PS4 Pro outputting PCM via LG CX shows Multichannel PCM 7.1 for Sonos Arc, but rear surrounds have no audio

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N
Userlevel 5
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At least they say they are testing it this time.

I’m pretty sure they did not test the LPCM update before they launched it, given that it took the community about 5 minutes to find all the problems with the downmixing lol.

I’m not having any issues for my content as I’m lucky the devices I use let me force 5.1 instead of the default 7.1 but I feel for the people that are stuck with 7.1 downmixing issues, hopefully it’s working for you soon so you can experience high fidelity surround sound on all your devices and apps.

SONOS ARC | SONOS Sub | SONOS Play 1 x 2 | LG C9 OLED | PS5 | RTX3090 Gaming PC | Sennheiser GSP600 Headset | Audio Pro T8L Desktop Monitors
K

Just so y’all know, my Sony Bravia A80J has the same issue with outputting LPCM 7.1 to the Arc. So this isn’t isolated to LG.. Sony OLEDs use LG panels, but the rest of the TV is almost entirely different hardware. Sounds to me like eARC and the Sonos Arc just don’t cooperate as well as they’re meant to. 

L
Userlevel 5
Badge +11

Is this issue only with the LG CX?

Anything in DD 5.1 on apple4k tv is output as multichannel pcm 7.1

Blurays on my oppo203 in 5.1  output as 7.1

setting series x to uncompressed 5.1 outputs as multichannel pcm 7.1

 

Unsure if this topic relates to the same issue, can someone from Sonos please confirm, I have had this issue since the LPCM update you released, and it would be nice to know if it is indeed an issue with the Sonos?

 

Thank you

B
Userlevel 4
Badge +7

Just so y’all know, my Sony Bravia A80J has the same issue with outputting LPCM 7.1 to the Arc. So this isn’t isolated to LG.. Sony OLEDs use LG panels, but the rest of the TV is almost entirely different hardware. Sounds to me like eARC and the Sonos Arc just don’t cooperate as well as they’re meant to. 

This is not entirely correct. Use a Nintendo Switch which actually outputs LPCM 5.1 and tell me what you see in the Sonos App when using a Sony TV.

 

The PS5 will output LPCM 7.1 by default, but other devices which actually output 5.1 shouldn’t have the issue with Sony TV’s while they do on LG ones.

1 x Arc, 1 x Beam Gen 2, 1 x Amp, 2 x Sonos In Ceiling Speakers, 2 x Sub, 9 x Sonos Ones, 5 x Symfonisk Lamp
K
Userlevel 2
Badge +4

Is this issue only with the LG CX?

Anything in DD 5.1 on apple4k tv is output as multichannel pcm 7.1

Blurays on my oppo203 in 5.1  output as 7.1

setting series x to uncompressed 5.1 outputs as multichannel pcm 7.1

 

Unsure if this topic relates to the same issue, can someone from Sonos please confirm, I have had this issue since the LPCM update you released, and it would be nice to know if it is indeed an issue with the Sonos?

 

Thank you

You may have already been asked this, but I am curious if you have switched your TV to Auto rather than Passthrough?  Until there is an update, this may allow the audio to be sent properly to the correct channels.

L
Userlevel 5
Badge +11

Is this issue only with the LG CX?

Anything in DD 5.1 on apple4k tv is output as multichannel pcm 7.1

Blurays on my oppo203 in 5.1  output as 7.1

setting series x to uncompressed 5.1 outputs as multichannel pcm 7.1

 

Unsure if this topic relates to the same issue, can someone from Sonos please confirm, I have had this issue since the LPCM update you released, and it would be nice to know if it is indeed an issue with the Sonos?

 

Thank you

You may have already been asked this, but I am curious if you have switched your TV to Auto rather than Passthrough?  Until there is an update, this may allow the audio to be sent properly to the correct channels.

I use bitstream / passthrough for everything. Guess its wait and see if this update Sonos are working on will fix it. I know they were testing it a while back so hopefully it should be released soon.

K

Just so y’all know, my Sony Bravia A80J has the same issue with outputting LPCM 7.1 to the Arc. So this isn’t isolated to LG.. Sony OLEDs use LG panels, but the rest of the TV is almost entirely different hardware. Sounds to me like eARC and the Sonos Arc just don’t cooperate as well as they’re meant to. 

This is not entirely correct. Use a Nintendo Switch which actually outputs LPCM 5.1 and tell me what you see in the Sonos App when using a Sony TV.

 

The PS5 will output LPCM 7.1 by default, but other devices which actually output 5.1 shouldn’t have the issue with Sony TV’s while they do on LG ones.

ah, gotcha - so LGs are incorrectly mixing all PCM to 7.1. Sorry for only skimming the thread. Just tested with my Switch and it says “Dolby Digital 5.1”. Regardless, the core problem appears to be with the advertised supported codecs via eARC passthrough on the Arc. I have this issue with LPCM on PS5, and with audio codecs set to auto on my Apple TV. I have to disable automatic codecs and force to DD5.1, which means I get no Atmos! Dunno how the MVP for LPCM didn’t include 7.1 downmixing :(

B
Userlevel 4
Badge +7

Just so y’all know, my Sony Bravia A80J has the same issue with outputting LPCM 7.1 to the Arc. So this isn’t isolated to LG.. Sony OLEDs use LG panels, but the rest of the TV is almost entirely different hardware. Sounds to me like eARC and the Sonos Arc just don’t cooperate as well as they’re meant to. 

