Looks like no fix in 15.2, disappointing as I hoped this would be the one.
That is disappointing. At least my workaround is still working (see my previous posts if you haven’t already), so I’m happy enough that it will no longer cause me issues. I’ll still follow this for a proper fix though.
For anyone interested, this is a the cable I’m using which fixed the problem for me.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09YPR5SD4
I ordered the cable. Should be delivered tomorrow. I will test it and report it here, if the dropouts are gone, too.
Make sure you run the cable with the TV at the source end. Fingers crossed this works for you too. I’ve been watching loads lately with 5.1 PCM and I’ve not had an issue.
I bought the cable from amazon singapore and will be testing as well.
I have tried the same HDMI cable as suggested here and I can confirm this solution works for me with the Beam and LG C1: no more dropouts with the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X. I have also upgraded my Apple TV from a Gen 2 to a Gen 3, which fixed the issue of LPCM 5.1 being send as 7.1 (and thus lowering perceived audio quality).
Quite a costly solution, but at least everything is working as it should. I want to thank all the wonderful people in this thread for finding a solution to a problem which had been driving me crazy for over a year.
I only recently realised (when looking into how optical HDMI cables are wired) that my logic analyser can decode both the DDC and CEC HDMI signals, so I found a cheap HDMI breakout PCB on e-bay and now have it connected between the TV HDMI2 and Beam2 using the original Sonos cable (not the reversed optical).
When I restart the Beam2 I can now read “Sonos Beam” being spelt out in ASCII in the CEC SetOSDName command and the EDID being transferred over the DDC I2C channel during the initial boot up. However, when a drop out happens I see no obvious immediate activity on either channel, so I’m thinking the HDMI2 connection is not collapsing every 59s. I haven’t put much thought yet into how I could monitor the TMDS/eARC lines as I think my test equipment is too basic.
One thing I don’t understand though is why HDMI 1 is unaffected. While this may be an unpopular opinion, I think this fact suggests the problem may be the TV after all…..
Purely speculation, but maybe HDMI 1 and 2 share a bus on the board, and 3 and 4 share another. 3 and 4 are affected as they are on a different bus to the Beam Gen 2. So the signal from the Beam Gen 2 to the TV is normal, but the TV deals with it incorrectly on HDMI 3 and 4 or it has an issue passing it between busses. Again… this is purely speculation.
This has been speculated before but then the question is why isn’t the Arc affected if the TV is at fault?
The Beam2 could possibly be sending a valid (but slightly different to the Arc) format over TMDS that triggers a bug when eARC is routed from HDMI3 (maybe HDMI 2, 3 and 4 are sharing resources with HDMI1 having the better isolation). The bandwidths involved shouldn’t be maxing out the HDMI 2.1 circuits though if my A1 can handle the same configuration? So maybe not load related. I was reading about InfoFrames in the TMDS signal, so maybe something buried in there.
Alternatively though, the Beam2 could be sending an anomaly over TMDS and the TV is just handling it differently (but within spec) depending on which source the eARC stream is being sourced from.
But it could also be that both devices are operating reasonably, but so close to some tolerance that only when combined triggers an interrupt/underflow in the TV HDMI circuitry.
There are more things that I don’t understand:
- Why is the issue only audible on 5.1 if 7.1 also show an anomaly on the 1111 menu every 59s?
- Why did HDMI 1 become more robust?
- why did the dropouts change from every 39s to every 59s
- Why does cutting the CEC line stop eARC working, it shouldn’t need CEC to operate
- What did Apple change between gen2 and gen3 to make AppleTV correctly use 5.1 instead of 7.1 - and why wasn’t it back ported to gen 1 or 2 in the same TVOS patch
My C1 wanted to download a new firmware today, but I haven’t installed it yet in case the behaviour changes yet again...
Of course if this isn’t actually a Sonos issue, they are free come out and issue an official statement. After all, it’s been 9 months since this has been reported.
I keep getting marketing emails for the Era speakers and just laugh each time as I doubt I will ever buy another Sonos product again after this.
Does anybody have any ideas about getting this picked up elsewhere, maybe the Verge or Peter Pee? Email to Patrick Spence? Does he still reply on Twitter?
I messaged Peter and he responded, but has his Beam connected to a different TV, so would need to move things around a bit to try and replicate the issue. He suggested trying a different cable for these sort of issues (which I had already tried). Fair play to him for at least responding though.
The issue had been gone for a while without me having to do anything, so I thought perhaps some update had fixed it. However today the TV received a software update and the issue returned immediately afterwards. I’m thinking software updates (as well as power outages) somehow “reset” the state of the tv, including reintroducing this bug.
Anyways, nothing I’ve tried so far worked.
It isn’t clear from your post, so I’m just checking - did you read the last page of posts where a ‘workaround’ was discovered?
If you mean the workaround with the cable then I’ve read it, unfortunately I don’t have such cable and Amazon doesn’t seem to have it available (or they’re not sending it here).
