How to hear your TV better

If you've ever sat on the sofa straining to hear the hushed conversation in the latest detective thriller, you're not alone. Not being able to hear your TV properly is a common complaint, but what's to blame and how to do you fix it?

Flatscreen TVs are much maligned for having thin speakers that lack the power of the deeper ones inside the colossal big-box CRT TVs of yesteryear, but it would be unfair to lay all blame at modern TV's narrow feet.

Find out what causes the problem, how to fix it with settings you can adjust, and help you figure out if your own hearing may be stopping you from enjoying your favourite shows to the fullest.

The quality of your TV can make a difference, so pick one of our best TVs the next time you upgrade.

Why is dialogue hard to hear on my TV?

Sometimes it's the TV. Some models are woeful, with thin sound that has about as much punch as a toddler – but that's not always the case. Each year we test TVs with expansive, rich audio that strikes a beautiful balance between the low and high tones, with plenty of mid-range in between to carry melody.

To find the root of the problem we need to look a little deeper. 

A major complaint with TV sound is the extreme differences between dialogue and action sequences. A common scenario finds people constantly adjusting volume to compensate for the spikes and lulls in loudness. Characters conversing is too quiet so the volume goes up. But, if it's followed by an action sequence or something with booming background music, then it's far too loud and the volume needs to come down again to be comfortable; until the next conversation.

These extremes are caused by something called ‘dynamic range’. It’s a technique used by sound mixers to inject some excitement into what you’re watching, and better convey the difference between quiet and loud sounds. 

A grenade explosion is more than eleven times louder than speech. Even if a TV could output this 180-decibel blast, you wouldn’t want it to – it could pop your eardrums. So to achieve that sense of loudness, other aspects – such as speech – are made quieter.

A cinema, with its plethora of speakers, can handle these shifts. But a TV will have a harder time coping. 

This brings us to the second part of the problem. To a certain degree, a TV is at the mercy of how sound is mixed. Just as a video editor cuts the visual action to create a sense of flow and drama, a sound editor adjusts audio levels to articulate tone and atmosphere.

Fear not though, TVs aren’t completely at the mercy of uncompromising sound editors and ferocious mixes. There are settings that can mitigate the issue without you needing to buy anything new.

Discover the TVs that aced our tough tests – see all our television reviews.

How to boost the dialogue on your TV

• Most TVs have different sound modes to choose from and one of them will likely prioritise dialogue. It's often called 'Clear Voice' – make it your go-to sound mode.
• Choosing a new sound mode changes several things behind the scenes, but some TVs let you tinker even further with a built-in equaliser. This lets you emphasise bass, mid-range or treble. Boosting the treble should mean that higher tones, including speech, becomes clearer.
• We mentioned dynamic range earlier and some TVs will let you adjust how wide that range is. Choose a narrow range, sometimes called 'compressed', and the volume difference between the loudest and quietest sounds will be reduced.
• Most TVs output in stereo but the audio signals they receive are often intended for five speaker surround-sound setups. The TV downmixes the sound to make the audio work with two stereo speakers. You can't change this, but it's worth checking your downmix is set to stereo, otherwise the TV could be sending dialogue to a speaker that doesn't exist.

As well as settings you can tweak, some TVs have additional technology that can make your listening experience that bit better. Check if your TV has these, or choose a TV that does the next time you buy one.

• Independent volume control means you can connect a pair of headphones and adjust the volume coming through them – this can be done separately to the TV speakers' volume. So everyone can be happy with the loudness
• Automatic volume levelling reacts to dramatic shifts in volume, keeping it consistent so you won’t get your head blown off every time there’s an ad break or you change channel
• Bluetooth lets you wirelessly connect headphones, hearing aids or a loop system. Some TVs can output to Bluetooth headphones and the TVs speakers at the same time.

Having trouble seeing your TV? Check out the best TVs for people who are blind or partially sighted.

How to enhance the dialogue on a Samsung TV

• Set your sound mode to Amplify. This will emphasise the highs and make speech more prominent.
• From the Settings menu head to Sound and then Expert Settings. From hear use the equaliser to increase the mid and high tones to make speech more audible.
• In the settings menu of your TV, head to the Intelligent Mode Settings in the General & Privacy menu and turn on Active Voice Amplifier. You won't find this setting on entry-level Samsung models.

How to enhance the dialogue on an LG TV

• According to LG, the best sound mode for boosting dialogue is 'News'. You can select this by going to the Sound menu followed by Sound Mode.
• LG also has a Smart Sound Mode, which adjusts audio based on the content you're watching. You can try this to see if it boosts dialogue when the situation calls for it. If it's not too clever then switch back to News mode.
• In the Sound Effects menu within the Sound Menu you'll find Clear Voice II (it may just be Clear Voice if you've got an older model). Turn this on to boost speech.

