Guide 4 · Wiring
WiiM / Streamer + Soundbar Wiring Guide
Quick verdict · Wiring
Keep TV dialogue on eARC and music on optical (or a separate HDMI input) so the streamer and bar don’t fight one path.
“WiiM” here is the category exemplar name, not a locked product pick. Soft cable attaches below — no streamer BuyBox this pass.
Goal
TV dialogue/movies on the soundbar; music from a network streamer without fighting one HDMI path.
Typical topologies
Optical from streamer → bar (TV uses eARC separately)
Most apartment-friendly split: TV → bar on HDMI eARC/ARC for apps and dialogue; streamer → bar on optical for music. Soft optical pick:
Streamer → TV HDMI input; TV eARC → bar
Streamer is treated like a set-top box. TV still owns eARC to the bar. Soft HDMI for the TV → bar leg:
When you only have one digital input on the bar
You will switch sources (TV eARC vs streamer optical/HDMI). Prefer bars with both HDMI eARC and optical if music + TV share the same box. Full cable myth-kill → honest HDMI / optical cables.
Optical gotchas
- Sample-rate / stereo limits vs eARC Atmos paths
- Who “owns” the input when TV and streamer both want the bar
- Switching and remote ergonomics