Is the Sonos Arc fit for purpose

  • 13 December 2020
  • 24 replies
  • 728 views
G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

Ok, im close to giving up and returning the arc and sub.  I have tweaked with the settings for weeks but can't get the balance right.

We cannot watch a Netflix program or a movie without having to constantly adjust the sound up and down.  The dialogue is absolutely terrible, either too low or too tinnie.  Also when they speak a lot of the times the speech goes up and down in volume even though its a normal monotone sentence. 

Whereas action noises and music is way too overpowering, hence the turning up and down throughout a movie or program.  Speech enhancement I find is very poor too.

 

I am using this with a new Sony Bravia OLED TV with earc on auto.  Not sure if there are another settings on the TV audio output I need to change or if anyone can recommend any settings on the arc and sub for the right balance.

 

At the moment its an expensive set up that is just not fit for purpose.

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24 replies

Mark P
Userlevel 5
Badge +14

Hi @GaryGorilla.

Welcome, thank you for reaching out to Sonos Community, We appreciate your time and effort in posting your concern here in our community.

At this point, I would recommend Tunning your Sonos speakers with Trueplay it will calibrate the room where the speakers are set up and make your speaker much smarter.

I’d also be tempted to do a network refresh, by unplugging all Sonos devices, then rebooting the router. When the router comes back up, plug back in the Sonos devices.

Let us know if it works. If you need help with any other information, please be sure to let us know.

Help others find useful content by clicking the like button and selecting the best answer to your question
G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

Hi @Mark P I have done this already.

I re-tuned trueplay with a different iPhone and have reset everything, including the router.

It is still not balanced, as an example i watched Ava on Netflix last night and I had to alter the volume on at least 10 occasions throughout the film.  The voices and just not clear, so you turn it up but then on a fight scene or shooting scene it overpowers everything so then turn it down, then cant hear voices again and repeat.

In the end I settled for night mode and turned it up as this balances things a bit better but that is not a sound I want all the time as that does not justify the cost of an arc and sub.  I can probably get the same sound, or better from the TV speaker.

G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

@Mark P also tried Umbrella Company tonight and exactly same issue.  When its a gun shoot out its ridiculously loud, so turn it down and then cant hear a word anyone is saying.

I am sure there must be some settings between the TV, the arc and the sub that can get the balance right.

All im asking is to be able to watch something with consistency.

Jeffrey_35
Userlevel 5
Badge +15

Gary, somehow I think it’s consistency of the Netflix content. I don’t have an Arc but have a Denon AVR surround setup with Definitive speakers and the sound management was horrible even with that, and that’s a high end system. I had to do the same thing and theoretically mine is tuned perfectly with “Odyssey”. My center channel was tuned at -4 and I manually adjusted it to +12. 

I am actually switching that out for an Arc/Sub/One SL setup because I was having a bunch of issues with the receiver. I use the Speech Enhancement on both my Playbar/Play 1 setup and Beam/Play 1 setups on my other TVs and they work really well. Look to see if there are settings on your tv as well. 

“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”
G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

Thanks, it is not just Netflix, also happened with Jack Ryan on Prime which is dolby atmos.  Im still playing with settings.

Just found a video on YouTube which I am trying.

Sub at -5 (feels very low but will try)

Bass -4

Treble -6

Trueplay on

Nightmode and speech off

Still not very balanced with speech and action, it is better though.

So far best I have found is Nightmode and turn up the volume.  This seems to balance voice and action but does limit the oomph.  

G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

Thanks, it is not just Netflix, also happened with Jack Ryan on Prime which is dolby atmos.  Im still playing with settings.

Just found a video on YouTube which I am trying.

Sub at -5 (feels very low but will try)

Bass -4

Treble -6

Trueplay on

Nightmode and speech off

Still not very balanced with speech and action, it is better though.

So far best I have found is Nightmode and turn up the volume.  This seems to balance voice and action but does limit the oomph.  

Nope, still no good.  My daughter trying to watch a film and to quote her, "this sound is awful"...…

 

Exactly the same problem, having to turn up for voices but then other sections of film, music/action etc are stupidly loud.  So back to turning it up and down, up and down.  Im wondering if we have a faulty arc?  The sub is fine

G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

I wonder if Sonos staff actually ever monitor this?

I have seen a few people with a similar issue to me.

S

Hi, I am having the same issue as well with my 1 week old Arc and Sub. I am using Netflix and Apple TV playing 5.1 and Dolby Atmos built in with LG 2019 TV.

 

The dialogue are just inconsistent and mismatch with the sound effect. Kept turning up and down the volume through the whole movie. Very irritating!

 

Can Sonos fix this problem or my Arc is DOA???

