Please recommend me a solution to this problem

There are solutions, but they are a mess. One path uses a control system that can execute macros. You would build a “Headphone ON” macro that would execute all of the commands that you have been manually using. A second “Headphone OFF” would reverse the lash up. This arrangement could use IR commands. The SONY TV also responds to network commands and these are much faster, but I don’t recall if there is a network command to enable/disable CEC.

Another approach would use micro processor, such as a Raspberry PI to control things. In addition to IR and network commands, the Raspberry PI could work directly with the CEC buss.

There must be other options on the Sony TV for its sound-out, eg. Bluetooth, headphones, optical-out, or even its own internal speakers etc; that’s in addition to the HDMI-Audio Return Channel.

Sony manufactured the TV to work with any of those sound-out options. So it does not make sense that you suddenly cannot use Bluetooth or Headphones or even the TV internal speakers, without first having to un-cable the soundbar connected to the HDMI-ARC port.

What happens in a situation where the TV is wall-mounted and you need to access those other options, but can’t (easily) get to unplug the HDMI cable? 

It still seems to me there must be a simple answer to this and I still think ‘Sony Support’ should be asked the question. As mentioned earlier, I’ve never come across a TV that does not allow a user to switch to any of its other audio outputs using either buttons on the TV ‘remote’, or via the menu options onscreen, simply because something is attached to its HDMI-ARC port. 

@Ken_Griffiths - Yesterday I played around with a lot of the TV Settings and I can tell you 100% enabling both eARC and Bravia Sync will deactivate the Digtal Output (Toslink) socket.

I have also found if I leave the Digital Output Setting at PCM and change the eARC setting from Auto to OFF it will activate the Digital Output Socket. Re-enabling eARC will deactivate the socket again.  All this while having Bravia Sync ON.  Remember you cannot turn Bravia Sync OFF once it is ON without removing the cable from the eARC port.  While this, enabling and disabled eARC, is what I’m presently doing to use the Headphones it is only temporary as I need a better solution to enable others to switch between using and not using the Headphones.

Yes, I agree there must be a simple answer to this.  And, I have contacted Sony and they tell me what I’m seeing it not right, per their extract above.  But, I have the TV here and what they are saying is wrong.  Even if they admit there’s an issue, how long do you think it will take to get a fix?

The best option is to forget Sony, except what the TV does and find a solution.  The best solution is a device that sits between the Media Player and the TV and passes HDMI and extracts audio to SPDIF.

Greg

Maybe this could help. In any case MetraAV’s support is very good.