Audio Passthrough
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Updated for 2026 — Firestick OS 8 & TiviMate 5.x compatible

Best Audio Passthrough Settings
for TiviMate Surround Sound

Get true surround sound from TiviMate — Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos. This guide covers the correct audio passthrough settings for Firestick 4K Max, soundbars, AV receivers, and TV speakers. No more PCM downsampling or audio sync issues.

Show Me the Settings Quick FAQ
TiviMate audio passthrough settings — Firestick, soundbar, AV receiver
Understanding Audio Passthrough

What Is Audio Passthrough?

Audio passthrough sends the raw, unmodified digital audio signal from your streaming device directly to your soundbar, AV receiver, or home theater system — without the TV or streaming device trying to process or convert it first.

When passthrough is disabled, your device decodes the audio internally and sends it as PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) — a basic stereo signal. This means you lose surround sound, Atmos metadata, and audio quality.

When passthrough is enabled, the raw bitstream (Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD, or Atmos) is sent to your external audio system, which decodes it properly for your speaker configuration.

Key point: Passthrough is essential for any surround sound setup. Without it, even the best soundbar or AV receiver will only receive stereo PCM audio from TiviMate.

TiviMate Audio Settings

Where to Find Audio Output Settings

TiviMate's audio output setting controls how audio is handled before it reaches your TV or sound system.

1

Open TiviMate Settings

Launch TiviMate and navigate to Settings (gear icon in the top-right corner of the home screen). If you're on the premium version, press and hold the Select button on your remote to open the sidebar menu, then select Settings.

2

Go to Playback Settings

In the Settings menu, scroll down and select Playback. This is where TiviMate stores all audio and video output settings, including buffer size, decoder selection, and audio output format.

Settings → Playback
3

Select Audio Output

Under Playback, find the Audio Output option. This setting determines how TiviMate sends audio to your device. By default, it's often set to PCM or not configured at all. You'll need to change this based on your setup.

Playback → Audio Output

Available Audio Output Options in TiviMate

Option Best For Details
PCM TV speakers Downmixes everything to stereo. Safe but no surround sound.
Dolby Digital AV Receivers Standard 5.1 surround. Widely compatible with older receivers.
Dolby Digital Plus Soundbars / Atmos Enhanced codec for streaming. Carries Atmos metadata.
Passthrough (RAW) High-end AVRs Sends raw bitstream. Receiver handles all decoding. Best quality.
Auto Testing TiviMate picks the format. Can be inconsistent with some streams.
Firestick 4K Max Settings

Configure Firestick Audio for Passthrough

Your Firestick's system audio settings must be configured correctly for TiviMate to pass through surround sound.

1

Open Firestick System Settings

From the Firestick home screen, navigate to the top menu and select Settings (gear icon). Then go to Display & Sounds → Audio.

Settings → Display & Sounds → Audio
2

Set Dolby Atmos to Best Available

Inside the Audio menu, find Dolby Atmos and set it to Best Available. This tells the Firestick to output the highest quality audio format your system supports — Dolby Digital Plus with Atmos when available, or standard Dolby Digital as a fallback.

If you don't see "Dolby Atmos" in the menu, your Firestick may need a software update, or you may have an older Firestick model (non-4K Max).

Display & Sounds → Audio → Dolby Atmos → Best Available
3

Enable Audio Passthrough (If Available)

Some Firestick models have a dedicated Audio Passthrough toggle under the Audio menu. Enable it. If the option isn't visible, your Firestick model may not support system-level passthrough — in that case, rely on the TiviMate Audio Output setting instead.

Tip: HDMI-CEC & EDID

Your Firestick communicates with your TV/soundbar via HDMI to determine which audio formats are supported. If your TV doesn't report surround sound support (EDID handshake), the Firestick may limit audio to stereo even if your soundbar supports Atmos. Try connecting the Firestick directly to your soundbar or AV receiver, not through the TV.

By Audio Setup

Recommended Settings by Setup

Choose your audio setup below for the exact TiviMate and Firestick settings you need.

🔊

Soundbar Setup

Dolby Digital Plus is the sweet spot

TiviMate Setting

Audio Output → Dolby Digital Plus

Firestick Setting

Dolby Atmos → Best Available

Dolby Digital Plus is the standard for streaming services. Most soundbars support it, and it carries Atmos metadata when available. If your soundbar doesn't support Dolby Digital Plus, fall back to Dolby Digital (standard 5.1).

🎛️

AV Receiver Setup

Let the receiver do the decoding

TiviMate Setting

Audio Output → Passthrough / Dolby Digital

Firestick Setting

Dolby Atmos → Best Available

AV receivers are designed to decode audio. Set TiviMate to Passthrough (RAW) if available, or Dolby Digital as a fallback. Your receiver will handle Dolby Digital, DTS, and Atmos decoding. Connect the Firestick directly to the receiver for the best results.

📺

TV Speakers Setup

Keep it simple — stereo only

TiviMate Setting

Audio Output → PCM (Stereo)

Firestick Setting

Dolby Atmos → Off

Do not use Dolby Digital or Atmos on TV speakers. TV speakers are physically incapable of producing surround sound or Atmos height effects. Forcing Dolby Digital on TV speakers can cause muffled audio, missing dialogue, and echo effects. Stick to PCM/stereo for the clearest sound on built-in TV speakers.

Important: TiviMate Limitation

What TiviMate can and cannot do with audio

TiviMate downsamples most audio formats to PCM by default. This is a known limitation — TiviMate does not support lossless audio passthrough like Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio. Even with passthrough enabled, you are getting the lossy Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus version, not the full lossless TrueHD track.

