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Discuss Arc, Beam, Playbar, Playbase, and the entire Sonos home theater experience. How do you set up a Sonos 5.1 system? Which Sonos work with your TV? Ask your home theater questions here.

  • 8,747 Topics
  • 56,814 Replies
Ryan S
Ryan S
started this topic

Understanding Dolby Atmos and Sonos Arc

One of the most exciting features of the new Sonos Arc is its ability to play Dolby Atmos sound. As with all relatively new technology, it’s...
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AjTrek1
AjTrek1
started this topic

Sonos Home Theater Speaker: Comparison Chart

Published 5/10/20 Exciting things are happening at Sonos. They have just announced the June 10, 2020 release of a much anticipated addition...
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Ryan S
Ryan S
started this topic

Enabling CEC on your TV for Beam

Sonos Beam, the smart, compact soundbar for your TV is now available. We've collected some of the best resources for Beam in the thread here...
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8747 Topics

M
MICKEY_WContributor I
asked in Home theater

Speakers intermittently cut out when grouped with Soundbar and playing TV

Over the past 2 weeks, I bought 4 PLAY:3's. Last week I bought a Soundbar Playbar. I finally had time to move 2 speakers to the den with the TV & Soundbar. I can play music through the Soundbar and 2 speakers without any issue. When I play the TV, the speakers are intermittently lost for a second or two and the Soundbar sounds like regular TV audio. I tried all of the speakers and the same thing happens to any that are grouped with the Soundbar and playing TV. It happens so often that it's not practical to use them any longer. Looks like I just blew A LOT of money unless you can help me. I guess I can always get my refund at Best Buy if I have to but the Soundbar is great, as are the speakers and I really to keep everything. Please help soon or I won't be able to get a refund if necessary. I ran a diagnostic and the confirmation number is: 6804588 TV Model is LG 47LW5300, Serial #107RMTT16169

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T
4 years ago
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EirikbjoContributor I
asked in Home theater

Playbar Audio in: Stereo

Hi, I have recently added a Playbar to my Sonos Line-up and wanted to add me excisting play 1s for surround. Im going to use it with the following devices: Apple TV (latest gen) Playstation 4 and my tv-decoder. My tv is a Samsung UE46ES6805 which im guessing is a Norwegian specific model with another name in other countries? Which makes it a bit confusing when looking for manuals. As far as i know this model came out in 2011/2012 and does not support optical passtrough of 5.1 (?) as its currently only showing stereo and the settings in the audio settings. Can I somehow passtrough the sound via any of the other devices with an hdmi? I also have Panasonic blu-ray player (BDT319). From TV to blu-ray and from blu-ray to Playbar via Opitcal, or would that only help with sound from that specific device? Or is the solution some kind of switch? I know there is a large thread any many others on the same topic, but I couldnt seem to sort my issue. Thanks in advance

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5 years ago
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akchpmnContributor I
asked in Home theater

Is my TV capible of sending Dolby to Sonos?

Hi All Just wondering if my TV is going to be able to send dolby 5.1 to my Sonos via the optical connection? I currently own a Samsung UE46F6400 and would appreciate a response :-) How do you find this too? I've been looking all over and can't locate this information. Thanks, Andrew.

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Airgetlam
5 years ago
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jakemarlowContributor I
asked in Home theater

Help I'm new!

Hi. I'm looking to get a Sonos system. I have a Samsung soundbar and wireless sub. I want to connect 2 play 1s or 2 play 3s (haven't decided yet) to my soundbar and sub. Is this achievable and what do I need to get? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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MikeV
5 years ago
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tom12Enthusiast II
asked in Home theater

Can't get 5.1 audio, only stereo from HTPC

I have a Playbar, Sub, and 2 Play1's setup as a 5.1 system. However when connected to my Windows 7 HTPC I only get stereo (PCM) audio. I have tried connecting the Playbar directly to the PC's optical out port (Realtek) and also tried using the audio channel over HDMI from the TV (My TV absolutely passes 5.1 over the optical output). In both cases I get just stereo. I updated to the latest Realtek drivers and made sure that DTS was disabled and just Dolby Digital was enabled. When I do the sound check in the Windows sound applet I hear audio correctly in the left, center, right, and the 2 rear channels. But when I play a movie that is Dolby Digital 5.1 (AC3) either through VLC or KODI all I get is stereo. I've confirmed this via the Sonos app "about" section. In addition, when I had the audio going out via HDMI to the TV and then the TV's optical out port to the Playbar, the PC only shows "stereo" as the speaker setup in the Windows sound app. It should show an option for 5.1

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5 years ago
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jeff1974Contributor III
asked in Home theater

Play5(gen2) for surround?

