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VLH
Contributor I
Nov 29, 2025 8:34 AM UTC
Answered

Arc Ultra distortion in high notes

Hello everyone,

I received a new Arc Ultra yesterday, and after setting it up, I hear a crackling sound in the high frequencies, particularly with piano music but also with some voices in movies. It's not just necessarily harsh (which might be down to my interpretation) but there's also a kind of crackle mixed in, instead of the tones being pure.

Is this a known issue? I can't find anything about it on this forum and I'd like to do some troubleshooting before I call Sonos directly.

Cheers!

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Stanley_4
Stanley_4Answer
Grand Maestro
Nov 29, 2025 8:56 AM UTC

Not a lot you can do, unplug it for a minute and see if it clears up. Unlikely a factory reset would help.

Get the odd noise, submit a diagnostic and then call Sonos support. 

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7 replies

Stanley_4
Stanley_4Answer
Grand Maestro
Nov 29, 2025 8:56 AM UTC

Not a lot you can do, unplug it for a minute and see if it clears up. Unlikely a factory reset would help.

Get the odd noise, submit a diagnostic and then call Sonos support. 

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    AjTrek1
    AjTrek1
    Nov 29, 2025 12:34 PM UTC

    Not a lot you can do, unplug it for a minute and see if it clears up. Unlikely a factory reset would help.

    Get the odd noise, submit a diagnostic and then call Sonos support. 

    Also, submit the diagnostic within 10 minutes of the occurrence.

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    Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.
      riptic
      Lyricist I
      Dec 3, 2025 4:06 AM UTC

      I received my arc ultra yesterday and I have the same issue. I noticed it in Netflix Dolby Atmos content.

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      Stanley_4
      Stanley_4
      Grand Maestro
      Dec 3, 2025 4:34 AM UTC

      I received my arc ultra yesterday and I have the same issue. I noticed it in Netflix Dolby Atmos content.

      Whamt did Sonos support say? Are they replacing it?

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      VLHAuthor
      Contributor I
      Dec 3, 2025 8:04 AM UTC

      I received my arc ultra yesterday and I have the same issue. I noticed it in Netflix Dolby Atmos content.

      Whamt did Sonos support say? Are they replacing it?

      I contacted the store and they will replace it when a new shipment arrives.

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        Stanley_4
        Stanley_4
        Grand Maestro
        Dec 3, 2025 6:13 PM UTC

        Thanks, if a replacement is the answer folks can just ask for that and save a bunch of troubleshooting. 

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        pjt99
        Lyricist II
        Dec 15, 2025 5:20 AM UTC

        I ended up replacing mine—thank you Costco—no issues so far 

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