Not sure where to post but I need to chime in. I love this forum, but a question for all the complainers of DTS not being supported. Did you actually research before you purchased this very expensive equipment? I have read so many people whining “I’m going to return my Sonos” or I’m selling my gear” or “wahhhhhh I’m not buying Sonos unless they give me DTS”. I spent hours researching before I even went to the store to give it a listen. It very clear and in no way hidden that this equipment is geared towards streaming media and music. It clearly states that DTS is not supported. To be honest, I didn’t even know people still watch DVDs! Wait....are VCRs still around too?? People think that Sonos is not listening. I believe they are listening and their answer is NO. They have a very specific brand with one goal in mind. Add music easily throughout your whole home. I think the 5.1 is a bonus but it’s not their claim to fame. I have the 5.1 set up and a couple Play 5s and could not be happier with them. Movies AND Music sound great.
Please stop complaining. If the equipment is not exactly what you want, don’t buy it and please don’t whine that you would buy it “if”. Should I call Apple and tell them I’ll buy thousands of dollars of their brand if they “would simply integrate windows 10” to their interface? Ok, enough venting for 1 day. Phew, that felt good! Bring on the hateful comments, I can handle it.
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PLAYBAR and PLAYBASE Requirements
The PLAYBAR and PLAYBASE are compatible with any television that has an optical digital audio output. The PLAYBAR and PLAYBASE are compatible with a Dolby Digital 5.1 or Stereo PCM signal passed via optical output. The PLAYBAR and PLAYBASE do not support the DTS format.
It is in system requirements on sonos website:-
https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/127
A voice of reason! Thank you, that would be one step, more a legality though than helping consumers, who don’t know what they don’t know (most people don’t know DTS and the implications of incompatibility). Most people owning BluRay discs and buying Sonos would simply expect it to be compatible without understanding the technical jargon. In a perfect world Sonos would go ahead and add support for the DTS codec via a software update. Though I’m guessing that would require a hardware (DSP chipset) change and perhaps that’s the hurdle? Or is it a licensing thing that Sonos refuses to pay to leverage that codec? Who knows. I’m just going to say in all my years of purchasing electronics this was the rudest awakening to “buyers beware” than perhaps the release of Windows Vista.
It isn’t just you, I do the same research before spending my hard earned dollars.
So a sticker wouldn't help them.
Still sonos thinks the problem is strong enough to state it in requirements. They don't mention DD5.1+ or any others...
But buyers would expect any soundbar to plug into a Blu-ray/4K player and work.
I guess it's buyer beware, and then take it back to store for something else when/if you find out, within returns timeline....maybe sonos have calculated that store returns and then stock of 2nds is minimal.....
Amen!! Another rational person who lives in the “real” world. 😃
So when you research a brand new car, you specifically make sure that it has a left-hand turning signal or don’t you just assume a brand new car does those basic things?
No, I don’t make any assumptions like that. I have zero faith in sales rhetoric, or manufacturing “norms”. Perhaps as I’ve lived in so many different places that have differing standards? I just never like to “assume”,
So when you research a brand new car, you specifically make sure that it has a left-hand turning signal or don’t you just assume a brand new car does those basic things?
Not a valid comparison. In most countries a functioning left turn signal is a legal requirement for road-worthiness.
But if, say, I wanted a satnav then of course I'd check the specs.
It's a shame, as it is a reason people will move away from sonos in their "theatre/main room", and then it's not whole house sonos anymore.
Still if gives good techy reasons for playbar2
Still if gives good techy reasons for playbar2
Users with a serious need for a "theatre room" most probably won't have gone down this PLAY* path anyhow. They'll have a receiver with passive speakers dotted around the room, quite possibly hooked up to a CONNECT/ZP90/ZP80.
Amen!! Another rational person who lives in the “real” world. :D
If you only knew who you were replying to . . . 😉
Still if gives good techy reasons for playbar2
My theater room accommodates Sonos just fine. I use a Connect (actually a ZP80) outputting to an actual A/V Receiver instead of a compromised soundbar. Then again, I also research before I spend $700 on a piece of electronics.
