Some Sonos Arc owners have complained about it sounding “tinny” and “metallic”. There is an entire thread dedicated to the issue. But the majority of Arc owners are very happy with the sound, including myself. I think it is just a matter of personal preference.

Hi. Hope you and your family are all well and safe. Many thanks for your response and noted. Can I please ask what settings you are using on your Arc, EQ, Surround and Sub? I have been searching and have a couple options, just need to test them out when I have some free time.

Some majority are going for

• After Trueplay: On
• EQ: flat and kept at 0 for treble and bass
• Sub level : +3
• Surround Audio : TV level 0, Music Level -4, Music Playback

Technical person going for:

• Trueplay: On
• Bass: -4
• Treble: -6
• Loudness: On
• Night Sound: Off
• Speech enhancement: Off
• Sub volume: -5

Would welcome your thoughts? Many thanks

These are my settings when I watch a movie:

• Trueplay: On
• Bass: +5
• Treble: +3
• Loudness: On
• Night Sound: On (only because I have small children sleeping upstairs)
• Speech enhancement: Off
• Sub volume: 0

With regular TV viewing, I adjust my EQ to this:

• Bass: 0
• Treble: -2

But of course every room is different based on size, materials in the room, ceiling height, wall angles, etc. So my settings in my living room may not work in your room.

Another option you can try is finding someone with an older iPhone and redoing Trueplay. Because different iPhones have different microphones, Trueplay on a different phone might give you a different result.

Hi thanks for reply and info, most appreciated. Wow your settings are different, totally get that everyone's rooms are different with their set up. How big is your lounge where you watch movies and TV. Am assuming you have Sonos Sub and Sonos surrounds, maybe my sub and surrounds are to far away for Trueplay tuning with the Arc? My ceiling is normal height. I am a little concerned as I have totally bought into the Arc and Dolby Atmos, I have a new TV (not set up yet) with HDMI 2.1 eARC for the Atmos codec. However I am worried about the tinny and metallic voice sounds at present, maybe all will be good when I set up new TV with the Arc and sub and surrounds…. ? Thanks   

Hi.

I own Arc + Sub Gen 3 for four weeks. I’ve done Trueplay tuning with iPhone 6+. After tuning my system sound very different then before. There is a lot of high, mids are very tiny and lows very boosted. Too bad. 


I try to play with EQ and after that Arc sound way better but still it isn’t it. My settings.

Bass -5

Treble -6

Sub volume 0

Loudness off

Trueplay on 

For me it’s major bug and must be fixed by Sonos. 
What you thinking about?
 

PS. Sorry for my english. 

Hi. Thanks for message

There is a lot of high and tinny on midrange and top, which is a shame. I hope Sonos does a software update to sort as have bought the Arc as am planning Dolby Atmos with new TV.

My set up now (before new TV that handles eARC and HDMI 2.1 for Atmos will be installed) is:

Sonos Arc, Sub gen 2, Play 5 gen 2 x 2 as surrounds

LG 55” E6 OLED (HDMI 2.0 ports)

• Trueplay: On
• Bass: -4
• Treble: -6
• Loudness: On
• Night Sound: Off
• Speech enhancement: Off
• Sub volume: -5
• Surround level: +1

It is working well to be fair, sounds good (depending on your room am sure)

I have also had a go with:

• After Trueplay: On
• EQ: flat and kept at 0 for treble and bass
• Sub level : +3
• Surround Audio : TV level 0

Sounds great but has to be loud, so waking up house at night not good. But during the day, these settings are a winner

Overall I have settled with:

• Trueplay: On
• Bass: -4
• Treble: -6
• Loudness: On
• Night Sound: Off
• Speech enhancement: Off
• Sub volume: -5
• Surround level: +1

However I do still tinker with the EQ treble and bass between normal TV, HD movies and 4K movies which is not ideal and annoying

I agree, there has to be some sort of software update from Sonos that integrates the best capabilities if using Arc, Sub and surrounds and not just focusing on the Arc itself as just a sound bar. Sonos created the Arc to be surround due to Dolby Atmos, so a fix in tinny/metallic midrange and highs of people talking (very tinny and metallic) would be really welcomed. Sonos have to fix as the equipment cost a load of money

Thanks, let me know how you get on, all the best Ross

I feel the mids are weak and tiny, mostly with music. It is a very bright speaker, rarely a problem with movies, but an issue with music (type and quality dependent), but the mids are really bad, pretty much non existent. 
 

What I would like to see: Add a setting in the app; Music mode and movie/tv mode, then one can switch between the two. 
I read a lot before my purchase, I get the Arc’s intended purpose (it’s a sound bar, it’s more home theater) and it’s size will play a factor, but a tweak to the programing could improve the mids (and they need it, badly and people don’t have this issue with the other speakers, so it’s probably do’able). Hope Sonos addresses this. 
 

Bass: 0

Treble: -2 (I am very sensitive to highs)

Loudness: On

True Play is off

Sub is 0, -2, or -4 depending on what I am listening to, some movies the sub can really overwhelm the Arc. I did the sub woofer crawl… This sub is really impressive.  

I don’t have the rears yet.

These are my current settings, still playing around with them, but this is the best so far for me. I’d like to see some sort of setting to get the mids, sort of like the color setting on many tvs: warm, neutral, cold or just give us a broader EQ and some user configurable pre-sets (2-5 would be plenty). 

I have put out several posts on this and the AV forum as I was very unhappy with sound of the Arc and Sub combined when I purchase them recently.  I had tried everything and really couldn’t get the balance of voices and action noises right.  I was constantly having to turn sound up and down throughout films netflix series.  I did trueplay by walking the room etc and it made no difference.  I then bought the 2 x one’s to see if the full surround helped.  It did a bit but it really wasn’t worth the money I had paid.

