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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
started this topic

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
J
JamlarContributor I
asked in Home theater
1x Sonos Beam + 4x Ikea Symfonisk???

I currently have the Beam + 2 Ikea Symfonisk bookshelves speakers. The Beam placed in front and the two Symfonisk in the back.  However, I’m interested in more sound in the front as not everything I watch onTV is with proper surround sound and then the Beam is a little «weak» sounding all alone. So I was thinking adding two Symfonisk in front as they are cheap and produce good enough sound for this use.  Would this work? Beam + 2x Symfonisk taking care of the sounds in front and supporting the Beam in stereo broadcasts and 2x Symfonisk in the back as the rear surround speakers? Thanx in advance for any reply and help!

2561
jgatie
2 years ago
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bmowery1013Contributor II
asked in Home theater
Sound issues w/UHD discs on Beam

I have an LG UN9000 tv with a Panasonic UB150 4k player and the Beam (Gen 2).  Lately I’ve been noticing that when playing a 4k disc w/Dolby Atmos sound, at certain points of the movie the sound will cut out for a second or two before picking back up.  It seems to happen when a loud piece of action happens in the movie.  For instance, I was watching “War of the Worlds” the other night and when the first tripod comes out of the ground and crushes the car that Tom Cruise is hiding behind, the sound cuts out completely and the blu ray player resets.  It only seems to happen during Atmos playback and I’ve tried a firmware update on the player to no avail.  Has anyone had a similar issue?  I’d love to fix this as it’s incredibly annoying as I try to enjoy Atmos audio.  Thanks in advance for anything to help! 

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Airgetlam
2 years ago
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AlexalContributor I
asked in Home theater
Beam gen 2, LG C9 OLED and Xiaomi Mi box

Hi,Everything works fine until I connect Mibox streamer to one of other HDMI ports. When I turn off and on the TV, after a few seconds, tv switches to internal speakers. I need to change the output to HDMI manualy or disconnect the Mibox.  Beam connected to HDMI 2HDMI-eARC enabled Pass throughCEC enabledTried to switch Quick start + on and off. Didn't help. Any suggestions? Thank you 

5837
Ken_Griffiths
2 years ago
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HDJediContributor I
asked in Home theater
Can LG TV remote control more than Volume up Down on Sonos Amp?

Just tried to use a LG TV remote with the Sonos Amp (Nothing connected to HDMI port). It recognises the volume control and I am able to control volume but doesn’t seem able to mute, play/pause or skip tracks all of which would be really useful to be able to do with the remote. Am I doing something wrong or is this just nor supported using IR?

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H
2 years ago
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Bobo75Contributor I
asked in Home theater
digital

Can you use the digital on the arc like I use on the play base?

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G
2 years ago
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FriskeAvid Contributor I
asked in Home theater
Can I get surround on a 5.1 setup grouped to Roam Bluetooth?

I have a Sonos Roam that is Bluetooth linked to an Amazon firestick for movies outside in my backyard. The firestick is connected to a projector.  I grouped my Sonos moves as a stereo pair in the front and a sub and two play 1’s in the back for a more immersive sound. It sounded awesome with no audio latency lag.  I'm wondering if I have a beam, sub, and two play 1’s if that is transferable to play audio in a 5.1 set up outside being grouped to the roams Bluetooth or if the Bluetooth portion limits that capability.  I've heard of connecting an Apple TV outside to it through all Wi-Fi but i also don't know if the beam isn't connected directly into a tv if it can send out a 5.1 sound over Wi-Fi.  Anyone have any insights on these two possible set ups? Thanks in advance, Brian

3581
jgatie
2 years ago
J
JimCali75Contributor II
asked in Home theater
Playbase/Firestick Remote Options..

Got a good deal on a new Playbase for the master bedroom. I exclusively use a Firestick which uses a Bluetooth remote. Since the Playbase is IR controlled and has no HDMI ARC I need a solution for controlling the Firestick and Playbase with one remote. Was curious what you all have found to work best? So far I kind of like this option..,Sideclick Remotes SC2-FT16K Universal Remote Attachment for Amazon Fire TV Streaming Player https://a.co/d/fR9KOVr

3335
ratty
2 years ago
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BirujaContributor I
asked in Home theater
TV Autoplay does not work after using Airplay on the Ray.

