Question Setting up ONLY Rear speakers with TV for audio

[indianking]

So I have a unique situation for the time being. The house I purchased a few years back came with rear speakers pre-installed and I haven't used them yet. For the past two years, we've been using only audio from our TV (which hasn't been the greatest). I recently picked up a used receiver (STR-K650P) and needed some help.

I was hoping to set up our system so that we use the rear speakers for the 2 channels for the rear and all of the remaining (Center, Left, and Right) to be played by the TV. This is a temporary fix until we buy the remaining speakers (but this may be a few years down the road)

Do you have any suggestions on how exactly to set this up?

This is what I was thinking.

• TosLink cable to connect my TV audio out to the receiver (Vizio D60-D3 to STR-K650P).
• Use the two cables that came pre-installed rear speakers to connect them to the receiver.
• I'm a little stuck on how to send the audio for the remaining channels back to the TV (Would I need to run a wire from the receiver back to the TV? If so would there be a separate wire for each channel? Sorry I'm a little lost here).

Let me know if I can clarify anything or if you think this is a bad idea! I'm completely new to the audio/home theater world, so any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Rogue Leader]

What you are wanting to do can't be done. The TV has only 2 speakers, no center, and also no way to input sound back to them.

If you were to connect the receiver to the TV via toslink that would work in that you could have them play as rear speakers, but unfortunately you may experience a tiny (like 1-2ms) time delay in sound, You will notice this unfortunately. Also in terms of "suround sound stage" you won't have it since the TV will be playing in stereo so sounds that should be coming from behind you will, but they will also come from the front speakers.

 

[indianking]

What you are wanting to do can't be done. The TV has only 2 speakers, no center, and also no way to input sound back to them.

If you were to connect the receiver to the TV via toslink that would work in that you could have them play as rear speakers, but unfortunately you may experience a tiny (like 1-2ms) time delay in sound, You will notice this unfortunately. Also in terms of "suround sound stage" you won't have it since the TV will be playing in stereo so sounds that should be coming from behind you will, but they will also come from the front speakers.

Ah that makes! Thank you for the explanation. Since I'm waiting for the right deal on C, L, and R speakers, would you suggest using a cheap sound bar for the time being and connecting the receiver to both the sound bar at the rear speakers?

Quick question also! This is the panel for the TV I have: https://www.google.com/search?q=viz...AUIECgD&biw=1280&bih=881#imgrc=-MdCj3juhBBHtM:

I may be misunderstanding this, so please bare with me. Could I use the component (L and R) and connect them to the receiver? According to their website, they appear to be inputs: https://support.vizio.com/s/article/D60-D3-Model-Information?language=en_US

But let me know if I'm completely wrong!

 

[jsmithepa]

they appear to be inputs:

Inputs from a source component and inappropriate for what u want. As already mentioned, not your TV, not any TV allows you to route audio back to the TV built-in speakers. Then you are ignoring no center channel. For surround, no center=no dialog.

All u can hope to do is, with what u currently have, listen to stereo only, and the delay may not bother you. In fact, pre-discrete surrounds purposely delay rear channel's signals to provide a back wall echo. Try it, what u got to lose.

Sorry to deflate you nifty idea.

 

[indianking]

Inputs from a source component and inappropriate for what u want. As already mentioned, not your TV, not any TV allows you to route audio back to the TV built-in speakers. Then you are ignoring no center channel. For surround, no center=no dialog.

All u can hope to do is, with what u currently have, listen to stereo only, and the delay may not bother you. In fact, pre-discrete surrounds purposely delay rear channel's signals to provide a back wall echo. Try it, what u got to lose.

Sorry to deflate you nifty idea.

Ah I see! Thank for the clarification! I'll test that out and see how it turns out.

If it doesn't work, I'll see if there's anyway to have my Google Home Mini (GHM) connect with the rear speakers when we're just playing music in the background instead of using the speaker from the GHM. Appreciate the quick responses everyone!

 

[Rogue Leader]

Ah that makes! Thank you for the explanation. Since I'm waiting for the right deal on C, L, and R speakers, would you suggest using a cheap sound bar for the time being and connecting the receiver to both the sound bar at the rear speakers?

Quick question also! This is the panel for the TV I have: https://www.google.com/search?q=viz...AUIECgD&biw=1280&bih=881#imgrc=-MdCj3juhBBHtM:

I may be misunderstanding this, so please bare with me. Could I use the component (L and R) and connect them to the receiver? According to their website, they appear to be inputs: https://support.vizio.com/s/article/D60-D3-Model-Information?language=en_US

But let me know if I'm completely wrong!

Why waste the money on a cheap sound bar, for the price you can probably find a cheap set of front speakers. Also not all sound bars will connect to your system, or in that manner, and many are not true surround but simulated. You're just adding another problem to your problems.

As for those connections, no thats not what that is for, those are inputs from another device (like a DVD player).

Ah I see! Thank for the clarification! I'll test that out and see how it turns out.

If it doesn't work, I'll see if there's anyway to have my Google Home Mini (GHM) connect with the rear speakers when we're just playing music in the background instead of using the speaker from the GHM. Appreciate the quick responses everyone!

If your GHM has an audio output you could do that.