No more SONOS for me


Userlevel 5
Badge +14

Won’t be buying anymore Sonos.. I curse them everyday for this last miserable upgrade forced on us. Sony Tv volume is at 20..sounds like a whisper. 


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32 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi All,

But the OP may not mind…

It’s not the Original Poster who has the final say.

In any case, this will be the last off topic post here.

Correct.

 

As this thread has been off-topic for some time now, I’m now going to close it to further discussion.

@Bumper 

Again, no surprises there; I have smaller KEFs in one music zone that do excellent tight bass, and the R3 units you have look very bass capable as well.

There is actually another useful purpose those lamps are rendering when watching movies late at night.

A completely dark room except for the TV screen causes eye strain from watching and those lights may help with that. Even if their surround effect is nominal in your case.

Ideally though the light should come from behind the screen as a backlight that leaves the screen dark; I do that in my cheapskate way by taping a LED strip around the rear frame of the TV and it does a very good job of making the colors on the TV pop out more by casting a backlight on the rear wall. I just make sure it is set to warm white and not the red/blue options that are also available as an option for the strip. The strip is powered from a USB socket at the rear of the TV. 

@Corry If you are asking me to stay on topic being the OP topic, I guess this is a transgression😊

But the OP may not mind…

In any case, this will be the last off topic post here.

Userlevel 6
Badge +13

Have an amp, sub, symfonisk lamp surrounds, Kef R3 - watched Maverick and it sounded freaking phenomenal. Had night mode on still sounded great, think I need to check my ears 😀

Another question. Amp here is Sonos Amp driving the KEF placed flanking the TV? Sub is Sonos Sub? And this is a Sonos supported configuration with no lip sync issues?

If so, once the phantom centre channel is got to work properly via correct KEF placement, the only thing missing from a full blown 5.1 is centre speaker sound level control.

I would then any day choose this over any bar based solution for TV, while getting superior sound for just music. Atmos at home is mostly a gimmick.

And Sonos will never faff around with the sound profile for this, because there is really no call to. Sonos won’t touch the Sonos Amp to change its profile and nothing else then needs to be changed in this set up by Sonos because it is right from day 1.

The lamps work like regular lamps. Useful light and automated with smart bulbs. I’m usually watching with my family, probably part of the reason why they make little difference in terms of sound. 
 

I am using a Sonos amp with Sonos sub. No lip sync issues. Kef speakers are placed appropriately. 
 

I have owned a Playbar and briefly an Arc but greatly prefer this set up. I’m sure Atmos is amazing for a lot of content, hopefully everyone with nerfed Arcs gets their sound back in the coming months/years 😂😂
 

My tv was recently broken (my kids spiked a volleyball into it, don’t get me started). I moved an older TV that had optical out only to power the Kefs(used a tiny SMSL digital amp)  No one noticed that the sub and surrounds were not working. I’m not saying there is no difference, but that in day to day use when we are going about our life no one noticed. 

Userlevel 7
Badge +18

OK let’s keep this on topic, please!

It is of absolutely no interest to me, what you are led to think.

 

So that would be a “Yes” on the fact you’ve never actually heard Atmos in the home and you are just making it up.  Thanks for the confirmation! 🤣

 

Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct.

Which leads me to think you've never actually heard it, and are speaking from an assumption.

It is of absolutely no interest to me, what you are led to think.

Another question. Amp here is Sonos Amp driving the KEF placed flanking the TV? Sub is Sonos Sub? And this is a Sonos supported configuration with no lip sync issues?

If so, once the phantom centre channel is got to work properly via correct KEF placement, the only thing missing from a full blown 5.1 is centre speaker sound level control.

I would then any day choose this over any bar based solution for TV, while getting superior sound for just music. Atmos at home is mostly a gimmick.

And Sonos will never faff around with the sound profile for this, because there is really no call to. Sonos won’t touch the Sonos Amp to change its profile and nothing else then needs to be changed in this set up by Sonos because it is right from day 1.

 

You keep saying that Atmos at home is a gimmick.  Have you ever actually heard Atmos at home?  Because in the proper room, i.e. flat 8-10 ft. ceiling, proper distance from soundbar, it is outstanding.  Which leads me to think you've never actually heard it, and are speaking from an assumption.

Have an amp, sub, symfonisk lamp surrounds, Kef R3 - watched Maverick and it sounded freaking phenomenal. Had night mode on still sounded great, think I need to check my ears 😀

Another question. Amp here is Sonos Amp driving the KEF placed flanking the TV? Sub is Sonos Sub? And this is a Sonos supported configuration with no lip sync issues?

If so, once the phantom centre channel is got to work properly via correct KEF placement, the only thing missing from a full blown 5.1 is centre speaker sound level control.

I would then any day choose this over any bar based solution for TV, while getting superior sound for just music. Atmos at home is mostly a gimmick.

And Sonos will never faff around with the sound profile for this, because there is really no call to. Sonos won’t touch the Sonos Amp to change its profile and nothing else then needs to be changed in this set up by Sonos because it is right from day 1.

Have already done that experiment but I like them as lamps though so they stay put 😀

Probably could move the sub as well but it has a plant on it so it stays 😂

Do not the lamps do a - I am here - thing rather than shed useful light? So I have read in reviews.

As to the Sub being redundant, that is down to the KEFs.

Is it me, or has this drifted waaaay off topic? 

The OP question was answered and put to bed in the first few posts, and he isn't objecting to the subsequent more interesting conversation, so I suppose it is ok?!