I see it both ways. I definitely agree that it's rather wise to do research before buying any tech these days. You just can't assume features. At the same time though, if I see an optical output on my tv, and an optical input on the PLAYBAR, I expect that they're compatible. I sort of feel that an average customer shouldn't have to know more than that before making a purchase.
In a way, this is an industry problem more than a Sonos problem. On one hand, it would be great if a new codec came with a new type of connection. That way there would be no doubt about compatibility. Of course, the downside would be all new cables and such for the customer to buy, as well as no firmware upgrades to support a new codec. It's growing pains.
Although I already have my setup, I have thought about upgrading to a 4K. If I start looking, it's going to be annoying that I'll have to limit my choices by what will work with the PLAYBAR, or possibly have some complex work around that limits the ease of use. Essentially, I'm fine now, but I certainly would be in favor of making the Sonos as compatible as possible.
In a way, this is an industry problem more than a Sonos problem. On one hand, it would be great if a new codec came with a new type of connection. That way there would be no doubt about compatibility. Of course, the downside would be all new cables and such for the customer to buy, as well as no firmware upgrades to support a new codec. It's growing pains.
Although I already have my setup, I have thought about upgrading to a 4K. If I start looking, it's going to be annoying that I'll have to limit my choices by what will work with the PLAYBAR, or possibly have some complex work around that limits the ease of use. Essentially, I'm fine now, but I certainly would be in favor of making the Sonos as compatible as possible.
Still if gives good techy reasons for playbar2
Been waiting for this since about a year after the PlayBar came out. We thought the PlayBase would be it and were all geared up to get a PlayBase for the living room and move the PlayBar to a bedroom, but no not to be!
Exactly!! Serious users know what they want (DTS) and would know to look for it. It is not an unreasonable assumption for a normal user to think that all Sonos units would just accept all standard inputs (as the ZP100/ZP80/Play 5s at the time did), after all one of the original (back in the day) Sonos USPs was how simple a set up the system was.
I remember all the forum traffic on this DTS issue as well as the lack of HDMI inputs when the PlayBar came out. There were lots of cleaver workarounds that users came up with just to get the PlayBar into their Sonos setups. Why bother? Because if you want; better "stereo" than your TV came with, want to be able to send TV's sound around the whole house and are not too fussed if the surround sound is not up to true theatre room standards then the PlayBar setup does a good job and we love ours.
We purchase our PlayBar, Sub (matt black is best!) and Play 1's knowing full well of these two issues. Many people thought that Sonos had dropped the ball, me included (and I have not changed my mind in the intervening years!) but we all hoped that at some point Sonos would bring DTS to their system.
I have no idea why this has not happened, there might a valid technical reason but I am not qualified to understand these things! Or it might be that Sonos just do not want to go back on their decision and be seen to have lose face. Whatever the reason I for one still hang onto my hope that DTS (and HDMI?) will make it to the Sonos system at some point either in an update or a PlayBar 2.
Of course I may end up in a "sod's law" position, that the upcoming OS update in April brings both DTS support and at the same time the death of the CR100, then what will we do?? :?
Yet another Sonos buyer who can't handle any criticism of their choices. Talk abut thinking. You posted a topic complaint you don't like seeing criticisms. Is the irony totally lost on you?
Nobody is forcing you to read the very justified complaints about Sonos Home theater gear not support modern formats or connectivity.
This is Sonos' market to lose and judging by the complaints and returns they are being very slow to respond. There are many alternatives now.
Nobody is forcing you to read the very justified complaints about Sonos Home theater gear not support modern formats or connectivity.
This is Sonos' market to lose and judging by the complaints and returns they are being very slow to respond. There are many alternatives now.
A £50 Samsung Blu-ray player solved it for me (on the fly DTS to DD conversion), but I knew I'd need to buy that before buying the Playbar.
For what it is and what we use it for the Playbar in 5.1 works perfectly well.
