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Sonos Arc Muddy/Bottoming out Bass

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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. 

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Best answer by Scott - Sonos 3 July 2020, 01:04

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I
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Twitter reaction:

 

Hey Maurice, thanks for reaching out. We don't have a timescale to share just yet. The team are working fast on a software update. The best place to stay upto date would be our Community Forum -

Understanding it’s been the weekend, I didn’t expect an update the past two days. That being said, I absolutely don’t think the standard “we don’t have a timeline for a fix...” answer is appropriate moving forward. The twitter response doesn’t bother me, but if that’s going to be the same answer given in this forum, that’s not going to fly. Sonos launched a super premium product in an unacceptable state. Daily updates are warranted at this point even if only to acknowledge the team is still working on it. I fully expect a substantial and tangible update prior to this weekend. 

I am with you. This is especially important because a lot of people are thinking about returning the Arc, and return window countdown has begun. Not everybody has 100 days to try. People who bought from best buy only have 14 days. That gives Sonos 10 more days to fix the issue.

Honestly, I fail to see how this is acceptable. Obviously I know that bugs happen and nothing is ever perfect but this is, what, the biggest launch Sonos has had in years? This thing cost $800 before any discount code you might’ve used. For that kind of money on a speaker we should never have had this kind of issue right out of the box. Where’s the quality control? If there’s no software update and/or communication update on progress by Wednesday I’m sending it back. We ordered over a month ago, waited for the shipment/delivery only to be disappointed. I’ve read on here/Reddit about people using a Sub from another room “temporarily” or waiting for their Sub to come in to alleviate the issue. It’s a shame we need to do that. I was on the fence to begin with about getting deeper into the Sonos ecosystem with more products and this makes me feel like I made a mistake. 

reading up on this issue is actually making feel like I should cancel my order now and save all the hassle 

A
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Twitter reaction:

 

Hey Maurice, thanks for reaching out. We don't have a timescale to share just yet. The team are working fast on a software update. The best place to stay upto date would be our Community Forum -

Understanding it’s been the weekend, I didn’t expect an update the past two days. That being said, I absolutely don’t think the standard “we don’t have a timeline for a fix...” answer is appropriate moving forward. The twitter response doesn’t bother me, but if that’s going to be the same answer given in this forum, that’s not going to fly. Sonos launched a super premium product in an unacceptable state. Daily updates are warranted at this point even if only to acknowledge the team is still working on it. I fully expect a substantial and tangible update prior to this weekend. 

I am with you. This is especially important because a lot of people are thinking about returning the Arc, and return window countdown has begun. Not everybody has 100 days to try. People who bought from best buy only have 14 days. That gives Sonos 10 more days to fix the issue.


there is always the option that they commit to honouring returns past the deadline on arcs for people that raised the issue prior to the return window and a confident statement that it can be fixed without sacrificing the core selling point of the arc which is a huge soundstage and support for Atmos. 

Best Buy and other vendors have their own return policy. So, Sonos extending the return deadline does not help much unless they somehow negotiate it with all the authorized resellers. 

M
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Twitter reaction:

 

Hey Maurice, thanks for reaching out. We don't have a timescale to share just yet. The team are working fast on a software update. The best place to stay upto date would be our Community Forum -

Understanding it’s been the weekend, I didn’t expect an update the past two days. That being said, I absolutely don’t think the standard “we don’t have a timeline for a fix...” answer is appropriate moving forward. The twitter response doesn’t bother me, but if that’s going to be the same answer given in this forum, that’s not going to fly. Sonos launched a super premium product in an unacceptable state. Daily updates are warranted at this point even if only to acknowledge the team is still working on it. I fully expect a substantial and tangible update prior to this weekend. 

I am with you. This is especially important because a lot of people are thinking about returning the Arc, and return window countdown has begun. Not everybody has 100 days to try. People who bought from best buy only have 14 days. That gives Sonos 10 more days to fix the issue.

