I took it apart to to show you the amplifier part and connector part. I want to pass through the hdmi to get the audio from this soundbar stand, but when I try to do it, it displays nothing and has no audio, or any control. There must be another solution to operate it without the bravia tv. If i can just connect an audio using 3.5m jack and use the amp, then that would be perfect. What do you suggest?

 

Your circuit uses a Sil9233A decoder chip from Silicon Images, it decodes the audio into Dac and outputs it I2C or Spdif for the Amplifier.

It would be easier to use an external audio to Hdmi converter to plug into your sound bar, or better still use another amplifier.

 

Welcome to AAC.

As often is the case, people ask for advice without giving us sufficient information on what they're trying to do. In your case it's pretty clear you want to use a sound bar to amplify something. Likely music. But if we knew from what source your music is coming we will probably be better able to help you accomplish your goal.

I sometimes take my sound bar outside during barbecues and bluetooth connect to my cell phone to play music. Or I can plug a standard mini-plug (stereo) into the sound bar and into an iPad that has music on it.

If you're trying to play an instrument through the sound bar there may be better alternatives than using HDMI. My sound bar is currently optically connected to my TV. However, I doubt the optical cable is carrying sound in the conventional form. It's probably (I'm not the expert on it) probably sending a digital signal that the sound bar is decoding before amplification.

Can you be a little more specific on what it is you're doing? What equipment you want to tie into the sound bar?

 

...so why can't it output the audio when i try to pass it through from my computer?

I tried to be as detailed as possible...see image #2, where you can clearly see the HDMI input and output. When I try to output from my computer with music playing through that HDMI cable into the soundbar, it doesn't recognise it...and there is no display with the output from it.

 

Like I said, I'm not the expert on this. All I can say is "I don't know." I can GUESS, but that's all it would be.

 

I think the missing part is the controller that requires the bravia tv?

....so you have no clue why it cannot output sound?

I gave you very detailed information with all the pictures to illustrate it.......and you have nothing??

You are suppose to be the experts on this type of thing, but you have absolutely no clue what is going on in the circuitry, beside that the chip is a converter?? Obviously it is yes, even i know that, but you can not even guess why it cannot operate without the tv?

What can possibly be interfering with the passthrough operation of this soundbar? Is it a sony proprietary thing?

Surely someone has some workaround?

 

So you're saying it works on the TV but not when you put your laptop on it, if so can you try it on another TV,,?

 

HDMI requires various handshakes between the source and the output. This allows the devices to be smart and require minimal input from the user to achieve the best transmission. And, content protection is part of it. I believe fully compliant HDMI devices will not allow conversion of the digital signal to analog except at the output. For instance my Yamaha receiver does a fine job on HDMI but offers NO analog audio output except at the speakers.

So I'm speculating that the TV needs to be in the chain to accomplish the proper handshake communications. Without that, the source shuts down the output. It's purely speculation, but that's my guess.