I have one Play 5 (gen 2) and a new Playbar -- the former for music, the latter for TV -- both in my living room. No SUB. (As a quick aside -- since I've seen the question elsewhere -- the Play:5 alone sounds WAY better than the Playbar alone for music). I wish to buy a second Play 5 to create a stereo pair in my living room (for music). This stereo pair will also be grouped with speakers in other rooms (for example, I have a Play 3 in my kitchen). I figure I'll take advantage of the setup to also create a surround experience with the pair of Play 5s. A couple simple questions: 1) Can I expect the Play:5's s to deliver a better (or at least equal) surround experience than a pair of Play 1's? For example, will the surround setup be able to take advantage of the Play 5's better base for music and action sequences? Or will the Play 5 satellites just act like "little" speakers. 2) Are there any disadvantages or inconveniences associated with using the Play:5s for both

6
D
4 years ago
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ac921olAvid Contributor I
asked in Home theater

Play 1's showing up when I hit source on tv

Why are play 1's showing up when I hit my source button? They show up as an IP address. Samsung smart tv from 2015

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J
5 years ago
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Glen SContributor I
asked in Home theater

Adding a Play 5 and 3 to a networked receiver?

I'm wondering if I can connect a Play 5 and a Play 3 to my networked Pioneer SX-N30. I've added Spotify to my system and can play it to my main non-Sonos B&W speakers. I'd like to add two Sonos speaker though in another room. How can I do this without a Connect Or, is there no way to do so?

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ratty
5 years ago
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davemaccContributor I
asked in Home theater

Remote wont turn TV on and off

I just hooked up my new playbar and sub, successfully disabled the tv speakers, and configured the remote. I got the annoying message on the TV screen every time I pressed the volume button on the remote so I followed those instructions as well. It successfully removed the annoying message, but now the remote will not turn the tv on and off (it will only turn the cable box on and off). I must be doing something wrong...any suggestions? I have a Samsung TV and a Cablevision remote URC2464.

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ratty
5 years ago
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4x15mphAvid Contributor I
asked in Home theater

Play 1's for rear surround

I have set up 5.1 home theatre and found very little sound actually gets sent to the rear channels. What has your experience, for those with a sounbar w/ sub and 2 play 1's for rears? Do they make a huge difference wihen fed a true Dolby D 5.1 sound?

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5 years ago
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Julius AceContributor I
asked in Home theater

Got two new Play 1s, but sound doesn't sync with my Playbar and sub... Help!

I already had my Playbar and sub connected with with my TV before now. Today, received and try to connect my two new Play 1s. When I music from my Sonos app from my phone, it plays from the two new Play 1s, but not from the playbar and sub. Conversely, when I play the TV, the sounds comes out from the playbar and sub, but not from either of the Play 1s. Before now Ive only used the playbar and sub for tv sound and never played music from my phone. Any ideas how to sync the whole speakers so that whether I play music from my tv or from the Sonos app on my phone, all speakers produce sound?

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J
5 years ago
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hawk0694Avid Contributor I
asked in Home theater

Record player and Playbar surround sound

I would like to purchase and record player and connect to my playbar that is connected to a sub and two play 1s. Could someone give me recommendations on a good set up? What will I need in order to connect the record player to my playbar? Links to Amazon would be appreciated :)

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5 years ago
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boeskContributor I
asked in Home theater

Audio drop out TV to Playbar via digital audio converter.

Just bought a Sonos playbar and tried to connect it to my Philips TV. Unfortunately the TV only has a coaxial cinch-S/PDIF output. Back to the store for a Marmitek Digital Converter Toslink to coax. Now I got a lot of audio drop outs when using the TV as source. This does not occur when using Spotify or a digital radio via the internet. I have no clue what to do. Probably return everything to the store again :-(.

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5 years ago
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harlyContributor I
asked in Home theater

Delay when grouping songs surround setup with songs stereo pair

Hello everyone, first off: I do not have the setup in question running (I only have the surround setup), so my questions are based upon internet research only. I am thinking of experimenting with stereo pairs in addition to my surround setup (playbar + 2 play:1 (sub incoming)) - For me there just could be more coming from the front left and right. As far as I understood, the only way to achieve this is to group the surround setup with the stereo pair group. The reported downside is an out-of-sync between playbar and the stereo pair - which would probably be a deal breaker. My question is concerned with the idea of using ethernet cable to reduce/eliminate that delay. Does the connection type play a role in the delay? it seems to make a difference between the 5Ghz (requirement for surround setup) and the 2,4Ghz. So would hooking up everything to a low-latency gigabit switch help with this setup and reduce the delay or is the delay caused by something else (e.g. routing through boost

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ratty
5 years ago
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robskiContributor I
asked in Home theater

Connect:AMP - can it go to idle mode when line in connected?

I saw the following on this site. Does this mean my AMP will never go into idle if I have my TV connected to its line in? "Idle is defined as audio muted or paused on all players in the household for at least 3 minutes, no cables are connected to Line-In jacks, and no optical signal is being actively fed to a PLAYBAR (in most cases, this means that the TV is off)."

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R
5 years ago
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EFMContributor I
asked in Home theater

Is this the spec for optimal 5.1 surround sound?

In the "Connections," for the Sony XBR-55X930D, it lists the following: "optical digital audio output (can pass Dolby® Digital/DTS multichannel or 2-channel audio from connected sources)" Is that the correct spec for optimal 5.1 surround sound using the PLAYBAR, SUB and PLAY1's?

