Skip to main content

We installed our new Sonos arc and connected it with the recommended HDMI arc connection and included cable to a newer Vizio TV (M507-G1) that is up-to-date on firmware. When watching TV the audio drops out, the volume controls from the TV and Roku remotes are sluggish and sporadic, the audio quality is terrible and the video occasionally will cut out.
 

We hard-reset everything, disconnected, reconnected, chatted with Sonos support, worked through all of the recommendations, opened a support ticked, submitted diagnostics, and ended at a roadblock where the customer support agent suggested we have to find another TV to test it with as the only possible solution.  That’s not a realistic solution for us. 
 

The unit does work fine with streaming music and with the optical cable connection, but obviously this is not ideal or really an acceptable downgrade for a premium product that is named for the connection it is supposed to function with. I read through similar strings of conversation on Sonos community boards as well as elsewhere and this appears to be a relatively common issue with the arc product and likely an issue with the Sonos firmware not properly supporting connection to some TV models (and most importantly not an issue with the TV settings or a “damaged HDMI port” as the support agent algorithm suggested).
 

So, my question is if there is any way to make this top-of-the-line unit function as advertised? Otherwise it seems the only option is to accept a less than premium audio connection or return the unit and write some reviews to warn others from making the same $800 mistake. 

Odd, I use an Arc with my Vizio P75-F1 with zero issues. As well as a slightly older 70inch Vizio whose model number I don’t recall, however neither have eARC, only ARC. 

Slow volume controls from what device(s)? If it’s the Sonos controller, that certainly suggests some sort of wifi interference , which would need looking in to. 

Sonos is only able to play what it receives from the TV, so if the audio out from the TV is bad, Sonos can’t make it any ‘better’. 
 

You indicate the use of a Roku device. Have you tested with that device unplugged from the HDMI port it normally occupies? There’s certainly a possibility of an issue with CEC that could be causing the TV, which normally controls that system, might be having issues with. I’d also be talking directly to Vizio about your issues. Sonos is only a ‘client’ device connected to the TV, it has zero control over the video stream, and for all practical purposes, just tells the TV ‘I’m a speaker, and these are the codecs I can interpret’, nothing else. 

@Seaj-z 

This sounds like a HDMI-CEC protocol issue to me and my suggestion would be to try the following:

  • Power off the TV & Arc fully (not standby) and remove the HDMI cable from the TV’s HDMI-ARC port for 30 seconds - then put it back and check both ends of that cable are seated correctly.
  • Next remove all other HDMI cables from the TV and don’t put them back at this stage.
  • Power on the TV and Sonos Arc and test the pair together for a few hours to see if the dropouts stop. If they do and everything now works okay, then continue with the next steps.
  • Cable just one of your ‘other’ HDMI devices back to the TV (i.e. your set-top box/cable TV) and use that for a while to see if it causes the drop-out issues. If it does then see the fix below.
  • If the other HDMI connected device causes no issues and all works fine then cable back your next HDMI device and continue to test things to makes sure everything works okay.

Fix

If you discover one of your ‘other’ HDMI devices are ‘perhaps’ causing the audio dropout issue, then it’s quite plausible it is using HDMI-CEC control and is attempting to ‘steal’ focus away from the Sonos Arc. The suggested fix is to switch off HDMI-CEC on that one device in its settings.

Some TV-connected devices have no way of switching off their CEC control and in that instance, it’s perhaps worth adding a CEC-Less adapter to its cable-connection instead. See this ‘example’ link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LINDY-HDMI-Less-Adapter-Female-Black/dp/B00DL48KVI

Here’s hoping that will resolve your issue.👍

Thank you for the reply! Yeah. We tried it with all possible connections (HD antenna only, Roku, built in apps, etc, but the commonality was that if the arc cable was connected it won’t function properly.
 

The volume control issues are from either the TV remote (IR) or the Roku remote (RF). 
 

We swapped out the HDMI cable for a higher quality cable, but same issue. The optical adapter works fine. Other audio devices (receiver) work fine with the arc on the TV. I would certainly look at Vizio for support but the arc connection seems to work fine with other audio devices. It seems to be a Sonos-specific issue. 

I’m certainly in agreement with Ken on this, all the issues you are describing are indicative of an issue in the CEC processing happening in the TV itself. 

Thank you for all of the replies. The issue was indeed CEC interference when the Roku is plugged in. The unfortunate part is that there is no way to turn off CEC function for one input only and when you do for the whole system you lose significant function of the Roku and the ability to have one-remote control for your TV and streaming device.
 

No matter how I have tried to set things up the real issue here is that I can connect other audio devices (receiver) with the arc connection and the full function of the TV and Roku work perfectly but when I use the Sonos arc, things go awry. Unfortunately this is indeed a Sonos problem with the speaker not keeping its functions within the appropriate sandbox and interfering with other devices. The Sonos customer service folks didn’t have a solution (other than buying a new TV). 
 

I’ll return this $800 hunk of cruddy firmware with great speakers and look elsewhere. 
 

 

Thank you for all of the replies. The issue was indeed CEC interference when the Roku is plugged in. The unfortunate part is that there is no way to turn off CEC function for one input only and when you do for the whole system you lose significant function of the Roku and the ability to have one-remote control for your TV and streaming device.
 

No matter how I have tried to set things up the real issue here is that I can connect other audio devices (receiver) with the arc connection and the full function of the TV and Roku work perfectly but when I use the Sonos arc, things go awry. Unfortunately this is indeed a Sonos problem with the speaker not keeping its functions within the appropriate sandbox and interfering with other devices. The Sonos customer service folks didn’t have a solution (other than buying a new TV). 
 

I’ll return this $800 hunk of cruddy firmware with great speakers and look elsewhere. 
 

When it comes to CEC issues it’s ‘usually’ the TV hardware/firmware - you will likely encounter the same issue with another receiver attached to the HDMI-ARC port. Often a firmware update from the TV manufacturer can fix these things, or the cec-less adapter, mentioned earlier, will fix it.

The Sonos firmware works with the majority of TV manufacturers, so the ‘cruddy’ firmware is more likely to be the TV model rather than the Arc’s firmware. 

Terms & ConditionsCookie settings