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Just bought a new LG UQ90 TV to use with my Sonos Arc.

Arc and LG have latest software versions and are connected by HDMI cable to EARC port. Setup was very smooth - LG even detected it was pulled to a Sonos - and the LG remote controls volume on Sonos.

BUT

Then I paired the LG TV with Sony Bluetooth headphones to watch TV when wide is in bed. Pairing was simple and worked BUT when I select the Bluetooth audio output on the TV it goes to the headphones for about 3 seconds ….then immediately switches back to the HDMI (sonos)! Very frustrating.

If I turn the SONOS Arc off, then this doesn’t happen and the audio output sticks to Bluetooth. It seems as though the Sonos Arc being ‘live’ on the HDMI port is ‘stealing’ the audio, regardless of which output the user chooses.

If I try to turn off the SIMPLINK off (HDMI-CEC)……it turns itself back on a few seconds later if the sonos is powered on. Again if I turn the sonos Arc off, then SIMPLINK will stay off on the TV. So seems that the Arc is sending a control signal to the TV that causes it to always use that audio channel. It’s a pain if I want to use headphones……..

HAs anyone seen anything like this at all?

Sure, anyone who uses CEC/ARC.  The system allows one ‘sink’ or set of speakers at a time. So when you have CEC (Simplink, or whatever they call it), the headphones are ‘fighting’ with the Sonos to own the connection. Which is why, when you turn off CEC off, it works without issue.

Many people avoid this issue by connecting the headphones to the optical connection, which isn’t CEC enabled, but there are some TVs that turn it off when ARC is active, you need to double check your TV. 

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