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Discuss Ray, Beam, Arc, Arc Ultra, 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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Understanding Surround Sound and Sonos

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Ryan S
Ryan S
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Home Theater and Television Recommendation Megathread

Moderator note:  This article was updated in December 2024. Looking for information on Sonos home theater setups? Find answers about surroun...
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6759 Topics
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Derf12Contributor I
posted in Home theater
Possible Solution to Sonos Arc/Home Theater System showing Solid Green Mute Status when TV Shut Off

I have an Arc/ 2 One speakers/Subwoofer system with Apple 4K TV streaming device; Sony A8H TV. The Apple TV is connected via the Sony’s E-arc port. I’m having an issue where the Apple TV sometimes doesn’t turn on the Sonos system along with the TV on startup, and an issue where the Sonos system goes into solid green status light mute mode after the Apple TV tries to shut down the TV/Sonos system. (Others in this community have posted about this problem in the past.)I went into the Sonos app on my phone and under System>TV SetUp toggled off Use IR. I think was was happening was the Apple TV was trying to turn the Sonos system off and on while the Apple TV remote was sending duplicate/conflicting or lagging IR signals to the Arc. Hopefully, with the Sonos IR recognition shut off, the Sonos system will receive instruction only from the Apple TV itself, and resolve my issue.I’ll keep everyone posted. 

9132
D
2 years ago
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pedrosggContributor I
asked in Home theater
Sonos Beam Gen2 Connect to Smart TV but not working with Laptop

Hi all,  I don't really have problems putting my Sonos Beam working in my TV. It stream's Dolby Atmos on Netflix, HBO Max and Prime flawless.The thing is when I connect my laptop to the TV. I connect the laptop with an HDMI cable, but when I'm trying to setup Atmos home Theater it doesn't recognize it and I'm struggling to find a way to stream movies from my laptop to the TV and return Atmos, I'm only getting PCM audio. I understand that the problem might be related to the fact that even though the Beam is connected via eARC the laptop is only connected by normal HDMI.  Does exist a workaround for this?  How can I use my tv as a extended screen of my computer and have Atmos. Thanks in advance!!Cheers  

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2 years ago
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Margo22Contributor I
asked in Home theater
Sync Issues Sonos 5 with iMac HDHomeRun (TV) over airplay

I am experiencing sync issues with Sonos 5 using Airplay to sync with Apple iMAC that has HDHomeRun device attached for TV access. Any suggestions as to how to stop sync issues?

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2 years ago
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MMOContributor I
asked in Home theater
Need help with Sonos home theatre and AMP

Hi there,I used to have 5.1.2 setup with Sonos arc and two play 1’s, but since I moved recently, the play 1’s aren’t really an option anymore. So I was wondering a few things.1. Is it possible to use Sonos Arc + Sub alongside a Sonos Amp + two in-ceiling speakers, and use the in-ceiling speakers as left/right behind the couch in my home theatre setup?2. Is it possible to have the same amp connected to another pair of in-ceiling or wall speakers for instance in the living room, and while running a movie on the home theatre sound setup, to be playing music on these? Or would I need another amp for that?I hope you can clarify for me :-)All the best.// Mikkel

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Airgetlam
2 years ago
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SkinballContributor I
posted in Home theater
sound settings

Hello Sonos,  I love the new app and how it works, but there is one thing that would be really good, is if you have 5.1 setup and you set music playback to full, that you are able to change bass, treble and sub only for music playback. That would be great and would give you the ability to setup the sound for music.  kind regards, Rob

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2 years ago
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ShenzhenSimContributor I
asked in Home theater
5.1 when playing movies from external hard drive?

Hi all, I recently got an Arc and paired it with a pair of Ones in my living room. I can get 5.1 when using Netflix or Apple TV+ from my Amazon fire stick. However when I connect an external hard drive to play downloaded movies I can only get PCM stereo. My TV is a 65 inch Xiaomi 4X.  Is there anyway to get 5.1 when playing movies off an external hard drive?it’s the same story with my PS5 - can’t seem to get 5.1 no matter what I try.  I guess it’s possible it’s my tv and maybe I’ll invest in a Fury Arcana.  

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S
2 years ago
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mark2081Contributor I
asked in Home theater
Sonos beam (Gen2)

I have in my collection a FIVE & One speaker. I decided it would be nice to upgrade my aging sound bar for a Sonos beam with the view for surround sound. Well i am right in thinking because since have the Beam the other 2 speakers will not connect because they are the not the same model. A little disappointed to say the least that i was unaware of this prior to purchase. My understanding was that all Sonos product's were compatible. 