Honestly, I fail to see how this is acceptable. Obviously I know that bugs happen and nothing is ever perfect but this is, what, the biggest launch Sonos has had in years? This thing cost $800 before any discount code you might’ve used. For that kind of money on a speaker we should never have had this kind of issue right out of the box. Where’s the quality control? If there’s no software update and/or communication update on progress by Wednesday I’m sending it back. We ordered over a month ago, waited for the shipment/delivery only to be disappointed. I’ve read on here/Reddit about people using a Sub from another room “temporarily” or waiting for their Sub to come in to alleviate the issue. It’s a shame we need to do that. I was on the fence to begin with about getting deeper into the Sonos ecosystem with more products and this makes me feel like I made a mistake. 

reading up on this issue is actually making feel like I should cancel my order now and save all the hassle 

I honestly think you should until the issue is resolved

A

Twitter reaction:

 

Hey Maurice, thanks for reaching out. We don't have a timescale to share just yet. The team are working fast on a software update. The best place to stay upto date would be our Community Forum -

Understanding it’s been the weekend, I didn’t expect an update the past two days. That being said, I absolutely don’t think the standard “we don’t have a timeline for a fix...” answer is appropriate moving forward. The twitter response doesn’t bother me, but if that’s going to be the same answer given in this forum, that’s not going to fly. Sonos launched a super premium product in an unacceptable state. Daily updates are warranted at this point even if only to acknowledge the team is still working on it. I fully expect a substantial and tangible update prior to this weekend. 

I am with you. This is especially important because a lot of people are thinking about returning the Arc, and return window countdown has begun. Not everybody has 100 days to try. People who bought from best buy only have 14 days. That gives Sonos 10 more days to fix the issue.

Honestly, I fail to see how this is acceptable. Obviously I know that bugs happen and nothing is ever perfect but this is, what, the biggest launch Sonos has had in years? This thing cost $800 before any discount code you might’ve used. For that kind of money on a speaker we should never have had this kind of issue right out of the box. Where’s the quality control? If there’s no software update and/or communication update on progress by Wednesday I’m sending it back. We ordered over a month ago, waited for the shipment/delivery only to be disappointed. I’ve read on here/Reddit about people using a Sub from another room “temporarily” or waiting for their Sub to come in to alleviate the issue. It’s a shame we need to do that. I was on the fence to begin with about getting deeper into the Sonos ecosystem with more products and this makes me feel like I made a mistake. 

reading up on this issue is actually making feel like I should cancel my order now and save all the hassle 

I mean… If the website had a disclaimer that said “the Sonos Arc will not sound great until a post-launch software update is released” I would not have ordered it. 

M
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I btw wrote a mail to the CEO of Sonos With My disappointment and concers. You can find his email on the support page if you feel like expressing yourself as well.

C
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Twitter reaction:

 

Hey Maurice, thanks for reaching out. We don't have a timescale to share just yet. The team are working fast on a software update. The best place to stay upto date would be our Community Forum -

Understanding it’s been the weekend, I didn’t expect an update the past two days. That being said, I absolutely don’t think the standard “we don’t have a timeline for a fix...” answer is appropriate moving forward. The twitter response doesn’t bother me, but if that’s going to be the same answer given in this forum, that’s not going to fly. Sonos launched a super premium product in an unacceptable state. Daily updates are warranted at this point even if only to acknowledge the team is still working on it. I fully expect a substantial and tangible update prior to this weekend. 

I am with you. This is especially important because a lot of people are thinking about returning the Arc, and return window countdown has begun. Not everybody has 100 days to try. People who bought from best buy only have 14 days. That gives Sonos 10 more days to fix the issue.

Honestly, I fail to see how this is acceptable. Obviously I know that bugs happen and nothing is ever perfect but this is, what, the biggest launch Sonos has had in years? This thing cost $800 before any discount code you might’ve used. For that kind of money on a speaker we should never have had this kind of issue right out of the box. Where’s the quality control? If there’s no software update and/or communication update on progress by Wednesday I’m sending it back. We ordered over a month ago, waited for the shipment/delivery only to be disappointed. I’ve read on here/Reddit about people using a Sub from another room “temporarily” or waiting for their Sub to come in to alleviate the issue. It’s a shame we need to do that. I was on the fence to begin with about getting deeper into the Sonos ecosystem with more products and this makes me feel like I made a mistake. 

reading up on this issue is actually making feel like I should cancel my order now and save all the hassle 

I honestly think you should until the issue is resolved

Yeah, I would cancel unless you want to roll the dice. Nothing worse than shelling out the cash then being pissed every time you use it because it doesn’t work correctly. 

S

The Arc will be my first ever sonos purchase. Currently scheduled for delivery on 19th. Very concerned with this issue. I really don't want to pull the plug on this too soon. Hoping to hear something by end of week.

