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Multichannel PCM on Arc


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Are you really not supporting multichannel PCM on the newly announced Arc?

Why? It’s not a licensing issue this time.

It seems like there is always something missing with your home theater products.

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Best answer by Ditte 10 November 2020, 16:39

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Thanks for sharing all of your feedback everyone. We will be adding Multi-Channel LPCM support to Arc as part of a future software update. We don’t have exact timing to share at this point and will update this thread when we do.

Thanks to everyone for the feedback so far. Support for multi-channel LPCM is in active development. We'll be testing over the next few months to be part of a future software update. We will update the community once it's available.

Userlevel 5

Hi all,

We hear you. With a software update today, Arc now supports multi-channel LPCM, bringing new immersive sound experiences for gaming, Blu-ray discs, and more. To get support for multi-channel LPCM on Arc, download the latest Sonos S2 update from the app store and then update your system in the Sonos S2 app. After updating the app, go to Settings > System > System Updates > Check for Updates.

All the best,

Ditte

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Hi Rubeo, I can’t speak to specifics on why it wasn’t included, but I’ll make sure the team knows people are asking for it. Thanks for reaching out!

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Can we get an update on this? @Annazel S @Simon B @Krishma M @Rowena B. @Mark P 

If you have a 2019 LG OLED (B9,C9,E9, W9) and use an Apple TV 4K then I strongly advise you to not update to the 04.80.03 update until Sonos update the Arc with LPCM 5.1 support. 

Because the TV after the 04.80.03 update supports LPCM 5.1 the Apple TV thinks (reads the TVs EDID) that it can now accept LPCM 5.1 so it sends LPCM 5.1 audio however because the Arc doesn't support it yet it then it only outputs 2 channels (Sonos app shows “Stereo 2.0” for all non Atmos content). Before the 04.80.03 update because TV didnt support LPCM 5.1 channels the Apple TV would just decode it to Dolby Digital 5.1 and everything worked well. 

I along with a lot of other users have update the TV and we are all having issues. The only way around it is now to change the setting on the Apple TV to “Change Format to Dolby Digital 5.1” however this turns off Dolby Atmos. 

This is only an issue with the Apple TV. I confirm everything is fine for the WebOS apps and other media devices. 

Really need LPCM support more than ever for the Arc now

Userlevel 5
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Hi folks. Thanks for reaching out and sharing your thoughts here. I understand where you all coming from and as Ryan’s response we will be adding Multi-Channel LPCM support to Arc as part of a future software update. We don’t have the exact timing to share at this point and will keep you all posted when we do. All threads are being addressed and checked here so creating a new thread is not necessary as this has been forwarded and being worked on. Ryan’s response has just been marked as the best answer for you to easily see and know that we addressed it. 

Appreciate your patience and understanding. We and the community are always here to help.

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5 months later and a $800 soundbar / $2k TV with a Switch outputs stereo. It’s embarrassing. 

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I’d also like to request that we get an update on the progress. Pretty hard to recommend the ARC right now to anybody given its limitations.

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This really needs sorted. Having to use stereo is a joke for an 800 quid product 

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Are you really not supporting multichannel PCM on the newly announced Arc?

Why? It’s not a licensing issue this time.

It seems like there is always something missing with your home theater products.

No multi channel PCM means no 5.1 for Nintendo Switch. Arghhh agree always something missing. 

Userlevel 6
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Are you really not supporting multichannel PCM on the newly announced Arc?

Why? It’s not a licensing issue this time.

It seems like there is always something missing with your home theater products.

No multi channel PCM means no 5.1 for Nintendo Switch. Arghhh agree always something missing. 


ooh that's a good point I forgot about the switch. Yeah there is no way to get 5.1 sound from the switch on the Playbar, and no 5.1 for the Arc either 

 

I don't get it, why wouldn't they include this? Ugh disappointing.

Don’t you long for the days when the only options for a coffee were black or white, and for audio formats Stereo or DD5.1?

First time Sonos customer here. I spent $1700 total on an Arc, Sub (Gen 3), and two Symfonisk bookshelf speakers as rear channels. It’s utterly astounding that all these months later, there *still* isn’t even an ETA or timeline on this. 
 

Can we please get an update here? 

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Another vote here for this to be added to the ARC

I’d also like to request that we get an update on the progress. Pretty hard to recommend the ARC right now to anybody given its limitations.

 

Agreed. I am over Sonos right now. I’ve spent a lot of money on their products, and the lack of respect that they show their customers is offensive. Please Sonos, give us an update on where things lie with LPCM. Also, support DTS. Your customers are asking for it. Is Sonos a customer centric company?  I can’t see evidence of that.

Userlevel 2

I think we deserve an update from Sonos on this. A ballpark ETA would be really appreciated considering the price of the surprisingly sparsely featured “premium” soundbar...

Second this, with PS5 a likely contender for LPCM output (they’ve stated no Dolby support for gaming) this is becoming a priority requirement.

Userlevel 1

Blame Nintendo for using a format that cannot be passed over optical, or ARC. They don’t care if you want to take the audio from your TV (that gets it via HDMI) and do something else with it. They don’t want to pay the royalties to Dolby, that’s all.

eARC is the only transport that can handle LPCM 5.1 from a TV to an audio device.

Oh, I definitely blame Nintendo. I just think that given Nintendo’s reputation for listening to customer issues compared to Sonos’, Sonos is way more likely to fix it on their end than Nintendo is. :stuck_out_tongue: Even if Nintendo’s fix would work for far more people at present than Sonos’ fix would given the eARC requirement for supporting LPCM 5.1.

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Please can we have an update on this?

 

I really would like to purchase Sonos Arc to go now with upcoming ps5 but without lpcm its pointless. 

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The fact that they know about the thread and they choose to continue to ignore their customers is so disappointing. At this point, I don’t even expect them to have it done this year, if at all.

 

Complete transparency failure by Sonos. As an owner for thousands of dollars of Sonos products, I’m ticked. 

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I started a new thread with the theory that maybe they are ignoring this one or it isn’t on their radar because it’s been marked as “answered”. I’m not very hopeful that I’ll get a response but here it is if anybody is interested:

https://en.community.sonos.com/home-theater-228993/requesting-an-update-on-multichannel-pcm-in-arc-6849543

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Not sure how to subscribe to that thread other than by posting :grin:

I too would to see this feature together with DTS support :rofl:

Also waiting for the LPCM support for Sonos Arc. Then I could just use passthrough on my TV and ALL problems would be solved with Switch, Xbox One, Apple TV etc.  Ofcourse I want Atmos sound and not dolby digital 5.1 sound. On Switch I even just get stereo as it is now.

I think the Arc should have been release with LPCM in the first place. But good thing Sonos is working on it. I was really worried I had to live with a product that didn’t meet my standards.

Please let me know when the update is coming.

 

Userlevel 1

Add another voice to the “please add support for LPCM 5.1” chorus. As a Nintendo Switch owner it’d be really cool to have full surround support.

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