Sony has made a name for itself as one of the top television brands around the globe, thanks to their superior image quality and the versatile features they offer.
While Sony TVs may come with a slightly hefty price tag compared to other brands, people continue to prefer them as they believe they’re getting good value for their money.
But, like all things tech, even the best brands can run into hiccups, and Sony TVs are no exception. One common problem is the sudden loss of sound.
The good news is, it’s not a major problem and something that can be handled at your home with ease.
In this article, we’ll discuss why you might find your Sony TV suffering from a sound blackout, and I’ll share some tried-and-true steps to get the sound back on track.
The Clever Fix
Do a restart or power reset. To restart the TV, hold down the remote’s Power button until the Power off displayed on your screen.
If that didn’t work, perform a power reset. Turn off the TV and unplug it from the power outlet. Give it a two-minute break. After a couple of minutes, plug it back in and switch it back on.
Why does my Sony TV have no sound?
One reason could be system bugs.
When you power your Sony TV off, it doesn’t shut off entirely, but switches to a standby mode, making it quicker for you to power it back up.
This feature, however, can cause a buildup of bugs over time if your TV isn’t fully shut down or rebooted regularly, which could be the main culprit behind your sound issue.
That said, it’s not always system bugs at fault; there can be other factors too. Your Sony TV’s sound disappearance could also be the result of glitches in audio settings, outdated software, or certain sound settings.
How to troubleshoot a Sony TV with no sound
Before diving into the fixes, it’s important to confirm whether your Sony TV truly has no sound. To do this, start with some basic debugging.
First, increase the TV’s volume level and double-check that it’s not on mute.
Then, make sure that the TV speakers are selected in your Sony TV’s speaker settings.
Lastly, unplug any headphones or devices connected to your TV’s headphone jack.
If you’ve gone through these steps and your Sony TV still has no sound, don’t worry. There are several effective strategies that can help you tackle this issue.
How to fix a Sony TV with no sound
If you’re dealing with a Sony TV that’s decided to take a silence vow, you might want to try the Clever Fix (restart or power reset).
Doing a power reset or a restart ensures your TV gets a proper shutdown and reboot, which can help clear out any bugs messing with the sound.
But, if you’re still left with a silent TV after a reset or restart, don’t sweat it. There are other effective methods you can try:
1. Reconnect your Sony TV’s power cord
Besides the power reset or restart, another proven fix involves reconnecting your Sony TV’s power cord. This is essentially another way to reboot the system and get rid of any bugs.
Start by unplugging your TV from the power outlet, followed by unplugging the power cord from the back of the TV. Let it be for at least two minutes.
When time’s up, plug the power cord back into the TV. Be sure it’s securely fastened.
Once everything’s plugged in, power on the TV and cross your fingers for the sound to return.
2. Reset your Sony TV’s sound settings
If the sound issue persists, try resetting your Sony TV’s sound settings.
This method typically resolves any sound glitches and reverts your TV’s sound settings back to their default state, without having to mess with the rest of your TV settings.
Just keep in mind, the steps to reset the sound settings may differ depending on the model of your TV.
If you happen to own a Sony Bravia TV and it’s suffering from the no-sound syndrome, here’s how to reset your sound settings:
- Press your remote’s Menu button.
- Navigate to Settings, then Preferences.
- Go to Sound, then select Reset.
- Select OK.
Once you’ve given the OK, your Sony Bravia’s sound settings will revert to their original factory settings right away.
With a bit of luck, this will fix the sound issue.
3. Update your Sony TV’s software
Have you checked if your Sony TV’s software is up to date?
Outdated software could be the party pooper causing your TV to lose its voice. Sony frequently releases software updates to introduce new features and squash bothersome bugs. Keeping your Sony TV updated ensures it performs its best.
Performing software update differs from one Sony TV model to another. But if you have a Sony Android TV, follow these steps:
- Press your remote’s Home button.
- Scroll to the left and Select Apps.
- Inside Apps, select Help.
- Scroll down to Status & Diagnostics.
- Scroll to the right and select System software update.
- Then select Software update.
Once done, your TV will embark on a search for any new software versions available.
If it finds one, simply follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
4. Factory reset your Sony TV
If you’ve tried all of the above and your Sony TV still refuses to make a peep, it might be time for a factory reset.