I am using TV Autoplay (Line in) from my laptop to my Sonos Ray. This works great for PC music, video calls, etc.. When I connect to the same Ray over Airplay, this also works great. The problem is that when I go back to my laptop, nothing plays on the Ray until I open the Sonos App and retoggle TV Autoplay off and back on. Then audio from my laptop works again. However, I don’t want to have to access the Sonos app to toggle autoplay everytime I use Airplay. I might as well avoid Airplay.  How do I get Autoplay to work after having used Airplay?

2172
Ken_Griffiths
2 years ago
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marinheiraAvid Contributor I
posted in Home theater
Feature requests: Volume OSD + Night Mode and Speech Enhancement Scheduling

Hi!I have a Sonos Home Theatre with an Arc, a Sub and two One SLs.I am very satisfied with the system, yet, after about one month of daily usage, I begin notice there are a couple of features missing, that would highly benefit users.First one, is an OSD volume level. I’ve read at least one other thread with this request, and some users replied that it is a TV feature, but in fact it’s not. Depending on HDMI-CEC implementation, TV might show just an indicator if you’re increasing or decreasing volume, but I haven’t seen yet any TV showing a real volume indicator. To get that info, it has to be generate by the Sonos Arc (in my case). This is possible, using HDMI-CEC to send this info to the TV.  In some cases, like mine, I use an Harmony remote that controls volume directly in the Arc, not passing though TV, and in this kind of cases there is no indicator at all (not even if I’m increasing or decreasing volume). Second feature request is the ability to schedule Night Mode and Speech Enha

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G
2 years ago
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Fran1969Contributor I
posted in Home theater
Move or roam as surround speakers

Dear all, just a quick suggestion: wouldn’t it be possible to use roam or move speakers as surround spekers for 5.1 systems? Taht would give even greater flexibility and eliminate the need to find a plug in the right location. Usually, you don’t see a picture or a 5.1 program longer than the 10 hours of autonomy of those products, and the design would become cleaner without any wire! Is there any technical questio that prevents this? Are you planning to solve it out at some point?

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J
2 years ago
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Richard 33Contributor I
asked in Home theater
Surround connections

Can Playbar connect to Humax STB instead of TV optical out? 

15516
N
2 years ago
gburlingame
gburlingameContributor I
posted in Home theater
SUB gets out of sync after update to 14.6 - bass is delayed making it sound like reverb

After upgrading to release 14.6, I’ve noticed that the SUB frequently gets out of sync (lags) relative to the ARC.  When this happens the SUB can sound like reverb - it really degrades the sound experience quite a bit.  Removing the SUB and then adding it back in does not seem to remedy the problem -- the only thing I have found that clears this state is power cycling the ARC.

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D
2 years ago
red-bat66
red-bat66Contributor I
posted in Home theater
2021 & 2022 Samsung Frame & Gen 2 Sonos system - Dolby Atmos

My conversation with Samsung: Me: Does my old 2021 65” Frame TV Model number: QE65LS03AAUXXU Serial number: 0H6V3HAR500017T - support Dolby Atmos? Samsung: Upon further checking, the model you have can only support Dolby Digital where it argues that its codecs are more efficient than DTS codecs, and thus can sound every bit as good or better, even at a lower bit-rate. Ultimately, you can expect a fine home cinema experience from both, and often your choice of soundtrack will come down to whichever is supported by your source material. Me: Does the new 2022 65” Frame support Dolby Atmos? Samsung: Thank you for staying connected, Graeme. Upon further checking directly from our website, our 2022 Frame TV's support Dolby Atmos. You can check this link: [link removed] Me: If you search the above Dolby Atmos is emblazoned everywhere!!! But look at last years Samsung advertDolby Atmos is nowhere to be seen unfortunately.Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct

