Arc requires HDMI-ARC or -eARC, not standard HDMI. It’s designed to connect to a TV or similar display. You cannot connect a source device to it directly.
One option would be to use an HDFury Arcana. This would take an HDMI signal from your source device, pass it on to the display device, and also generate an HDMI-eARC to feed the Arc.
To be clear the HDMI port on a 3090 is 2.1 and Nvidia supports all Dolby standards, and I am not trying to send video over this connection just audio to the Arc bar. But if I understand correctly the Sonos Arc can’t take input direct from source it needs a device inbetween like the one you described above?
To be clear the HDMI port on a 3090 is 2.1 and Nvidia supports all Dolby standards, and I am not trying to send video over this connection just audio to the Arc bar. But if I understand correctly the Sonos Arc can’t take input direct from source it needs a device inbetween like the one you described above?
ARC stands for Audio Return Channel, which means it is returned from the display, not direct from the source. There is no way to get the audio direct from the source, you either need ARC from a display, or the extractor mention above.
Ok thanks one last question, if I use the hdmi to optical converter I only lose Dolby atmos capability correct? I will still get Dolby 5.1 in the arc bar?
Ok thanks one last question, if I use the hdmi to optical converter I only lose Dolby atmos capability correct? I will still get Dolby 5.1 in the arc bar?
Yes, optical supports Dolby Digital 5.1 and standard DTS.
if I use the hdmi to optical converter I only lose Dolby atmos capability correct?
No you lose other things too. For a start the codecs that carry Atmos, namely DD+ and Dolby TrueHD.
You also lose CEC control, although CEC can be a mixed blessing.