Thread: I just tried to connect my new Sony stereo receiver to my Samsung Smart TV but a lttle trouble!

To my sad surprise, there are no RCA audio output jacks on the back of this 2014-vintage television!! What's up with that, Samsung? You are not hip to hooking up old-fashioned stereo amplifiers to your modern flat-panel sets?

My new Sony stereo receiver, on the other hand, is old hat in many respects. No HDMI ports. No digital optical audio ports. Just a bunch of RCA audio in's, phono jacks and one pair of audio out's for that old-school tape-loop monitor cassette deck sort of routine.

Thankfully, my Smart TV has an AUDIO OUT jack which is basically a 3.50 mm headphone stereo jack on the rear panel. I just tested it with my corded stereo headset to verify that this jack works. You cannot adjust headphone volume with the TV set as this AUDIO OUT is line-level. There is only a moderate amount of fixed volume with the headset plugged into it. Upon trying to adjust the TV volume with the headset plugged in and the TV sound menu set to AUDIO OUT, the pop-up on the TV screen said one must adjust the volume using only the connected device, as a stereo amplifier. I cannot use the built-in TV speakers in conjunction with external audio components either.

The only RCA jacks on the back of this set are INPUTS for component/composite audio/video in case you have a VCR to hook up to the TV set. I did not know people still use VCR's. Samsung engineers must have thought about old farts who still have a collection of Falcon Crest and Simon & Simon episodes on VHS from the 1980's but forgot all about the baby-boomer rock n' rollers with all that 1970's-technology stereo gear. The traditional home stereo, after all, was the original "home theater" audio system.

Along with the new Sony stereo, I ordered a 6-foot RCA cable to hook up the TV to the tuner/amp not knowing the damned set did not even have any RCA audio outputs at that time. So now, I will have to order an adapter with 3.50 mm male plug on one end and a pair of female RCA plugs on the opposite end.

When combining old-school equipment with newer stuff, there is always some extra crap one has to buy.

My Panasonic Blu-Ray player and set-top Windows PC do in fact interconnect with the Smart TV via HDMI cables.

The The Onkyo I suggested at $249 has a built-in DAC with digital inputs that will meet your needs better. You can return the Sony for the Onkyo and pay the difference if any. As I stated prior the power ratings are less yet will sound more powerful than your Sony. You will have to buy a digital cable. The type depends on what output is on your TV, either coaxial or optical. To me the slight difference in price would be worth it not to have to use the connection you are planning to use. In addition, the digital connection should sound better as I assume the DAC in the Onkyo will sound better than the analog output of your TV.

The Onkyo is too big to fit my TV cart shelf. Its dimensions are: 12.94 x 17.13 x 5.88 inches

Amazon.com


My Sony's dimensions are: 11 x 17 x 5.2 inches though it is 2.10 pounds heavier than the 15-pound Onkyo model.

Take a look at the Schiit Modi ($129). It's a very small DAC that has one TOSLink optical input and one Coax input and RCA outputs you can connect to your receiver.

There are also easy to find TOSLink to RCA & HDMI to RCA adapters on Amazon. These are small, only downside is the wall wart that they all need.

Please see my thread here:

Questions about subwoofer connections and use.

I'm planning on returning the Sony and getting something even fancier altogether!

Even a larger, nicer entertainment rack.