I then contacted Sonos directly and the rep said to try one thing before sending everything back.  They asked me to do Trueplay again but to simply stay seated in the area where I watch the TV and move the iphone just around that area.  After performing Trueplay that way all I can say is, wow what a difference.  The sound is now perfect for the room size, both for TV and music.  I have not had to alter any of the settings.  For me now everything is on 0 and Trueplay on.  Only alteration I do is nightmode after a certain time as we have neighbours.  I know this is not the way Trueplay is meant to be done but for me it made the world of difference.  So glad I gave it one last chance and I now know what all the good reviews were about.  My room size is relatively small so maybe this is why it worked doing it this way for me.  No voice/action inbalance anymore or Tinnie/Metalic sound.

Hi Gary

Thanks for your email and information. I did not know about this and I will give it a try. My room size is medium so makes sense to Trueplay just the area where we mainly sit, will see how goes

As every night I am still tinkering with many settings for different types of programs and films, action, drama etc. It is getting annoying ! Thanks, all the best

No problem, let me know if it works for you

Hi All,

Just a thought for all that have new systems.  One thing to remember is that you need to allow time for speakers to bed in so you need to play them at a decent volume for a while (exactly how long am not sure, but days rather than hours) it is quite common knowledge among audiophiles, that speakers need to be broken in before they adopt their true sound.  And then do Trueplay again after.  I find the sound varies between sources.  But am happy with the sound for movies especially playing atmos or digital plus, and thats without a sub, but i do have 2 sonos one sl ’s attached to my Arc.

Planning on the sub in the not too distant future…

Also as someone has said on another part of this forum, they used an old ipad 2 air for truplay and it sounded better than his iphone.  I have used both to be honest and not sure of any difference but maybe worth a try.

I used a break in disc on mine, it didn’t make a difference, in fact I think the highs got worse. The volume always seemed to be different with music (had to turn it way up) vs movies (had to turn it way down) to get the same level of sound. 
There seemed to be a very fine sweet spot for music where everything was acceptable, but depending on your mood it was either too loud or not loud enough. And yes, sitting still and running true play does improve things.  

I ended up returning mine because the place I bought it from has a rather short return period. Perhaps I expected too much out of the system. It was pretty solid for movies though A few hundred each less for the ARC and Sub and I would have kept them for video use only. Perhaps Sonos can improve/tweak some things and I’ll give it another try. 

Well, another thing I have found, which is interesting.. I made a stand for my Arc so I good find the correct placement/distance on my cabinet away from our wall the tv is on.  Also to keep the Arc off the surface of the cabinet.   The sound was ok and very acceptable to me although a bit harsh sometimes depending on source.  Now the interesting thing is, I have now made 2 blocks from acrylic about 60mm thick by about 80mm square. I have stuck 4 small 2mm soft pads on each corner  of the block as feet and 2 strips of 3mm gel tape on the top.  I have then placed the Arc on top centered under each hole at the back of the Arc where a mount bolt goes in.  I immediately noticed a difference in the sound being more mellow.  Now this may be nothing but my brain, but I do feel the distance off a hard surface and being sat on gel pads helps with the sound isolation from a hard cabinet surface.  I have also attached  HDFury Arcana to it for Atmos from my Firestick.  Dont think it is that as my tv plays back thru it via HdmiArc. 

Hi @GaryGorilla I finally got round to doing Trueplay again but just sitting in one location only, not moving. I did this for the lounge and also our girls TV room. Have to say, job done!!! Considerably better, tininess gone in the treble, bass is excellent its a completely different excellent system now, thanks for the advice :-) 

I also have not had to tweak any settings at all. They are all on 0. I only turn down the surrounds at night because of the girls upstairs

Hi @Mr_Rossi 

Did you move aroumd waving phone or ipad like it tells you to or just sat in one spot thro each stage?

Hi @Hoenm 

Nope I stayed in one position only throughout the whole process. Sit in the chair / area where you would normally sit, ours is a sofa so sat in the middle, so would be between me and my wife. Hold the phone up to your ear/eye height that you would be inline with the TV, and go through the process

My surrounds are significantly better also. They are based on being 3m from the TV in the Sonos app

Hi @Mr_Rossi 

Thanks... I did same for first part and moved around for 2nd part... my surrounda also say 3m away although they are not.  I have not really found my arc to be too tinny . But am keen to get a sub soon.. does the sub make a difference,  presuming you have one. 

Rgds

Hi, yeah my surrounds say 3m on the app but they are not. Ah right good call on staying still for first part and moving second. I might give that a go too, but am very happy with the set up now

Definitely get a sub, they are brilliant and really ups the system and works amazingly well with Arc and surrounds. The bass fills the room, very impressive bit of kit. S2 app now allows you to have two subs in a room!! …. don’t know how I am going to approach the wife about that one and adding an extra sub… ummmm

Hi @Hoenm please see above message, I forgot to tag you in it, all the best Ross

Excellent, glad it worked for you :)

Hi @Mr_Rossi 

No worries.... .. trying to persuade the missus for a 2nd sub is tough.... luckily my old system had a room shaking Sub with amazing LFE's and a hard to compete setup , so trying to match it with the sonos is a test, but sure once i have a sub it will be great... The atmos for me provides so much more ambient sounds and not so much high ceiling effects....i.e.  Not heard any overhead choppers or planes etc, but they do seem higher in the room when flying from rear to front....