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  1. Home
  2. Soundbar
  3. Tests
  4. Latency
  1. Table of Contents
  2. Intro
  3. When It Matters
  4. Our Tests
    1. ARC Latency
    2. Optical Latency
    3. Full HDMI In Latency
  5. Conclusion
  6. Discussions

Our Soundbar Connectivity Tests
Latency

Updated
What it is: The delay between the image on a TV and the sound coming out of the soundbar. This test is always done on the same TV. The video shows a slowed-down to 20% version of the latency test we do (reference video by dayjoborchestra). The ping in the video should be synced with the moment the ball touches the white moving bar. A negative latency indicates that the sound comes before the visuals, while a positive latency indicates that the visuals come before the sound. The video could be less representative if you are listening to it with a higher latency audio device.
When it matters: When watching videos or movies and playing video games to have a good synchronism between the image and the sound. High latency can be noticeable mostly with lip sync during speech.
Score components:
Score distribution

Latency is a delay between the audio you hear and the image you see on your screen, and you're most likely to notice it when characters speak on screen. High amounts of latency can ruin your experience by taking away from the immersive feel and causing lip-synching delays. Depending on how you connect your soundbar to your television, you may experience different amounts of latency. Whether you're watching movies, TV shows, or playing video games, you'll want to avoid latency issues.

Test results

When It Matters

High amounts of latency take away from the immersive feel of your media, especially with movies and TV shows. You want the action on screen—whether it's dialogue shared between characters or explosions taking place in the background—to match what you hear. Similarly, if you're a gamer, you'll want to ensure that latency delays don't impact your success when playing against other people. While wired connections can help reduce this issue, especially compared to wireless connectivity options like Bluetooth, they aren't immune to these issues. Some manufacturers, such as Samsung, include audio sync features that let you control the delay manually, while certain TVs and apps compensate for latency differently. However, we don't currently incorporate these tools into our testing process.

Our Tests

The Latency test refers to the latency over three wired connections: ARC, Optical, and Full HDMI In. We connect the same Samsung Q80T TV with the desired soundbar and wired connection, so the results are comparable. A tripod with a camera phone is set up approximately 5.75ft away from the TV to film the results. We then play the audiovisual latency video seen down below on the TV and record the process.

In this video, there's an audible ping that occurs once every second. Each ping should ideally be in time with the moment the white ball touches the moving white platform at the bottom of the screen. At the same time, the left circle should alternate between green and white while the red circle on the right side appears. Our video is slowed down to 20% to more easily see the sound delay.

We measure latency in milliseconds (ms), and we consider a good latency value to fall between -55 ms to 75 ms.

However, as hinted above, you can measure latency in both positive and negative values. For example, the Vizio SB36512-F6 has an ARC latency of 56 ms. A positive latency value indicates that the visuals come before sound. Conversely, this same soundbar has -85 ms via its Full HDMI In connection. A negative latency value indicates that sound comes before visuals. A higher positive latency value is more acceptable than a higher negative latency value, as it's easier to notice sound coming before visuals than the other way around. For example, if you're watching a movie, you'll more likely notice the actor's voice before their lips start moving. When the results are more (or less) than -55 ms to 75 ms, you may start to experience noticeable latency.

The Sonos Beam has an outstanding latency performance. With each ping sound in the ARC, Optical, and Full HDMI In results, the ball touches the platform and both the green and red circles appear, resulting in correctly synched audiovisuals.
The Vizio M-Series M21d-H8R has a disappointing latency performance. Notice that in the ARC and Optical results, the ping sound is audible only after the ball moves away from the platform. This indicates a high positive latency.

That said, latency results can vary depending on the frame synch between the 60fps YouTube video we use and our 240fps recording speed. However, if this test is performed multiple times, the difference is approximately 4-6 ms, which isn't very noticeable. Other factors like TV input lag fluctuation can influence latency. Some apps and devices compensate for latency, so your experience may vary. Lastly, your equipment, like the device you're using to watch and listen to this test video, could have latency in itself and could change the perception of the video.

ARC Latency

What it is: The delay between the image and the sound when connecting the soundbar via ARC. The value is obtained by using the same reference TV and listening to a YouTube video.
When it matters: When you want to minimize the delay between the picture and the audio, mostly in games where audio feedback is important.
Good value: Between -55 ms and 75 ms
Score distribution

HDMI ARC stands for 'Audio Return Channel'. It's a protocol introduced as part of HDMI version 1.4 in 2009; since then, it's become a common addition on soundbars. This connector allows audio signals to travel to and from the soundbar and eliminates the need for a secondary cable to send audio from your TV back to your soundbar. The protocol also adds HDMI CEC, which allows you to control HDMI-connected devices with one remote control, meaning you can control your TV and your soundbar with the same remote, for example.

Some soundbars also support eARC or 'enhanced Audio Return Channel', which allows the bar to play object-based surround signals and lossless formats such as Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD MA, commonly found on Blu-ray discs. The HDMI Forum, a non-profit corporation that develops new versions of HDMI Specification, has also made 'Lip Sync Correction' mandatory on eARC, while it's only optional on ARC. It should ensure that video and audio are automatically in sync. In short, this connection is favorable if you like to watch very high-quality, surround content.

In the ARC Latency test, we connect the bar via HDMI ARC to the TV. Using the TV's YouTube app, we play the latency video.

Optical Latency

What it is: The delay between the image and the sound when connecting the soundbar via optical. The value is obtained by using the same reference TV and listening to a YouTube video.
When it matters: When you want to minimize the delay between the picture and the audio, mostly in games where audio feedback is important.
Good value: Between -55 ms and 75 ms
Score distribution

Optical is also known as a S/PDIF connector. It uses waves of light within fiber optic cables to relay audio signals from a source like your TV to your soundbar and support surround sound up to 5.1 channels. However, they can only relay audio, and you'll need a different cable to transmit video between devices. This connection is handy if you have an older TV or soundbar without an HDMI port.

In the Optical Latency test, we connect the bar via Optical In to the TV. Using the TV's YouTube app, we play the latency video.

Full HDMI In Latency

What it is: The delay between the image and the sound when connecting the soundbar via full HDMI In: an HDMI input port that can receive sound. The value is obtained by using the same reference TV and listening to a YouTube video.
When it matters: When you want to minimize the delay between the picture and the audio, mostly in games where audio feedback is important.
Good value: Between -55 ms and 75 ms
Score distribution

If your TV or soundbar doesn't support HDMI ARC, some soundbars and TVs have a high-definition multimedia interface or HDMI connection, which can transmit uncompressed signals without a loss in quality. Unlike HDMI ARC, Full HDMI In can only receive audio. Some users prefer to connect devices like a Blu-ray player or console directly to the soundbar to play all sound codecs.

In the Full HDMI In Latency test, the soundbar and TV are connected to an HDMI splitter. The splitter takes the source device's signal and sends it to the other devices connected to it, which are the soundbar and TV. For our source device, we use our test PC and play the YouTube video. At the same time, we change the audio source on our PC to match the correct source on the soundbar.

Conclusion

Lip-synching issues and other audio delays are enough to ruin a great movie, TV show, or video game. Fortunately, many bars on the market are designed with low latency in mind, which minimizes the risk of out-of-sync audio and video. Others offer sync features that let you manually control the delay to improve your listening experience. That said, different tools compensate for latency differently, so depending on the TV you have or the app you use, you may notice a difference in your bar's performance.