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106rallye
2 years ago
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CardcounterContributor I
asked in Home theater
LG oled tv + arc + sub + sonos amp

Hi I am newbie to sonos family. I have a lg oled tv. And i have recently purchase -sonos arc for lcrsonos subsonos amp with two klipsch ceiling speakers 1. Can i setup my ceiling speakers as surround to be used with TV? how to do this? Will there be a lag in surround speakers if it is connected to arc wirelessly? if i play music in my living room, will arc and sub and speakers play together and work perfectly? Or by setting them as surround i cant enjoy the music? someone mentioned to me sonos sub isnt compatible with ceiling speakers even if connected via sonos amp. Whats the practical implication of this if this is correct? If i am okay always playing arc and sub and amp together, am i really losing out on something?thanks a lot  

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106rallye
2 years ago
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DavLan50Contributor I
asked in Home theater
Arc Soundbar above a fireplace

Hi, I have a Sonos Arc which has been situated above an ethanol fireplace (i.e. not as much heat as regular or gas fire) and I’m curious to know please:1 - heat tolerance of Sonos Arc? Are there any guidelines? 2 - from the picture, does this seem like an appropriate distance?3 - are there any solutions you can suggest if necessary? Thanks  

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buzz
2 years ago
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SanchiContributor I
asked in Home theater
Bluetooth adapter for TV

I have a TV that has only a digital output for audio (other than the speakers on the TV).  I’d like to use a Bluetooth adapter in that digital output to connect to my Sonos Move speaker.  I’ve read that connecting Sonos to a TV via Bluetooth is not possible, but wondering if anyone has suggestions.

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ratty
2 years ago
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David EAContributor I
asked in Home theater
Dolby Atmos, What am I doing wrong?

Hello everyone,I have an Arc, two SL and a Sub. I can play Atmos without problems, or at least in the Sonos App it says so. The problem is that I can't appreciate the sound or Atmos effect.I have Arc placed in front of the TV and there is nothing above it. The volume of the height speakers is at maximum. I play movies with the AppleTV App and the Sonos App shows that it is playing Dolby Atmos. But nothing, I don't appreciate gunshots, rain, or helicopters above my head :)What am I doing wrong? Is Atmos with Arc really appreciated?I would appreciate any suggestion.Greetings. Apologies for the English used in this post ;) I have used Google Translate.

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2 years ago
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MegRyanContributor I
asked in Home theater
Can't connect Sonos Beam to new Amazon Fire Cube

Hi all and happy Saturday!  We just bought a Fire Cube so that we could upgrade our Fire Stick with an ethernet connection (a lot of latency and issues streaming).  We had a Fire Stick and just set up the Cube, porting over settings from Fire Stick and using same HDMI port.  When trying to connect our Sonos Beam, it sees it but we can’t get the sound to work.  We have an older TV (Sharp Aquos from, like, the stone ages … 2011-ish).  Any ideas?  We’ve tried all the suggestions on the Sonos, Amazon and Reddit but haven’t seemed to find the solution.  Thank you!  

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2 years ago
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riffbearTrending Lyricist I
asked in Home theater
x2 Sonos Fives to Turntable

HI guys I just bought x2 Sonos Fives for my TurnTable which has a preamp built in.I chose to pair both as stereo - works great with Streaming services however with my turntable the speaker thats playing wireless sounds really terrible. Almost like its blown. How do i fix this so it plays correctly? I also need to know how to change its name as I chose “Family room” which is the same spot my Sonos arc is in and have to choose which the right one is by guessing.

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2 years ago
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Sean_LuntContributor I
asked in Home theater
Sonos Beam Gen 2 + 4k UHD + HDMI Arc

Hello all, First post here so apologies if anything is off, let me know if so. Anyway, I’m looking at upgrading my current Beam Gen 1 to a Gen 2 to get Atmos. Most of the content I watch is from 4k UHD disks using the PS5 as a player. Now, my TV only has a HDMI Arc connection and not the e-ARC. I was originally led to believe I couldn’t therefore get Atmos but have now read I’ll simply get Dolby Digital Plus (which my TV can passthrough) rather than True HD.However, I have since been told that because 4k UHD disks use a True HD track then it won’t be possible to get Atmos from the Beam Gen 2 without getting a HD Fury Arcana to fix the no e-ARC issue. My assumption had been teh Trud HD track on the disc would simply revert to a Dolby Digital Plus track but I’m now being told that isn’t the case.Can anyone confirm this for me, or tell me the opposite? Basically, has anyone got experience playing 4k UHD disks with the Beam Gen 2 and a HDMI Arc connection and let me know what happened? I d

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2 years ago
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mikeshickContributor III
posted in Home theater
Optical On Sonos Beam seems to have stopped working

I’ve had my sonos optical hooked into a switch which takes my google chromecast for over a year.  Worked great.  Suddenly, my optical input into the Sonos bar stopped receiving.  I changed the chromecast - nothing.  I haven’t tried a new switch.  Nothing wrong with the wire.Can you please advise?

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ratty
2 years ago
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gdaveyyvononerarnaudContributor I
asked in Home theater
LG TV losing connection with Sonos

I have an lg 55uh77 tv, connected to my Sonos beam via HDMI arc. Every so often, the connection will drop out and the sound will revert to the TV speakers for around 10 seconds. Why is this happening?

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Ken_Griffiths
2 years ago
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n1c0Trending Lyricist I
posted in Home theater
Sonos Arc and 7.1 Downmix to 5.1

Hi, I recall that after we got the LPCM update for the Arc, it was noticed by the community that 7.1 LPCM tracks were not being properly downmixed to 5.1 and the end result were missing channels. Is that still an issue today? If I have the Sonos app reporting LPCM 7.1 does that mean I will be missing 2 channels  when outputing it to Arc, 2x Ones and a Sub?Thanks

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K
2 years ago
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riffbearTrending Lyricist I
asked in Home theater
Sonos Arc not working in eARC with LGCX Faulty??