This is not entirely correct. Use a Nintendo Switch which actually outputs LPCM 5.1 and tell me what you see in the Sonos App when using a Sony TV.

 

The PS5 will output LPCM 7.1 by default, but other devices which actually output 5.1 shouldn’t have the issue with Sony TV’s while they do on LG ones.

ah, gotcha - so LGs are incorrectly mixing all PCM to 7.1. Sorry for only skimming the thread. Just tested with my Switch and it says “Dolby Digital 5.1”. Regardless, the core problem appears to be with the advertised supported codecs via eARC passthrough on the Arc. I have this issue with LPCM on PS5, and with audio codecs set to auto on my Apple TV. I have to disable automatic codecs and force to DD5.1, which means I get no Atmos! Dunno how the MVP for LPCM didn’t include 7.1 downmixing :(

No worries.

Yeah the Sonos Arc definitely has an issue downgrading actual 7.1 audio to 5.1 which is what Sonos is working on.

LG TV’s however convert all audio including actual 5.1 signals from devices like the Nintendo Switch to 7.1 which is a whole other issue. Hopefully the new fix from Sonos addresses the LG issue as well.

As of right now, I’d be much more confident if I had a Sony TV of the issue being sorted though, as they are just passing through what they are receiving.

1 x Arc, 1 x Beam Gen 2, 1 x Amp, 2 x Sonos In Ceiling Speakers, 2 x Sub, 9 x Sonos Ones, 5 x Symfonisk Lamp
L
Userlevel 5
Badge +11

Did the latest system update version 13.0 fix this issue , has anyone tried it yet?

I believe it’s helped with dropouts for some tv owners, I will be pretty disappointed to finally get an update system side and doesn’t fix this as well.

I
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

Did the latest system update version 13.0 fix this issue , has anyone tried it yet?

I believe it’s helped with dropouts for some tv owners, I will be pretty disappointed to finally get an update system side and doesn’t fix this as well.

Doesn’t fix this issue

T

Just thought I’d chime in how annoying it is. Also not sure whether it’s LG or apple that’s the problem but my main issue is the loss of volume when 5.1 is output to 7.1.  All channels output to the right speaker, but it’s like the gain is the. 50% of all other sound formats.  Stereo and Atmos come through fine.  Only 5.1 passes through as 7.1.  

O
Userlevel 3
Badge +2

Hi everyone, just purchased the Beam Gen 2 today and I came across a similar issue with: 

Sonos Beam Gen 2

LG C9

PS5

 

PS5 set to “soundbar” and LPCM.

TV set to “bitstream”, “passthrough” (setting “auto” will downgrade to stereo PCM).

Sonos app reports Multichannel PCM 7.1 despite the Sonos Beam only being 5.1(clearly Sonos bug).

Connection to TV using eARC.

 

If I select “audio receiver” instead of soundbar in the PS5 menu, I can force the PS5 to 5.1 channels, then the Sonos app reports Multichannel PCM 5.1 correctly. I don't know whether using the “receiver” option vs the "soundbar” option is a good fix since it asks me to map the locations of the speakers in the room which I don't have (being a soundbar), so I'm afraid the sounds I'll get will be inaccurate. But selecting “soundbar” sets it automatically to 7.1, indicating that somehow the Beam tells the TV incorrectly that it supports 7.1 and thus the PS5 defaults to it with no option to change it.

 

@Corry P is the discussed fix going to solve my issue as well? I have seen people here mostly talk about the ARC but I use the Beam. The issue sounds identical to what the Arc users experience though. Also is there some kind of update or some estimate for a fix? Is it still being worked on (since this thread seems quite old).

 

Thanks!

L
Userlevel 5
Badge +11

2 weeks later and still no response from sonos support, just a simple update on the fix for this will do.

K
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

I have a similar issue but not sure is the same? Got a Beam 2 , LG CX and nvidia shield. When playing a dolby file in Plex i get the correct codec ie: AC3 , i get Dolby Plus in the app, TrueHD, i get Atmos... Plex is set to Passthrough. However, when i play a dts file, i get this Multichannel 7.1. strange thing is that plex is not even transcoding the Audio, it's doing direct play. How is that even possible since my TV does not support dts? I hear sound from the rear speakers but I assume is wrong then?

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

 Hi Everyone,

Well, this is embarrassing!

After some investigation, I’ve found that downmixing of 7.1 channel LPCM to 5.1 channel LPCM was indeed implemented on the Arc as a feature last year, but our literature wasn’t properly updated to reflect the change.

