Whether you love or hate Apple, there’s no denying that they make some of the best headphones in the market. Their latest addition to the collection is Airpods. Airpods have amazing sound quality. With 2 generations, and a pro and max version later, Airpods are thriving in the Bluetooth headphone scene.
Apple devices pride themselves on the seamless experience they provide within their ecosystem. While this is useful as long as you’re using Apple products (i.e. iPhone, iPad), it makes things notoriously difficult to use them with other devices.
Airpods are no different. They work very well with other Apple devices. But what if you want to use your Airpods with a non-Apple device? What if you want to connect them to your Vizio TV? Will they be just as seamless?
The answer is, probably not.
But, does that mean Airpods are completely useless with other non-Apple devices? No, of course not. Since Airpods use the same Bluetooth technology as other Bluetooth headphones, you can use them. You may have to jump through a couple of hoops.
So, how do you connect your Airpods to your Vizio TV? In this article, I’m going to discuss all the possible ways you can connect Airpods to your Vizio TV.
Things to Check
If you have a pair of Airpods and a Vizio TV, the first thing you need to check is if your Vizio TV has Bluetooth capability. If your Vizio TV doesn’t have Bluetooth capability, then you’ll need a Bluetooth transmitter or adapter.
If you have the latest Vizio TVs, they’ll likely have Bluetooth capabilities enabled. Some Vizio TVs even have Apple’s Airplay enabled, so they’re easier to connect Airpods to.
Another important thing to check is what kind of Bluetooth connection your Vizio TV uses. Most Vizio TVs use Bluetooth LE, while Apple Airpods use AAC/SBC Bluetooth. In this case, if you somehow connect your Airpods to your TV, you’ll experience severe audio lag. If your Vizio TV uses AAC/SBC Bluetooth, it’ll be easier to pair them.
How to Connect Airpods to VIZIO TV
Bluetooth Transmitter
If your Vizio TV uses Bluetooth LE, or doesn’t have Bluetooth capabilities at all, you can use a Bluetooth Transmitter. It’s a simple device that collects the Airpods’ Bluetooth signal and feeds it to your Vizio TV through wires. Bluetooth transmitters are inexpensive and easy to use.
Auxiliary output Bluetooth transmitter
To connect a Bluetooth Transmitter to your Vizio TV, look at the back of your TV, and check what kind of audio output your TV has.
There are 3 different audio outputs. Digital optical (SPDIF), Auxiliary (Wired Headphones), and RCA (red/white cables).
Depending on what type of output your Bluetooth Transmitter has, plug that into the Optical, Auxiliary, or RCA port. Most transmitters have Digital Optical outputs, and since they provide the best sound quality, go with that.
Then, connect the Bluetooth transmitter to a power source. Some Bluetooth transmitters are rechargeable and don’t need to connect to a power source. Either way, turn it on.
Now, turn on your Airpods, and make sure they’re not connected to any other device. Go to Bluetooth settings on your iPhone, and turn off any other active Bluetooth devices.
Open your Airpods and turn them on. Double-tap on the pairing button. You’ll see a beeping white light inside.
Given whatever settings your transmitter has, be it a double-tap, enter pairing mode and connect it to your Airpods. After connecting, the light will turn green.
Now you can hear whatever is playing on your Vizio TV without any kind of lag or audio problems.
Connected with the Transmitter
Apple TV
Apple TV box
If you like being in Apple’s ecosystem, or don’t want to use a Bluetooth Transmitter, Apple TV may be the best option for you to connect your Airpods to your Vizio TV set.
To do this, set up your Apple TV with your Vizio TV.
Long press the back of your Apple Airpods charging case, and you’ll see the usual beeping white light.
Now, go to your Apple TV settings menu. Go to Remotes and Devices. Go to Bluetooth.
You’ll find your Airpods soon enough. Connect them. The pairing process is now complete.
This is the simplest and easiest way to connect Airpods to your Vizio TV.
Airplay
Some of the latest Vizio TVs, such as the Vizio V series 4K TV, have Apple’s Airplay and Homekit settings enabled. It’s fairly easy to connect your Airpods on this TV.
To do this, go to your Vizio TV’s settings menu using the remote controller.
There’s an option called Sound, or Sound Out. Press on that.
You’ll find an option called Bluetooth. Click on that.
Now, search for available devices. Turn on your Apple Airpods. Soon, your Airpods will appear on your Vizio TV screen. Select it to connect them.
Now you can listen to your Vizio TV audio from your Apple Airpods.
An important thing to remember is that this feature is only available on certain Vizio TVs. So it’s better to check if your Vizio set does have this feature or not. If not, then you’ll have to revert to any of the previous two methods to use your Airpods.
Conclusion
In this article, I’ve tried to provide all the possible ways you can connect your Airpods to your Vizio TV set for a seamless flow of sound. Although Apple appliances are difficult to connect to other devices, it’s important to remember that universal adaptation of every single technological invention is virtually impossible. So, if you enjoy the superior sound quality of Apple Airpods, and want to connect them to your Vizio TV, try one of the aforementioned methods. I hope this was helpful to the readers.