For IPTV streams that contain 5.1 audio (common on sports and movie channels), TiviMate can pass through Dolby Digital (AC3) and Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3) correctly — but any higher-end codec will be converted to PCM.

For Full Atmos Support, Use These Instead:

If lossless TrueHD Atmos or full DTS-HD passthrough is critical for your home theater, TiviMate is not the right player. Consider these alternatives:

  • → Kodi — Full audio passthrough including TrueHD, DTS-HD, and Atmos. Best for local files and high-bitrate streams.
  • → Nightmare TV Player — IPTV-focused player with better audio passthrough support than TiviMate for many formats.
  • → VLC for Firestick — Excellent codec support and passthrough options for playing local media files.
Troubleshooting

Audio Sync & Common Issues

Fix lip-sync problems, no audio, or crackling sound when using audio passthrough with TiviMate.

Audio Out of Sync (Lip-Sync)

Audio sync issues are common when passthrough is enabled, because the external audio system introduces slight processing delays that the video doesn't account for.

  • 1. In TiviMate, go to Settings → Playback → Audio Offset and adjust the delay. Start with -200ms and fine-tune from there. Negative values make audio arrive earlier.
  • 2. On your AV receiver or soundbar, check for a Lip Sync or Audio Delay setting. Set it to match your TV's video processing latency.
  • 3. Enable Game Mode or Low Latency Mode on your TV to reduce video processing delay — this helps audio sync up naturally.

No Audio After Enabling Passthrough

If you enable passthrough and get complete silence, your audio system doesn't support the selected format.

  • 1. Switch TiviMate back to PCM temporarily to confirm audio works in stereo.
  • 2. Try Dolby Digital instead of Dolby Digital Plus — older soundbars and TVs only support standard DD.
  • 3. Check your HDMI connection. If the Firestick is plugged into the TV, make sure your TV supports ARC or eARC and that it's enabled in TV settings.
  • 4. Some TVs need HDMI-CEC enabled to pass through audio formats correctly.

Crackling or Distorted Sound

Crackling audio usually means the audio format selected doesn't match what your system can handle.

  • → Downgrade from Dolby Digital Plus to Dolby Digital in TiviMate's Audio Output setting.
  • → Set Firestick Dolby Atmos to Off instead of Best Available and test again.
  • → Try a different HDMI cable — a faulty or low-speed cable can't carry the full bitstream.

Dolby Atmos Not Showing on Receiver

Your receiver may show "Dolby Digital" or "PCM" instead of "Atmos" even when the stream contains Atmos metadata.

  • → TiviMate does not pass through Atmos metadata from TrueHD streams — it downsamples them to PCM. This is a known limitation.
  • → Atmos from Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3 with Atmos) should work if your soundbar/receiver supports it. Verify the source stream actually contains Atmos metadata (not all "Atmos channels" do).
  • → For guaranteed Atmos passthrough, use Kodi instead of TiviMate for those specific channels or streams.
Get Help

Still Having Audio Issues?

Not getting surround sound from TiviMate? Message us on WhatsApp and we'll help you configure the right audio passthrough settings for your exact setup.

Chat with us on WhatsApp

We'll help you set up audio passthrough for your specific TV, soundbar, or receiver — free, no sign-up needed

+216 23 179 016  ·  Available 24/7

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Does TiviMate support Dolby Atmos passthrough? +
Partially. TiviMate can pass through Dolby Digital Plus with Atmos (lossy Atmos via E-AC3), which is the format used by most IPTV streams. However, TiviMate does not support lossless TrueHD Atmos passthrough — it downsamples those streams to PCM. For full lossless Atmos, use Kodi instead.
Why is my TiviMate audio only in stereo (PCM)? +
This means audio passthrough is not enabled or not working. Check: (1) TiviMate → Settings → Playback → Audio Output should be set to Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus, not PCM. (2) Firestick → Settings → Display & Sounds → Audio → Dolby Atmos should be set to Best Available. (3) Your TV or soundbar must support the selected audio format via HDMI ARC/eARC.
What's the difference between PCM and passthrough in TiviMate? +
PCM decodes the audio inside your Firestick/TiviMate and sends it as uncompressed stereo. Passthrough sends the raw compressed bitstream (Dolby Digital, DTS, etc.) to your soundbar or AV receiver, which decodes it for full surround sound. Use passthrough whenever you have an external audio system.
Can I use Dolby Atmos on TV speakers? +
No. TV speakers cannot reproduce Atmos height effects or surround channels. Using Dolby Digital or Atmos on TV speakers will make dialogue sound muffled and hollow. Set TiviMate's Audio Output to PCM for the clearest sound on built-in TV speakers.
How do I fix audio delay / lip-sync in TiviMate? +
Go to TiviMate → Settings → Playback → Audio Offset and adjust the delay. Start with -200ms and fine-tune. Negative values make audio arrive earlier. You can also enable Game Mode on your TV to reduce video processing lag, which helps audio sync naturally.
Which Firestick model supports Dolby Atmos passthrough? +
Firestick 4K Max (1st and 2nd gen) and Fire TV Cube support Dolby Atmos passthrough. The standard Firestick 4K (non-Max) and Firestick Lite support Dolby Digital but not Atmos. Always set Dolby Atmos to Best Available in the Firestick audio settings.
What's better for audio — TiviMate or Kodi? +
TiviMate is better for IPTV with a polished interface, EPG support, and channel management. Kodi is better for audio — it supports full passthrough of TrueHD, DTS-HD, and Atmos without downsampling. If audio quality is your top priority, use Kodi for high-bitrate channels and TiviMate for everyday viewing.