Feature requests: Sonos Amp should allow power saving to be disabled, and should wake up when TV is turned on


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The Sonos Amp goes into ‘idle’ mode when it doesn’t detect an audio signal for more than 3 minutes.

 

It’s a shame that the Amp doesn’t automatically wake up from idle mode when the TV it’s connected to is turned on. Every time I switch the TV on, and begin playing content, I miss the first 3 seconds of audio as I wait for the Amp to wake up. Every other audio receiver I’ve used has been able to turn itself on when the TV is turned on, using HDMI CEC control. Could this not be implemented in the Amp?

 

This problem also occurs when you pause whatever content you’re watching for more than 3 minutes - the Amp goes to idle mode, and then you miss the first 3 seconds of audio when you begin playing again. Could idle mode not be disabled when the connected TV is powered on?


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20 replies

Set the amp to auto play the line in via the Sonos app, and you should have what you want.

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Set the amp to auto play the line in via the Sonos app, and you should have what you want.

I’m not using the Line-In, my TV is connected to the Amp via HDMI. I can’t even access the Line-In settings in the Sonos app, as they are greyed out with the message “Disconnected”. 
 

The “TV Autoplay” setting is on, but all this does is wake the Amp up once I begin playing audio, not when the TV is turned on. 

Got it, my mistake. 

Userlevel 7
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Hi @joechilds 

Thank you - I've marked this thread as a feature request and it will be seen by the relevant teams for consideration. Keep the ideas coming!

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The Sonos Amp supports HDMI-Arc.  If your tv has HDMI-Arc it should work the way you want it to.  My Sonos Amp is connected to the HDMI-Arc output on my tv and starts playing as soon as it detects audio from the tv.  It also works wonderfully with the remote that came with the tv.  It’s a 32 inch Insignia.  I have another Sonos Amp in a different room which works in a similar manner when it detects audio from the line input.  I utilize the Autoplay feature for that to work.

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The Sonos Amp supports HDMI-Arc.  If your tv has HDMI-Arc it should work the way you want it to.  My Sonos Amp is connected to the HDMI-Arc output on my tv and starts playing as soon as it detects audio from the tv.  It also works wonderfully with the remote that came with the tv.  It’s a 32 inch Insignia.  I have another Sonos Amp in a different room which works in a similar manner when it detects audio from the line input.  I utilize the Autoplay feature for that to work.

Yes, the Amp is connected to my tv via HDMI. 
 

When you say it starts playing as soon as it detects audio, do you mean instantly? Because mine takes about 3 seconds to ‘wake up’ once you begin playing audio, so the first 3 seconds of whatever I’m playing is silent. 

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I think in the Sonos world there is a 2 second delay which facilitates multi-room compatibility.  Never bothered me much.

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I think in the Sonos world there is a 2 second delay which facilitates multi-room compatibility.  Never bothered me much.

Thanks, I appreciate the response. I don’t think it’s to do with multi-room though, it’s a power-saving feature, the Amp is going to sleep after no audio is detected for 3 minutes. 
 

It really bothers me that the Amp can’t turn on with the TV, which is what every other AV receiver does. And that you can’t adjust the power-saving feature in any way, it’s permanently set at 3 minutes. 

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My Sonos Amp turns on from my tv remote once it detects audio.

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My Sonos Amp turns on from my tv remote once it detects audio.

Yes, so does mine, which means the first 3 seconds of the video I’m playing on the TV is silent.
 

I want it turn on when the TV turns on, using HDMI CEC control, just like every other AV receiver does. So that it is already on when I begin playing a video. 

If the TV sends an ON response, AMP will immediately start it’s power-up sequence. Unfortunately, it requires a few seconds for AMP to stabilize and it remains muted during this period. Regardless, we don’t know exactly when the TV will send out its power-up notification. It’s possible that the TV withholds notice until it is fully powered-up. This will introduce additional delay from when the operator presses the TV’s power button.

On a separate track, the A/V receivers that I’m familiar with require 8-10 seconds to power-up If your receiver starts immediately, it may not have been powered down. Another variable is how the A/V receiver is connected to the TV. Likely, a cable box, disc player, or a video ‘dongle’ is connected to the receiver and this box will simultaneously send a power command to the TV and receiver. If both the receiver and TV are ready to go at about the same time, it will seem that the receiver switches ON instantly.

