Sony XBR65A8H & Playbase - lost volume control

  • 8 November 2020
  • 5 replies
  • 228 views

I recently setup my new Sony Bravia and the Playbase worked great. I could control the volume of a cable box, Netflix, Prime, etc, with the Sony system volume.

I then fired up Youtube and the remote wouldn’t change the volume. I used the playbase hardware buttons to lower the volume, and subsequently the remote won’t change the volume of anything when controlling the Playbase (it of course works when I switch it to TV speakers).

I’ve tried to unplug and plug in the Playbase and factory reset the TV to no avail.

Any ideas? 


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5 replies

Userlevel 5
Badge +16

Hi @andrewmc, thank you for reaching out to us, and welcome to the Sonos community. I appreciate you for bringing this concern to us. Let me help you and figure out what's happening.

During the initial setup of your Sonos home theater product, the Sonos app guide you through configuring your TV remote to control the Sonos volume. If you can't adjust the volume on the remote, you may try to repeat setting up the remote.

Sonos app for iOS or Android:
1. Open the Sonos app for iOS or Android. From the Settings tab, tap System.
2. Select the room where your Sonos home theater product is located.
3. Tap TV and then Remote Control Setup.
4. Follow the in-app instructions to configure your new remote to control the home theater speaker.

Note: Only one remote can be programmed to control the Sonos home theater speaker at a time.

If you still see the volume level changing, a message appearing on the television whenever you adjust the volume, or if your cable remote does not control the volume properly, please see Eliminating annoying messages on your TV when using a remote to resolve this.

If you experience any issues following the steps above, please contact Sony's support for further assistance with setting up the remote.

Hey Rowena,

Thanks for this. I should have been a bit more clear. 

The Playbase was actually just passing through the system sound, and was reacting to the system’s volume. I’ve tried to program the remote but I have the IR/Bluetooth thing that a lot of Sony users have - and I can’t give up Bluetooth as it controls my cable box. 

I guess what I’m thinking is I disrupted what was happening with the ‘pass-through’ sound when I hit the hardware (or I suppose passed Youtube sound through the system), and is there a way to get the Playbase to just be the speakers for the TV, and react to what’s happening with the system volume? 

EDIT: oh and I’m using an optical cable. 

Userlevel 5
Badge +16

Hi @andrewmc, thank you for your response and for providing additional information about your concern.

Playbase only supports IR remotes and will not work with Bluetooth, WiFi Direct, or RF-only remotes. You can use other IR remote to set it up with Sonos to control the volume. For this to work, the TV speakers should be set to disable and the audio format to stereo or PCM.

Do you play YouTube via the Sonos app?
Do you experience the same on other music sources?

Please submit a diagnostic from your mobile device for us to check and reply to us with the confirmation number. We and the community are always here to help.

I actually was playing Youtube from the system app, which is Android TV. 

Have submitted the diagnostics, thanks.

Userlevel 5
Badge +16

Hi @andrewmc, thank you for your response. We really appreciate the time and effort you've spent doing all the troubleshooting steps, it would be best for you to continue working with us over the phone to expedite the process. 
I recommend contacting our Sonos Customer Care support to perform in-depth troubleshooting and do some tests on the Sonos app to isolate the issue with your Sonos Playbase audio issue and to provide the best option for you.

Please feel free to reach out in the future if you have any other questions. You're always welcome here.