It may be possible to use a slither of insulation tape to cover pins 10 and/or 12 (TMDS clock) similar to others managing to block pin 13:
https://bonigopalan.medium.com/how-i-solved-hdmi-arc-problem-between-a-set-top-box-tv-and-sonos-arc-using-scissors-54e3d0f23ca6
Looks quite fiddly, but if the TMDS clock is blocked then the TV shouldn't respond to any video signal, which reduces the number of pins needing covering. It may actually be easier though to cover all the TMDS pins (1-12) as the extra width will be less fiddly.
I have a short HDMI extender (can't remember it it came with the Beam or not), which should save the TV/Beam sockets from ingesting insulation tape should it come loose, so may try this a bit later.
Not sure of the warranty situation of doing this sort of thing either...
Ok - looks like that cable appears to have worked after about 30 mins of testing. Will report back if anything comes back but thanks to everyone here for doing so much troubleshooting and coming up with a work around!
The only thing that makes me wonder about this though is if this process of reversing what the source should normally be on the cable would have any side effects that may not be readily apparent yet. It seems odd that it only works when the source side is on the TV and therefore you will not get the Sonos splash screen on HDMI 2. If the sound in the end is not effected than I suppose this works fine but it's just pretty interesting that this backwards method is what is working and idk if the this would end up preventing some features that people have not noticed just yet. Hopefully Sonos or LG comes up with an official fix soon but in the meantime I at least was able to find a reasonably priced cable to use.
Just got a beam (gen 2) and two one Sl.
Having this exact issue when Audio is set to (5.1) on ps5 and Nintendo switch.
Very frustrating after spending 600 on a new set up.
Just got a beam (gen 2) and two one Sl.
Having this exact issue when Audio is set to (5.1) on ps5 and Nintendo switch.
Very frustrating after spending 600 on a new set up.
Yeah it’s unfortunate and very frustrating. Over the past few months I tried replacing it with other soundbar systems, and while one or two did sound better that included a sub at a similar price, they all dealt with there own issues. Ones that I found more egregious than this hiccup the Sonos has.
The only other bug I’ve experienced with the Beam over 2 years was playing Resistance: Fall of Man on PS3, terrible audio distortion for some reason (I tested on other systems and they didn’t have this issue with the game). Otherwise it’s great. I do eventually want to replace this system with a full on receiver and dedicated speakers.
I don’t like recommending stepping up to the ARC to avoid this issue because I really believe Sonos should fix this on the Beam, but I’d consider if I were you. Otherwise if you want to go all out, build your own system with a receiver! :)
The Beam is overall really good for a soundbar. They NEED to fix this issue but hopefully you can use HDMI port 1 or the cable workaround discussed a few comments above here if you decide to stick with the Beam.
Yeah, this is also a matter of trust. It’s difficult to recommend spending more money on Sonos after the level of neglect that they’ve shown here. Say you upgrade to an Arc (or Arc 2/Beam 3) and you encounter an issue particular to your use case, what then? Things could even work well at first, but we are just a bad firmware update away from being screwed. Sonos needs to demonstrate that they will not abandon their customers.
I suggest going for a full refund if you can. If not or if you’re into the Sonos ecosystem, use the HDMI 1 or cable workaround as suggested. We are nearing the 1 year anniversary of this thread and still no official response from Sonos.
So I assume you only need to get one of these cables between the sound bar and tv. The rest can be other HDMI 2.1 cables. Just asking as I have a G series OLED and they are a bit of a pain to plug new cables in to.
One of the previous posts mentioned this issue occurs particularly when the device is connected to either of ports 3 or 4 on the back on a LG C2/G2.
I tried using post 1 with my Nintendo Switch set to ‘surround sound’ (LPCM5.1) and it seemed to work for at least half an hour.
Has anyone else had a similar experience to this with other LPCM5.1 devices?
I’m curious about whether I need the cable or need to just permanently switch the inputs. Also if anyone know what might be special about ports 1 & 2 on an LGC2 TV that would be useful (considering all 4 ports are labelled as 4k 120Hz HDMI 2.1 ports).
When I wanted to order the cable recommended a month ago it was out of stock ,other options were quite expensive so I decided to try taping pins 10-12 with a sliver of tape as suggested by @RANDUSR23296 , see page 13 of this thread. HDMI2 does not show the Sonos screensaver anymore (no signal) and I haven't had any audio dropout anymore since 1 month ago. I have not noticed any adverse side effect. If you don't have the cable and/or can't find it you might want to give this a try (be careful though).
Hi @OmriP & @mjsound
I personally really don’t know much about it - I just found the information and shared it with you.
A search will reveal that many people with these particular TVs and all kinds of (non-Sonos) audio equipment experience the same. Here are three examples:
https://www.avforums.com/threads/lg-c1-oled48c16-issues-with-5-1-lpcm-over-earc.2422032/
https://www.reddit.com/r/LGOLED/comments/v9ly92/lg_c1_after_new_update_033006_uncompressed_51_and/
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254122268
The issues also coincided with an LG firmware update for these particular models, and LG are actively seeking videos and other evidence from their customers in an effort to troubleshoot.
