Overview
Watching television while avoiding disturbing others is a common need for many viewers. Luckily, modern TVs provide excellent options for private listening using headphones. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore the various wired and wireless methods to connect headphones, with a focus on Bluetooth transmitters for Roku TVs.
Benefits of Listening via Headphones
Headphones allow you to:
- Hear the TV clearly without cranking up the volume
- Avoid bothering roommates, family members, or neighbors
- Experience immersive audio for gaming and movies
- Prevent waking sleeping children or partners in the same room
According to a 2022 survey by Sleep Junkie, 37% of couples argue due to one partner‘s loud TV viewing habits. Headphones are an easy way to keep the peace in shared living spaces.
TV Headphone Connectivity Options
There are several ways to listen to your television using headphones:
Wired Headphones
Many modern TVs include a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, allowing you to directly connect any wired headphones. This method provides the most reliable connectivity without latency or sync issues.
If your older TV has RCA stereo audio outputs instead, you can use a simple RCA-to-3.5mm adapter to connect wired headphones.
Wireless Headphones
For wireless connectivity, you have two options:
Bluetooth Headphones
An increasing number of smart TVs now include integrated Bluetooth connectivity. You can pair Bluetooth headphones directly with compatible TVs for wireless listening.
For example, all Samsung QLED TVs from 2018 and newer include Bluetooth. Many LG OLED TVs also offer Bluetooth headphone pairing.
According to Samsung, their TVs support high quality audio codecs such as aptX for minimal audio delay when watching video.
Wireless Headphone Transmitters
If your TV lacks Bluetooth, you can add it with an external wireless headphone transmitter. These transmitters connect to your TV‘s RCA, 3.5mm, or optical/SPDIF audio outputs. They send the audio wirelessly over radio frequencies to headphones with a matching receiver.
The best transmitters use aptX or aptX HD audio codecs to compress and transmit sound to the headphones with very low latency. This prevents lip sync issues when watching TV. Both the transmitter and headphones need to support the same codec.
According to audio expert Stephen F. Gertz, wireless headphones with aptX HD have a latency of around 40ms, which is considered imperceptible.
Connecting Headphones to a Roku TV
Roku smart TVs unfortunately do not include integrated Bluetooth audio. However, you have a few good options:
Use Roku Remotes with Headphone Jack
Some Roku remotes like the Roku Streaming Stick+ Headphone Edition include a headphone jack right on the remote. Simply plug headphones into the remote to listen wirelessly.
Wireless Transmitters
You can connect an external wireless headphone transmitter to your Roku TV‘s 3.5mm or optical digital audio output. Make sure to select a low latency aptX model for minimal delay.
Connect Headphones to Media Source
Instead of connecting headphones directly to the TV, you can often connect them to your streaming device or Blu-ray/DVD player instead. For example, connect your headphones to an Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, or other source.
Roku Soundbar Subwoofers
An interesting option is using Roku‘s wireless soundbars and subwoofers for private listening. The wireless subwoofer pairs directly with the soundbar, allowing you to hear the subwoofer sound effects and bass privately through headphones.
According to Roku, this turns the subwoofer into a personal listening device for gaming, action movies, and more.
Hearing Assistance Options for TV
If you are hard of hearing, there are also products that can enhance TV audio:
- Wireless headphones provide both increased volume and audio clarity. Models with aptX provide minimal delay.
- Headphone amplifiers connect between your headphones and the audio source to significantly boost volume beyond normal levels. Some models include noise reduction and equalizer features.
- Neck loop transmitters connect via the TV‘s RCA outputs and wirelessly send audio to your hearing aid‘s T-Coil. This allows you to directly hear TV audio through your hearing aids.
- Closed captions transcribe dialogue and sound effects on screen if you can‘t clearly hear the audio. Enable CC through your TV settings menu.
According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, 20% of people in the US aged 12 years or older have some degree of hearing loss. So improving TV audio can benefit many viewers.
Preventing TV Noise Disturbing Others
Here are some tips to enjoy your shows while minimizing noise for roommates and neighbors:
- Use closed-back headphones which prevent audio leakage from the earcups. Open-back headphones allow some sound through.
- Place your TV on a padded vibration absorbing stand. This dampens noise transmitted through walls from TV surface vibrations.
- Turn off TV speakers at night and only use headphones for private listening.
- Face speakers away from adjacent walls and place on isolation pads. This reduces transmission of sound through walls.
- Enable volume leveling and night listening modes on your TV to prevent extremely loud effects.
- Invest in a good soundbar which provides clear, full audio at lower volumes than weak TV speakers. Wall mounting also removes physical contact with walls.
According to acoustics expert Colleen Caruthers, a soundbar can make TV audio more intelligible at a 25% lower volume compared to TV speakers. This significantly reduces disturbance of neighbors.
So in summary, today‘s TVs offer excellent options for private listening via headphones. Look for models with direct headphone jacks or Bluetooth connectivity for the most convenient wireless experience. Standalone wireless transmitters also work very well for sending audio to your headphones from any TV.
Let me know if you would like me to expand on any part of this guide in more detail. I‘m happy to provide any additional information that would be helpful!
