Skip to main content
ggmogollon
Enthusiast II
June 10, 2020
Answered

Sonos Arc Muddy/Bottoming out Bass

Beyond thrilled to receive the new Sonos Arc. True played my room and I have loudness on as well connected to LG B8 using Tidal and Spotify. Most of the sound range is phenomenal, aside from the bass. At even half volume the woofers are extremely muddy and sound terrible. Not sure if this is because I have under two hours of use but I wasn’t expecting to have to break-in the speaker. I own set of speakers next to it in the same room (KEF LS50W) and the difference is night and day. There have also been posts on Reddit regarding this issue. It is interesting given no reviewers have mentioned this issue but more than a few recipients have. Has anyone else experienced similar issues? Turning loudness off helps but it is disappointing for such a highly anticipated product. 

    This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.
    Scott - SonosAnswer
    Sonos Product Management
    July 2, 2020

    Hello everyone. I’m a product manager at Sonos. Thank you for sharing your experiences with Arc. The development team is monitoring this community and listening to your feedback. 

    As we do with all Sonos products, we’ll continue to improve the experience for Arc through numerous software updates into the future. Last week we issued our first update (12.0.1) to fix a bug some customers were experiencing with low-frequency distortion at higher volumes. 

    If you have specific music tracks or timestamps for TV shows and movies that you want to bring to our attention, please use this form. It is helpful if you can submit a diagnostic when you’re listening to the content. Instructions for doing so can be found here.

    View in thread

    1406 replies

    Show previous replies
    dmlear57
    Trending Lyricist I
    August 13, 2020

    I think you are both missing the point - the issue isn’t an inherent lack of bass (this is to be expected -and if I want more base I’ll get the sub)

    The PROBLEM is the bass that is there sounds terrible - like a cheap bluetooth speaker that is pushed past its limits. They released one update and claimed the problem is fixed - it’s slightly better BUT STILL THERE. Doesn’t matter if it is music (any service) or a movie. YES I’ve tried trueplay. Same on or off.

    I SHOULD be able to listen at extended volumes without the bass sounding like garbage - it’s loose, it pops, it’s muddy, it’s uncontrolled. It isnt as good as the Beam.

    They still need additional work on the DSP and Crossover frequesncies. THATS THE PROBLEM (not a sheer lack of bass).

    The only reason I haven’t exchanged my bar yet is b/c there are others that have - and the result is still the same.

    I should only have to buy a sub if I want MORE bass - not to FIX bass that sounds like garbage.

     

    Couldn’t agree more. Its the strange thud type of bass I get just watching TV shows at a normal volume that’s the issue. 

      brttlt
      Avid Contributor I
      August 13, 2020

      I gotta say, I got my ARC and Sub last week...Holy Crap is all I can say. The sound is fantastic. Watching the Baptism scene, last episode of Season 3 Ozarks...the gun fire was coming from all over the room. My wife is complaining that the bass is too good. Even crappy commercials sound grate. Music is excellent also.

      maurice.pothoven
      Trending Lyricist II
      August 13, 2020

      I gotta say, I got my ARC and Sub last week...Holy Crap is all I can say. The sound is fantastic. Watching the Baptism scene, last episode of Season 3 Ozarks...the gun fire was coming from all over the room. My wife is complaining that the bass is too good. Even crappy commercials sound grate. Music is excellent also.

      But…… you have the sub

      brttlt
      Avid Contributor I
      August 13, 2020

      I gotta say, I got my ARC and Sub last week...Holy Crap is all I can say. The sound is fantastic. Watching the Baptism scene, last episode of Season 3 Ozarks...the gun fire was coming from all over the room. My wife is complaining that the bass is too good. Even crappy commercials sound grate. Music is excellent also.

      But…… you have the sub


      Yes, I do. I guess the issues are with those that just have the soundbar???

      Dysfunctional
      Enthusiast II
      August 13, 2020

      I gotta say, I got my ARC and Sub last week...Holy Crap is all I can say. The sound is fantastic. Watching the Baptism scene, last episode of Season 3 Ozarks...the gun fire was coming from all over the room. My wife is complaining that the bass is too good. Even crappy commercials sound grate. Music is excellent also.