For what it is and what we use it for the Playbar in 5.1 works perfectly well.
For what it is and what we use it for the Playbar in 5.1 works perfectly well.
Yes, probably what all sensible people did (or something like it) - BUT we should not have had to find such workarounds Sonos should have supported more than one input option, after all the original ZonePlayers did.
Meanwhile, can you show me where on the Sonos home theatre website it tells me about not supporting BluRay DTS audio?
https://www.sonos.com/en-us/products/wireless-home-theater
All I see is a sentence about enjoying “every movie...”
I have repeatedly stated the Playbar is not fit for purpose for a true home theater, starting from the day it was released. That doesn't mean a thing when someone refuses to take responsibility for their own purchases. I knew Playbar was not for me, so I don't have one in my home theater, I have an actual home theater system. Far more effective for getting what I want than to complain in a forum about a system that doesn't have what I want.
Dude you are like a broken record player.
It is not unreasonable at all for owners who have paid a premium for a system to expect support for a codec that systems much much cheaper support.
Pushing innovation requires constructive criticism not sarcastic I have an actual home theater system - good for you.
How much are sonos paying you?
This post has come up many many times on this forum, and my observations are as follows:
It's kinda hard to understand how so many people come here and post something akin to "I just spent 10K on wiring my whole house for Sonos and just realised it doesn't play my 24-bit FLAC files or my DTS-only Blu-Rays. THESE ARE THE ONLY TWO THINGS I LISTEN TO AND WATCH!" Basically, it's weird we have so many mega rich people who drop this kinda cash on a whim and then moan about it not doing the things they didn't bother to research it for.
If you're seriously into Home Theatre I cannot understand for one second how Sonos is the product for you. It is a convenience play and I've mentioned before it quite clearly is focused on music streaming first (which it is by far the best in the market at, and "Home Theatre" second. The fact that it maxes out at DD5.1 and can't support DD Plus should tell you all you need to know about where it stands.
That said, I do have some sympathy for the average Joe who doesn't know DD from DTS, shells out 1K for a Playbar and Sub, takes it home, hooks everything up, and then realises he can't watch his Star Wars DVD (and subsequently gets forced into the parallel universe of audio codecs).
Sonos absolutely must be R&D'ing an HDMI Playbar, there's just no other way to push that line forwards, and I maintain my belief that Sonos will just buy out Denon's flagging HEOS range which can do everything codec-wise that people seem to ask for.
My original post about 6 months ago still holds:
This is an interesting thread, but there are lots of things in here that I don't agree with, and seem just pure conjecture. To caveat, I have both a "proper" wired 5.1 AV setup in my main TV room, as well as Sonos throughout the house (including 2x 5.0 Sonos setups). So I feel fairly well placed to make comparisons.
Firstly, a Sonos 5.1 setup is crazy expensive. Just looking at the online shop, a Playbar/Playbase, Sub and 2 surrounds (Play 1s) costs £1,736. You could easily spend that money on a wired setup, as well as an AV Pro to come round, trunk the speaker cabling, set everything up and then have at least £200-300 left to spare. It would support all sound formats, and I would say arguably give you slightly better sound (but it's negligible).
But set a Sonos surround system up, feed it a Dolby Digital 5.1 signal and it does a great job (as it should do, because it's crazy expensive). You can get a decent amount of bass without the Sub too (quite why it needs to cost £600 is really beyond me). So the "low quality Dolby Digital" comment is just pointless and incorrect. Sonos has superb software and the technology of SonosNet is fantastic, but comes at a hefty cost.
Saying "I actually use fewer wires" for a Denos/Q Acoustics setup just means you didn't do your research properly. Any LG TV will pass on a 5.1 signal either from an internal or external source (and most Samsung or Sony ones do too), and differentiating between "thick" and "thin" cabling is seriously clutching.
