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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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.
Userlevel 3
+5
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:)
I don’t care about dts, all my content from my pc games ps4 games and Netflix is all in dolby
Userlevel 7
+22
I beleive the industry failed Sonos. Such as there was obviously a standard set at one point to use dd 5.1 via optical out from tv as a standard. That many tv manufacturers decided to skimp on and leave off.
And there I was thinking that it was Sonos that "skimped" and left DTS (and HDMI) off!
You learn something new everyday.
Userlevel 7
+22
I guess so
Why? Do you work for Sonos in their product design department?
Don't beat yourself up, jannabana69 
But I just buy new TV (Philips 65oled873/12), and now the app says "Geluid van tv niet ondersteund" (Sound of tv not supported), think my tv give DTS-HD, I can't change to dolby in settings TV.
The strange thing is, I still have sound from my sonos but if it was not, my Sonos had to go...
Anyway, next time I buy new sound system, it will NOT be Sonos, and the only reasons are, no hdmi, no DTS, my sound system must work with all, I don't want problems if you buy new TV or new blue-ray or whatever just because Sonos don't work with all...
I am not complaining about it, but Sonos has the right to know this, so that's why I post this here...
If you want a system that works with every standard and keeps doing so into the future then you want to buy an independent speaker setup, choose what setup you want first
A) 5.1
5.1.2 or 5.1.4C 7.1
D) 7.1.2 or 7.1.4
E) 9.1
F) 9.1.2 or 9.1.4
Once you know which of the above you want, then the next step is to go buy all those speakers (so if you want 7.1.2 you need 9 speakers and 1 sub woofer)
Now that you have the speakers, congratulations, these speakers will work with every standard right now and for the next 50 years
The last step is to buy your AVR reciever and this is what does the magic, you just need to get a reciever that is enough to power your speakers and supports all the standards that you want, now in the future when new standards are release all you have to do is buy a new reciever
You will never again have to sell or buy new speakers, you just have to get a new receiver if you want to get new standards (and this is cheaper than buying a new playbar)
Userlevel 7
+17
New Home Theatre product coming soon !
https://www.engadget.com/2018/04/30/sonos-fcc-filing-smart-home-theater-speaker/
https://www.engadget.com/2018/04/30/sonos-fcc-filing-smart-home-theater-speaker/
https://www.engadget.com/2018/04/30/sonos-fcc-filing-smart-home-theater-speaker/
Userlevel 1
I asked a well known UK Retailer when I bought my Playbase and they told me they had asked Sonos previously as many people ask the same question. I only asked about DTS as my understanding is only DTS, DD and 2 channel PCM can be routed via Optical connection.
Userlevel 7
+17
Not if the new speaker after June's announcement, has HDMI and therefore access to higher codecs limited by optical cables to current sonos products.
Userlevel 7
+17
@djsgrant - If you live in UK you could look into SkyQ. Your slow broadband speed will not matter, as it downloads UHD catch-up content onto it's hardrive, could be overnight, then you could watch it when ever you choose.
Userlevel 7
+17
I fully agree with you.
But people on here will just tell you didn't do enough research, and should of returned it, or sell it & get proper AVR with a connect.
The official line is that it works great with Netflix and Amazon prime etc
The only sonos move on that, is that the new beam will work with Atmos(skyQ has started Atmos content) & DD5.1plus, as the HDMI lead tells tv to downgrade them to DD5.1.
Not sure what happens if your tv was about before Atmos?
With 3 home theatre speakers & 3 music speakers, I can't see that sonos is "not that into home theatre"??
Maybe in a couple of years they might change their mind on DTS:X etc if they are still about....
But people on here will just tell you didn't do enough research, and should of returned it, or sell it & get proper AVR with a connect.
The official line is that it works great with Netflix and Amazon prime etc
The only sonos move on that, is that the new beam will work with Atmos(skyQ has started Atmos content) & DD5.1plus, as the HDMI lead tells tv to downgrade them to DD5.1.
Not sure what happens if your tv was about before Atmos?
With 3 home theatre speakers & 3 music speakers, I can't see that sonos is "not that into home theatre"??
Maybe in a couple of years they might change their mind on DTS:X etc if they are still about....
Is this a hint?
What makes you think "Sonos Technical" made this decision, and thus deserving of a "rant"?