How to enhance the dialogue on a Sony TV

• Sony TVs have a Dialogue sound mode, which you select from the Sound mode menu in the Settings.
• Bravia TVs have Voice Zoom. You'll find it by going to Settings then Display and sound, followed by Sound Customisation. You can then set the dialogue to the loudness that works for you. You may not find this on entry-level or older Sony TVs.

How to enhance the dialogue on a Hisense TV

• Hisense TVs have a Speech sound mode, which should make dialogue clearer in the mix.
• Deeper in the settings you'll find Sound Mode Settings and here you'll see Dialog Clarity. Turn this on for a further speech boost.
• You can further tweak the audio with the equaliser in the Sound Mode Settings.

How to enhance the dialogue on a Panasonic TV

• Panasonic TVs have a Speech sound mode. Switch to this for a dialogue boost.
• You can use the Equaliser in the Settings menu to boost the treble, which should make dialogue carry better.

How to enhance the dialogue on Philips TVs

• On a Philips TV with the Android operating system you can adjust the sound mode to Dialogue, which will make speech clearer. You'll the option in the Sound style menu.
• In the Sound menu you'll also see Personal Settings. Click into it and you'll see a Clear dialogue option and equalisers to adjust the audio even further.

The best TVs for hearing dialogue

One aspect of our listening test is watching a scene from a typical drama and noting how clear the dialogue is. These are the TVs that scored highest.

What to do if you need help hearing your TV

For anyone with hearing loss, treble can be the most difficult pitch to hear. The two audiologists we spoke to told us that trouble hearing TV dialogue was one of the most common reasons for people to visit a hearing clinic.

The staggering amount of choice of what to watch makes choosing something difficult enough. If there's more disagreement over what volume is best, then a hearing test could be in order for you or a family member.

Our experts recommended Shoebox Online. It's a free, simple way to test your hearing at home and is a good starting point to see if you need help hearing.

But ultimately, if you can't hear your TV, even with the volume turned right up, then speak to your GP or head to a hearing clinic for a full test.

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Using a hearing aid with your TV

A diagnosis of hearing loss doesn't mean you'll be straining to hear your TV or reading subtitles for years to come. We spoke to the RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) to see what specialist devices are available to help people hear their TV.

• If you don't wear hearing aids then a pair of wireless headphones are a great option. If you have a TV with independent volume control then you can adjust the volume on the headphones separately from the TV speakers, so everyone has volume they are happy with.
• Many newer hearing aids have Bluetooth built-in and you can connect these straight to a Bluetooth TV. This effectively turns your hearing aids into a pair of TV headphones.
• If your hearing aids don't have Bluetooth, or your TV doesn't, then you can buy a loop system to connect to the TV. Your hearing aids will then connect to that instead of the TV directly, but the result will be same – TV sound through your hearing aids.

There are other devices to consider, too, such as the Bellman Maxi Pro streaming device. It uses portable microphones that boost the sound of whatever you put them near – whether that’s your TV, radio or dinner-table conversation. They work with hearing aids and headphones. 

TV manufacturers are getting in on the act, too. The Sony Wireless Handy TV Speaker SRS-LSR20 looks like a radio, but it's designed for TV audio. It’s like a sound bar that the person with hearing problems places close to where they’re sitting, rather than putting it under the TV.

The high street is packed with places to get a hearing aid. Take a look at our list of the best hearing aid providers

Sound bars and headphones to help you hear your TV

A Best Buy sound bar gives you better audio than TV speakers any day of the week. So will a good pair of headphones, particularly those designed for TV audio.

Headphones

• Sony WH-CH720N headphones - these Bluetooth headphones can be used outdoors, but does this jack-of-all-trades approach make them the best option for TV sound? Here's our Sony WH-CH720N review.

Alternatively, check see all our headphone reviews to find a pair that suit you and your bank balance.

Sound bars

• Denon DHT-S517 – at around £300 this sound bar is one of the cheaper ways to give a meaningful boost to your TV sound. There are cheaper models, but they often sound poor, but this is rich and finely balanced, with clear speech. Check our Denon DHT-S517 review for more.
• Samsung HW-Q930D -- if you're interested in getting surround sound at home then this high-end Samsung with two separate rear speakers is the way to go. It sounds superb and will give you a cinematic experience at home. Read our full Samsung HW-Q930D review for more information.

For more options, take a look at all of our sound bar reviews.