Turntable to Sound Bar

[brandenbouchard]

I am looking to replace my amp and bookshelf speakers with a sound bar to use with my TV and turntable. Problem is, the soundbar that I am looking to get only has 1 hdmi input, nothing else (Sonos Beam). I've got a Audio Technica LP120USB turntable (with a pre amp so thats no issue). I know i'll need to get an HDMI switcher at minimum to go between the TV and the Sound Bar.

So my issue is converting the turntable analog audio (output is the standard RCA L+R red and white cables) to digital HDMI. Any converters that I have found include a video input as well (which makes sense for HDMI) but I'm worried that I'll run into an issue where I wont get a signal if theres no video being produced (commonly seen with TVs).

Anyone have any suggestions? Is this possible. I am less worried about audio degradation right now, and just looking to see if I can get this to work, or if I should be looking at another soundbar. Thanks in advance

 

[americanaudiophile]

The Beam doesn't have an HDMI input. It has an HDMI-ARC connection so you can't use it to get audio into the beam with a converter, adapter or switcher.
Option 1 - Connect the turntable to the TV AV input. If the TV won't let you switch to that input you will need to connect the composite RCA video output of another source to trick it.
Option 2 - Get a soundbar with an aux input. Or better yet get a pair of decent self powered speakers.
https://www.edifier.com/us/en/speakers/s2000pro-bookshelf-speakers-studio-monitors
They will blow the soundbar away on the TV and the turntable for the same price.

 

[brandenbouchard]

Forgive my ignorance, but what's the difference between and HDMI input and HDMI Arc, that won't allow it to audio from the turntable?

 

[Alabalcho]

"ARC" in HDMI ARC means "Audio Return Channel" - a way for TV to send back audio signal over its own HDMI input. Most modern TVs support that, and some soundbars and most AVRs support that, too (although soundbars usually don't output any video signal).

 

[jsmithepa]

Moving from standard receiver/speaker to soundbar will impose issues just like this and make things inflexible to impossible for you. Soundbars are quick/budget solution to watching TV. So even if the suggested work, you will have to leave the TV on, just to listen to the turntable.