Question

Playbar : Lack of stereo separation when playing music

  • 12 December 2016
  • 0 replies
  • 696 views

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I have a new Playbar, and I'm wondering if it's faulty - I've read and followed all the instructions/ Sonos links about the available settings etc. The playbar is flat on the TV stand with no side obstructions.

I've not really played much 5.1 content, but when playing stereo music e.g Spotify there seems to be very little Left-Right separation.

I've tried Audio test tones which play frequency sweeps on Left then Right alternately, plus various music which has very clear separation e.g. end of Bohemian Rhapsody where there are guitar sections on each side alternately (not my normal listening but seemed a good test piece:-)
If I get my head right up to the Playbar I can just about tell which side the sound is coming from, but it certainly doesn't project into the room - from a normal listening position it sounds like mono. The same source on a pair of Play1's has great separation, so it's not a source issue.

I'm wondering whether or not my Playbar could be faulty?.(with 9 speakers it's impossible to tell if all are working or not.

I've had a listen to one in Currys, which had amazing stereo (although I guess it was playing 5.1 source). So I guess I need to firstly see if I get Left-Right separation on 5.1..but even if 5.1 sounded great, surely stereo music with distinct left-right specific sounds should sound good as well?

Incidentally, can anyone describe what's normally heard out of the openings on the ends of the Soundbar? On mine it seems to be quite faint mid-high frequency.

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