G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

@Synergic I am still discussing with Sonos.  I can't believe this is the outcome they want.  The gear should be able to cope with balancing dialogue and action.

Hopefully it is something in settings either on the arc or audio output on the TV.

There is no way it would get such good reviews if this was 'the norm'.  At the moment it's all very disappointing :(

G
Userlevel 7

The majority of users love the way the Arc sounds and aren’t experiencing what you are describing, including myself. Every now and then there will be a scene in a film where the dialogue isn’t quite loud enough or the sound effects will drown out some dialogue. But this is rare and very normal when watching movies with a surround setup. I would suggest either trying a new Arc to see if the sound changes or test a soundbar from another brand. It may just be a matter of personal preference where your ears don’t like the sound profile of the Sonos Arc.

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

Definitely not just my ears, it's everyone in the family, they are extreme differences between dialogue and action.  As mentioned volume needs constantly adjusting, in particular throughout a movie.

G
Userlevel 7

Definitely not just my ears, it's everyone in the family, they are extreme differences between dialogue and action.  As mentioned volume needs constantly adjusting, in particular throughout a movie.

What is your specific TV model? Is everything you are watching from your TV’s native apps or are you using any external media devices?

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

@GuitarSuperstar out of interest what are your settings on the arc and sub if you don't mind me asking?

G
Userlevel 7

@GuitarSuperstar out of interest what are your settings on the arc and sub if you don't mind me asking?

With everyday TV viewing:

Bass: 0

Treble: -2

Loudness: On

Night Sound: On

 

When I watch a movie:

Bass: +5

Treble: +3

Loudness: On

Night Sound: On (I only leave it on because I have young children sleeping upstairs)

I hardly ever use speech enhancement.

Sub level is always at 0.

 

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
T

I have a feeling the Sonos is creating a “phantom center”, meaning the Sony is outputting in 2 channel stereo. Look into the Sonos app to see what signal the app is reporting in while playing back audio (not paused).  System - About system.

Then, what devices are you streaming from? The built in Sony apps? Might sound odd, but check if there is a Android TV update for the Bravia. Then manually check the play store for streaming app updates. 

Play around the Bravia’s audio outputs, try changing from auto, you can always change back to auto. I haven’t looked into the threads but many Sonos users here have had issues with Sony Tvs. If all else fails look into those threads.   

Dialog clarity in all sources of content is probably the weakest link for the Sonos arc outside of music listening. I have the full 5.2.2 set up and I run into some scenes where dialog isn’t the best.  

One last question, where is the arc mounted? Wall, TV stand? Ear level? What's the distance from your main listening position and the ARc? 

G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

I have a feeling the Sonos is creating a “phantom center”, meaning the Sony is outputting in 2 channel stereo. Look into the Sonos app to see what signal the app is reporting in while playing back audio (not paused).  System - About system.

Then, what devices are you streaming from? The built in Sony apps? Might sound odd, but check if there is a Android TV update for the Bravia. Then manually check the play store for streaming app updates. 

Play around the Bravia’s audio outputs, try changing from auto, you can always change back to auto. I haven’t looked into the threads but many Sonos users here have had issues with Sony Tvs. If all else fails look into those threads.   

Dialog clarity in all sources of content is probably the weakest link for the Sonos arc outside of music listening. I have the full 5.2.2 set up and I run into some scenes where dialog isn’t the best.  

One last question, where is the arc mounted? Wall, TV stand? Ear level? What's the distance from your main listening position and the ARc? 

 

Thank you for your response.  I have checked and there are no updates on the TV or the apps.  The system says Dolby 5.1 for what i was just watching as a test.

I have tried auto1, 2 and pcm.

The TV is on a stand, raised above the arc.  I would say that the arc is certainly below ear level.

Distance from arc to sofa I would guess is approx 3ft to 4ft.

All the apps I am using are on the,  I.e. not roku.

There is a dolby dynamic and he-aac option for standard or compressed, not sure what that means?

G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

Please can you confirm for the sonos arc what the following settings should be on for the Sony bravia oled TV with sonos arc and sub:

Volume offset

Dolby dynamic range (standard or compressed)

HE-AAC Dynamic Range (standard or compressed)

HE-AAC audio level, if choose compressed 

A/V Sync Auto/on/off

Earc mode auto/off

Digital audio help auto 1/auto2/pcm

Dolby digital plus output (dolby digital plus or dolby digital)

Pass through mode Auto/off

G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

I have a feeling the Sonos is creating a “phantom center”, meaning the Sony is outputting in 2 channel stereo. Look into the Sonos app to see what signal the app is reporting in while playing back audio (not paused).  System - About system.

Then, what devices are you streaming from? The built in Sony apps? Might sound odd, but check if there is a Android TV update for the Bravia. Then manually check the play store for streaming app updates. 

