Audio stopped working until I hard power cycle

GP1234567891234 — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 03:23:26 GMT

I am having intermittent audio failure issue and only a hard power cycle fixes the issues. I've narrowed the issues down to the Google TV box. The issue happens daily after the turn off the Android TV box more then 4x.

Device Information

Google TV Device: Onn 4K TV Box
Operating System: Android TV 12
Build Number: SGZ3.231226.086.A1
TV Model: TCL
Audio Device: Onn Soundbar
Connection Setup: Onn 4K TV Box connected via HDMI to the TV. Sound bar connected to tv via HDMI arc.

Problem Description

The Google TV device intermittently stops outputting audio over HDMI. When this occurs:

Video playback continues normally.
No audio is heard through TV speakers or external sound systems.
TV-native apps continue to produce sound normally, confirming the TV audio system is functioning correctly. This works using both sound bar and TV speakers.
The Google TV device produces no audio output regardless of TV audio configuration or how inconfigure the audio in the Google TV box.

The only reliable way to restore audio is to physically disconnect power from the Onn 4K TV box and reconnect it. Restarting the device through the system menu does not resolve the issue.

Troubleshooting Performed

Audio Routing Tests

Disabled HDMI ARC on the TV and forced audio through internal TV speakers — issue persisted.
Completely removed the soundbar from the setup and used tv speakers — issue persisted.
Verified TV-native apps continue to output audio normally when the issue occurs.

HDMI and Input Tests

Switched TV inputs away from and back to the Google TV input — no change.
Disabled and re-enabled HDMI-CEC — no change.
Restarted the Google TV device through the system UI — no change.
Only a full hardware power removal restores audio.

Configuration Tests

Tested multiple audio output configurations (ARC enabled and disabled).
Confirmed issue occurs regardless of audio output device.

Observed Behaviour

The Google TV device stops sending any audio signal over HDMI.
Audio loss affects all apps and system sounds.
Software reboot does not recover audio output.
Full hardware power removal consistently restores functionality.

Impact

This issue significantly affects usability, as it requires physically disconnecting power from the device whenever audio stops working.

I believe this may be a hardware issue with the android TV box but I'm open to trying other things.

Re: Audio stopped working until I hard power cycle

Cesarim — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:53:49 GMT

I have kind of the same issue. Although I am set up with OMNI860

Re: Audio stopped working until I hard power cycle

Guarcax — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:02:01 GMT

Hi @GP1234567891234,

Thank you for posting in the community. I understand your experience with the audio failure you're experiencing with your Onn 4K TV Box. I know that you’ve already done extensive troubleshooting, including testing the HDMI-CEC and ARC settings, as well as confirming that the issue only resolves when the device is power cycled. I appreciate the troubleshooting efforts and the detailed information you've shared so far. I'd like to share more information with you.

While this community focuses on supporting Google Nest products, we can't directly assist with Onn devices. However, the Onn support is a great resource for troubleshooting Onn devices. They'll be able to provide specific help for the issue you're facing.
Of course, if you have any questions about your Google Nest products, feel free to ask away in this community! We're here to help.

Cheers,
Daniel

topic Audio stopped working until I hard power cycle in Streaming

Audio stopped working until I hard power cycle

Device Information

Problem Description

Troubleshooting Performed

Audio Routing Tests

HDMI and Input Tests

Configuration Tests

Observed Behaviour

Impact

Re: Audio stopped working until I hard power cycle

Re: Audio stopped working until I hard power cycle