I fully agree that you can have issues if you're a serial DVD/Blu-Ray watcher, and I agree you can get pesky lip-sync issues. I'm wondering how many folk bought the last Star Wars films (DTS only for the main soundtrack, DD for description only!), plugged it in and realised they couldn't hear anything (although out the box, most TV/Sonos setups seem to default to 2.0 anyway). Lipsync issues though, in my experience, are more down to the TV manufacturer than Sonos (but it absolutely is a pain).
It is patently obvious that home theatre was an afterthought for Sonos, else there is no other reason to begin with a purely optical soundbar and charge £650. If I was a betting man, I'd give it a 90-95% chance that Sonos is R&D'ing a HDMI Soundbar. There is just no other way to take that product line forwards, but how they would make it work for surround sound is another thing. I'm guessing there would be serious bandwidth issues for anything beyond DD5.1 with non-wired surrounds.
And just 2 points to make to the OP - if we want to start talking about so-called "true" AV setups, then things such as clear speech shouldn't even be an issue and you should be watching everything in Pure Direct mode. If you're having to make adjustments for this, it's not setup properly in the first place (save for the odd show/film with really bad mixing). Also, Sonos quite literally has a Speech Enhancement function! And buying speakers such as the (excellent) Q Acoustics ones and then quite literally dumping them all next to each other on your TV stand with little space between them (thus, little audio separation) and at a low level which must be way below your ear level, is just wrong - you might as well have just got a Playbar.
I also must say the people who seem to be worried about sound formats, etc IMO is a vast minority of overall Sonos users. Every single other person I know who has it simply connects to their WiFi and is done with it. Most don't even know about DTS, DD+, Atmos, etc. And if you care that much about it, I find it odd you'd run through all these hoops to get surround sound and not want a "proper" wired setup in the first place.
Sonos is a music streamer and simple soundbar first, and an extension into Home Theatre second. It's the best in the market at the first, and does an admirable (if very very costly) job at the second.
It's kinda hard to understand how so many people come here and post something akin to "I just spent 10K on wiring my whole house for Sonos and just realised it doesn't play my 24-bit FLAC files or my DTS-only Blu-Rays. THESE ARE THE ONLY TWO THINGS I LISTEN TO AND WATCH!" Basically, it's weird we have so many mega rich people who drop this kinda cash on a whim and then moan about it not doing the things they didn't bother to research it for.
If you're seriously into Home Theatre I cannot understand for one second how Sonos is the product for you. It is a convenience play and I've mentioned before it quite clearly is focused on music streaming first (which it is by far the best in the market at, and "Home Theatre" second. The fact that it maxes out at DD5.1 and can't support DD Plus should tell you all you need to know about where it stands.
That said, I do have some sympathy for the average Joe who doesn't know DD from DTS, shells out 1K for a Playbar and Sub, takes it home, hooks everything up, and then realises he can't watch his Star Wars DVD (and subsequently gets forced into the parallel universe of audio codecs).
Sonos absolutely must be R&D'ing an HDMI Playbar, there's just no other way to push that line forwards, and I maintain my belief that Sonos will just buy out Denon's flagging HEOS range which can do everything codec-wise that people seem to ask for.
My original post about 6 months ago still holds:
Firstly, a Sonos 5.1 setup is crazy expensive. Just looking at the online shop, a Playbar/Playbase, Sub and 2 surrounds (Play 1s) costs £1,736. You could easily spend that money on a wired setup, as well as an AV Pro to come round, trunk the speaker cabling, set everything up and then have at least £200-300 left to spare. It would support all sound formats, and I would say arguably give you slightly better sound (but it's negligible).
But set a Sonos surround system up, feed it a Dolby Digital 5.1 signal and it does a great job (as it should do, because it's crazy expensive). You can get a decent amount of bass without the Sub too (quite why it needs to cost £600 is really beyond me). So the "low quality Dolby Digital" comment is just pointless and incorrect. Sonos has superb software and the technology of SonosNet is fantastic, but comes at a hefty cost.
Saying "I actually use fewer wires" for a Denos/Q Acoustics setup just means you didn't do your research properly. Any LG TV will pass on a 5.1 signal either from an internal or external source (and most Samsung or Sony ones do too), and differentiating between "thick" and "thin" cabling is seriously clutching.