25852
Ken_Griffiths
2 years ago
jrsvq
jrsvqContributor I
asked in Home theater
My LG OLED remote has stopped working with Sonos Arc

HelloI have an LG OLED65CX6LA TV connected via eARC to a Sonos ARC purchased last November. Working perfectly during all this time. It is connected to a Sub and two Play3 as rear speakers.Since yesterday the remote control of the TV has stopped working and I have to adjust the volume of the bar with the iPhone or with the touch buttons on the bar. The TV remote works perfectly with the internal speakers of the TV. I have changed the HDMI cable to rule out a malfunction of it. I have reset the bar to factory values ​​but the problem persists. For a while the remote worked but the sound switched between the bar and the TV's internal speakers.The sound from the bar is still perfect and I can comfortably watch movies in Atmos and Dolby Digital. But I can't adjust the volume. The only way to do this is to watch TV through a second-generation Apple TV 4K. The Apple TV remote works perfectly through the IR port of the ARC.The TV updated WebOS a couple of days ago but the problem appeared yest

67296
jrsvq
2 years ago
K
KeithmacVirtuoso
asked in Home theater
Dolby Atmos True HD Sources?.

Hello all, just a quick question to ask what content people are playing that provides Dolby Atmos True HD?.4k Blu-ray seems to be one but what else?.Still weighing up options, I have an Nvidia Shield Pro that is capable of 4k and Atmos True HD output from streaming services.Is Dolby Digital Atmos compressed noticeable poorer than Atmos True HD?.I presume best Netflix offer is DD+?.

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K
2 years ago
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hxbxshContributor I
asked in Home theater
Connecting Sonos Beam to Epson EH-TW7000 (FireTV use)

Hey everybody,we are having troubles to connect our Sonos Beam (+ 2x Sonos One SL) to our projector Epson EH-TW7000. Our end goal is to have 5.1 Sound. Our main input is a FireTV Stick.The projector doesn’t have any HDMI Arc output nor an optical. I already bought a HDMI Matrix Switch and tried to connect it with the optical adapter that came with the beam as I noticed the HDMI Arc doesn’t work. Unfortunately I had no luck with getting a connection even through the optical...This is the HDMI Matrix Switch I was using:https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B07Y2GMC3G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Is there anything else I have to set for the sound to work? And if possible a different solution to get 5.1 Sound as I heard that optical is not compatible.Thank you so much! 

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Ken_Griffiths
2 years ago
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Jrusse8Contributor II
asked in Home theater
sub crossover

I just got a sub to pair with my Sonos amp and 4 ceiling speakers that are non Sonos. I am wondering what I should set the crossover frequency at? Sub is under my tv in a larger living room. Also any preference in laying the sub down or standing it up?

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Stanley_4
2 years ago
M
MalmAvid Contributor I
posted in Home theater
Real Dolby Atmos

Hi Guys Anybody know (or suspect) if Sonos will support real Dolby Atmos in the future? By ‘real’ I mean a 7.1.4 setup. It could be with the Arc acting simply as the front left-right-center, and then a slew of Ones or Fives as rear, side and height speakers.  Could that be done via a firmware update? Is it likely? I have a setup right now with the Arc, two Subs and two Ones for movies. It’s great, but real Dolby Atmos it is not:-) Kind regardsMads   

4724
Airgetlam
2 years ago
K
krismusicAvid Contributor III
asked in Home theater
90 degree mains connector

Hi. I am mounting my Playbar on the wall and would like the wiring to be as discreet as possible. I was originally going to use a ninety degree connector for the figure of eight mains cable but now realise that will not work as the socket on the Playbar is recessed. Anyone found a neat solution to this? Any help hugely appreciated.

