Samsung QE65QN95AATXXC + Sonos Arc = Sound cutting

Thanks again for the reply!
I download the Refresh Rate app and got really hopeful, but after some testing I can confirm that it did not help the case.

I have also the following still with audio cutting:

• A new source: Windows 10 PC playing Dolby Atmos content. Diagnostics for PC: 1497426989.
• Plex via Kodi on Shield
• Different settings in the Refresh Rate App
• Tried the Nvidia Shield beta function match framerate.

I am starting to really regret this Sonos Arc purchase. :(

Hi @stian89 

I had my hopes up for that one too.

Do you have another TV in your home? Given that the PC had the same issue, if you can test with another TV then that would narrow the source of the issue down to either the TV or the Arc.

I recommend giving the above information to our technical support team, if you haven’t already.

Thanks for responding Corry P. :)
I don’t have another TV, unfortunately. I had an LG OLED65B7V when I got the Sonos Arc Surround Package. This TV had an ARC HDMI port. I was able to get Dolby Atmos from the TV, but it was truly impossible to get the audio/picture in sync after hours of trying and failing.

In stead of returning the Sonos Arc I chose to purchase this brand new Samsung TV, which introduced the audio cutting issue.

I tried different media and different players on the PC (VLC / PotPlayer / Atmos / DD5.1). It always cuts the audio, like on the Shield.

I also purchased a Netflix subscription. It play Atmos from internal TV app with no issues. But all other sound types are converted to Dolby Multichannel PCM, and PCM works regardless of source.

The Netflix app on Shield / PC gives me audio cutting. But playing netflix from Shield I get real Dolby Digital 5.1 (not PCM).

I sent my previous comment to the Sonos technical staff. 

The response was in my opinion dreadful customer support.

As long as it plays audio from the internal app without issue, the product is functioning as intended, and there is nothing more for us to do.

Come on! In 2021 a brand new, expensive sound bar does not work with a brand new Samsung TV if I play something from an external source through HDMI?

The mail from Sonos techinal staff here:

The same errors about the unsupported Sample Rate and Format are to be seen in the diag you have sent while sound from the PC was being played.

Sadly, the way in which you try to use your Sonos Arc here is not what the product had been built with in mind. If the soundbar works while connected to the Samsung TV with no issues, as you've mentioned, then, once again, I can only confirm that the intended purpose is fulfilled and that the product works fine.

What you're trying to use here is third-party devices with which Sonos does not promise fully supported compatibility. They can work, sure, but limited support is expected.

Sadly, there aren't any further tips we could provide other than the ones you have already tried.

Thank you so much for your time and dedication, and we are very sorry that the product you have purchased does not meet the expectations you have - however, as I've noted before, the set-up you are trying to use here is not supported by the Arc.

At this point i truly regret purchasing the Sonos Arc surround package. I knew that there were other, better (and cheaper) alternatives out there. But being a loyal Sonos customer for 11 years I chose the Arc. 

I am still hoping that there is a fix. Software wise from Sonos or Samsung. Or that there is some magic trick in the settings that I have yet to try. It seems like the only option for me is to try another troubleshooting step, HD Fury Arcana, but then there is another 200USD + tax + shipping for something that should not be needed, and something that is not guaranteed to work.

Techincal summary

• All sound  from internal TV-apps works without audio cutting. But when the TV is the source it is automatically set to AUTO (not passthrough). Also most of the audio played from TV-apps (Netflix, Plex) are converted to Dolby Multichannel PCM. But I have confirmed that Dolby Atmos works from internal TV app.
• PCM audio always works regardless of the source. It works both in passthrough and AUTO-mode.
• Auto-mode on the TV always works, regardless of source. But when in AUTO and playing content from HDMI, it is not possible to get lip sync correct.
• When playing from external source through HDMI, the TV has to be in passthrough to make the audio be in sync. When in AUTO the lip sync is off, and it is not possible to adjust it properly.
• I have tried different HDMI-cables, different sources (PC/Shield). Different media, different players/apps. A lot of different settings. It allways cuts out from external source, except when the audio is PCM or the TV is set to auto (and then you have the lip sync issue)..

Hi @stian89 

I appreciate that you must be frustrated. Essentially, given that we know the Arc plays without issue when a TV app is used, we can therefore say confidently that the Arc is working as intended. It’s not that you can’t get any help with this issue, it’s just that we can’t provide it as it’s clear that the TV is the source of the problem - I can only suggest you get in touch with Samsung for a fix (if they have one), or as you suggested use an (unsupported) device such as the Arcana to bypass what the TV is doing incorrectly. There are many users on this community that use the Arcana without issue - it’s just that we can’t support it. But the manufacturer certainly will.

Thanks for replying. :)
This weekend I watched TV for an extended period of time for the first time in a while due to this problem.
And i actually got audio cutting from using the internal TV apps also! Are you able to check the diagnostics to see if it is a similar problem as the audio cutting from external sources?

1. Watched Eurovision through the Samsung TV “NRK-app” (Norwegian broadcasting company). Twice in 3 hours we got audio cutting. The app output Dolby Multichannel  PCM 2.0 audio, and the TV was set to “AUTO”. Diagnostics: 1479483562 and 779150358.
    
2. Watching the Formula 1 series on Netflix from the internal Samsung APP gave me audio cutting at one point. Audio output was set to AUTO on the TV and Sonos displayed Dolby Atmos. Diagnostics: 122715828.

