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Sonos Arc Muddy/Bottoming out Bass

G
Userlevel 5
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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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1406 replies

buzz

THIS is what surprises me the most. Wouldn’t the standard test for a speaker involve going through a test program with all the possible frequencies, recording the response and checking if everything is alright?

 

This assumes that the firmware used on the production line is the same as used at home. Units always update at installation time. If the home firmware introduces the issue, the production line test will be fine.

M
Userlevel 3
Badge +3

I might be the only one here but mine is absolutely fine? Is everyone who is having these issues using Arc or eArc? How many units have they sold and are out there working fine? I'm connected to an LG B9 with eArc I'm running without the sub I just have two Play 1s as surrounds I've done the Toy Story 2:58 test and played all of the suggested songs and even cranked the bass up to +10 and I get no distortion or popping like I've heard in this thread. I've watched F1 Drive to Survive on Netflix as it has Atmos and the sound is absolutely incredible the bass is very very good

It has nothing to do with Arc or eArc… When just listining to music (Spotify) it’s also there. Adding a sub makes it better, because it takes away bass from the Arc

B
Userlevel 5
Badge +4

Hello all,

I just want to clarify...is this issue only present in standalone ARC set ups?….so if the ARC is paired with the SUB this issue isn’t present?….I’m asking because I plan on purchasing the ARC and SUB but if this happens when paired together I may wait until this is all ironed out.

I would say that the sub helps mask the issue, it’s still not perfect.  I have temporarily moved my sub from our other room where we watch it louder (since I’m in a condo and the other room is above our garage and not the neighbor below us)… it’s significant in how it handles the bass with the sub.  

Once it’s fixed though, I’ll just use the Arc with surrounds in our main living area and move the sub back.  It does sound really good with the sub though but honestly I have it at -15 so I know the bass is there but it’s very minimal as I dont want to be a bad neighbor.

J
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

if y'all are so upset and think this is unacceptable, then return it. period. mistakes happen, if you stretched your budget so thin buying a luxury item you probably didn't need to get it anyways. this thing has been out for 5 days. give them some time and they will fix it. check back in a month and buy it again, easy.

If you think its ok that they release a $799+tax product without proper testing then that’s on you. In my opinion they rushed to market trying to capitalize on people sitting at home and said we’ll deal with the fallout later. How can something like this go unnoticed? This isn’t some isolated incident to be called “mistakes happen”. They released untested product. Something that costs the price of two beams should work from day one as intended. Just because the issue doesn’t bother you doesn’t mean that it’s ok for the issue to be there in first place. This is Sonos and this isn’t their first rodeo. Should not have happened, period. The product is used for AUDIO, that should be working flawlessly and not become unusable at over 50% volume. it’s like buying a car that can only go 50mil/hr but hey it’s ok they’ll figure it out later how to make it go faster.


Hi. I think this thread has been really civil so far. There are clearly some who are a little anxious about the situation and I think that’s ok. For some this will have been a really big purchase for themselves and being let down after having chosen to spend their money on this and not something else will result in a more pronounced disappointment. It was my main birthday present this year. 
 

let’s not start posting comments that judge people’s reaction to the issue. If someone goes a little too far, the best thing we can do is ignore it. 
 

If someone judges your comments in a clearly inciting manner then leave it. 
 

otherwise we risk this whole thread getting derailed. It won’t encourage Sonos to support this group. 
 

Please don’t bite  

 

Ok so he posts and judges people’s frustration and says that they didn’t need to get if it’s too expensive but somehow I am judging him? Which part of my response to him isn’t civil? Price isn’t an issue for me personally, but if something costs $799+tax you’d expect to work properly. Which part of that isn’t clear?

Sorry. No. I meant please don’t bite when he judges. Apologies for being unclear. 

J
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

Hello all,

I just want to clarify...is this issue only present in standalone ARC set ups?….so if the ARC is paired with the SUB this issue isn’t present?….I’m asking because I plan on purchasing the ARC and SUB but if this happens when paired together I may wait until this is all ironed out.

 

I think even adding a SUB can mask the problem, it’s not acceptable because we cannot expect every single person who buy the Arc will also buy the SUB… Arc itself should be a product to deliver good quality.

I use to have a sub but had to sell it when I moved to the current house as even on the lowest setting my neighbours could hear it through the wall. A sub is not an option for me. 

W
Userlevel 5
Badge +9

Hello all,

I just want to clarify...is this issue only present in standalone ARC set ups?….so if the ARC is paired with the SUB this issue isn’t present?….I’m asking because I plan on purchasing the ARC and SUB but if this happens when paired together I may wait until this is all ironed out.