752
Airgetlam
2 years ago
M
majelbstoatContributor I
posted in Home theater
PS4 Pro outputting PCM via LG CX shows Multichannel PCM 7.1 for Sonos Arc, but rear surrounds have no audio

I have the Arc, Sub, and Sonos 1 in a surround setup, connected to an LG CX via eArc. Previously I had the PS4 outputting Bitstream (Dolby), and Sonos reported Dolby Digital 5.1.The fix that added LPCM to Sonos Arc recently went live, so I updated PS4 Pro to output PCM, and the HDMI input on the TV to PCM. (The output remained Passthrough). After doing this, the System Status page for Sonos shows Multichannel PCM 7.1.However, I now get no rear surround audio in games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. (It’s not faint, there’s really none.) I get the full surround experience if I change it back to getting Dolby Digital 5.1. On the PS4 Home screen, I do get sound from the rears in PCM 7.1, albeit very faintly, compared to Dolby Digital 5.1.Does Sonos not downmix the extra channels properly? It’s kinda bad that a higher fidelity signal sounds worse.

20244127
S
2 years ago
Edgie70
Edgie70Renowned Enthusiast I
asked in Home theater
audio description missing

Hi all , hope you can once again help me out , in the notification panel on my phone it says " Dolby digital 5.1 " , which is great but when I watch something in Atmos it's blank ? As you can see , thanks  

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G
2 years ago
mejustowen
mejustowenTrending Lyricist I
asked in Home theater
Losing Surrounds and Sub audio but Arc still working

LG OLED BX 65Sonos Arc + Sub + SL x 2 This problem began a week or two ago. I noticed there was no audio coming from the sub and surrounds while watching an Atmos movie, the only sound was coming from the Arc. Everything in the app was fine and seemingly still connected. So, I rebooted everything and all seemed well again until I had to pause what I was watching for a few minutes. When I unpaused, the Sub and surrounds were once again not emitting audio.I tried changing what I was watching and tried moving from the Apple TV to a Blu-ray player and even to the TV’s built in apps, same result, no audio from the sub and surrounds, only the Arc was working, no matter what type of audio I was listening to, Atmos, Music, PCM, Dolby Digital etc. The only solution was to reboot the router and unplug all 4 Sonos components, reconnect everything and then all speakers would work again, until there was another situation in which i had to pause or even turn off the TV. Is anybody else facing this r

23027
J
2 years ago
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tjwilliam07Avid Contributor I
posted in Home theater
dedicated left and right speakers

Hello all,I know Sonos can't currently use speakers as left and right channels, but with the last few updates and being able to control things like height channels it got me thinking.  It would be nice if you could add play 5's as independent left and right channels and if paired with an arc or beam would drive the audio accordingly (like how it processes the rear surround sound).  I've looked around at some of the threads but haven't seen any that really discussed if it's more company direction or audio engineering issues that they don't push for that.My current set up (pics below) is Arc, gen 3 sub and two play 5's as rear.  The play 5s for rear are overkill (and awesome) for movies but we listen to alot of music in the common area and they're great for that.  Instead of a dedicated theater room we went unconventional and threw a UST 4k projector (120") in our livingroom.  The wife wanted a clean set up which is why we went with Sonos.  The Arc and rear surround sound is solid, but t

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T
2 years ago
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KingdContributor I
posted in Home theater
Sonos Arc Setup “TV Speakers not connected

I’ve had my Sonos Arc for about a year now and it was working just fine up until about a week and a half ago when it just completely stop putting out sound from the TV. I reset the Arc to factory settings and went through the setup process again and everything goes smooth until I get to “Use your TV remote to turn on TV speakers in sound settings.” When I hit test connection it says “TV speakers not connected.” Not sure what to do, I’ve unplugged all other hdmi cables, the TV is an LG C9 if that helps.

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Corry P
2 years ago
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Dharms2010Contributor I
asked in Home theater
Sonos Beam Beeping

Hi All,  My Sonos Beam has randomly started to make a beeping sound almost as if someone was hitting the mute button on/off in rapid succession. I’m a bit lost on what this could be? This even takes place when the TV is off.  I’ve tried restarting the device, changing my Wifi channel, unplugging as well as a different HDMI cord to the TV.  Has anyone experienced this before? 

5481
Ken_Griffiths
2 years ago
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