      But…… you have the sub


      Yes, I do. I guess the issues are with those that just have the soundbar???

      That is correct - without the sub the bass sounds terrible an very uncontrolled like it’s being over-driven.

       - obviously without a sub there is a lack of low end (which is okay). But what is there does not sound correct.

      bbalz
      Renowned Enthusiast I
      August 13, 2020

      Received this email today… perhaps this could be some good news to those of us experiencing the issues or at least to those who are hearing the issue. 

      I have been in touch with Sonos and they are sending me a new device to test to see if the same issue is happening with it.  I’m not holding my breath with the replacement device but they guaranteed that it would be a brand new device and I’ll need to just ship my old one back within 5-7 business days or risk being charged for the new device as well. 

      I’m more hopeful to be selected for the new Arc beta testing this email indicates.  :fingers_crossed:

        pyro225
        Enthusiast II
        August 14, 2020

        @Krishma M Please clarify your statement we've been waiting a few days since you wrote it and we all have some expensive paperweights still...

          Krishma M
          Krishma M
          Retired Sonos Staff
          August 14, 2020

          Hi folks. The issue with the muddy or bottoming out bass from the Arc in a stand-alone configuration (no satellites or Sub) is no longer occurring. If your system is up to date and still the same issue we need to troubleshoot as normal. I’d suggest checking with the content (TV, Music in Sonos app) if it’s the same. If wall-mounted, does removing the speaker from the wall bracket and setting it on a credenza or table improve the issue? Is Trueplay configured on the Arc? Try to enable/disable Trueplay, if there would be any different. Is the Bass EQ setting flat or adjusted in some way? If it’s all the same after playing around, try to reboot the Arc or reset to its factory settings. 

          If the issue still persists, call 800-680-2345 from Monday to Friday from 10 am to 9 pm EST for further steps and resolution. We’re always here to help. Thanks for the patience! 

          Help others find useful content by clicking the like button and selecting the best answer to your question.
          Kepps20
          Contributor I
          August 14, 2020

          Hi folks. The issue with the muddy or bottoming out bass from the Arc in a stand-alone configuration (no satellites or Sub) is no longer occurring. If your system is up to date and still the same issue we need to troubleshoot as normal. I’d suggest checking with the content (TV, Music in Sonos app) if it’s the same. If wall-mounted, does removing the speaker from the wall bracket and setting it on a credenza or table improve the issue? Is Trueplay configured on the Arc? Try to disable Trueplay, if there would be any different. Is the Bass EQ setting flat or adjusted in some way? If it’s all the same, try to reboot the Arc or reset to its factory settings. 

          If the issue still persists, call 800-680-2345 from Monday to Friday from 10 am to 9 pm EST for further steps and resolution. We’re always here to help. Thanks for the patience! 

          Is it possible for you @Krishma M to post a video similar to what the other community members have?  For example, if you play/record the Drive scene or Eminem’s Without Me at 50% or higher, where many have reported the issue?  I think that will clarify a lot of questions that people have on what their arc should sound like and if theirs is performing as expected (and they just don’t like it) or if something else is going on with their unit.  Thanks.

          bbalz
          Renowned Enthusiast I
          August 14, 2020

          Hi folks. The issue with the muddy or bottoming out bass from the Arc in a stand-alone configuration (no satellites or Sub) is no longer occurring. 

           

          ...but it is still occurring.  :thinking:   It was addressed in an update about a week after the Arc was released which improved it but the problem still exists today on an updated system. 

          This does seem frustrating to have you say it’s fixed now, which would lead anyone to believe that it’s no longer being actively worked on for those still having issues (such as myself).

          I guess I’ll go through my RMA process and see if it is truly bad hardware but I am leery of that given others feedback.  Since it took so long to get a response from Sonos Support on this being ‘fixed’ or not, my return window has passed so now I have to put my faith in Sonos that they will continue to improve it to the point where we were all hoping it would’ve been on launch day. 

           

          Show more replies
          Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement