Home theater

Discuss Ray, Beam, Arc. Playbar, Playbase, and the entire Sonos home theater experience. Should you get a Sub Mini or a Sub? Maybe two Subs? Which Sonos work with your TV? Talk about your Sonos Home Theater experience here.

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  • 51,455 Replies
Ryan S
Ryan S
started this topic

Home Theater and Television Recommendation Megathread

Looking for information on Sonos home theater setups? Find answers about surround sound, Dolby Digital, TV recommendations, and all the rest...
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6173 Topics

M
MSmithSonosContributor II
posted in Home theater

Sonos...you're killing me with your lack of HDMI support

Man, I was so ready to go full in on Sonos. Just bought a new house that I'm moving into shortly and was ready to outfit it with Sonos 5.1 in the living room and Play 5's and Play 1's in other rooms. Then I find out poor support for new Dolby formats....tough pill to swallow, but fine. Then I find out no outdoor speakers....grrr...annoying but fine. But then I find out there's no HDMI. Gahh...What? Then I hear about the Beam and think they've addressed the issue. But now reviews are coming out and it seems it's an entry level product and not a Playbar equivalent. Why are they being so stubborn? When they announced the Beam they should have also announced new versions of the Playbar/Playbase/Connect with HDMI support as well. Sonos, take my money please!!! But you can't have this kind of dough when the product seems destined to become outdated due to it's lack of support of modern standards (arguably it's already there). Sorry for the vent. Just was really hoping to f

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Fantspak
3 years ago
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SolosheepContributor II
asked in Home theater

Play:1 drop outs from all sources while on surround

I have two play 1s linked to a Beam. This is setup as a surround system.Both play 1s can be connected to Ethernet if needed. The Beam is connected to the TV by the HDMI to Optical cable/adapter.what I have been finding is the one of the play 1s the “right” one keeps clipping out when watching TV or listening to music. This happens if on WiFi or on Ethernet.  I’m starting to think the play 1 is faulty or failing. I have done a diagnostic report but not sure how to submit it to Sonos as the online chat is not available number is 1438370456Can anyone offer advice? 

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Corry P
1 year ago
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User103258Contributor II
posted in Home theater

Sonos Arc & Samsung TV eARC connection issues - fixed?

TV: 2020 model Samsung UE50TU8500UXXU Just spent the morning on support calls to both Sonos and Samsung trying to get the Arc to connect with the telly through eARC. I think we might finally have made some progress.In short, the problem was that the TV wasn’t seeing the Arc so it didn’t appear in the list of sound output options. Instead, all I could choose from was ‘TV speakers’, ‘Optical’ or ‘Bluetooth speakers’. I should’ve had the option to choose ‘Receiver (HDMI-eARC)’ too.My first call to Samsung didn’t go well (I had to explain what a Sonos Arc was) and ended up no further on. The person referred the issue to a product expert who basically said ‘There’s a compatibility issue between the Arc and some Samsung TVs’. Like, tell me something I don’t know.Their advice was to call Sonos and see what they had to say. I did, and we ran various diagnostics that all showed hardware was good and everything should be working fine. In fact, it sort of was at that point because the Arc suddenl

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A
1 year ago
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ComodoreContributor I
posted in Home theater

LGc9+Sonos Arc

After not being able to solve the massive sound delay between ps4->lgc9->playbase and the new ps5 not having a optical out to bypass the problem i have one question: Will ps5->C9->sonos arc via earc have zero sound dealy when playing dolby 5.1/atmos? I am willing to pay 800€ again for a system outdated today but i only use it fo gaming so thats crucial for me

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N
2 years ago
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lightmoveContributor I
asked in Home theater

projector recommendations for beam + apple TV

I currently have two Play:1 speakers and an Apple TV and would like to purchase a projector to use as my TV. Can you please recommend any HD projectors that I can use as my TV that will be compatible with with any of the Sonos products that will allow me to connect to apple TV (Play:5, Beam, or Playbar)?

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T
3 years ago
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ordemaniacalContributor I
asked in Home theater

Simple HDMI -- Is there a way to split video and HDMI ARC?

Apologies is this is already in 1,000s of other posts but I have been unable to find it.  I’m an old Sonos User (7 devices are going legacy soon, ugh!) -- I used the trade-up program to switch out one of my ZP-100s for a Sonos Amp and was pleased to see that the Amp has an HDMI input.  I was hoping to be able to play audio from a Sony Short throw projector (an LSPX-P1 -- the ZP-100 of short-throw projectors).  Alas, the LSPX-P1 has only a simple “HDMI out” port and not an “HDMI audio” or “HDMI ARC.”  I assume I would need to get some device that would either split my HDMI into a ‘video’ and ‘ARC’ or some device that simply converts HDMI to ARC.   Looking at the message boards it looks like there are loads of people who need multiple splitters to hook up tons of devices -- for me it is much simpler but I’m still not sure which is the best route in order to get some audio for watching stuff on this projector.    

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J
2 years ago
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rahmanoffAvid Contributor I
asked in Home theater

Projector + Apple TV + Two Amps

Hi!I want to make HT in such config:Apple TV - Projector - two AMPs (1 - for Front Speakers, 2 - for Surr Speakers) SubI need digital HDMI “switch” box with:1 - HDMI input - for Apple TV2 - HDMI output for Projector. Projector have HDMI input.3 - HDMI ARC output for AMP 1.Do somebody did same setup?Do somebody have advice about HDMI “switch”?

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D
1 year ago
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rossveitch_2Contributor I
posted in Home theater

Sonos Playbar + NVIDIA Shield TV Pro 2019 = Dolby Digital 5.1 from Plex / Netflix / Prime Video / Kodi apps

[ X-posted from /r/sonos forum on Reddit ] I'm a long suffering Sonos Playbar owner who has wasted a lot of time and money trying to get 5.1 surround sound working from my Nvidia Shield TV 2015 edition. From the number of posts on the Sonos and Nvidia user forums I'm clearly not alone.Last week I picked up the new Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019 and I'm happy to report that the Sonos is now seeing DD 5.1 from all of the sources I mentioned above. This is confirmed both by my ears but also via the Sonos mobile app > System > About My System > Playbar TV > "Audio In: Dolby Digital 5.1"My hardware setup: Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019 : HDMI Out --> HDMI In : Samsung TV UA65F9000AKXXS : Optical Audio Out --> Optical Audio in : Sonos PlaybarThe new Shield TV Pro 2019 has new audio settings that the old model didn't and it is handling the conversion of pretty much any surround sound format into whatever audio formats the connected device can support, which for the Playbar is just AC3

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JamesDan
2 years ago
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jeminijosephTrending Lyricist I
posted in Home theater

New to Sonos - bass issue

I just got Sonos arc after reading lots of reviews. I want a soundbar now without woofer and surround speakers and may add these stuff later. However very disappointed with sound quality. Almost no surround effect (Atmos etc). But that’s ok. May be my expectation was too high. Biggest issue is the bass. This thing has no bass!. My $200 bose TV speaker has much better bass (that’s all I need). I don’t see many reviews mentioning this despite some early threads. Is this normal? Is there any solution?I use Android device. So certain features are not available in app. My TV has ARC output, but don’t see it’s eARC. Does it matter for bass?Here’s an example. The short movie ‘Olaf's Frozen Adventure’ in Disney+ has deep bass at 19 minute and 27-28 seconds. It’s great with my tiny bose speaker. But almost none with ARC. All comments are appreciated.

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J
6 months ago
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Kaleb3544Trending Lyricist I
asked in Home theater

Soundbar cutting out

Just got my Sonos for Christmas. Not happy....Sound has been cutting out and then quitting all together while watching movies and live tv. Have to unplug soundbar from power source and reconnect. This has happened about 5 times in 2 days. Any ideas on why or what is going on? Would appreciate any feedback. Also got a 1 and Play 1, not realizing you cannot have surround sound unless both units are the same??? This seems odd, why would I need 2 1’s with Alexa. Thought I could do 1 1 and 1 play 1. Sonos, figure this out please. For the price of this unit I shouldn’t be having these issues. Thanks, Unhappy Customer so far.

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5 years ago
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papa267Contributor I
asked in Home theater

Arc sound cuts out when streaming (Netflix, Prime, Britbox)

Sony 65A9G Android (all streaming via SONY Android)Sonos ARC, SUB Gen3 and BoostFIOS QuantaumSound never drops while watching TV via FIOS. Sound drops randomly when using any streaming service, Prime and Britbox are the worst. Restoring sound is different for each service. Prime is the most cumbersome, requiring me to select SETTINGS,AUDIO SYSTEM SPEAKERS TV SPEAKERS, which forces an HDMI error and causes restart of the program. Netflix is more forgiving and usually continues after the TV Speaker selection. This is my first time with Sonos products, at times I wish my Pioneer receiver and Polk sound bar were still installed. I have read many comments on this issue with no FIX offered.

