Question

Arc/Atmos, LG OLED65C8PLA (2018), and surround setup

  • 13 May 2020
  • 3 replies
  • 646 views

Hi. 

I am an happy owner of SONOS (one Play:1 and one Play:5, gen.2).
Very excited about the Arc soundbar news. I would love to get an upgrade to my Home Theatre (an old 5.1 Panasonic combo with Blue Ray, dated 2012), but I still have some doubts before spending such an amount of money.

I have a few questions, maybe you can help me.

  • My TV is a wonderful LG OLED65C8PLA (2018). I use it also with Netflix, Amazon Prime video and it is connected to a Sky Q,  It has also Dolby Atmos, but being from 2018 I am not sure its ARC can be upgraded to the eARC. The question is: connecting it to Arc soundbar will properly manage to process Atmos and all other newest audio formats?
  • If I will decide to buy the Arc soundbar, the idea is to set up a whole new HT, including also the new Sub (3rd gen). The question is which rear device to use: would it be enough to buy another Play:1 (if I find it)? Would it be much different with two new One SL? Or, last possibility, another Play.5: it would be much more expensive, and perhaps it would be overkill for such a setup. What do you think?

I would be very grateful if somebody from Sonos (or other informed people) would answer to clarify my situation.

Thank you very much in advance and best regards.

Ale

  


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3 replies

Userlevel 1

I have the same TV as you and the same source equipment. At present I am running a Playbar, Sub and 2x Play 1s. I have to say whilst it is good, the sound (IMO) is not anywhere near as 'involved' as I had when I used a previous, traditional, 5.1 amp and speaker setup. But a couple of years ago, I wanted to go 'whole house' sound so invested in the aforementioned setup. The simplicity of it all working together was worth the slight loss of dynamics. However, to this date I still have lipsync issues on Sky Q. Although this is the fault of LG and Sky Q, rather than Sonos. So I have now reduced my Sky Pack to a minimum and look at alternatives for my movies. 

 So as Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ are now my main source for films, I am very interested in the new ARC to maximise the atmos sound options. However as the LGC8 does not have eArc I am not going to get FULL Atmos. We  will only get a lower bitrate Dolby 5.1 version of it. So again, a compromise. So, I am going to stick to what I have for now. And to that end I can answer the second part of your question and say that the play 1 will be fine. Sure a play 5 will work as well. But as the rears in movies are for effects, the 1 is fine IMO. 

 

 

 

 

 

I believe you would get dolby atmos with the current TV and sources you have. Your TV should be capable of carrying the DD+ code with atmos, which is what is normally used for streaming apps.  eARC is primarily needed for TrueHD atmos, which is what you’ll typically find on blueray discs.

 

As far as the options for surrounds speakers, a play:1 will be just as good as Sonos One SL, and play:5 (or Fives) is going to be overkill, as you suspected.

 

Thanks to both of you!

We will  see when there will be reviews of the Arc if the effect is to be as much as “involved” as with the traditional 5.1 setup or not.

Ale