G
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I btw wrote a mail to the CEO of Sonos With My disappointment and concers. You can find his email on the support page if you feel like expressing yourself as well.

Mind posting the link?

A

I btw wrote a mail to the CEO of Sonos With My disappointment and concers. You can find his email on the support page if you feel like expressing yourself as well.

Mind posting the link?

The link just opens up an email window with what appears to be his legit email address: Partick.Spence@sonos.com 

 

I emailed him as well. 

M
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https://support.sonos.com/s/?language=en_US
 

Want to email our CEO, Patrick Spence, directly? Click here
 

Patrick.Spence@sonos.com

BMF
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Clarification please.  Does this problem go away if a sub is included because the problematic frequencies are directed to the sub?

Yes there is no issue when paired with the sub

Although there may not be the same issue when paired with the sub, I am noticing that the sub does not hit anywhere close to where it was when paired with the Beam.  I do have TruePlay tuned, and it is soft when I turn this off as well.  

Interestingly enough, I just commented to my wife the other day how nice the bass sounded when we were listening to music.  Now that it is paired with the Arc, it is disappointing that it is not as strong.

@Ryan S Can you please confirm if this is being looked into even with the Sub added? Coming from a 5.1 setup (Playbar, Sub Gen 2, and 2 Play:1’s), replacing the Playbar with the new Arc has resulted in much lower bass (requiring me to add +5 to the Sub) and a flatter sound all around with both the music and movies mentioned in this thread. When listening to songs like “Collapse” by Tennyson via Spotify, the Arc sounds much softer with mids and highs and the bass is nowhere near as prevalent compared to when the Playbar was part of the setup.

I’ll let the team know what you’re seeing. If you can submit a diagnostic and let me know the confirmation number, I’ll get it to them.

@Ryan S

 

I have a 5.1 setup and noticed it sounds oddly EQ’d compared to Playbar and Beam in the same environment.

 

i have performed TruePlay twice and it does not seem as dynamic or well EQ’d with Arc.

 

without TruePlay the bass is too OTT

 

41439200 - Diagnostics 

L

I have the same poor bass response. I’ve tried to kid myself it’s ok, when I know it really isn’t. A very disappointing start. “Put your hands where my eyes can see” by Busta Rhymes is a ‘good’ example of how poor the bass response is from the arc on its own. Flabby, and like it can’t handle it, is how I would describe it.  Hopefully this will be rectified via a firmware update. I need to know if that is the case pretty quickly, otherwise I’ll have to send it back. I’ve used a whole lot of family coffers to purchase this, so I’m not best pleased. Will Sonos be emailing consumers updating the progress regarding the issue?

Ryan S
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Hi everyone, thanks for sharing your feedback and details. I noticed a few posts about hardware versions, don’t get too caught up in those codes, it’s not related. Basically they’re just the different colors. Other than beta hardware builds, there’s only the one “build” that I’m aware of for Arc. 

I’ll be checking in with the team soon to see if there’s an update that we can share, but they tend to keep details quiet. Last I heard on Friday it was still under investigation. Until there’s a clear identification on what the cause is, any on a resolution timeline would be a guess, and probably unreliable. We’d hate to provide that. I can assure you that this is at the top of the priorities list for the audio team with a lot of eyes watching it. They’re hard at work on finding a solution, but that’s about all I can say right now.

When there’s anything more I can share, I’ll let you know. 

Thanks for your patience!

Mark good posts by pressing the like button, and select the best answer on questions you've asked to help others find solutions.
S
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Hi everyone, thanks for sharing your feedback and details. I noticed a few posts about hardware versions, don’t get too caught up in those codes, it’s not related. Basically they’re just the different colors. Other than beta hardware builds, there’s only the one “build” that I’m aware of for Arc. 

I’ll be checking in with the team soon to see if there’s an update that we can share, but they tend to keep details quiet. Last I heard on Friday it was still under investigation. Until there’s a clear identification on what the cause is, any on a resolution timeline would be a guess, and probably unreliable. We’d hate to provide that. I can assure you that this is at the top of the priorities list for the audio team with a lot of eyes watching it. They’re hard at work on finding a solution, but that’s about all I can say right now.

When there’s anything more I can share, I’ll let you know. 

Thanks for your patience!

You’re mentioning the audio team. So that means that there is actually a hardware dependent variance in our speakers which needs to be adressed with a slightly different sound tuning? We are not talking about a failed update or a wrong firmware being used?