 

I think even adding a SUB can mask the problem, it’s not acceptable because we cannot expect every single person who buy the Arc will also buy the SUB… Arc itself should be a product to deliver good quality.

I use to have a sub but had to sell it when I moved to the current house as even on the lowest setting my neighbours could hear it through the wall. A sub is not an option for me. 

 

Haha! The SUB is expensive but I bought it with no regret… My apartment is small (like most of the houses in Hong Kong) and when I watch Netflix with the BEAM + SUB + 2 x PLAY 1 setup that I currently have, I can’t remember how many times I had to set the volume to over 30%… So I think I may not be able to notice the bass problem of the Arc. 

M
Userlevel 2

Just adding to all that has been said. The bass is very poor both in music and movies. I am flat on the bass EQ and it starts to rattle under 50% volume. The Arc is wall mounted. Running without a sub and without surrounds and it is really underperforming. 
 

I think my Beam could handle more bass even though I thought that was quite bad. Hard to tell since the sound stage and sound over 150 Hz is definitely better on the Arc. Much easier to accept the weak bass on the Beam, however a big disappointment on the Arc. 

M
Userlevel 2

I think the people who have been using SONOS products for years may have more patience and willing to give them some time to get it right, while especially those who bought Arc as their first SONOS product may not… It make lot of sense! 

Nah that’t not it. I have been with Sonos for 2 years and my Beam had 0 issues since day one. People expect the same from a product that costs as much as 2 Beams. That’s not much to ask of a premium brand like Sonos. Consistency

Yes, that’s true!

I’m going to be patiently waiting to replace my Beam until I see further update on this.  I thinking that by December this kind of quirk should be fully resolved.  

This reviewer has been pretty reliable in his objective approach.  It may be worth following him.

 

 

Thanks for sharing. I think this guy is on to the problem. When this issue is heard in normal content it for sure makes the rattle and almost cracking/breaking noise.

S
Badge

Hi everyone,

I haven't received the Arc yet, but the problem made me think of an issue I had before with the One's and TruePlay. They made a popping bass sound after TruePlay tuning. Like TruePlay pushed some frequencies to certain limits the system speaker protection kicked in by cutting them off.

Sonos Play One bass popping Problem

Since then I no longer use TruePlay.
Try using TruePlay in a room with very bad acoustics, for example a bathroom, and it will equalize so hard the system bottoms out on various frequencies.
TruePlay can certainly make the soundstage better, but in some cases it can push it too far also.

I went testing with this 40Hz test tone on my One's, Sub and Beam without TruePlay or any other equalizing, all on S2:
One: sound cut off distortion from about 30% volume level
Sub: sound cut off distortion at 95% volume level
Beam, with Sub disconnected: No distortion, even at 100% volume

Must say you probably won't experience this that much in normal listening conditions, but nevertheless it should not happen at any setting, even default.

 

 

A
Userlevel 6
Badge +6

@Ryan S Please refer to this video: https://youtu.be/6K415DALi5E

Getting a similar or even worse problem at volumes above 50% at 40Hz. Below 50 % seems fine. The volume limit (where it starts having issues) goes up as the frequency goes up.May be there is a need to cap individual bass frequencies at certain dB so the woofers don’t exceed their capability.

I did the same test on HomePod and 40 Hz doesn’t have the same issue. But I did notice that the bass volume doesn’t increase beyond 50% on the HomePod. So, the DSP is definitely not allowing the woofer to exceed its capability.

R
Userlevel 3
Badge

Should those of us experiencing the problem stop using our arc until a fix is identified? I don’t want to damage it and have to go through the return process. 

A
Userlevel 6
Badge +6

Should those of us experiencing the problem stop using our arc until a fix is identified? I don’t want to damage it and have to go through the return process. 

I think you should be fine as long as you don’t exceed the volume beyond 50%. I pretty much played all the test tones and the bass is smooth below 50%. DSP should be able to fix this, but it will definitely take some time for Sonos to do it without breaking other things.

A
Userlevel 6
Badge +6

I think the people who have been using SONOS products for years may have more patience and willing to give them some time to get it right, while especially those who bought Arc as their first SONOS product may not… It make lot of sense! 

Nah that’t not it. I have been with Sonos for 2 years and my Beam had 0 issues since day one. People expect the same from a product that costs as much as 2 Beams. That’s not much to ask of a premium brand like Sonos. Consistency

Yes, that’s true!

I’m going to be patiently waiting to replace my Beam until I see further update on this.  I thinking that by December this kind of quirk should be fully resolved.  