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G
2 years ago
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Bong TyTrending Lyricist I
posted in Home theater

Improving vinyl listening experience with Sonos set up

To all Sonos experts out there! Long post alert and newbie question here -- I would like to know any possible tweaks or practical upgrades on how to improve my sonos experience --  I have the following set up: Room 1:- LG TV- Sonos Arc- Sonos Sub- 2 Play 1 as rear surrounds Room 2: (Room acoustics is not ideal)- Turntable- Sonos Amp (powers the 2 floorstanding Jamo E470 speakers)- Play 5 (as center)- 2 Play 1 as rear surrounds My issues are:1. I would like to improve my vinyl (2 channel) listening experience as the clarity of instruments is not there. I'm only 60% satisfied with the Sonos Amp. It is ok when I play vinyl with the surround sound on both rooms or one.2. But when I play Hi-Res, 24 bit music on youtube coming from Room 1 - my experience is a bit better in both areas. The quality and the listening experience is not exhaustive, even if you increase the volume a little bit.3. I just love to enjoy my vinyl just like the way I listened to hi-res music but I don't know how... Wha

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2 years ago
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PReeves83Contributor I
asked in Home theater

sonos arc launch delay

I had an order in with John Lewis which I hadn’t received confirmation on… after calling this is now showing out of stock so cancelled order to look elsewhere for a launch day delivery. Looks like the launch has been pushed back a week to the 19th June??

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T
2 years ago
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snelldAvid Contributor I
asked in Home theater

Mounting Beam onto TV mount

I've ordered a Beam as it is seems perfect for my requirements. My TV is on a wall mount bracket above a fireplace. I would like to hang the Beam below my TV as there is no wall below the TV to use the Beam mounts (they are all for wall mounting). Does anyone know if the Sanus Playbar TV mount would work ( https://www.sonos.com/en-gb/shop/sanus-playbar-tv-mount.html ) or if not whether there is currently an alternative, many thanks

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P
4 years ago
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pankaj100887Contributor I
asked in Home theater

APPLE TV 4k with playbase

Here is the issue in point wise manner: 1:I recently bought sonos playbase, which have only optical audio input. 2: But my TV has regular 02 HDMI and 01 HDMI ARC ports (I don’t want other audio outputs to use be cause of poor audio output quality) and TV has no optical output. 3: I watch content on my TV using Apple TV 4K , which has only single HDMI port as output. [b]NOTE[/b]: I don’t want to use AIR PLAY for SONOS due to audio lag issues. [b]MY CONCERNS:[/b] 1: If I choose a HDMI audio video splitter will it affect my Apple TV video quality. 2: If I choose the splitter should I use it take input from apple TV and then put HDMI output from Splitter to TV and Optical out put to SONOS playbase. OR 3: I should use Splitter at HDMI ARC as input to splitter and optical out put from splitter to SONOS playbase. What difference will it make between choosing Option 2 and 3 (of My concerns). Please suggest some good quality splitter also. [b]SPECIAL MENTION:[/b] I learned that SONO

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P
3 years ago
arianf
arianfContributor I
posted in Home theater

Can Amp be used as Home Theater 5.1 brain?

Currently I have the Playbar, 2 play 1’s and a sub. In this configuration I’m able to group my Sonos speakers in 5.1 with my TV connected. But it doesn’t support AirPlay 2. I’m wondering if I can plug my TV’s HMDI ARC into the Amp (which supports AirPlay 2), and have the Amp be the brain of my 5.1 group instead of my PlayBar?

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AjTrek1
4 years ago
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sc0gmanTrending Lyricist I
posted in Home theater

Beam and stereo pair

I am wondering if there is any plans to allow a stereo pair to play along with beam rather than rear surrounds,most people don’t have the space to have rear speakers so a front set to widen sound option would be more useful,also if ambients are in stereo in tv playback then why does it switch to mono during music playback

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melvimbe
4 years ago
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michaelghayesContributor I
asked in Home theater

Music mode for surround sound setup

I have a beam, sub and 2 ones setup in a surround sound setup for my TV. It works great for movies and for playing music directly through sonos. The issue I am having is that I watch a lot of music videos on my TV. When listing to music I use the 'full' rather than using the surrounds for ambiant effects. I would love to be able to get something for similar when playing music through my TV.