Back in the day when I had wired surrounds, it was more of a distracting gimmick of them announcing themselves as a separate presence from time to time, than leaving you immersed in the centre of the action at least on a horizontal plane - if not the vertical thing that Atmos claims to also add. Perhaps things have changed since then, but most of the movies I watch do not need me to sit in the middle of what is happening in them.

If I had a bar based solution with surrounds, I would get myself more out of them by unbonding them and moving both to the front, in correct stereo positions as a separate stereo paired zone for just music play, that they would do better than what a bar does. Even if said surrounds were just Play 1/One units. Even with the sub left bonded to the bar.

Userlevel 6
Badge +13

Is it me, or has this drifted waaaay off topic? 

Let’s here your thoughts on the volume issue raised in the OP to get it back on topic. Thanks for your service.

Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Is it me, or has this drifted waaaay off topic? 

Userlevel 7
Badge +16

A well mastered 5.1 on Netflix etc does make a difference, I'd say for normal TV our surrounds are dead weigh.

We use our Playbar 5.1 setup for music a lot as well though and it really is a nice place to be with surrounds on "full music" mode. 

It will probably be HT-A9's for us for Atmos but I'm a tight Yorkshire man and just can't pull the trigger, probably will when the nights draw in.. Just irks me having to buy another Sub..

Userlevel 7
Badge +15

It keeps the soil aerated.

Userlevel 6
Badge +13

@Bumper Why am I not surprised?

Do this experiment that is easy to do. Turn off the power to the surrounds and see if anything significant is lost from the same movie experience.

The outcome will tell you what to do with them - retain or redeploy to elsewhere in the home.

Have already done that experiment but I like them as lamps though so they stay put 😀

Probably could move the sub as well but it has a plant on it so it stays 😂

@Bumper Why am I not surprised?

Do this experiment that is easy to do. Turn off the power to the surrounds and see if anything significant is lost from the same movie experience.

The outcome will tell you what to do with them - retain or redeploy to elsewhere in the home.

Userlevel 6
Badge +13

Have an amp, sub, symfonisk lamp surrounds, Kef R3 - watched Maverick and it sounded freaking phenomenal. Had night mode on still sounded great, think I need to check my ears 😀

Userlevel 3
Badge +2

Watched top gun two days ago , I actually wasn't impressed with my setup to be honest. I got beam 2 + 2 sl's and sub 3. Because of the software bug i set sub on +13 , EQ bass +5 treble +7 , true play on. I set height channel +10 and I couldn't really hear sound above my head , rear channel set on +7 and rear was decent but for me to much background music instead of the sfx in this movie. Bass obviously is lacking on 14.14 so won't even comment on that. I expected more sfx and more directional sound from the whole system.

Come on Sonos fix the damn software.…

Previously watched bad guys on 14.10 and was blown away with the sound and bass.

Back somewhat on topic; with front speakers in stereo sound locations in 2.0 mode, the sound panning for jets screaming across the screen is very well rendered - you hear them before you see them just fine. And hear them after they have disappeared from the screen on the other side.

Does Arc deliver that rendering well?

That may well be the case; I threw away my surrounds in 2005, and the mixing for surrounds at home may have improved since then. I will go to the cinema near by and look for jets coming from behind me before I see them on the screen, to see if that effect is credible, but even if it does, and even though my 50 inch is in a dedicated for TV room, I do not see myself running wires for surround. Most of my TV watching does not include things coming from behind me and it is just not worth the bother. Not with a mutilplex 15 minutes away for the rare occasion, and with Covid now turned into just the flu.

Userlevel 7
Badge +15

but a 5.1 setup with a well mixed dialogue centre channel AND those rear speakers adds much more immersion - especially for the likes of Maverick etc.  Some of the jets literally come from behind you before you even see them.

I was to say Godfather 2 as well, but I thought I get attacked enough for digressions.

And Star Wars is just Dune and a whole bunch of Western flicks; Rogue One and the Mandalorian are the only two I rate.

I don’t agree that a 5.1 beats a 2.0 hands down, if the dialogue channel is well mixed and the 2 speakers are bass capable as mine are. Surrounds are overrated in my experience, and don’t deliver the value for the wiring hassle and clutter.

Userlevel 7
Badge +15

 

Don't need more kit for sound, with the phantom centre delivering crisp dialogues. Don’t need a sub, the two fronts are bass capable enough. In fact I suspect that anything more on the sound front is there only in a multiplex.

I’d say a ‘simple’ home 5.1 setup beats this hands down.  I’ll leave the Atmos side as I’ve not heard a repeatable and convincing home Atmos setup without physical elevated speakers myself - ARC included.

Maverick is the best sequel ever made imho, couldn't have done it any better.

Godfather 2, Aliens, Empire Strikes Back and more I think.  Seriously though, Maverick was good fun - although I thought it was basically Star Wars.  It even had a trench run to a weak point while avoiding the SAMs 🤣

 

That's why I've been looking into Atmos kit but to be honest first watch at the Cinema cannot be beaten.

I am not convinced that reflecting from the ceiling Atmos effect at home will come close to Atmos speakers aimed at you in the Cinema. Let us know what you think once you are able to listen to Atmos effects via Blue Ray at home.

Won’t be buying anymore Sonos.. I curse them everyday for this last miserable upgrade forced on us. Sony Tv volume is at 20..sounds like a whisper. 

So the logical consequence of this is that if you can find another system that is louder than Sonos at 20 but quieter at 100, you would choose the other system.  As others have said, there may be valid criticisms of the changes Sonos have made, but this complaint is just weird.  If Sonos isn’t as loud as you need it to be at 100, you have a problem.  If not, then just listen at the volume you want.