S

I btw wrote a mail to the CEO of Sonos With My disappointment and concers. You can find his email on the support page if you feel like expressing yourself as well.

Mind posting the link?

The link just opens up an email window with what appears to be his legit email address: Partick.Spence@sonos.com 

 

I emailed him as well. 

I used the email you provided and got a ‘Delivery Failure- Address not found or unable to receive mail’.  Just Googled the name to confirm, and it’s actually Patrick, so I’m assuming the accurate email is: Patrick.Spence@sonos.com 

M
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Thanks @Ryan S for the update!

 

but what if it is a hardware problem? Will there be a recall per country?

S
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I btw wrote a mail to the CEO of Sonos With My disappointment and concers. You can find his email on the support page if you feel like expressing yourself as well.

Mind posting the link?

The link just opens up an email window with what appears to be his legit email address: Partick.Spence@sonos.com 

 

I emailed him as well. 

I used the email you provided and got a ‘Delivery Failure- Address not found or unable to receive mail’.  Has anyone else experienced this?

Maybe thats because it’s misspelled? I am quite sure his name is Patrick.

S

I btw wrote a mail to the CEO of Sonos With My disappointment and concers. You can find his email on the support page if you feel like expressing yourself as well.

Mind posting the link?

The link just opens up an email window with what appears to be his legit email address: Partick.Spence@sonos.com 

 

I emailed him as well. 

I used the email you provided and got a ‘Delivery Failure- Address not found or unable to receive mail’.  Has anyone else experienced this?

Maybe thats because it’s misspelled? I am quite sure his name is Patrick.

Yup, you’re right.  Just updated my original post.  Thanks!

Ryan S
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You’re mentioning the audio team. So that means that there is actually a hardware dependent variance in our speakers which needs to be adressed with a slightly different sound tuning? We are not talking about a failed update or a wrong firmware being used?

Do you mean the team that’s investigating? That would be the audio software team. At the most basic level, make the software that tells the speakers what sounds to produce, and they do a whole lot more. Though there are other teams involved too to various degrees. I know in threads like this on these sorts of topics the conversation can get out of control with speculation, so let’s try to taper that down where we can. The right teams are investigating this already and we’ll let you know as soon as there’s a resolution or more details to share.

Mark good posts by pressing the like button, and select the best answer on questions you've asked to help others find solutions.
D

You’re mentioning the audio team. So that means that there is actually a hardware dependent variance in our speakers which needs to be adressed with a slightly different sound tuning? We are not talking about a failed update or a wrong firmware being used?

Do you mean the team that’s investigating? That would be the audio software team. At the most basic level, make the software that tells the speakers what sounds to produce, and they do a whole lot more. Though there are other teams involved too to various degrees. I know in threads like this on these sorts of topics the conversation can get out of control with speculation, so let’s try to taper that down where we can. The right teams are investigating this already and we’ll let you know as soon as there’s a resolution or more details to share.


@Ryan S Can you confirm this is a software issue? You originally said it was but now your response only says your team is working on a software fix. 
 

I think most of us are willing to wait for this fix if we have confidence this isn’t hardware related but with the big price tag and limited time to return, we need to know ASAP. Thanks 

S
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Can I get some clarity on this issue, sorry didn’t read the entire thread. Is the issue occurring with tv’s that have ARC port or eARC or both? Have people tried using a different HDMI cable to eliminate the possibility of a faulty one in the box? If this issue is so wide spread how was something like this missed during engineering/software testing before being put into production? Are the units not tested across all volume ranges with multiple tv’s or avr’s to test for issues and compatibility? I don’t mean to be an ass but I am a dev and if I release something to production without testing that it doesn’t break other things I would be getting chewed out. My unit hasn’t arrived yet but this issue would be a deal breaker. I am somewhat an audiophile and this would drive me nuts so confidence for now is pretty low.

Thanks!

Ryan S
Userlevel 7
Badge +26

You’re mentioning the audio team. So that means that there is actually a hardware dependent variance in our speakers which needs to be adressed with a slightly different sound tuning? We are not talking about a failed update or a wrong firmware being used?

Do you mean the team that’s investigating? That would be the audio software team. At the most basic level, make the software that tells the speakers what sounds to produce, and they do a whole lot more. Though there are other teams involved too to various degrees. I know in threads like this on these sorts of topics the conversation can get out of control with speculation, so let’s try to taper that down where we can. The right teams are investigating this already and we’ll let you know as soon as there’s a resolution or more details to share.