Hi @OmriP
So you’re saying LG is aware and is actively working on fixing this?
So I was informed; it’s not something I found out for myself, so I don’t know if this came from LG or from their customers.
Is there any way to get in touch with the team that works on this to send them videos, diagnostics etc?
Because every time I tried to contract them they responded once after several days then simply stopped answering, it seems impossible to contact them.
Sorry - I have no idea.
Hi @OmriP & @mjsound
I personally really don’t know much about it - I just found the information and shared it with you.
A search will reveal that many people with these particular TVs and all kinds of (non-Sonos) audio equipment experience the same. Here are three examples:
https://www.avforums.com/threads/lg-c1-oled48c16-issues-with-5-1-lpcm-over-earc.2422032/
https://www.reddit.com/r/LGOLED/comments/v9ly92/lg_c1_after_new_update_033006_uncompressed_51_and/
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254122268
The issues also coincided with an LG firmware update for these particular models, and LG are actively seeking videos and other evidence from their customers in an effort to troubleshoot.
None of these linked issues are even remotely similar.
Lmao what a shitshow. Skimmed the links:
1st link - PCM 5.1 no sound but DD 5.1 has sound. Turning the TV off and on again fixes the issue
2nd link - BOTH PCM 5.1 and 7.1 does not work
3rd link - Multichannel issue with ATV4K. Sometimes sounds do not come out of correct channels
Most seem to be generic uncompressed audio (arc vs earc) issue. Could be hardware/software, or could just be misconfigurations. But definitely not the HIGHLY SPECIFIC issue we are experiencing here i.e. everything works with Beam Gen 2 except PCM 5.1 which has a dropout every minute. PCM 7.1 works. Sonos Arc works.
While the provided links do not include exhaustive testing and only discussed limited use cases, it is safe to say that “None of these linked issues are even remotely similar.” You can type anything on google and you’ll find confirmations for whatever it is you want to see. And that’s just what Sonos lazily did.
I think Sonos is just capitalizing on the recently discovered cable (and to a lesser extent, HDMI1) workaround. Sonos wants to get out of this mess while the users have quieted down, already content with the solution they mostly paid for.
Edit: Who knows? Maybe one day Sonos will sell an official fiber optic HDMI cable.
Extremely disappointing answer for all the people that has been extensively troubleshooting and reproducing the issue and giving mountains of data and details in this thread...
I purchased the Beam Gen 2 yesterday as my first Sonos product, specifically to use with PS5 and LG C1 48. This is absolutely a specific issue related to the Beam and not LG.
I have used numerous other audio equipment, in a multitude of formats both with PC and PS5. No such issues with any other products. The audio drop outs with LPCM 5.1 are extremely disappointing. It is not acceptable to suggest the purchasing of a non-CRC Hdmi cable, or to switch to a compressed audio format (e.g. Dolby) as workarounds. Further to this, passing the buck to another manufacturer (LG) is not acceptable when there are no reasonable or methodical grounds to suggest doing so. I do hope that this fault is resolved soon, or the Beam will be returned and shall be my last Sonos purchase.
Don’t hold your breath for a fix. This has been going on for a year now. If this bothers you, return it.
Interesting, could you explain how the LPCM 7.1 is the same as 5.1 if you know why, please? If I were to guess, I would assume that either the 7.1 can be down mixed to 5.1 by the Beam, or the extra two channels are effectively "empty" placeholders within the audio formatting?
As far as I understood from people who researched it, they’re just empty channels. The Sonos app will show you 7.1 when you select soundbar as source type, but it’s actually 5.1.
Anybody seeing a change on 15.5?
15.5 update hasn’t resolved the problem. I don’t know if this info is of any help to anyone, but I unplug the HDMI cable from the EARC port on my lg cx a couple of times and it seems to fix the issue. But only for a couple of days to a week, then the dropouts start again, this is the third time I have tried this in recent weeks.
Have you reached out to LG, as suggested in the earlier Staff answer to this thread?
Thank you for the links I will do some reading on these products. Not sure if using one of these will affect the performance of my game consoles for example, HDMI 2.1 features.
For those that aren’t aware, I posted a work around a few months back. Everyone who has reported trying it has confirmed it works. I’ve not had an issue since doing this.
You need a one way optical HDMI 2.1 cable between the Beam and the TV with the TV at the source end of the cable. This will stop the drop outs. CEC will still work. The only missing feature are the images (screen saver?) sent from the Beam to the TV - which is a pointless feature anyway. These cables are not expensive. The one I bought from Amazon UK was £17 (about $20). If you want more info, read from my post on page 11 onwards.
Hello,
I recently purchased the optical HDMI cable that @MJW75 suggested in a previous post. It works perfectly, I have had no dropouts in the last week so definitely recommend anyone with this issue to use this cable.
Seems like someone from The Verge is covering the popping sound issue. Sent them a PM and tagging them in case they’re intested to look into this as well @tomwarren
