Solved! Setting up Bluetooth receiver and soundbar

[atbergin]

Hi,
I'm hoping to set up both a soundbar and a bluetooth receiver with a samsung smart TV but unfortunately the TV only has optical audio out.
I have a bluetooth receiver but it is a USB connector. What's the best way to set up so that I can reasonably easily switch between the sound bar and the headphones? I'm thinking I need an optical audio switch and then a converter from optical to USB but want to confirm this isn't crazy.

 

[americanaudiophile]

First off you need a transmitter not a receiver. USB is useless in this case as well.
You can split the optical audio output of the TV and connect it to both the soundbar and a BT transmitter. Set the TV to output in PCM stereo. Use either or both the soundbar and headphones by just turning them on.

 

[hang-the-9]

When you say "bluetooth receiver" are you talking about an actual receiver or one of the devices that converts cable signal to bluetooth, or some USB bluetooth dongle for a computer? What exactly do you have, brand and model? You can get an optical audio splitter to route the TV output to two devices.

 

[atbergin]

I currently have this device on hand:
https/www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PDBJF8F/
Was being used on a previous TV.

Was hoping to find some way to have a centralized controller to switch between a set of bluetooth headphones and a sound bar. The TV has only one audio out port so it doesn't seem possible to have the TV control the switch.

 

[americanaudiophile]

First off you need a transmitter not a receiver. USB is useless in this case as well.
You can split the optical audio output of the TV and connect it to both the soundbar and a BT transmitter. Set the TV to output in PCM stereo. Use either or both the soundbar and headphones by just turning them on.