@Ryan S Can you confirm this is a software issue? You originally said it was but now your response only says your team is working on a software fix. 
 

I think most of us are willing to wait for this fix if we have confidence this isn’t hardware related but with the big price tag and limited time to return, we need to know ASAP. Thanks 

While it’s under investigation, I’m hesitant to say it’s anything specific. This looks to be software related, but let’s give the team some time to work on this and if I can share more with you later, I will. 

Mark good posts by pressing the like button, and select the best answer on questions you've asked to help others find solutions.
D

You’re mentioning the audio team. So that means that there is actually a hardware dependent variance in our speakers which needs to be adressed with a slightly different sound tuning? We are not talking about a failed update or a wrong firmware being used?

Do you mean the team that’s investigating? That would be the audio software team. At the most basic level, make the software that tells the speakers what sounds to produce, and they do a whole lot more. Though there are other teams involved too to various degrees. I know in threads like this on these sorts of topics the conversation can get out of control with speculation, so let’s try to taper that down where we can. The right teams are investigating this already and we’ll let you know as soon as there’s a resolution or more details to share.


@Ryan S Can you confirm this is a software issue? You originally said it was but now your response only says your team is working on a software fix. 
 

I think most of us are willing to wait for this fix if we have confidence this isn’t hardware related but with the big price tag and limited time to return, we need to know ASAP. Thanks 

While it’s under investigation, I’m hesitant to say it’s anything specific. This looks to be software related, but let’s give the team some time to work on this and if I can share more with you later, I will. 

Thanks @Ryan S 

C
Userlevel 1

You’re mentioning the audio team. So that means that there is actually a hardware dependent variance in our speakers which needs to be adressed with a slightly different sound tuning? We are not talking about a failed update or a wrong firmware being used?

Do you mean the team that’s investigating? That would be the audio software team. At the most basic level, make the software that tells the speakers what sounds to produce, and they do a whole lot more. Though there are other teams involved too to various degrees. I know in threads like this on these sorts of topics the conversation can get out of control with speculation, so let’s try to taper that down where we can. The right teams are investigating this already and we’ll let you know as soon as there’s a resolution or more details to share.


@Ryan S Can you confirm this is a software issue? You originally said it was but now your response only says your team is working on a software fix. 
 

I think most of us are willing to wait for this fix if we have confidence this isn’t hardware related but with the big price tag and limited time to return, we need to know ASAP. Thanks 

While it’s under investigation, I’m hesitant to say it’s anything specific. This looks to be software related, but let’s give the team some time to work on this and if I can share more with you later, I will. 

How much time are we talking? This week, next, or a month from now? I understand they’re working on it but this is insane given the price of the ARC. 
Purchased from Best Buy, and quickly closing in on the return period. 

R
Userlevel 3
Badge

You’re mentioning the audio team. So that means that there is actually a hardware dependent variance in our speakers which needs to be adressed with a slightly different sound tuning? We are not talking about a failed update or a wrong firmware being used?

Do you mean the team that’s investigating? That would be the audio software team. At the most basic level, make the software that tells the speakers what sounds to produce, and they do a whole lot more. Though there are other teams involved too to various degrees. I know in threads like this on these sorts of topics the conversation can get out of control with speculation, so let’s try to taper that down where we can. The right teams are investigating this already and we’ll let you know as soon as there’s a resolution or more details to share.


@Ryan S Can you confirm this is a software issue? You originally said it was but now your response only says your team is working on a software fix. 
 

I think most of us are willing to wait for this fix if we have confidence this isn’t hardware related but with the big price tag and limited time to return, we need to know ASAP. Thanks 

While it’s under investigation, I’m hesitant to say it’s anything specific. This looks to be software related, but let’s give the team some time to work on this and if I can share more with you later, I will. 

How much time are we talking? This week, next, or a month from now? I understand they’re working on it but this is insane given the price of the ARC. 
Purchased from Best Buy, and quickly closing in on the return period. 

Could not agree more. Sonos seems to be using the same Playbook they would for a customer who purchased a One. With the arc you are dealing with a different customer. A customer who not only was an early adopter, but a premium product buyer. I understand Sonos has “lots of eyes on the problem”, but they clearly don’t have the right CR eyes on this. 

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