Hi guys I have an issue and am wondering if anyone could please help.I just purchased the Sonos Arc and I cannot get eARC to work.ARC works fine but when I go to – All settings – Sounds – Additional settings and scroll down to eARC and activate it,My screen Text (volume – settings etc) and the sound and image flickers terribly.I've also tried changing Digital Sound Out to PCM – Auto – Pass Through.I'm lost and cant get it to work..Is my tv Faulty or is there a setting I'm missing?Thank you in Advance

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Ken_Griffiths
2 years ago
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jaysun834Contributor I
posted in Home theater
Best Audio Settings for Sonos Arc (with Surrounds) > Xbox Series X > Samsung TU8000

I recently upgraded my old Playbar to a Sonos Arc.  I encountered a few problems along the way setting up, but after hours of searching and browsing threads I think I have a decent understanding of what my issues where and the various options I have.  I’ll give a little summary and then I have some questions in Bold toward the end.  Here is my setup.Samsung TU800: eArc mode: Auto Digitial output:  Pass-Through Dolby Atmos compatibiltiy: onXbox:HDMI plugged into HDMI 1 on TV Speaker Audio:  Dolby Atmos Allow Passthough (for Xbox Apps) on Blu-ray:  Let my receiver decode audo on (like above but for Blu rays)Sonos Arc:  Plugged into the eArc HDMI port on TV At first I didn’t have the TV set to Pass-through it was on Auto, but everything else was the same.  This led to a problem where the audio would occasionally drop out when playing a UHD with an Atmos track.  Often after it came back it would sound worse, then drop out again.   Curious to what was happening here, but when I switched to

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2 years ago
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Lena ToiletContributor I
posted in Home theater
Awkward Living room Speaker placement

I have a sonos beam, 2 ikea symfonisk, a HomePod and sonos roam. I am trying to figure out the best placement for these speakers in our awkward living room that doesn't allow us to sit directly in front of the TV. Any time I try to put furniture in front it feels out of place because it's in the middle of the room blocking the flow. We are typically sitting on the larger couch to watch tv. What would you do if this was what you were working with and keep in mind needing to keep the wife happy.

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buzz
2 years ago
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VitamanContributor I
posted in Home theater
Front side speakers with soundbar

A comment regarding Sonos’ product lineup.Why bother with a Sonos Arc if  my new Sony 85 inch speakers are wider apart?Please, Sonos, come on board with side speakers!What is there not to like? enabling an extra pair will sell more speakers and encourage  folks like me to stay on brand,  rather than start from scratch, potentially with a different brand.  

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106rallye
2 years ago
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Spots2Contributor I
asked in Home theater
Terrible Sound Quality from Ray

I have purchased a Sonos Ray and connected via optical cable to a LG 55 Web OS TV with Magic Remote. Now, everything has appeared to be connected correctly along with Sonos 2 app on my Oppo Android phone. I believe I have tried all settings on the TV and the Sonos app, however, the sound is much less in quality than what the TV produces. Yes, more Bass but quite burring. Voice has like a added burr at the end of each word. Tried more and less Bass and Treble but that does not work. Night Sound and Voice Enhancement on Sonos does also not work. On the TV, I have changed all of the sound settings to no avail. I previously used a Yamaha Soundbar which I now think was a better proposition due to far less sound distortion. Where do I go from here?

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2 years ago
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C BartContributor II
posted in Home theater
Arc/Sub/One SL have Dolby Atmos sound drop outs

After a year of trying to figure out why I would have 1 or so seconds of complete sound drop when watching atmos content every 10-25 minutes, I found a thread that fixed it. Setup is a Samsung Q80, Apple TV 4K, Sonos Arc/Sub/Ones. In the Apple TV 4K, turning off match frame rate made the sound drops go away. From what I read, when/if the frame rate reconciles the sound drops. Hopefully this helps others as it took finding the right thread to fix it a year later! Good luck all!

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Corry P
2 years ago
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philpalmieroContributor III
asked in Home theater
Beam Gen 1 voices low

I bought my Beam when it was first released. It worked beautifully until about 6 months ago. Now voices are low and difficult to hear. I turn the volume way up to hear the voice during a movie or show. However, during a music segment it blasts me. I can’t watch tv like this. I did re-tune TruePlay and Speech Enhancement is turned on. In fact, toggling Speech Enhancement makes no difference. Any ideas? Can a Beam be repaired?

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2 years ago
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riffbearTrending Lyricist I
asked in Home theater
Why is my SONOS arc APP showing Dolby ATMOS when its not switched on my LGCX?

Ive been having issues with my Sonos ARC and i can only get sound stable when I turn off the earc option on my LGCX. Which was then outputting sound at 5.1 where available. NOW however it is outputting Dolby Atmos tho i still have earc disabled on my settings. WTF is going?

36812
Ken_Griffiths
2 years ago
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