To be clear, the Arc does downmix 7.1 LPCM to 5.1, has done for some time, and we are working on updating our documentation to reflect the fact. Beam (Gen 2) has always supported LPCM and has always downmixed.

Thank you all for pointing this out to me so we can now make sure that this information becomes public. I’m sorry for the unnecessary confusion. I’ll post this in multiple threads.

This other issue with LG TVs is unrelated, but we’d very much like to get on top of it. We’ve requested the investigation of LPCM channels being played from the wrong speakers when an LG TV is involved, specifically when 7.1 channels are reported, and we will reach out to LG with details once we’ve gathered some solid evidence for them. Therefore, we’d very much appreciate it if anyone affected by this specific issue would visit this new thread I’ve made for gathering some details. Thank you.

 

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
K
Userlevel 2

Seems like this is not just an LG issue, I have the following setup/problem:

HARDWARE

- Philips 55OLED856/12

- AppleTV 4K (2nd Gen)

- Sonos Arc, Sonos Sub, 2 Sonos One’s as Surrounds

CONNECTIONS

- Sonos Arc connected via HDMI-2 - eArc

- AppleTV Connected to HDMI-1 - Arc

TV Audio Settings

- Audio Output - HDMI Sound System

- eARC - Automatic

- Digital Out Format - Multichannel (bypass)

AppleTV Audio Settings

- Audio Output - Receiver Speakers

- Audio Format - Auto

- Audio Mode - Auto

 

When playing video from AppleTV that is in DolbyAtmos/DolbyVision all the sound is sent to the correct channels. When playing video that is not in DolbyAtmos (normally from Disney+, Netflix or Amazon Video) the audio is not being sent to the correct audio channels. It seems that the Voice Audio that would normally come from the centre channel is being sent to the rear surround channels.

 

I have tested and this appears to be only be happening when the video/audio is coming from the AppleTV. I have tested Netflix and Disney+ from the AppleTV - TV - Arc and the audio that is sent to the Arc is passed as Multichannel PCM 5.1. When this happens the audio for Voice that would normally be played via the centre channel is coming though the rear surrounds. However, if the audio passed from Netflix, Disney+ apps is DolbyAtmos the sound is coming correctly to the right channels.

I tested the Netflix, Disney+ etc apps that are natively installed on the TV and the Audio sent from the same shows is sent as Dolby Digital Plus 5.1, (not Multichannel PCM. 5.1) and this audio comes through to the channels correctly.

The problem seems to be with the encoding of the Audio when it is received from the TV eARC as Multichannel PCM 5.1, as the audio (voice) channel are mixed up and played through the rear surrounds.

I am not sure if this problem is with the TV or how the Arc is determining Multichannel PCM 5.1.

 

P
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

Sonos support is lousy as hell.

E

I have a similar issue. I just changed from a beam to a beam gen2. I am using an Apple TV as source with an lg cx tv. When using the earc connection and digital out passthrough on the tv I get multichannel pcm 7.1 whenever I play any dolby 5.1 on the Apple TV. Changing the digital out to auto it changes the signal to Dolby Multichannel PCM 5.1. A similar thing happens on the ps4 using pcm. I feel like the lg cx is telling source devices to send multichannel pcm 7.1 instead of multichannel pcm 5.1.

jgatie

I have a similar issue. I just changed from a beam to a beam gen2. I am using an Apple TV as source with an lg cx tv. When using the earc connection and digital out passthrough on the tv I get multichannel pcm 7.1 whenever I play any dolby 5.1 on the Apple TV. Changing the digital out to auto it changes the signal to Dolby Multichannel PCM 5.1. A similar thing happens on the ps4 using pcm. I feel like the lg cx is telling source devices to send multichannel pcm 7.1 instead of multichannel pcm 5.1.

Passthrough is exactly what it sounds like, the audio is “passed through” the TV exactly as it comes from the source.  So if the source is 7.1, you get 7.1.  

S

Waiting on this update as well. I hate having to turn on/off passthrough to get proper audio output for non atmos content

LeeroyJenkins

An update rolled out today for app and speakers, no clue what it does though

Airgetlam

With no listed release notes, it would just be bug fixes. 

Bruce
LeeroyJenkins

From reddit:

 

PS5 audio under LPCM is now outputted as Dolby digital plus 5.1 . They fixed the low volume when selecting LPCM LINEAR. Great job Sonos!

L
Userlevel 5
Badge +11

Any news on this @ Sonos support team?

 

Thanks

T

From reddit:

 

PS5 audio under LPCM is now outputted as Dolby digital plus 5.1 . They fixed the low volume when selecting LPCM LINEAR. Great job Sonos!

This is not true when playing games on the PS5.

I have no streaming apps installed so I cannot test streaming audio. 

My PS5 still sends 5.1 when set to AVR and reducing the channels from 7.1 to  5.1.

When the system is set to "sound bar" it sends the 7.1 LPCM. The surrounds output sound like normal. But no 5.1 downmixing from Sonos yet.

 

LG settings Digital sound passthrough, eArc On, HDMI output Bitstream. (Setting to PCM gives stereo sound says the Sonos app)

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