Sonos Arc Muddy/Bottoming out Bass

I only have the Sonos Arc, no sub… but I am really disappointed in the total sound of it all. The bass is terrible and I checked and have the latest firmware installed 12.0.5. Any suggestions on treble & bass settings to make it sound more like a $800 sound bar?

I agree with you that the sound quality with music is not spectacular, but with movies and series I really gonna love it more and more. It also depends a lot on the type of music you are playing. I usually set my bass to 0 or +1, +2 and combine it with 2 rear speakers (Play: 3's). It will never be a fat bass speaker for sure but given the shape and dimensions you can not expect more from it I guess. Maybe someday I'll buy me a sub, but I think my neighbours will shoot me.

As much as it pains me to say it I got fed up of waiting for an update and I am too invested to return it now so I moved my sub in from my other room where it was connected to an amp. That room has now lost bass but doesn’t sound as nasty as the arc without the sub. As expected the bass is now fine. The mids still seem a bit lacking but the metallic treble is still there argh - we are running -3 to make it sound decent but that’s another thread. Still unhappy but have it bearable for now

I had to move the sub from my other room as well.  Being in a condo the room I had the sub in before was above the garage so I could have it turned up a little bit but now I have the sub turned way down to not annoy my neighbors and the Arc sounds a lot better with it, even with the lower setting for bass on the sub. 

I am beyond my return date and already had a replacement which didn’t solve anything… so I’m with you, just a waiting game at this point.  Overall bummed out though.

I hate it when people say this is a perception thing - not everyone is affected but this certainly isn’t a matter of “perception’.

For those that are affected- without the sub the bass sounds like crap at volumes over 50%. I’m not talking about the amount of bass (it’s a sound bar after all)…..we’re talking about the fact that the bass still sounds muddy and flubby like it’s still being over driven at certain frequencies.

Yes it’s better than release …..no, it’s not near 100% fixed.

I’d LOVE to get a sub - but it irks me to have to buy something to fix something else….

Trinkets Season 1, episode 6, starting at 24:10 and on when she sings and the bass kicks in. 
 

Horribly muddy bass. I’m only at 40% volume. UGH.

I have done a test with this audio clip and I have to admit that it sounds awful indeed. So much so that I analyzed it with a different speaker and with headphones to compare. It's as if the Sonos Arc is playing a wrong sound here, because when I listen to it with another speaker, the bass doesn't sound that intense at all. this seems like a very good example to present to Sonos, because if they listen to this for themselves, they cannot deny that it sounds very strange!

I have new Sonos ARC, software version 12.0.5. I can confirm, that above 50% the bass is not acceptable. It sounds like something is wrong with the speaker, bass is distorted, and I’m not even listen to some bass-oriented music. I know, that it is soundbar, but I would like to be able to listen to music in 60-70% percent of volume… 

The true tone doesn’t change anything. I’m not using equalizer.

I own the Arc and have had the same bass problem, with andwithout trueplay. I did an RMA and now the problem is gone. However with trueplay it comes back, with the new Arc also. I suggest you do a full reset of the Arc and try without trueplay. 

How do you do a reset?