Oh dear, pedantry taken to a whole new level. This is why I hate these forums, please refer my original post.
I don’t think my quote from Sonos is insignificant, uninteresting to the users as regards this subject nor is it rude to anyone. It may be a generalisation to say Sonos Technical instead of Sonos Design or the Sonos Cat. I will now go off and thrash myself with sticks as punishment. Great detracting from the point though...
Userlevel 7
+17
I think that is just sonos trying to get a beam sale from you.
Oh and I just remembered that Netflix is coming to SkyQ soon, so that might help you if everything is downloaded to the box.
Oh and I just remembered that Netflix is coming to SkyQ soon, so that might help you if everything is downloaded to the box.
I see Apple have announced that they are moving towards Dolby Atmos with their Apple TV this autumn/fall ... is it possible that Sonos will head in that direction too and simply skip DTS, DTS:X?
Userlevel 1
+1
I just dug up this older article:
https://www.whathifi.com/amp/features/sonos-talks-dolby-atmos-dts-sound-quality-and-beam-soundbar
Pertinent quotation:
__Sonos works with a host of music and movie industry professionals on the performance of its products and clearly takes a lot of their feedback on board. One such person is Academy Award-winning sound mixer, Chris Jenkins (Mad Max: Fury Road, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Love & Mercy). And he wasn't taken with Atmos sound from existing soundbars.... "We found in a product this size… when we listened to some products which were way more expensive that did Atmos…" Martin tails off, making a somewhat unimpressed face. "Chris said to me, 'that’s got good height, but I didn’t put that stuff up there'. And we have to get it right. It would be a good thing to stick on the side of product but it has to work."__
It tells me Sonos will only release an Atmos soundbar only after they have perfected the implementation of Atmos in a soundbar form factor. It has to pass the Chris Jenkins test; if Chris is not impressed with even $2000 Atmos soundbars, then we have a long ways to go. This reminds me of the way Apple approaches things: they wait for others to come out with a new feature, then take their time to release the same feature but exquisitely executed and "just works".
It's possible we'll never see a Sonos Atmos soundbar if they are never happy with the end result. In that case I hope they release individual speakers with the addition of height drivers.
https://www.whathifi.com/amp/features/sonos-talks-dolby-atmos-dts-sound-quality-and-beam-soundbar
Pertinent quotation:
__Sonos works with a host of music and movie industry professionals on the performance of its products and clearly takes a lot of their feedback on board. One such person is Academy Award-winning sound mixer, Chris Jenkins (Mad Max: Fury Road, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Love & Mercy). And he wasn't taken with Atmos sound from existing soundbars.... "We found in a product this size… when we listened to some products which were way more expensive that did Atmos…" Martin tails off, making a somewhat unimpressed face. "Chris said to me, 'that’s got good height, but I didn’t put that stuff up there'. And we have to get it right. It would be a good thing to stick on the side of product but it has to work."__
It tells me Sonos will only release an Atmos soundbar only after they have perfected the implementation of Atmos in a soundbar form factor. It has to pass the Chris Jenkins test; if Chris is not impressed with even $2000 Atmos soundbars, then we have a long ways to go. This reminds me of the way Apple approaches things: they wait for others to come out with a new feature, then take their time to release the same feature but exquisitely executed and "just works".
It's possible we'll never see a Sonos Atmos soundbar if they are never happy with the end result. In that case I hope they release individual speakers with the addition of height drivers.
Userlevel 3
+5
I am fine with the Atmos issue. I am much more influenced by DTS, DTSHD, DOLBYHD and 7.1 decoding. If they can't go all in with 7.1 decoding, at least have a format that 'downplays' 7.1 Dolby and DTS into 5.1 I would be very pleased with that. Those that truly enjoy using Discs to view films 'n such and don't have an option in the owned UHDTV/HDTV to drill what it receives down to Dolby Digital 5.1 it becomes a real problem. The Oppo-UHD-203 that I use has that option so that is what I use. Basically, I route everything through the Oppo to get the audio I want since the Oppo Playbar only accepts optical inputs and only decodes Dolby Digital 5.1 if you want surround. Yes, it will do PCM and basic stereo that sounds way better than a UHDTV, but most of us want surround. You are well versed in these items, probably more than me on most. Thanks for the input
Userlevel 1
+1
Ah, I see your perspective. Yeah, I guess for the time being people who have DTS discs will have to rely on Blu-Ray players that can transcode from DTS to DD in real time. In fact, I see that there's already a thread on this :)
https://en.community.sonos.com/home-theater-228993/blu-ray-player-that-converts-to-dolby-digital-5-1-6736040
+1
For me personally, the Apple TV 4K is the perfect device in combination with Sonos as it can convert any audio codec into a Sonos compatible multichannel format (assuming the source has multichannel of course). I'm using the "Infuse" app which is capable of playing any movies/content (up to 4K HDR) with DTS HD/Dolby+ sound, the AppleTV will convert it on the fly in AC3 5.1 (if you change the audio settings once). Of course it also works with Dolby Digital Plus from the Netflix app.
Another advantage of the Apple TV is the built-in AirPlay 2 support so the "old" Playbar even profits more. There are HDMI switches that support 4K (@60Hz), HDR, ARC, CEC and have a built-in optical audio output (SPDIF) so when using one of these you can even use the Apple TV on the Playbar without turning on the TV (e.g. for music/AirPlay 2), I'm using a Vorke HD41PRO.
Concerning BluRay: are there really BluRays that have exclusive DTS audio? I've never seen one, all my BluRays have a backward compatible Dolby 5.1 audio track. But even if there are such BluRays one has to buy a player that can convert it on the fly (Stereo is not an option for me). My PlayStation 4 does it for example as well as some Samsung players.
Long story short: I was fully aware that Sonos can only handle AC3 5.1 before I bought all my equipment (many years ago) and I'm quite happy that there are possibilities to have at least 5.1 sound in any condition (if the source supports it of course). I bought the Apple TV 4 for 140€ and (for me) it's worth every penny - also quite cheap in relationship to Sonos speakers. It even supports Dolby Vision and therefore is the perfect companion for my LG OLED TV (but this has nothing to do with Sonos). Not to mention all the available apps (even the german SkyQ) nor the HomeKit Hub functionality.
Another advantage of the Apple TV is the built-in AirPlay 2 support so the "old" Playbar even profits more. There are HDMI switches that support 4K (@60Hz), HDR, ARC, CEC and have a built-in optical audio output (SPDIF) so when using one of these you can even use the Apple TV on the Playbar without turning on the TV (e.g. for music/AirPlay 2), I'm using a Vorke HD41PRO.
Concerning BluRay: are there really BluRays that have exclusive DTS audio? I've never seen one, all my BluRays have a backward compatible Dolby 5.1 audio track. But even if there are such BluRays one has to buy a player that can convert it on the fly (Stereo is not an option for me). My PlayStation 4 does it for example as well as some Samsung players.
Long story short: I was fully aware that Sonos can only handle AC3 5.1 before I bought all my equipment (many years ago) and I'm quite happy that there are possibilities to have at least 5.1 sound in any condition (if the source supports it of course). I bought the Apple TV 4 for 140€ and (for me) it's worth every penny - also quite cheap in relationship to Sonos speakers. It even supports Dolby Vision and therefore is the perfect companion for my LG OLED TV (but this has nothing to do with Sonos). Not to mention all the available apps (even the german SkyQ) nor the HomeKit Hub functionality.
Userlevel 1
In order to get a DD 5.1 stream from all my films, I've resorted to using KODI installed on an Amazon Fire TV box, with KODI set to transcode all non DD films to DD. For my 4K films I have to use the built in video / photo player in my LG OLED55B7 in order to correctly process the HDR signal. For 4K films with DTS MA, I've had to use EAC3To to extract the DTS-HD soundtrack, create a DD 5.1 track from it, then remux the film to include the DD5.1 track so I can select this from the LG player. Complete ball ache, but gets my round the ridiculous Sonos processing limitations as they stand.
Userlevel 1
Just to add, most DD 5.1 soundtracks are mixed at 448 or 640kb/s, where as a DTS core soundtrack will be closer to 1.5Mb/s. DTS Core will automatically be extracted from a DTS MA soundtrack by most TV players if DTS MA is not acceptable and will be passed through an Optical connection perfectly fine at this bitrate. So by Sonos restricting their equipment to DD 5.1 signals only, we are effectively being forced to listen to inferior sound quality from our movie collections for the sake of the cost of a DTS decoder license.
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