I fully agree that you can have issues if you're a serial DVD/Blu-Ray watcher, and I agree you can get pesky lip-sync issues. I'm wondering how many folk bought the last Star Wars films (DTS only for the main soundtrack, DD for description only!), plugged it in and realised they couldn't hear anything (although out the box, most TV/Sonos setups seem to default to 2.0 anyway). Lipsync issues though, in my experience, are more down to the TV manufacturer than Sonos (but it absolutely is a pain).
It is patently obvious that home theatre was an afterthought for Sonos, else there is no other reason to begin with a purely optical soundbar and charge £650. If I was a betting man, I'd give it a 90-95% chance that Sonos is R&D'ing a HDMI Soundbar. There is just no other way to take that product line forwards, but how they would make it work for surround sound is another thing. I'm guessing there would be serious bandwidth issues for anything beyond DD5.1 with non-wired surrounds.
And just 2 points to make to the OP - if we want to start talking about so-called "true" AV setups, then things such as clear speech shouldn't even be an issue and you should be watching everything in Pure Direct mode. If you're having to make adjustments for this, it's not setup properly in the first place (save for the odd show/film with really bad mixing). Also, Sonos quite literally has a Speech Enhancement function! And buying speakers such as the (excellent) Q Acoustics ones and then quite literally dumping them all next to each other on your TV stand with little space between them (thus, little audio separation) and at a low level which must be way below your ear level, is just wrong - you might as well have just got a Playbar.
I also must say the people who seem to be worried about sound formats, etc IMO is a vast minority of overall Sonos users. Every single other person I know who has it simply connects to their WiFi and is done with it. Most don't even know about DTS, DD+, Atmos, etc. And if you care that much about it, I find it odd you'd run through all these hoops to get surround sound and not want a "proper" wired setup in the first place.
Sonos is a music streamer and simple soundbar first, and an extension into Home Theatre second. It's the best in the market at the first, and does an admirable (if very very costly) job at the second.
Nothing hateful but Movies make more money than music does and influence more people. Decoding DTS would be easy to do and an HDMI input/throughput would be eve more spectacular and they would sell millions of items. I am like Steve Jobs at Apple. He wasn't an engineer that designed to machines, but he understood what people really wanted. I am I that groove. Music is great to listen to and have in the background like 'elevator music', but niching beats a great film, with incredible spacious sound that would get us right into the scenes. That could be easily set up for just a few bucks and would stop all the issues, complaints and make Sonos even more money! That is what hey want, isn't it?:?
No because it's insanely frustrating. I have done a ton of research and now that I have something converting DTS to DD it's causing lip sync issues. I'm someone who understands a lot of technical aspects and still having issues so I can't imagine someone who sees "plays everything" part of Sonos marketing only to hit problems later.
I am not saying decode DTS or anything else to DD so it goes into the Sonos unit. I am saying SONOS put the technology, chip, software, firmware or whatever it needs to actually PLAY what ever t receives. To film fans, 'dumbing down' DTS-HD, Dolby ATMOS, or anything superior down to Dolby Digital is an insult. Dolby digital is fine but it is 'compressed audio' more than the others. Here is a good comparison...let's say you have a fine STEREO system and really enjoy you music and OLD STEROPHONIC films and the item you purchased or have is a great item, but only accepts a mono input. How would you feel about what you hear? No offense meant:)
So, the answer to the question posed by this thread is "no".
true, they don't decode anything for surround or audio other than mono. stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1. They do fit he majority of streamers but what they stream is already changing.
I don’t care about dts, all my content from my pc games ps4 games and Netflix is all in dolby
Well perhaps "no" or "not until the issue is addressed and solved", be that by Sonos or industry standards changing. :D
Given this, can the "Sonos does what I need" brigade stop trying to shut down legitimate topics on these forums? Unfortunately I suspect that answer to this questions is also "No" or "not until everyone agrees with us that Sonos is perfect". 😛
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