Bravia KD43X80J - Cannot use bluetooth headset

[AndrewE77]

What a costly disappointment this set is. I had a KD 43X G809 6BU in 2020 (£479.99) . It has been broken so I wanted the same set as I was happy with it.  Of course I could not get the same set so I bought what I thought would be a better one - KD43X80J, which cost about £200 more (£679).  Its footprint is about 6" longer than the old one (both are 43" screens, so we have to get a new TV table.  The old composite Wii cables no longer fit so new adapter needed.

But the biggest problem is the headphones. AAAAARGH !!    My two previous Bravias enabled me to listen to the sound at a higher volume than through the speakers - I am hard of hearing. My Amplicomms bluetooth headed just plugged into the earphone socket without turning off the speakers. (If you wanted to disable this there was a setting).

I have spoken to a Sony Centre and consulted the online Q&A and this feature has been changed!!!  What a disgrace.  How are hard of hearing people supposed to cope?  

This is positively the last Sony product I will ever buy.  To pay £200+ for a grossly inferior product that necessitaes extra spending is not acceptable.

[HannahEd01]

Hey AndrewE77, I'm so sorry! But not all TVs support this function. But you can output sound from both an audio system connected via eARC/ARC and TV speakers. The steps can be found here: https://helpguide.sony.net/tv/iaep1/v1/en/08-05_09.html?hl=headphones

[AndrewE77]

I've been told elsewhere by Sony that using a soundbar by your suggested route will STILL disable the headphone socket.  I have  a chat transcript of a consultation with Amr at Sony support where he says that connecting a soundbar will disable the headset.   (Sep 22nd - 10.31 am)

Can you specific a particular Sony sound bar which, when connected via the Digital Audio Out socket, will NOT disable the Headphones socket?

And if I buy one can you guarantee that I will be able to return it at no cost if it doesn't work?

My TV is a Bravia KD43X80J

[LightFoot]

Hi @AndrewE77   Just checking that you are aware that this is a community of customers. I am not sure how a fellow customer can guarantee that you will be able to return it at no cost if it doesn't work.

[royabrown2]

@AndrewE77 

Yes, the link kindly provided by @HannahEd01 tells you that you can’t do what you want, but that apparently you can do something that you don’t want, which is not very comforting.

Though if you read it closely, although it is headed eARC, it is actually saying that you can have two sets of audio output at the same time if one is the TV speakers, and the other is Optical.

So if you follow the link to the details for Optical out there, then that will perhaps yield an answer, as it is saying that using Optical out doesn’t disable the TV speakers.

And depending on your preference, you can either source an optical digital to analogue converter, and plug the Amplicon into that, or get an optical digital to Bluetooth converter, for not much more money, and run the headphones directly off that.

In general, I reckon that Sony keep the Optical Out separate from the eARC/speaker/(Sony provided) Bluetooth/headphones considerations, and the link @HannahEd01 provided certainly says that, though perhaps contrary to your Chat notes.

But if it turns out that Sony have got this wrong, then if you source the Optical converter from Amazon, and can’t get it working how you want, then you can return it easily and get your money back.

[AndrewE77]

Apologies!!

I'm really sorry to Hannah for my sniffy reply. I hadn't appreciated that this site is one for users.

[AndrewE77]

Hi

thanks for your comments. I plan to try a sound bar with optical lead.

(Incidentally my son in law hasn't had much joy with sound bars because of synch problems)

Thanks again. I've apologised to hannah.

Andrew

[rick2304]

Hi AndrewE77

Have you been able to pair the headphones with the TV so you can listen to the set wirelessly?? I had to download an app called "Bluetooth Scanner" once I used that I could pair the headphones. I found that playing around with the Settings I could listen on the headphones with either the sound coming from the TV speakers or not.

Hope that this helps.

[AndrewE77]

The headset I used with my previous Bravia was made by Amplicomms. You just plugged the base unit into the headphones socket and it didn’t turn off the tv speakers so I could listen at a higher volume than my wife.  All very simple but they’ve now taken that facility away.

I may try a sound bar but Amr at Sony Support said that would also turn off the headphones socket.

Presumably when you use Bluetooth earphones the idea is to enable you to listen with the tv speakers off.   It would be an expensive mistake if that was the case.  

[HannahEd01]

Hey AndrewE77, as you must know by now I can't guarantee that My suggestion was also to something else that you didn't ask for but I thought it might be an alternative (That might help?? No?)

Anyway, don't sweat it regarding your reply. That's totally fine. ^^ I cannot suggest a particular soundbar as any should work as per the link provided, just to have optical.

Good luck!