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D
2 years ago
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SonomaContributor I
asked in Home theater

Playbar Switching Between TV and Music

I just purchased a Sonos Playbar. Everything works perfectly. I can go to the app and play music while I’m watching TV but how do I switch back to the TV audio without turning the TV off and on?

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Airgetlam
4 years ago
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LLL1424Contributor II
asked in Home theater

Sonos Arc/ Sony A9G Arc Idle Black Screen

When I’m watching cable TV, the television goes into idle with a black screen and Bravia logo on the right bottom corner of the television. What is the work around for this ? I’ve tried everything. Seems like I’m not alone as other Sony users have seen this issue. Thanks !  

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R
2 years ago
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ynalezinskiTrending Lyricist I
posted in Home theater

5.1 With Sonos Play:5 Left/Rigth

I'm sure this has come up before, but I did not find the topic in a quick search and i wanted to add my feedback. With Beam/Sub and play:3 rears the resulting 5.1 sound is good. But I can only imagine what adding play:5 to the front left and right would do. In particular to keep up with the sub that overpowers the whole system (because it's so great and powerful). It would not require any hardware changes, and what would be needed is the programming/tuning to set the left/right speakers up. What can we do to convince Sonos to add this functionality? They will 100% benefit from increased sales and customers will benefit from even better sound. Thanks

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Airgetlam
4 years ago
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Reventon85Avid Contributor I
asked in Home theater

PLAYBASE No Sound, When switching TV inputs

I recently upgraded from a Sony x850D to a Sony x900E TV. I had the PLAYBASE connected to the TV via Optical and all sources connected to the TV via HDMI, My previous TV passed through 5.1 through all sources no problem, only issue was the occasional no sound when switching channels on the cable box but easily fixed by switching channel back and forth. However now with this newer Sony TV i've connected everything up the same and same settings within the TV (settings are identical to the last TV) I'm getting 5.1 passing through no problem on all sources but when switching to Cable TV then back to the internal Netflix App or from apple tv to netflix for example there is no sound when playing any movie or tv I have to actually completely restart the TV a simple on an off won't work to bring back sound. I am aware of the issue for some where DD plus with netflix content won't play but ive been testing this issue with videos that do play in 5.1 but then still experience this issue whe

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Airgetlam
4 years ago
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Scott_2Contributor I
asked in Home theater

Can PLAYBAR be paired with a CONNECT:AMP to Create a 5.1 Home Theater setup?

The PLAYBAR specs say that it can be paired with the SUB to create a 3.1 Home Theater system and further it can be paired with two PAY:3 speakers to create a 5.1 Home Theater system. If I don't have a SUB, can I pair just my two PLAY:3 to the PLAYBAR and does that work OK? Also, I have a CONNECT:AMP, can that be paired with the PLAYBAR and would that work OK? My CONNECT:AMP also has a its own Subwoofer, so will the Subwoofer connected to the CONNECT:AMP be able to be used with the PLAYBAR pairing to create a 5.1 Home Theater system? Thank you for your help with my questions. Scott

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ratty
5 years ago
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electronicsukContributor I
posted in Home theater

Sonos vs Heos

I currently have a couple of Play 1's around the house and a Playbar in the living room, with two Play 1's as rear surrounds. As has been covered to death on this forum, Sonos will not (or cannot due to hardware limitations) support any surround formats other than Dolby Digital 5.1. As is also well understood, the vast majority of Blu Ray discs and streaming services output in DD 5.1 HD or DTS, and most TVs do not transcode, which makes my rear speakers pretty much useless as far as true surround sound goes. I've looked at Heos in the past but never took any real interest as although it had everything the Playbar lacked, the one thing it couldn't do was support rear surround. It appears that the recently released Heos Bar can pair with any of the other speakers in the Heos range to use as rear surrounds. On paper, it looks perfect, as it has the two things that the PlayBar has always lacked: HDMI and support for modern audio codecs. In practice though, have any Sonos owners actua

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C
5 years ago
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castallaLocal Superstar
posted in Home theater

Anomalous sound on Beam especially with video streams

Sound drops briefly (millisecs) & randomly on Beam when playing catch-up streams via Amazon FireTV . ARC on Samsung M series TV. Diagnostic number: 660464983

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C
4 years ago

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