Arc poor dialogue

I read a review a few months back on Sound bar ratings including the sound output. Arc came in last where all others were significantly louder and rated higher. 

Yea it’s not the frequency response it’s the level.  Center channel sucks on this device.  I might ask for a refund if I can and put my old Sonos sound bar on which was MUCH better.  This is practically unusable and I can’t believe Sonos has not provided a solution by now after a year of complaints 

HI

The Arc is a complex piece of gear. For optimum performance placement of the Arc is critical as is room design/shape. I submitted a post on Arc placement at this Link. 

To address dialogue I agree that it can be finicky without proper tuning to the room parameters which include all mentioned in the link above. Sonos to address sound issues has Trueplay; but you must own (or borrow) an iOS device. TechRadar considers TruePlay not an option; but an essential to get the best performance from the Arc. Read the opinion here.

I have a 2nd Arc (with sub and surrounds) in an open space room with vaulted ceilings. The experience even with Trueplay is not the same as in my media room (as described above in the first link). The Arc creates a “bubble” (if you will) that has to be contained. If the containment field is too far left/right and/or in height/depth; you’ll have diminished returns, as it relates to the listening experience. In hindsight; had it been available, the Ray would have been the better choice. 

To sum things up...the shape and size of your room is critical for deployment of the Arc. Open spaces and high ceilings will not deliver the best experience. I dare say such rooms may cause you to regret your choice of the Arc; especially so, if there is no sub to handle the low-end. Even if I were building a surround system with the Arc for the first time (in a properly portioned room) I’d opt for the sub first and add surrounds later; if budget dictated so.

I did get some improvement by turning on speech enhancement.  Night mode compresses things too much but also evens it out substantially.  I notice that atmos content is generally more problematic then older 5.1 content.

my room has a low ceiling but definitely it is not a well contained media room.  Perhaps arc should not be in this room if the above post is correct.  If that is true then somos is selling an unrealistic product for a large number of people who use them in living rooms rather then media rooms.

However I still think the center channel is generally under delivering and a simple fader to raise it a bit would be appreciated.  Speech enhancement mode does seem to do this without an actual fader to fine tune that, though this work around seems better with 5.1 content then it does for atmos, but it helps atmos too.

That statement would be true for any Dolby Atmos soundbar manufacturer. The basics of proper placement and room parameters apply to all; not just Sonos.

Please.  If this product is dependent on being in perfectly shaped media room then it should marketed as such.  Most people are not using it that way.  People with media rooms use much higher quality equipment than this!  The statement made above is that this product REQUIRES reflections off ceiling and walls in just the right way in order to sound right.  it is ludicrous to think that most of the people buying this product will have that viewing scenario.   If that is a requirement, then it should be made clear by Sonos that that this product is meant to be used in media rooms and not typical living rooms with strange wall and ceiling placements.  my local Sonos dealer, who actually did the install, certainly never mentioned any of this or pointed any of this out to me whatsoever.  An older Sonos sound bar would actually be much more appropriate, regardless of whether Sonos still sells it or not.  Sonos wants to market and push the concept of “Atmos”, the latest buzz word, and the sound bar design is pretty cool for the right situation, but if it depends on a perfect media room to work right with wall and ceiling reflections, then this should be explained to buyers ahead of time and many people should NOT buy it.

@Dewdman42

Let’s be clear. There are two options other than the Arc.

The Beam 2 which negates the upward firing speakers but delivers some of the Dolby Atmos experience in the right room. However the design of the Beam 2 is more audience focused (direct front firing speakers) which makes it a better choice in rooms not optimized for Dolby Atmos. The DD 5.1 experience will be excellent.

The other choice is the Ray which is non-Dolby Atmos but optimized for DD 5.1 sound.

Regarding your Sonos Dealer/Installer. Some are more familiar with a traditional WIRED  Dolby Atmos setup that employs multiple speakers. Consequently, they incorrectly assume that the Sonos Arc setup (with sub and surrounds) will perform in the same manner. Barring that excuse the Dealer/Installer is more concerned about the sale than customer satisfaction.

In some cases (especially in the big box stores) they are just sales people tasked to move units; be they Sonos or another brand. Typically the brand with the highest markup over cost (ROI).

Note: A good knowledgeable Dealer/Installer will spec the environment before making a recommendation.

Soundbars in general, regardless of brand or cost, along with traditional multi-speaker approaches, are governed by the laws of physics -- convenient or not. The shape and size of a room must be considered. There are also personal preferences. “Sounds good” and “sounds bad” could be comments about the same system. A good sales person or consultant can be a valuable guide.

Bla bla bla you guys are just making excuses now for the fact that arc’s dialog from the center channel is too soft.  The topic of this thread I will add.  If anything I would expect closer walls and ceiling to enhance the sides and overheads, making the situation even worse.  Blame the room, blame the dealer; anyone but Sonos.  Bla bla bla….  Not helpful info.  At least I hope future customers will be better informed about the limitations of the arc

I suggest we stop trying to help @Dewdman42, they have obviously made up their mind.  Good thing Sonos does well in the resale market, so they can go out and buy what they wish.