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Settings and routing checked first
Because a free fix should never be sold as a repair.
Home/TV repair services/Sound repairs
Sound repairs
No sound, bad sound, or sound that comes and goes
Before anyone opens the television, half of all ‘no sound’ calls turn out to be an output setting, a soundbar handshake or an HDMI-ARC problem. We check the free fixes first.
Free fixes checked first
Whole-chain diagnosis
All major brands
A surprising number of sound faults are not faults at all
We say this because it saves people money, and because we would rather tell you for free than charge you to discover it. A large share of the ‘my TV has no sound’ calls we take are resolved without opening the television at all.
The usual causes: audio output is set to an external device that is switched off or unplugged. HDMI-ARC has lost its handshake with a soundbar. A firmware update has quietly reset the audio format to something the connected equipment cannot decode. Or the television is outputting Dolby Digital to a device that only understands PCM, and the result is silence.
When it genuinely is a hardware fault, it is usually the amplifier section on the mainboard or the speakers themselves — and both of those are repairable. What we will not do is charge you for a board repair when the actual problem was a settings menu.
The detail
What each sound fault usually means
The symptom tells us where to look.
No sound at all, from any source
If the mute is off and the volume is up, this points at the audio output configuration, the amplifier circuit on the mainboard, or a failed speaker pair. We check them in that order, cheapest first.
Sound through headphones or a soundbar, but not the TV speakers
The television is producing audio correctly and simply is not routing it to its own speakers. This is very often a settings fix, and it costs you nothing but the callout.
Crackling, popping or distortion
Usually a failing speaker, or an amplifier circuit that is beginning to break down. Distortion that gets worse as the volume rises points strongly at the amplifier.
Sound cuts in and out
Intermittent audio is frequently a dry solder joint on the amplifier section, or a loose speaker connector. Both are repairable, and both worsen if ignored.
Audio is out of sync with the picture
Lip-sync drift is usually a processing or settings issue rather than a hardware failure, particularly when a soundbar or AV receiver is in the chain. Most sets have an audio delay setting that corrects it.
Sound works on some inputs but not others
That points at the input rather than the audio system — an HDMI handshake problem, or a specific port that has failed. Which is a different repair entirely.
What you get
How we approach sound faults
Cheapest possible cause first, always.
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The whole audio chain, not just the TV
Soundbars, receivers, HDMI-ARC and optical outputs all get tested.
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Speaker testing
Individual drivers checked rather than assumed.
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Amplifier circuit repair
Component-level work on the mainboard audio section.
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Dry joint and connector repair
The usual cause of sound that cuts in and out.
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Honest advice on soundbars
Sometimes the best fix for tinny TV audio is not a repair at all.
Included
What a sound repair includes
Thorough, and in the right order.
Audio output configuration checkIncluding HDMI-ARC, optical and Bluetooth routing
Audio format compatibility checkDolby, DTS and PCM mismatches are a common silent killer
Speaker testingEach driver tested individually
Amplifier circuit diagnosisBoard-level testing of the audio section
External device testingSoundbar, receiver and cable all verified
Full audio test across inputsEvery source, with you listening
Our process
How we get your sound back
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Tell us exactly what you hear
Nothing at all? Crackling? Only on some inputs? Only through the soundbar?
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We check the free fixes first
Settings, routing, formats and handshakes.
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We diagnose the hardware if needed
Speakers, amplifier circuit, connectors.
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We repair, then test every input
With you listening, across every source you use.
FAQ
Sound repairs — your questions answered
The things people actually ask us on the phone, answered straight.
Not sure what is wrong?
WhatsApp us the make, the screen size and a short video of what the TV is doing. We can usually narrow the fault down before a technician is even dispatched.
WhatsApp 063 866 0971My TV suddenly has no sound. What should I check first?
Check that it is not muted and the volume is up — do not be embarrassed, it happens. Then check the audio output setting: if it is pointing at an external speaker, soundbar or Bluetooth device that is off or disconnected, the television will be silent. That single setting accounts for a remarkable number of the calls we take.
Sound works through my soundbar but not the TV speakers. Is the TV broken?
Usually not. That is the television doing exactly what it has been told to do — sending audio out rather than to its internal speakers. It is a settings change, and often we can talk you through it on the phone at no charge.
Why is my TV sound crackling?
Most often a failing speaker driver or a deteriorating amplifier circuit on the mainboard. If the distortion worsens as you turn the volume up, the amplifier is the more likely candidate. Both are repairable.
Can you repair TV speakers, or do they need replacing?
It depends. A blown speaker generally needs replacing, and replacement speakers are usually inexpensive. An amplifier fault on the mainboard is more often repaired at component level than replaced.
My sound is out of sync with the picture.
Lip-sync drift, and it is usually a settings issue rather than a fault — particularly if a soundbar or receiver is involved. Most televisions have an audio delay adjustment that corrects it. We can walk you through it.
Is it worth repairing the sound, or should I just buy a soundbar?
An honest question and it deserves an honest answer. If the amplifier repair is expensive and you were considering better audio anyway, a soundbar may be the smarter spend — and we will say so. If the fault is a speaker or a dry joint, repairing it is usually cheap and there is no reason not to.
Book a TV technician
Get the sound back
Describe what you are hearing — or not hearing — and we will tell you whether it is a settings fix or a repair.
TV audio repairs · speakers, amplifiers and HDMI-ARC
Contact
Speak to a TV technician, not a call centre
- Call us
- 0861 995 085Open 24 hours · 7 days a week
- 063 866 0971Send a short video of the fault — it speeds everything up.
- Where we work
- Johannesburg, Pretoria, Sandton, Centurion, Midrand, the East Rand and the West RandSee every area we cover →