Can You Connect Echo Studio to Apple TV?

Typically buying electronic products from different companies raises the question of whether or not those products will work together. Technology companies create ecosystems with their products and services and the main focus is compatibility within the brand. 

The Apple TV can pair with the Echo Studio in a few different ways. A wired connection can be used to connect the devices or pair them together using Bluetooth. Both of these options will give you the same audio quality and have different benefits.

In this article, we’ll explain the steps on how to get Echo Studio connected to your Apple TV, the requirements needed to get set up, and the features and limitations associated with these options. 

Wired Connection

The Apple TV connects to your TV via HDMI cable to produce video. HDMI also sends audio to the TV. Apple TV does not have built-in sound so it requires some type of connection to a speaker for the content to be heard.

The Echo Studio is a smart speaker that comes with a 3.5mm/optical line-in port, or Mini-TOSLINK, on the back of the speaker. Optical connections send digital audio signals to the device it connects to for high-resolution audio quality. HDMI can do the same thing but Echo Studio does not transmit video so only an optical line-in is necessary.

Requirements

• Apple TV 4K – This is Apple’s newest Apple TV and has more compatibility with other devices. 
• Amazon Echo Studio 
• TV with an Optical/Digital Audio Out port
• Optical cable Mini-TOSLINK to TOSLINK
• Apple TV and Echo Studio need to go through their respective setup processes first before connecting to each other.

Wired Connection Setup

Here are the 4 steps to create a wired connection from Apple TV to Echo Studio.

1. In Apple TV settings under “Audio and Video”, click on “Default Audio Option” and make sure the default says “TV Speakers”. 
2. Connect the Mini-TOSLINK to TOSLINK cable to the Echo Studio and to the TV port that says Optical/Digital Audio Out. 
3. In the TV settings, you will have to find the Audio setting to turn the TV’s speakers off. This is different for each brand of television so consult your manual if you need help locating it. This step is optional but could cause audio latency issues because both audio sources would be outputting at the same time.
4. Ensure that Bluetooth is not already connected to the Echo Studio because that can interfere with the wired connection. 

The Apple TV 4K does not have an optical audio option as one of the ports. The last Apple TV made that had an optical port was the 2nd generation Apple TV. This could be an option for the ability to bypass the TV, or if your TV does not have optical out as an option. 

Echo Studio does have the ability to play Dolby Atmos sound but this can only be utilized if using the Echo Studio with a Fire TV device. 

Bluetooth

Apple TV has Bluetooth compatibility and can be used for speakers, keyboards, gaming controllers, and more. Apple TV can support more than one Bluetooth connection at a time, for instance, connecting the Echo Studio, and your gaming controller will both work simultaneously. Echo Studio also has the same compatibility and can allow you to connect Bluetooth headphones to it if needed. 

Here are the 3 steps to pair Echo Studio to Apple TV using Bluetooth.

1. In Apple TV settings click on “Remotes and Devices” and then click on “Bluetooth”.
2. In the Alexa app on your mobile device, you will need to go through a series of steps to ensure the Echo Studio is in pairing mode.

• Open the “Devices” tab
• Press “All Devices”
• Find your Echo Studio you would like to pair and click on that. 
• Click the option that says “Bluetooth Devices” and then tap “Pair and New Device”

3. The Echo Studio is now in pairing mode. Now go back to your Apple TV and there will be an option to select the Echo Studio in the Bluetooth settings screen. 

Some devices might cause latency when connecting wirelessly. If this happens, Apple has a built-in setting that can calibrate audio from different audio sources. In the Apple TV settings, go to “Audio and Video” and follow the steps in the “Wireless Audio Sync” option. 

When using the Echo Sound as your audio source from Apple TV, the Apple TV remote will not have the ability to change volume. You will have to adjust the volume on the Echo Sound device itself, use Alexa voice commands, or use the Alexa app. 

Conclusion

Connecting the Echo Sound to the Apple TV is possible by Bluetooth or wired connection with purchasing the correct cable. You simply plug in the Echo Studio to your TV or connect the devices together using Bluetooth.