What's going on

When listening to TV audio through Sony earbuds via an HDMI eARC/ARC transmitter dock or pass-through receiver, getting complete silence usually points to an audio handshake breakdown. Modern TV setups rely on HDMI Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) and specific digital audio encoding formats to pass sound from an HDMI port out to a wireless transmitter or headphone base.

If the TV sends an uncompressed multi-channel bitstream that your earbud base station cannot process, or if the HDMI eARC communication drops out, your earbuds will receive dead air. Before assuming your Sony devices have hardware damage, you need to isolate whether the issue sits in the TV settings, cable handshakes, or physical ports.

Symptoms people notice

• The TV displays an eARC connected banner, but your Sony earbuds produce zero audio.
• Switching from an app like YouTube to Netflix creates harsh digital static in the earbuds.
• Sound plays fine through built-in TV speakers, but cuts out when selecting Audio System or HDMI out.
• Noticeable audio delay or lip-sync lag when watching HDMI sources.
• The transmitter base light blinks rapidly, indicating a lost input signal or failed handshake.

Likely causes

1. Audio Format Mismatch: Your TV or video source is outputting Bitstream/Dolby Atmos, but the earbud base station only decodes 2-channel PCM audio.
2. Stuck HDMI-CEC / BRAVIA Sync Handshake: Communication parameters between the TV and audio dock have frozen in logic memory.
3. Incorrect HDMI Port Usage: The cable from the transmitter is plugged into a standard HDMI input rather than the designated HDMI eARC/ARC port.
4. Defective HDMI Cable: Physical wear or low bandwidth on the HDMI cable prevents ARC audio return pins from functioning.
5. Earbud Pairing Corruption: The Bluetooth connection between your Sony earbuds and their transmitter base has lost synchronization.

Quick checks first

Start with basic settings triage before replacing cables or hardware:

• Check Audio Out: Go into your TV's Sound menu and ensure Audio Output is switched from TV Speakers to Audio System or eARC/ARC.
• Force Stereo / PCM: Set the TV's Digital Audio Output format to PCM. This forces the TV to downmix surround signals into standard 2-channel stereo that any earbud transmitter can parse.
• Verify ARC Port: Confirm the HDMI cable is plugged into the specific HDMI port on your TV stamped with eARC/ARC.
• Check our general earbuds troubleshooting hub if your earbuds won't turn on or pair even when disconnected from the TV.

When it's a real hardware fault

If you have forced PCM mode, swapped cables, and confirmed the earbuds work fine with a smartphone, the issue may lie in physical hardware. HDMI ports endure thermal expansion and strain from tight cable bends. Loose internal pins on the TV's eARC port or a blown HDMI controller IC on the audio base station will prevent audio transfer altogether.

To confirm, plug another HDMI audio device (like a soundbar) into the same eARC port. If that also fails, the TV's HDMI port or main board has hardware failure. If a soundbar works fine but the earbud base receives no audio, the transmitter dock itself likely has a blown audio input chip.

Soft resets vs board/panel work

Power cycling and resetting settings fix over 80% of HDMI eARC audio drops. Unplugging power from the TV and transmitter clears persistent CEC buffer errors. Re-pairing your Sony earbuds clears corrupt Bluetooth cache files.

However, if the TV mainboard's HDMI processing chip or the transmitter base circuit board is fried, soft resets won't help. Replacing a TV mainboard or repairing tiny surface-mount HDMI ICs requires specialized soldering equipment and is usually not a practical DIY project. Inspect hardware reviews on our reviews section if you need to evaluate replacement transmitters or audio hardware.

Next steps

1. Perform the PCM audio format check in your TV's sound settings.
2. Disconnect all HDMI cables and power cycle your TV and earbud dock for two full minutes.
3. Test your Sony earbuds on a smartphone or tablet to confirm the earbuds themselves function properly.
4. If the earbuds work on mobile devices but receive no signal from multiple HDMI sources, replace the earbud transmitter dock or check your TV for hardware repairs.