Well my guess is this is the sound signature of the ARC and if you don’t like it just move on to the next one. I can’t imagine Sonos will address this as if majority of the customers are not aware of this then no point of fixing.  Further changing this might affect surround effects and then u will have another group say the soundstage collapses and lack details etc. If u are into audio then u know how many diff brands of speakers with diff sound signature to satisfy diff taste.  

One big advantage of discrete speakers and the AVR- you can EQ it the way you want (the control you get is amazing). And since they are separate speakers placed in the physical space, surround remains largely unaffected. Of course, you need to live with a few extra wires and sizeable speakers.

I agree that soundbars can not please all the customers. Tiny 2/3 inches elliptical drivers can only do so much. DSP is fancy and have come a long way, but won’t beat Physics.

I’m not sure if my opinion would be much different if I hadn’t come from Samsung Q90r. Which had its own issues in regards to speakers disconnects and poor software support, but comparing the sound quality of that and I mean the general overall sound not just the atmos, that sounded so so much better, was great sounding what ever you played. So having to pay a lot more to get a full Sonos system I would expect this to be just as good if not better than the Samsung in sound quality, that’s why I have such an issue with the sound from the ARC. I can’t believe Sonos would just release a product like this and that’s how it’s meant to sound.

Dont necessarily agree with this you could get the Arc today and be satisfied and happy with it. Many are keeping theirs. LCPM support was never promised at launch, and yes it means your gaming wont have surround but stereo gaming sounds great and good enough for me for the time being. In terms of apple TV not sure how it even matters (basides some TVS having issues if they hasve LPCM and the arc doesnt) but my apple tv plays surround just fine and sounds great

The beta product statement I dont agree with either,  because my functionality isn’t reduced or buggy. During normal use I do not notice any issues. And theres manyt people saying this on reddit and here. They got their arcs and are happy with the arc and will be keeping it. So the only way of knowing is trying it out! @dhewitt  no need to wait months .  Unless you decide you dont want to deal with a potential return hassle (not even that big of a hassle but ok) 

Do you have the full 5.1 setup or just the Arc? This is interesting since I saw someone on reddit saying they liked the full 5.1 Arc more than q90r

@Jean C. - I chatted with support this afternoon, submitted diagnostics, and was told there were no problems they could detect and I should contact Sales via phone. I mostly hear the tinny audio with dialogue. What should I do since chat support didn’t ask for any more information.

Mine is going back soon I’ve bought a full 7.2.4 system with proper speakers so this arc is going back

Could you let me know what system did you go with? I am also planning to go with the traditional route of receiver + speakers. I am pretty novice with this setup. Any input and suggestions would be great. I know this is not the correct forum but still throwing it out here since Sonos doesn't seem to help in anyways here.

If it helps- I live in an apartment and I am going with KEF Q150s bookshelves as R/L, Q650C center, and Denon X1600H receiver. It will be a 3.0 system. I need to wait till the sale drops though as you can get them (Reciever is extra) at the cost of Arc. I have heard this 3.0 system, and man, it will put the Arc to shame.

Are you on the Sonos Defense Council? This isn’t the “Sonos Arc Rich and Full Sound” thread. We’re trying to get to an issue 95% of us are expressing in this thread and you’re acting like we need non-qualified customer support. Glad you’re enjoying yours. Start a thread about it.
 

Guys it sounds like Sonos isn’t seeing issues with the Arc. It’s unfortunate but it’s okay. I’ve made several speaker purchases that I regret. I know the Sonos ecosystem is a big investment so I’d just keep what’s working and maybe start looking for another home theater solution. That’s what I’m doing. I’m keeping my Play 5’s for music and moving on. 

Cool great, thank you. I was looking at the KEF Q series, B&W 606, or 607 series or ELAC debut 2.0 B6(read good reviews of ELAC and a pair cost only about $300) bookshelf to pair with a receiver. Just waiting for some deal and probably add a SVS sub later when it goes on the deal. Probably need to spend over the ARC but getting rid of ARC + Sub I should be good to use that money for this setup. Let me know what do you think?

