Sonos Arc Muddy/Bottoming out Bass

Hey Sonos, @Scott - Sonos, @Jean C. 

As I write this, we’re on page 41. We’ve all noted that communication from Sonos has been spotty at best. Sonos seems to believe that we should all trust the company to get this right, even on little to no information. Here is what I would ask:
1. Acknowledge the problem(s) that Sonos is working on with the Arc.

2. Give us some idea of a time frame or at least what you are pursuing regarding a fix.

3. Extend the return window for customers beyond the 45 days for those who log a ticket with support.

There seem to be a number of users with this problem. Extending the return window gives us all confidence that we’re not going to be stuck with a subpar soundbar. It gives Sonos a bunch of users to test builds or updates on. I’m afraid if you don’t fix this soon or do something like suggested to give us some assurance, you’ll end up with a pile of used Arcs and lose the feedback you desperately need to make this product what it should be. Not to mention that anyone buying an Arc is also highly likely to buy additional Sonos product. This isn’t just a single sale, but your future customers that you are winning or losing depending on how you handle this.

Here is a snippet of the Compression graph from RTINGS.com in red it shows the Arc at high volume and on green it shows the Beam at high volume. There is a noticeable dip there for red, this is not what is expected at that range. Note this only happens at high volume. The other green (mostly flat line) is the Arc at 80dB SPL level (not as loud) which is flat as it is ideal. It is normal for speakers to struggle at higher volumes but theres a clear issue for the bass response for the Arc at high volume.

 

Here is the summary with the score, pretty poor score even lower than Beam and Playbar.

 

 

Here is another score that is lower than expected, and it points to the metallic sound/ tinny sound some are experiencing (theres another post for that issue)

 

Find it hard to believe SONOS didnt test these type of things before pushing the Arc out of the door. So it makes me wonder what is going on….

@Scott - Sonos @Jean C. 

So they pretty much applied the bandstop filter for higher volumes. No bass no problem. That’s great, Sonos!  You should know better than this.

Here is a snippet of the Compression graph from RTINGS.com in red it shows the Arc at high volume and on green it shows the Beam at high volume. There is a noticeable dip there for red, this is not what is expected at that range. Note this only happens at high volume. The other green (mostly flat line) is the Arc at 80dB SPL level (not as loud) which is flat as it is ideal. It is normal for speakers to struggle at higher volumes but theres a clear issue for the bass response for the Arc at high volume.

 

Here is the summary with the score, pretty poor score even lower than Beam and Playbar.

 

 

Here is another score that is lower than expected, and it points to the metallic sound/ tinny sound some are experiencing (theres another post for that issue)

 

Find it hard to believe SONOS didnt test these type of things before pushing the Arc out of the door. So it makes me wonder what is going on….

@Scott - Sonos @Jean C. 

So they pretty much applied the bandstop filter for higher volumes. No bass no problem. That’s great, Sonos!  You should know better than this.

This is also consistent with Peter Pee’s video where he shows the Arc smooths out at 120 hz, but struggles below that

My return window is arriving soon. The added sub takes away some of the shortcomings. However if the issues are not getting fixed, should I keep it or return it? I don't want to be stuck with a flawed product for which I paid a good amount of money. Should I return it and get a beam? 

I haven’t heard anything specifically saying they are working on this and have asked directly. I was told that a technician would be in touch with me that could speak more to that, but that hasn’t happened. I put in my original ticket on 6/26. Every time I contact support I get told that my case has been escalated and someone will be in touch, but it doesn’t happen. The automated email I get in response says in big bold letters across the bottom “No Call Escalation - Audio Issues”. All that to say, if you can live with it, they’ll probably get it right, eventually. I have a Beam and Arc and the Beam is warmer, has more fluid lows and is less fatiguing to listen to. It just doesn’t get that loud or fill a larger room.

Same with my case. Exactly the same process. Ugh

I’m in the same predicament, but already made up my mind: mine stays. I like the overall setup (arc, sub, play ones) too much to even think about waiting a few months to get a new one, and only if they fix it. 

I can create the conditions for highlighting the problem (turn off sub and surrounds and play songs with strong bass at high volume). But, if I’m honest, I only hear it if I go looking for it, it’s not something I experienced in my 3 weeks of normal usage (TV and music with sub and surrounds on).

So as much as it irks me to have paid a steep and full price for a potentially flawed product, I’m still happy I managed to grab one when I did (purchased the last in-store available one from Best Buy at the time, no stock anywhere since). At this point I really hope it's a software issue that will be fixed eventually, as I’ll keep it.

I agree with @And2.  I have an Arc + Sub3 in my finished basement and I really like it.  I agree with those that find the Arc a bit “bright” even in this configuration, but I don’t find that overly annoying.  I’m hoping an update in the future might reduce that a bit.  Upstairs in my living room (a lot smaller than my finished basement), I have a Beam + 2xPlay:1s which couldn’t be more perfect for that space.  So I’m still a fan of the Sonos ecosystem.

I completely understand how folks with only the Arc are very disappointed at this point.

Well?  Is the replacement ARC the same?

The replacement Arc arrived eventually today (Thanks DHL) set it up, and the two surrounds, went through trueplay and loaded up 6 underground, its better but still has a long way to go to beat the bass and treble on the beam. Loaded some songs and that had improved even with bass on max at 50% volume. Top end a bit like fingernails down a blackboard.

Guess I will get the sub eventually