This reviewer has been pretty reliable in his objective approach.  It may be worth following him.

 

 


THIS is what surprises me the most. Wouldn’t the standard test for a speaker involve going through a test program with all the possible frequencies, recording the response and checking if everything is alright?

Indeed. For the engines and generators we develop, we do the same exact thing you mentioned. Running the sets at different RPMs and different loads while monitoring all the performance parameters. It’s pretty dumb that they missed it lol.

A
Userlevel 6
Badge +6

THIS is what surprises me the most. Wouldn’t the standard test for a speaker involve going through a test program with all the possible frequencies, recording the response and checking if everything is alright?

 

This assumes that the firmware used on the production line is the same as used at home. Units always update at installation time. If the home firmware introduces the issue, the production line test will be fine.

Well, didn’t they test the product with the new firmware at their R&D center? It’s a standard engineering procedure to redo the key tests at the engineering facility when any hardware/software change happens. 

I understand that the firmares are very complex these days and issues happen. But those issues should never compromise the primary function of the product i.e. Audio in this case. Breaking google assistant is fine, may be some occasional connectivity issues are fine. But BREAKING AUDIO IS NOT. 

G
Userlevel 5
Badge +2

Ideally Sonos can facilitate an exchange worst case scenario because as of right now an Arc order won’t ship until July 24th

M
Userlevel 1

Has anyones ARC been shipped after this thing gained attention? Like shipped yesterday, today etc

A
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

It certainly surprises me that Sonos would have managed to overlook a fairly major issue in the performance of a new, and possibly the most over-hyped, product they have produced. However I doubt many companies would already be working on a fix days after release following feedback from a forum. I cannot imagine they would have been remiss enough to fit drivers that couldn’t cope with the load. 

It does make me wonder though - 

  1. How many people consistently listen above 50% volume??
  2. How many people use a Soundbar for music very often? If so - why, other than if your only system is the one under the TV. 
  3. How many people use a Soundbar without a Sub, especially one this expensive? I can’t see any Soundbar, of any price, sounding great with TV and Movies unless partnered with a Sub. 
G
Userlevel 5
Badge +2

It certainly surprises me that Sonos would have managed to overlook a fairly major issue in the performance of a new, and possibly the most over-hyped product they have produced. However I doubt many companies would already be working on a fix days after release following feedback from a forum. I cannot imagine they would have been remiss enough to fit drivers that couldn’t cope with the load. 

It does make me wonder though - 

  1. How many people consistently listen above 50% volume??
  2. How many people use a Soundbar for music very often? If so - why, other than if your only system is the one under the TV. 
  3. How many people use a Soundbar without a Sub, especially one this expensive? I can’t see any Soundbar, of any price, sounding great with TV and Movies unless partnered with a Sub. 
  1. It’s noticeable over 50% that was just a baseline for being able to hear it clearly. Been using mine since I got it and still notice it around 30-40% on certain shows like The 100. It’s persistent and will come up unless you use your Arc around or below 20% which is borderline unlistenable 
  2. people prefer an all in one solution compared to having an additional set of speakers for music. It’s all about convenience and simplicity 
  3. if you look on the Sonos reddit, approximately 40% of owners live in an apartment. It’s easy to piss off a neighbor with a sub. The Arc or any sound bar will get most people 90% of the sound they want. For many the additional purchase of a $700 sub is unjustifiable or not feasible in their environment 
R
Userlevel 3
Badge +1
  1. I listen above 50% sometimes
  2. i use my soundbar for music all the time. Paired with a pair of Sonos ones it sounds great (used to with a playbar configuration)
  3. I do no have a sub… considering it in the future (let’s see how this arc fiasco plays out)

it’s rare that a firmware falls flat on its face like this from day 1. But maybe it’s a bad batch of components that they will try to “fix” with a software patch. 

M
Userlevel 1
  1. I listen above 50% sometimes
  2. i use my soundbar for music all the time. Paired with a pair of Sonos ones it sounds great (used to with a playbar configuration)
  3. I do no have a sub… considering it in the future (let’s see how this arc fiasco plays out)

it’s rare that a firmware falls flat on its face like this from day 1. But maybe it’s a bad batch of components that they will try to “fix” with a software patch. 

Yeah, good luck trying to survive that 😂

A
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

I would like to think that if any of this is related to the quality of components that Sonos will replace all of the early units no questions asked. It has certainly made me consider waiting a while before taking the plunge - I was hovering over preordering and then again on placing an order for late July, now I have no idea! Beam + Sub sounds pretty good anyway!