This puts your TV back to the state it was in when you first unboxed it.
Fair warning, though: it will erase all data on your TV. However, if you own a Sony Android TV, you can protect some of your data (specifically from your Google apps) by syncing them with your Google account.
Here’s how to do a factory reset:
- Press the Home button on your remote.
- Select Settings (gear icon).
- Scroll down to Storage & Reset.
- Select Factory data reset.
- Select Erase everything, then select Yes.
If you’re working with a Sony Bravia, you’ll want to follow this video instead:
If your remote has pulled a disappearing act, don’t worry. You can still perform a factory reset using the physical buttons on your Sony TV.
Usually, you’d find these buttons either on the back (left or right) of your TV or under the Sony logo in the middle of the screen. They could come in a set of three, or there might just be one.
To perform a factory reset without a remote, unplug your TV from the power outlet. While it’s still unplugged, press and hold the three buttons (or the single one).
As you’re holding the buttons, plug your TV back into the power outlet. Keep holding the buttons until an ‘erasing’ screen shows up – this generally takes about 10 to 30 seconds.
Once the erasing is complete, you can proceed to set up your Sony TV as you did when you first bought it. Here’s hoping that the sound returns after this setup.
5. Turn off Dolby Digital Plus Out
Are you using an external speaker or soundbar connected to your Sony TV with an optical digital cable?
The culprit behind the absence of sound might be Dolby Digital Plus. If your Sony TV is receiving Dolby Digital Plus audio, it might automatically mute the audio from the Digital Audio Out (Optical) port.
First up, double-check that the Audio System is selected as the speaker for your Sony TV.
Once that’s done, follow these steps to disable Dolby Digital Plus:
- Press your remote’s Options button.
- Go to Sound Adjustments, then Advanced Settings.
- Find Dolby Digital Plus Out and set it to Off.
If you’re using a streaming device like the Fire Stick, go to its Audio Settings and turn Dolby Digital Plus off.
6. Select PCM in Digital Audio Out
If you’ve got a Sony Bravia and you’re using a soundbar or speakers connected through an optical digital cable, you may need to tweak the settings a bit.
Some soundbars or speakers aren’t compatible with certain audio signals. If your Sony TV’s Digital Audio Out is set to Auto, it might be transmitting an audio signal that your soundbar or speakers simply can’t pick up on.
To change your Sony TV’s Digital Audio Out settings:
- Press your remote’s Home button.
- Navigate to Settings, then Preferences.
- Scroll down to Setup.
- Navigate down to AV Setup.
- Go to Digital Audio Out.
- Select PCM.
Once you’ve exited the settings, check if your soundbar or speakers are now producing sound.
7. Contact Sony support
When all your troubleshooting efforts seem to be going in vain, it might be time to call in the experts at Sony support.
You can ring them up at 239-245-6354. They’re available Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm (ET) and on weekends from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm (ET).
If you’re not keen on phone calls, you can also use the Live Chat option on their support website.
Does the Sony TV warranty cover sound issues?
Good news! It does.
As long as it’s been less than a year since you purchased your Sony TV and the sound issue is found to be a manufacturing defect.
But do keep in mind that if, say, the sound problem arose from accidental damage, it might not be covered by the warranty.
The best course of action would be to get in touch directly with Sony’s support teams. They can guide you through the process of repair or replacement.
Summing up
Sound troubles are quite common with Sony TVs, but the silver lining is that they’re usually pretty straightforward to fix at home.
If you find your Sony TV maintaining radio silence, give a power reset or a restart a shot.
A power reset is pretty basic – just switch off your TV, unplug it for two minutes, then plug it back in and turn it on.
For a restart, press and hold the power button on your remote until Power off pops up on the screen. If a menu shows up instead, simply choose Restart.
If these initial fixes don’t do the trick, there are more tactics you can try:
- Reset your Sony TV’s power cable.
- Reset your Sony TV’s sound settings.
- Update your Sony TV’s software.
- Factory reset your Sony TV.
If you’re using a soundbar or external speakers, be sure to disable Dolby Digital Plus Out. If you use a Fire Stick, remember to turn off Dolby Digital Plus in its audio settings, too.
When all else fails, reach out to Sony’s support. And if you’re unsure about whether your Sony TV is still under warranty, don’t hesitate to ask them.