4
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5 years ago
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demian87Contributor I
asked in Home theater

2 Samsung TV's and SONOS

Hi there, I own 2 Samsung tv's; one in the livingroom and one in the kitchen (it's a space without walls, 60m2), and want to buy a SONOS set. My thoughts: - TV livingroom: 2x PLAY5, 1x PLAYBAR, 1x SUB - TV kitchen: 1x PLAY5 In the livingroom I want to use the standard configuration as descripted above, but in the kitchen I want to connect the TV through 3,5mm jack to use the single PLAY5. When I play music f.e. with Spotify and don't use any tv, I want to use the whole system (all PLAY5, PLAYBAR and SUB). Possible? Or is there a better configuration to achieve the best result? Thanks in advance!

3
Airgetlam
5 years ago
C
conker89Contributor I
asked in Home theater

Sony TV & soundbar - would like to use Play 1 for surround sound

Hello. With the Play 1 on sale at the moment I thought about picking up two to add to my lounge. I have a Sony TV and the soundbar/sub that came with it. My thought was that maybe I could get 2 Play 1's and connect them to the TV as part of the existing setup. Is this possible wirelessly? Thanks

6
A
5 years ago
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StogieAvid Contributor I
asked in Home theater

Streaming music quality from standalone Soundbar vs Play3

I just got delivery of a Soundbar, which is hooked up to TV but is also to be used as the music player in my lounge (previously I've used a single Play3 for music in the Lounge). TV sound through the Playbar is fine, but when playing streaming music (Spotify etc) the audio is not a good as the Play3 (at least to my ears!). Compared to the Play3, the Soundbar is distinctly lacking in bass and generally the sound is less "full". Based simply on the increased separation and total number of speakers (and cost!) I'd expected the Soundbat to sound better than Play3. I've tried playing with the loudness setting and the equalisation on the Soundbar, but still can't get the same fullness of sound (particularly the bass) that the Play3 has. I'm wondering if there's some setting I've missed which will improved music quality? I assume that the Soundbar knows that there is no sub and should adjust its bass accordingly? Has anyone else had a similar experience and was a solution fo

4
Airgetlam
5 years ago
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Stino.MertensContributor I
asked in Home theater

Sound from devices connected to tv

Hi fellow Sonos fans, My father wants to get a Sonos surround with the Playbar, Sub and 2xPlay3. But I was wondering, if I connect a BD, Apple TV, PS3 to his TV ans connect the Playbar to the TV with an optical audio cable, will I get the sound from all the devices through Sonos?

2
S
5 years ago
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RainalkarAvid Contributor I
asked in Home theater

Getting DD sound

Dear all, here is my conundrum: My configuration: Playbar ---via optical cable--- TV ---via HDMI--- PC + 4 Play 1 speakers (2 in surrond mode with Playbar). When I play a movie or a game stored on a PC it would seem I don't get DD sound: I play a movie which has DD and in Sonos app>About I don't have "Audio In". I have Play 1: Living Room (LS) and the same one but (RS) and on both I have "WM: 2". I don't have the Playbar at all. What I know for sure is that the TV (Sony Android) does transfer DD to playbar; meaning, there is an issue between the PC and the TV. Could you please help?

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MikeV
5 years ago
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Charles AContributor I
posted in Home theater

Playbar drawbacks

If you are considering buying a Playbar, keep in mind that in most cases, despite the advertisements, you will most likely not get true surround sound, even if you add rear speakers and sub. This is because most TV's can't output Dolby 5.1 through the optical port. Therefore, all you end up getting is better amplified stereo sound. Very little sound will even be transmitted through the rear speakers. Only way around this is to buy a digital optical switch which allows you to bypass the TV: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=7974. WHY DOESN'T THE PLAYBAR SUPPORT HDMI ARC INPUT? THIS WOULD ALLOW TRANSMISSION OF DOLBY 5.1 SOUND FROM THE TV TO THE PLAYBAR.

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Paulw123
5 years ago
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rewolpertContributor I
asked in Home theater

Position of Playbar upright at 5" or on its back at 3"???

I ordered a playbar looking at the dimensions on the Sonos site and it says the height is 3" When I opened the box and set the playbar upright so it had its speakers facing forward its actually over 5" tall and wont fit beneath my TV. But then there are pictures on the product page showing the Playbar on its back. WOuldnt that make the sound all go straight up instead of forward? Is there a setting to adjust for that? Please help cant fit the playbar and TV right now unless I put it facing up

4
J
4 years ago
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Rb1274Contributor I
asked in Home theater

Connect hooked directly to a tv

Can you hook up a Connect directly to a tv and then use play 1's for front surround speakers?

5
J
5 years ago
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TMB357Contributor III
asked in Home theater

Sonos Home Theater System not playing 5.1 surround sound

I have an ATT Uverse cable box hooked up to my Samsung PN64D8000FF tv via an HDMI cable, a Playbar connected to the TV with the optical connection, and 2 Play:3s for surround sound. In the "About Sonos" menu it shows the "Audio In" as Stereo. I can't seem to get 5.1. When I go to the TV menu to select the Sound output, it is stuck on PCM and I can't select Dolby Digital. Any ideas on how to fix this? Thanks as always. -Tyler

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4
5 years ago

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