J
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

I think the people who have been using SONOS products for years may have more patience and willing to give them some time to get it right, while especially those who bought Arc as their first SONOS product may not… It make lot of sense! 

Nah that’t not it. I have been with Sonos for 2 years and my Beam had 0 issues since day one. People expect the same from a product that costs as much as 2 Beams. That’s not much to ask of a premium brand like Sonos. Consistency

Yes, that’s true!

I’m going to be patiently waiting to replace my Beam until I see further update on this.  I thinking that by December this kind of quirk should be fully resolved.  

This reviewer has been pretty reliable in his objective approach.  It may be worth following him.

 

 


THIS is what surprises me the most. Wouldn’t the standard test for a speaker involve going through a test program with all the possible frequencies, recording the response and checking if everything is alright?


 

This pretty much highlights the problem with the ARC. I did the same test with my other Sonos products and pretty much it only manifested with the Arc being the bass driver specifically at more than 53% volume. Anything lower than that volume seems to be fine for the ARC.
 

@40hz test

Trueplay On, EQ both at zero, loudness on and off, sub audio set to 0 and +5

ARC alone - problem showed at 53% volume

ARC with gen 2 sub - no issues even up to 100% volume

ARC with just Ones as surrounds - problem showed at 53% volume

ARC with gen 2 sub and Ones as surrounds - no issues even up to 100%
 

Beam alone - no issues even up to 100%

Beam with gen 2 sub - no issues even up to 100%

Beam with just surrounds - no issues even up to 100%

Beam with gen 2 sub and surrounds - no issues even up to 100%

 

Sonos ones alone - no issues even up to 100%

Sonos ones as stereo - no issues even up to 100%
Sonos ones with sub - no issues even up to 100%

 

I hope Sonos does the fix soon based on all that has been given in this forum.  

 

 

JJ
A
Userlevel 6
Badge +6

I think the people who have been using SONOS products for years may have more patience and willing to give them some time to get it right, while especially those who bought Arc as their first SONOS product may not… It make lot of sense! 

Nah that’t not it. I have been with Sonos for 2 years and my Beam had 0 issues since day one. People expect the same from a product that costs as much as 2 Beams. That’s not much to ask of a premium brand like Sonos. Consistency

Yes, that’s true!

I’m going to be patiently waiting to replace my Beam until I see further update on this.  I thinking that by December this kind of quirk should be fully resolved.  

This reviewer has been pretty reliable in his objective approach.  It may be worth following him.

 

 


THIS is what surprises me the most. Wouldn’t the standard test for a speaker involve going through a test program with all the possible frequencies, recording the response and checking if everything is alright?


 

This pretty much highlights the problem with the ARC. I did the same test with my other Sonos products and pretty much it only manifested with the Arc being the bass driver specifically at more than 53% volume. Anything lower than that volume seems to be fine for the ARC.
 

@40hz test

Trueplay On, EQ both at zero, loudness on and off, sub audio set to 0 and +5

ARC alone - problem showed at 53% volume

ARC with gen 2 sub - no issues even up to 100% volume

ARC with just Ones as surrounds - problem showed at 53% volume

ARC with gen 2 sub and Ones as surrounds - no issues even up to 100%
 

Beam alone - no issues even up to 100%

Beam with gen 2 sub - no issues even up to 100%

Beam with just surrounds - no issues even up to 100%

Beam with gen 2 sub and surrounds - no issues even up to 100%

 

Sonos ones alone - no issues even up to 100%

Sonos ones as stereo - no issues even up to 100%
Sonos ones with sub - no issues even up to 100%

 

I hope Sonos does the fix soon based on all that has been given in this forum.  

 

 

Right. 40 Hz after 50 % volume falls apart. Though the volume tolerance seems to be going up as you increase the frequency until the issue completely goes away.

S
Userlevel 3
Badge +2

THIS is what surprises me the most. Wouldn’t the standard test for a speaker involve going through a test program with all the possible frequencies, recording the response and checking if everything is alright?

 

This assumes that the firmware used on the production line is the same as used at home. Units always update at installation time. If the home firmware introduces the issue, the production line test will be fine.

I am not sure I follow. Why would there be a discrepancy between production line firmware and firmware approved by Sonos to go to production. There should be 0 discrepancies going into production. They don’t work on two separate fimwares. If Sonos approves software/firmware for production which means it was supposedly tested to work that build goes into the units. Nothing should be pushed to production without testing.

buzz

I’m referring to software installed on the production line for the purpose of verifying that all the hardware elements are operating properly. This specialized software would directly interact with test equipment on the production line. 

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