Make sure that CEC is enabled all along the signal path. AMP can start on receiving an audio signal or CEC command. If, for some reason, your system is not issuing CEC commands, AMP must wait for an audio signal and audio may not immediately be sent out after a video source is selected.

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If the TV sends an ON response, AMP will immediately start it’s power-up sequence. Unfortunately, it requires a few seconds for AMP to stabilize and it remains muted during this period. Regardless, we don’t know exactly when the TV will send out its power-up notification. It’s possible that the TV withholds notice until it is fully powered-up. This will introduce additional delay from when the operator presses the TV’s power button.

On a separate track, the A/V receivers that I’m familiar with require 8-10 seconds to power-up If your receiver starts immediately, it may not have been powered down. Another variable is how the A/V receiver is connected to the TV. Likely, a cable box, disc player, or a video ‘dongle’ is connected to the receiver and this box will simultaneously send a power command to the TV and receiver. If both the receiver and TV are ready to go at about the same time, it will seem that the receiver switches ON instantly.

For me, the Sonos Amp does not react to the TV turning on. I can turn the TV on, leave it for several minutes, and then begin playing a video, and I have the same issue - the Amp will only ‘wake up’ when it detects an audio signal. 
 

I had a cheap Onkyo receiver connected to the TV previously, which would begin powering on immediately when the TV was powered on, using HDMI CEC control. It was connected to the TV in the same way as the Amp, directly via HDMI. And the Onkyo did not have any devices plugged into it, so it was definitely receiving the CEC signal from my TV. 

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Make sure that CEC is enabled all along the signal path. AMP can start on receiving an audio signal or CEC command. If, for some reason, your system is not issuing CEC commands, AMP must wait for an audio signal and audio may not immediately be sent out after a video source is selected.

Thanks Buzz, are you sure that the Amp can turn on via CEC? I haven’t seen any mention of this on Sonos’ website or support documents. 

During the AMP installation, did it detect the TV?

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During the AMP installation, did it detect the TV?

Yes, the TV setup was successful in the Sonos app. And the TV, a Sony A95K, lists the Amp as a connected device in its list of CEC devices. The volume control works through the TV remote (not using IR on the Amp), so CEC appears to be working. 

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During the AMP installation, did it detect the TV?

 

As a test, physically block the possibility of your TV remote sending IR commands.

The SONY TV’s can be quirky. Make sure that the TV firmware is up to date, then reboot the TV. There is a multi-button sequence from the remote that will do this or remove power for a couple minutes. As part of this reboot, remove the HDMI cable. You could also reboot AMP. After both units are powered-up, reconnect the HDMI. I really hate going through this sort of sequence, but it can accidentally work through an issue that manufacturers always blame on the other guy.

Overall, CEC control is a mess. It’s very slow at about 418 bits per second (yes 418 per second) and loosely specified. Each manufacturer has their own interpretation and the other interpretations, of course, are wrong.

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As a test, physically block the possibility of your TV remote sending IR commands.

The SONY TV’s can be quirky. Make sure that the TV firmware is up to date, then reboot the TV. There is a multi-button sequence from the remote that will do this or remove power for a couple minutes. As part of this reboot, remove the HDMI cable. You could also reboot AMP. After both units are powered-up, reconnect the HDMI. I really hate going through this sort of sequence, but it can accidentally work through an issue that manufacturers always blame on the other guy.

Overall, CEC control is a mess. It’s very slow at about 418 bits per second (yes 418 per second) and loosely specified. Each manufacturer has their own interpretation and the other interpretations, of course, are wrong.

THANK YOU! The Amp now powers on when the TV powers on. Thanks for taking the time to help. 

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As a test, physically block the possibility of your TV remote sending IR commands.

The SONY TV’s can be quirky. Make sure that the TV firmware is up to date, then reboot the TV. There is a multi-button sequence from the remote that will do this or remove power for a couple minutes. As part of this reboot, remove the HDMI cable. You could also reboot AMP. After both units are powered-up, reconnect the HDMI. I really hate going through this sort of sequence, but it can accidentally work through an issue that manufacturers always blame on the other guy.

Overall, CEC control is a mess. It’s very slow at about 418 bits per second (yes 418 per second) and loosely specified. Each manufacturer has their own interpretation and the other interpretations, of course, are wrong.

I spoke too soon, I think I just didn’t wait long enough for the Amp to go to sleep. It’s still behaving as it did before.