problems you can face.
First of all, make sure that your sound bar is actually on. You’ll know that it is because there’s an indicator light that you will see on either the left side or center of the sound bar, depending on the exact model you have.
Once you’re sure it is on, make sure that the sound bar is correctly connected to the Audio Out port at the back of the television. This is the most likely reason you’re having the Vizio TV no sound issue. Also, ensure that the sound bar is set to the proper input from which you’re playing audio. You can also just hold down the “Input” button on the remote. The lights will flash, automatically detecting the input that something is plugged into.
You might need to learn how to reset Vizio sound bar to fix this issue if the other methods don’t work. However, the steps depend on your exact sound bar model.
Vizio TV volume not working
If you use a Vizio TV alongside your Vizio sound bar, it can be frustrating figuring out whether the issue is from the TV or the sound bar. The following tips can help you rule out or fix the problem of your Vizio TV sound not working:
- Ensure your television isn’t muted.
- Make sure the TV volume is not at zero.
- Enable audio through the TV speakers through settings. Press the Menu button, access Audio, and then ensure that the “TV Speakers” setting is on.
You can also try a soft reset if these don’t work to fix your Vizio TV sound problems. Just unplug the TV from the wall outlet and wait a full minute. Then, plug it back in, and your sound should be working if it results from a software glitch.
Vizio surround sound is not working
In the case of surround sound not working with your Vizio sound bar, only the sound bar and subwoofer output sound without the rear speakers working. You might not get surround sound audio if you’re playing a stereo signal. If the audio is not set to work with surround, it might not.
Alternatively, you can ensure that the Surround setting is enabled in your device settings to fix the Vizio sound bar not playing surround audio.
Vizio sound bar won’t connect to TV
If you have a wireless Vizio soundbar, like one of the models with Bluetooth, you may be trying to connect it to your TV, but it simply isn’t working. Well, I’m here to help. The reason why you probably can’t connect is that the sound bar is not in pairing mode.
Fortunately, putting a Vizio sound bar into pairing mode is pretty easy. First, you should see a button with the Bluetooth icon on the sound bar, the remote, or both. Hold down any of these until the LED indicator light starts to flash. This means that you are now in pairing mode.
All that’s left is to go into the settings on the television and connect to the soundbar from its Bluetooth menu. The steps here depend on the exact model of the TV. Hopefully, this will show you how to fix Vizio sound bar that won’t connect to your TV.
Vizio sound bar volume goes up by itself
Many users face issues with their Vizio sound bar increasing volume on its own, even after manually decreasing it. Fortunately, with my Vizio sound bar troubleshooting skills, I figured out what was causing this issue, and it is particularly prevalent if you also have a Vizio TV.
This happens because of the SRS TruVolume feature that is included with Vizio products. Turning this off on both the sound bar and the TV will likely stop happening.
To turn off TruVolume on the sound bar, simply press the “TVOL” button if it has one. This will disable it. To turn it off on your TV, just follow these steps:
- Enter the Main Menu.
- Select the “Audio Settings” entry.
- Navigate and choose “Advanced Audio.”
- Disable the “SRS TruVolume” option.
Vizio sound bar keeps turning off
Vizio sound bar and Vizio TV sound problems can be annoying. In addition, it can be stressful to have one that keeps turning off on its own.
The first thing you should do if this happens is to make sure that the power cable is seated properly. Then, if possible, try another one if there’s an issue of partial contact. If you’ve ensured this isn’t the issue, then you should try a Vizio sound bar reset.
Vizio sound bar models are somewhat different from others, so you should check your manual to know how to reset the Vizio sound bar. You can search for your exact model and download the manual from this link.
Credits: Thanks for the photo to Canva.
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