You can find Q150 pair for $300 on sale. I would go with KEF instead of ELAC. then you can either buy Q250C or 650C for timber matching. Look for accesories4less.com. You can find official certified refurbs there much cheaper than buying new. Comes with 5 years warranty too. SVS sub sounds good.

Dude chill , I am just commenting since people here are asking for summary. Remember people dont have the arc and some are looking for feedback like that poster. They see this giant thread and incorrectly assume everyone has issues and hates the arc. The arc is a piece of poop bla bla bla. 

I am not defending SONOS, have stated time after time there are issues with the soundbar., especially at higher volumes. My advice was simply it is better to test it in person because there is a large standard deviation (bug, expectations? hardware defects? who knows)  in satisfaction with the product. And I stated theres a good chance this person gets the arc and doesnt hear any metallic or tinny issues and is happy.  I am following these threads because I am interested in SONOS response and many people have constructive conversations. For example, some discovered retuning with other iphones helped the issue which led me to retune etc…. 

Exactly. There are a couple of people that keep coming here and defending Sonos and it’s annoying. If you’re not experiencing a problem, great! But coming here and saying that you don’t have any issues with your Arc or defending Sonos for prematurely releasing a product that wasn’t ready for launch or is plagued with issues is annoying and counterproductive to THIS thread.

Couldn’t agree more!  Start a thread called “I love my Arc” and sing all the praises you want. I am sure those browsing the forum will find that positive thread and buy the Arc if they wish. Posting them here just gives Sonos the incentive to ignore this thread as they have been doing.

@sebas1509 Then do mention in your “summary” that there are issues at higher volumes and there is a large standard deviation in the satisfaction which means there are many people on the lower end of the “not happy” spectrum as well. 

Not going to quote here because the indentation is getting ridiculous.  I’m amused by the people who are crapping all over @sebas1509 because his comments are “counterproductive” and “annoying.”  But whining about the same issue over-and-over even after you’ve returned your Arc and purchased another system.  Now that’s productive...

I agree @bjl that its not fair to target @sebas1509 for his statement. It’s just simple human psychology when a group of people is whining about a problem they are facing to get attention from Sonos, in this forum and meantime if someone else comes up and says “it's ok, its fine for some of us and if you don’t like it just return and buy something else”. Is going to piss off people and they are indeed going to be tough on those folks

The people here are not haters of Sonos but really passionate folks who want to keep the ARC and ready to help Sonos. The least they want is some form of acknowledgment from Sonos. 

So it is counterproductive to come here and say its working fine because it's clearly not for many here.  

So what If people have returned the Arc? How sure are you that they would not come back and buy if the issue is addressed and fixed? So whether someone has returned or still having the ARC is not the point here. 

I have been trying to organise a return of my arc for over a week. I have emailed them 3 times to chase it - twice getting a generic response asking if they have solved the problem to my satisfaction (with no other reply or action) and once apologising saying the ‘return has been stuck in the system’ and that they will be in touch to tell me how to proceed with the return (that was 3 days ago). 

I get things are bit tougher with COVID but this seems a bit odd doesn’t it ???

I also returned a sub to them, which was received by them at the end of June but I am still waiting for a refund. I have emailed them and have had no response. Is their customer service usually this bad???

I tried too to no avail. I thought I could chat to return it, but no and then they said go online, but that did not work. Just call and get ready to be on hold for a loooong time :/

Good luck. I just brought mine to UPS ….

I used to own the Samsung n950. While the soundbar sounded great by itself, the surrounds and the sub sounded dead when listening to non-Atmos movies. I don’t have this problem with my Sonos 5.1 system.

Thats correct, however both share the same sound profile and drivers. The difference between the two is mostly about the addition of Voice assistants on the Soundbar 700 and support of HDMI 2.1. Additionally they took away HDMI input from Bose Soundbar 700. It was available on ST 300. 

All you needed was the Sonos Sub and surrounds, problem solved.

@Jean C. i have submitted the diagnostics as per @Scott - Sonos suggestion, I also have a video example recorded on my phone I could send that shows all the sibilance that is quite fatiguing on the ears.

happy to send any examples or info over.

The replacement unit isn’t as bad but the issue is still there.