Hi @stian89 

I’m still seeing similar messages from the Arc.

Can you please try connecting the Arc to the TV with the supplied Optical adaptor? You won’t be able to get Atmos, but it would be informative to test. Dolby Digital and PCM are supported over the optical link (even on the same TV, I would expect the optical feed to be more likely to be left alone by the TV than HDMI is).

Better yet, if you have a source device that has optical output, connect the Arc directly to the source device and test that. If the Arc still drops audio in these setups, please let me know.

If playback is solid over the optical link, that would reaffirm that the TV is at fault in handling the streams over HDMI.

Thanks for replying. :)
No source with optical out unfortunately!
Tried with Optical Out from the TV. I think i experienced an audio drop, but I wasn’t paying 100% attention at that moment. Diagnstics for the possible incident: 425689714.
Been in contact with Samsung as well and done a few things (none of them helped).

Here is a step by step summary:

A new firmware for the TV released 18th of May (v. 1056). I installed it and tried, unfortunately it did not work.
Contacted Samsung support, this time they were a little bit more helpful than back in April, but it made no difference.

Here is what we did with:

1. Samsung customer support first reset the HDMI-ports. Then they reset the entire TV. All HDMI-cables were disconnected.
2. I pulled the power plug on the TV for 30 minutes.
3. Removed sub and surround speaker from Sonos Arc, then factory reset it.
4. Started up the TV and set it up. Connected only HDMI 1 (Shield) and HDMI3 (Sonos) when the TV asked for it.
5. Set up Sonos Arc from the Sonos app (only the Arc).
6. On the TV i set audio output to AUTO and eARC to Auto.
7. I set Input Signal Plus to ON for HDMI 1 and 3. This made the sound disappear.
8. Restarted the TV by holding the power button on the remote. The sound returned.
9. Restarted Nvidia Shield and quit all applications.
10. Started an episode with Dolby Atmos content from Plex on the Shield.
11. 16 minutes in: Audio drop
12. Changed to HDMI - Optical adapter.
13. Passthrough then changed to Auto (causing lip sync issue) and Atmos changed to DD 5.1.
14. I believe there was a small audio cut after 15 minutes, but I am not 100% sure as I was not giving it my full attention. Sonos Diagnostic: 425689714.
15. Put the Arc back in the HDMI3 port.
16. Turned off Input Signal Plus for both HDMI1 and 3, set the TV to passthrough and restarted it.
17. Started a new episode from Plex. Audio cut out after 17 minutes.
18. Found a thread on AVSForum.com which had a theory that CPU/memory overload on the TV is causing this due to the TV network constantly pinging websited. Disconnected LAN and WiFI and tried again. Audio cut out like normal at: 18 minutes.
19. Another tip was that since my TV only has HDMI2.1 ports, it is more sensitive to interference than HDMI2.0 ports.Rewired the HDMI-cables to come out in front of my TV-bench, to avoid other wires in the back of the TV-bench. I also swapped the cables in this process. Audio still cut out after 18,5 minutes.

There must be a compability issue between Samsung and Sonos. Samsung support said that my next step (if the issue is on their end) is to order a service technician. If there is nothing wrong with the TV and this is due to a compability issue, I will have to pay the Samsung service technician to come take a look...

Hi @stian89 

Thanks for updating with the steps you’ve tried.

The diagnostics show cut-outs 24 seconds before the diagnostic was sent. I assume this matches with what you thought you might have heard?

I believe the only way to ever know for sure is to try another TV or Arc - and we don’t have enough proof of the Arc being at fault to authorise a replacement at this point. Are you sure you have no old cable-TV boxes or satellite-TV boxes lying around with optical outputs? Even a desktop PC will have optical out, so playing a movie on the PC in Dolby Digital with the Arc connected directly to it would be a good test, if that’s possible?

Again, if that works faultlessly, then that would indicate that the TV is the problem, but I don’t know if Samsung would just classify that as incompatibility. While we aren’t aware of any such incompatibility, our knowledge of such things is mainly driven by customer reporting, so if no-one has used this particular QE65QN95AATXXC TV in conjunction with an Arc before, we’d know nothing of it. 

24 seconds sounds about right. :)
Tried the Sonos Arc with my desktop computer through Optical Out. Played Atmos Content (shows up as DD 5.1). After 25 minutes there  are no audio drops.

So​ the problem must be compability issue with the Samsung TV..

Earlier I was in contact with Samsung over the phone.
Now I sent an e-mail request through a contact form with my findings. The answer below is probably just from a random support agent and  they do not seem interested in helping out:

 After all the troubleshooting which has been done, unfortunately it seems like the Sonos Soundbar is not compatible with the TV.​​​​​​

Hi @stian89 

Atmos can’t “fit” on the optical cable, so DD is expected. If you’re happy to call it after 25 minutes, great - but you might want to extend the testing a bit.

It certainly seems like the TV is at fault.

Something you could do is buy another (cheap) brand of soundbar to test - if it has the same problems as the Arc has when connected to the TV, then that’s something to feed back to Samsung. If the TV is in-warranty, that should be enough to convince them to try a replacement. You could then return the test soundbar for a full refund. If the other soundbar doesn’t display the same issue, then perhaps Samsung are correct in their incompatibility assessment. At this point, you’d need to choose between the Arc and the TV, or a third-party option that I can’t really recommend, but others on the community can.