No sound, or audio that cuts out, from an AV receiver over HDMI/eARC is rarely a blown amp. It's almost always the input not assigned right, a CEC handshake, speaker protection kicking in, or a marginal cable dropping the link. Run these basics before you suspect the receiver itself.
If there's no sound at all
- Confirm the input and its HDMI assignment. Select the right input on the receiver, and check that input's HDMI/audio assignment in the setup menu points at the actual HDMI jack the source is in. A mismatched assignment is the #1 silent-receiver cause.
- Check the audio mode/source. Make sure the source isn't bitstreaming a format the receiver can't decode — set the source to Auto/Bitstream, or PCM to test.
- For TV audio over eARC: the cable must be in the receiver's HDMI OUT (eARC) and the TV's eARC port, with HDMI Control/CEC on at both ends and the TV's audio output set to the receiver. If you're unsure whether your gear needs eARC at all, the ARC vs eARC differences explainer spells out what each port can carry.
- Power-cycle the chain. Unplug receiver, TV, and source for at least 30 seconds, power the receiver first, then the TV, then the source — handshakes are order-sensitive.
If sound cuts out intermittently
- Swap the HDMI cable. A cable that passes video can still drop the audio handshake at high bandwidth — a certified Ultra High Speed cable rules it out.
- Disable a CEC loop. Three+ CEC devices can fight and mute audio momentarily. Turn CEC off on source devices, keep it on TV + receiver only.
- Check speaker wires for shorts. A stray strand bridging terminals trips protection mode, which can present as cutouts before a full shutdown — re-seat every wire so no loose strands touch.
If the receiver shows "Protect" or shuts off
That's the protection circuit, not no-signal. Power off, unplug 30+ seconds, inspect every speaker terminal for a stray strand or a short, and confirm total speaker impedance matches the receiver. Bring it back up with the volume low. If only the sub stays silent while the other channels play, that's a separate path — see subwoofer with no sound on an AV receiver.
FAQ
Receiver's on but totally silent. Usually the input's HDMI assignment is wrong or the source is sending an undecodable format. Re-check the input assignment and set the source to PCM to test.
Audio drops out for a second here and there. A marginal HDMI cable or a CEC loop. Swap to a certified cable and disable CEC on source devices.
No TV sound over eARC. Use the receiver's HDMI OUT (eARC) to the TV's eARC port, enable HDMI Control/CEC on both, and set the TV's audio output to the receiver.
It says "Protect" and turns off. Speaker protection — almost always a shorted speaker wire. Power down, check every terminal for stray strands, and confirm the speaker impedance is supported.