Play around the Bravia’s audio outputs, try changing from auto, you can always change back to auto. I haven’t looked into the threads but many Sonos users here have had issues with Sony Tvs. If all else fails look into those threads.   

Dialog clarity in all sources of content is probably the weakest link for the Sonos arc outside of music listening. I have the full 5.2.2 set up and I run into some scenes where dialog isn’t the best.  

One last question, where is the arc mounted? Wall, TV stand? Ear level? What's the distance from your main listening position and the ARc? 

 

Interestingly normal TV is PCM stero 2 so changed that to auto 1 which sorted it

G
Userlevel 7

Please can you confirm for the sonos arc what the following settings should be on for the Sony bravia oled TV with sonos arc and sub:

Volume offset

Dolby dynamic range (standard or compressed)

HE-AAC Dynamic Range (standard or compressed)

HE-AAC audio level, if choose compressed 

A/V Sync Auto/on/off

Earc mode auto/off

Digital audio help auto 1/auto2/pcm

Dolby digital plus output (dolby digital plus or dolby digital)

Pass through mode Auto/off

Have you tried setting Dolby Dynamic Range and HE-AAC Dynamic Range to compressed yet?

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

Please can you confirm for the sonos arc what the following settings should be on for the Sony bravia oled TV with sonos arc and sub:

Volume offset

Dolby dynamic range (standard or compressed)

HE-AAC Dynamic Range (standard or compressed)

HE-AAC audio level, if choose compressed 

A/V Sync Auto/on/off

Earc mode auto/off

Digital audio help auto 1/auto2/pcm

Dolby digital plus output (dolby digital plus or dolby digital)

Pass through mode Auto/off

Have you tried setting Dolby Dynamic Range and HE-AAC Dynamic Range to compressed yet?

 Yes, but I don't know if I picked that and changed something else.  There is a Sony community on their website but not had any replies.

T

I have a feeling the Sonos is creating a “phantom center”, meaning the Sony is outputting in 2 channel stereo. Look into the Sonos app to see what signal the app is reporting in while playing back audio (not paused).  System - About system.

Then, what devices are you streaming from? The built in Sony apps? Might sound odd, but check if there is a Android TV update for the Bravia. Then manually check the play store for streaming app updates. 

Play around the Bravia’s audio outputs, try changing from auto, you can always change back to auto. I haven’t looked into the threads but many Sonos users here have had issues with Sony Tvs. If all else fails look into those threads.   

Dialog clarity in all sources of content is probably the weakest link for the Sonos arc outside of music listening. I have the full 5.2.2 set up and I run into some scenes where dialog isn’t the best.  

One last question, where is the arc mounted? Wall, TV stand? Ear level? What's the distance from your main listening position and the ARc? 

 

Interestingly normal TV is PCM stero 2 so changed that to auto 1 which sorted it

Okay so did changing from Auto to PCM bring back the dialog volume and fix your issues?

G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

I have a feeling the Sonos is creating a “phantom center”, meaning the Sony is outputting in 2 channel stereo. Look into the Sonos app to see what signal the app is reporting in while playing back audio (not paused).  System - About system.

Then, what devices are you streaming from? The built in Sony apps? Might sound odd, but check if there is a Android TV update for the Bravia. Then manually check the play store for streaming app updates. 

Play around the Bravia’s audio outputs, try changing from auto, you can always change back to auto. I haven’t looked into the threads but many Sonos users here have had issues with Sony Tvs. If all else fails look into those threads.   

Dialog clarity in all sources of content is probably the weakest link for the Sonos arc outside of music listening. I have the full 5.2.2 set up and I run into some scenes where dialog isn’t the best.  

One last question, where is the arc mounted? Wall, TV stand? Ear level? What's the distance from your main listening position and the ARc? 

 

Interestingly normal TV is PCM stero 2 so changed that to auto 1 which sorted it

Okay so did changing from Auto to PCM bring back the dialog volume and fix your issues?

Sadly not.  It's still all over the place in terms of dialogue and action noises.  I've never known a surround system be so inconsistent.  On the odd occasion when it's balanced, such as watching Vikings its awesome but its so rare.  The differences are so extreme.

G
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

@GuitarSuperstar out of interest what are your settings on the arc and sub if you don't mind me asking?

With everyday TV viewing:

Bass: 0

Treble: -2

Loudness: On

Night Sound: On

 

When I watch a movie:

Bass: +5

Treble: +3

Loudness: On

Night Sound: On (I only leave it on because I have young children sleeping upstairs)

I hardly ever use speech enhancement.

Sub level is always at 0.

 

@GuitarSuperstar do you have trueplay on or off?

G
Userlevel 7

@GaryGorilla I keep Trueplay on.

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
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