Question

Beam with Samsung TV does not let other audio ouputs be used

  • 9 June 2019
  • 5 replies
  • 1161 views

I have a new Samsung RU7300 TV, and new Bluetooth headphones.

Without a Beam plugged into the HDMI ARC port :
  • I can switch audio output from TV speaker to headphones without problem. My selection sticks.
With a Beam plugged into the HDMI ARC port :
  • When I switch audio output from the Beam to TV speakers, or to the headphones, the selection works for one or two seconds, then switches back to the Beam by itself.
I need to know fast if it's incompatible so that I can return the Beam to the store if it's not.

I tried as a workaround to plug the Beam into the TV's optical audio output. Problem : no volume control from the TV remote. So not acceptable.

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5 replies

This is a "feature" of HDMI-CEC, and not something that Sonos is doing. Please contact Samsung about the issue, or even the consortium that has designed and approved HDMI-CEC, or move your Beam over to the optical port, where it only does one way communication, and does not do any HDMI-CEC communication.
I forgot to add this : even when I turn the Beam 'off' with the button in the back. It wakes up as soon as I change the volume with the TV's remote and grabs back the sound. I could have lived with turning it off, maybe with an Alexa command ? But going in the back of the TV to pull the cable is a little too much. As for the optical cable, I said in my original post that I can't change the volume with the TV's remote in that configuration.

I have an email conversation going with Samsung's support. Not sure it will go anywhere. Yesterday's chat session with them led to a power cycling, and the guy giving up after 30 minutes. Hope they have a more serious channel available.
Case closed, I returned the Sonos Beam to the store.
I'll replace it with a $13.85 optical to RCA converter I'll plug into my 40 yr old amplifier. Not fancy, I can't talk to it, but it just works.
Badge

I also experienced this issue with a new Samsung tv but resolved it.

 

On my tv

settings->General->External Device Manager

-> disable Anynet+

Userlevel 1

This is a "feature" of HDMI-CEC, and not something that Sonos is doing. Please contact Samsung about the issue, or even the consortium that has designed and approved HDMI-CEC, or move your Beam over to the optical port, where it only does one way communication, and does not do any HDMI-CEC communication.

SO how come this “feature” doesn’t happen with any other soundbar / surround sound system connected via ARC/HDMI-CEC?