When the Hisense A7N shows a picture but plays no sound, the usual cause is that the sound is being sent somewhere else or muted, and not that the speakers have failed. Start with the simple things: press the volume button on the remote and watch for the volume bar, check that mute is not on, and check the volume of the source box, such as a soundbar or a cable box, which may be turned down separately.
The checks in more detail
Open the TV's sound settings and look at the speaker selection: if it is set to an external speaker, an optical output or ARC and nothing is connected, the TV will be silent. Switch it to the TV speakers to test. If you use a soundbar over HDMI ARC, the connection has to be on the port marked ARC, and the TV's setting for ARC or the digital output has to match. A lead that is loose or an ARC device that is switched off causes silence.
Try the lead in the other direction, restart the TV and the soundbar by unplugging them for a minute and set the digital audio format to PCM instead of Auto or Dolby, since some soundbars cannot decode what the TV sends. If the sound is missing only in one app, such as a streaming app, the fix is in the app: check that its own audio setting is not set to a format your equipment cannot play, such as surround sound, and try another app to compare.
For Bluetooth headphones, a TV that remembers a headset may send the sound there when it is nearby, so turn the headset off or forget it. If the sound is missing only on antenna channels, check the broadcast signal. Update the TV's software in Settings, Support, and perform a power reset by unplugging for a minute. A factory reset is the final option and erases your settings. If the sound is silent on every input and with every setting, and an external speaker works, the TV's speakers or the audio board may be faulty, so contact Hisense with the model number.
Differential
Likely causes of “Hisense A7N 4K TV has picture but no sound”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The speaker setting points to an external device
What separates it Picture but no sound
How to confirm Switch to the TV speakers
- 2
A soundbar connection issue
What separates it Silence with a soundbar
How to confirm Use the ARC port and set the audio format to PCM
- 3
Mute or a low source volume
What separates it No volume bar response
How to confirm Check mute and the source's volume
- 4
A Bluetooth headset taking the sound
What separates it Silence when the headset is nearby
How to confirm Turn the headset off or forget it
- 5
A software glitch
What separates it Intermittent silence
How to confirm Update and do a power reset
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which input and app
- Whether a soundbar is connected
- The speaker setting
- Whether another source has sound
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedCheck mute and volume
ReversibleOn the TV and the source.
Choose the TV speakers
ReversibleIn sound settings.
Check the ARC connection
ReversibleIf a soundbar is used.
Turn off Bluetooth headsets
ReversibleOr forget them.
Update and power reset
ReversibleUnplug for a minute.
Contact Hisense
ReversibleIf silent everywhere.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Speaker setting
- It decides where the sound goes.
- ARC
- Use the port marked ARC.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the TV is silent on every input with TV speakers selected, contact Hisense with the model number
- !Update the software first
- !Test with headphones
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why does my A7N have picture but no sound?+
The sound is set to an output that is not connected.
What is ARC?+
The HDMI port that sends sound to a soundbar.
Should I use PCM?+
It is the safest setting for a soundbar.