I have a TCL 8-Series Roku TV and a Vizio 5:1 soundbar. All software is up to date.
An issue has developed where when I switch between apps or to the home menu, or exit out of a movie, there is a very loud audio pop. It sounds like a gunshot, to the point that I'm worried it's damaging my speakers.
I know the standard answer is "contact your TV manufacturer," and I have, but this is clearly a software issue because the behavior is predictable and only occurs in the above circumstances (it never just randomly pops in the middle of a show). Also, I've tried resetting the Audio/Video settings and doing a full reset and this will actually fix it for a day or two but then it starts again. (That's not a workable solution because every time I do that, I have to go back in and set up every single app again.) But the fact that a system reset will temporarily correct it proves that it's software, not hardware.
The soundbar is connected to the TV through HDMI e-ARC. I'm using "Passthrough" mode because that's the only way to get video to play in sync (another issue that seems fairly common with Roku TVs).
NOTE: I've seen some older discussions that recommend turning off Volume Leveling or switching from "Dynamic" to Normal audio, but neither of these are an option. This particular Roku system doesn't support either of those modes. Also worth noting that it's not a problem with the soundbar. I tried an older Yamaha soundbar and it had the same issue.
This TV is only a little more than a year old and naturally the problem started right after it went out of warranty. So I can't get a new one, but I'm hoping there's some solution because this is a real problem, especially at night. And again, I'm worried that it's going to damage my speaker system.
