Sonos Beam low volume

*Stupid question*

But how are you all getting numbers showing your volume? Before I got the beam, whenever I changed the TV volume, it showed it in numbers which I liked. As I normally aimed for 10 as the perfect volume.

But since adding the beam and two play 1’s when I change the volume on my TV I don’t get any numbers, just an up or down arrow flashing depending which direction I’m going so I have to guess/listen if it sounds about right.

Have been seriously unimpressed with my Beam from day 1, I have so many variable performance issues it is embarrassing when someone says ooh.........you have the new Sonos, how is it?

It is a bundle of excrement so far! Holding out for a software fix, but why do I need to?

No Napster functionality for Alexa and such poor volume control, either so low you hardly hear it or so high the neighbours complain, and little control in between!

*Stupid question*

But how are you all getting numbers showing your volume? Before I got the beam, whenever I changed the TV volume, it showed it in numbers which I liked. As I normally aimed for 10 as the perfect volume.

But since adding the beam and two play 1’s when I change the volume on my TV I don’t get any numbers, just an up or down arrow flashing depending which direction I’m going so I have to guess/listen if it sounds about right.

This is correct behavior for Samsung TVs and arc.
Maybe someone at Sonos missed to test the Beam with Samsung?

Dave.....I get numbers, mostly, but they jump in increments of 2? No idea!

Have tried playing with TV settings, no idea what I am doing, but it may have worked on my Sony Bravia????

Go to settings/ system settings/ sound/ advanced/ set Dolby Digital plus out to off.

Setup// AV setup/ Audio Out to fixed/ Digital Audio out to Auto1/ HDMI signal format to HDMI3 enhanced.

Absolutely clueless but it may have given me control of volume???

I am having the exact same issue with my Beam - previously my Sony Bravia (Model XBR-65X750D) was set to 30 or so for normal watching. After plugging in my new Beam via HDMI ARC, I have to turn it all the way up to the 80s to get the same level of volume. However, when I stream audio directly to the Beam using AirPlay 2, the volume is way too loud. I have reset all my TV sound settings back to default and have not been able to make any progress regarding this issue. Has anyone discovered a fix? I'm debating plugging in my optical cable with the adapter to see if that works better - although I'd really like to be able to use Alexa to control a few things.

Hi Matt, experiencing the exact same issue as yourself (with a Samsung TV) and there doesn't appear to be any fix or even the admission that this is a problem from what I have seen. Regarding HDMI ARC Vs Optical I was getting the exact same sound out of both from my TV. It would be interesting to see if you have same behaviour.

Suggy.. is your problem with low volume resolved? I had the issue when I setup the beam. I played around with the sound settings a bit. it seems setting the headphone/audio out in Sony android tv to Variable then increasing the volume to 30 and then reverting audio output to Fixed may have resolved my issue. I am seeing improvements now on the volume. I am getting desired volume at low setting in the remote now

I wonder if this issue is to do with dd5.1 sources? [...] At lower volumes parts of the mix such as quiet voices or music are just way too low. But using might mode or speech enhancement doesn’t entirely fix it as both introduce significant downsides. Tiny voices or in the case of night mode removal of all noticeable bass.

I find that with 5.1 sources the sound bar just isn’t balanced especially at low volumes. Anyone else experienced this?

Exactly this. Switching the output (from either Netflix or from the TV HDMI settings) to a stereo signal immediately delivers a more balanced mix with clear voices.

With 5.1 I get an overly dramatic mix with massive emphasis on special effects and music, but barely audible voices. To make out what people are saying the volume needs to be cranked up so high I'm afraid my neighbors will start complaining soon.

I'm thinking about getting a pair of Play 1's for surround but not before this 5.1 issue is fixed.

do you guys have the balance volume issue for every video?
i have the same behaviour since Version 9 but not for all Videos
seems to be ralated with
https://en.community.sonos.com/home-theater-228993/sonos-beam-dd5-1-problem-6810138

Just thought I would add perhaps a slightly different perspective here. I have an LG TV model 28MT48S and my TV volume-out via HDMI-ARC seems perfect with the Beam in a 5.0 surround setup with two Play:1’s . The normal LG TV volume controls are single digit increments, between 1 and 100 and a setting of 30 to 35 is more than loud enough for my dining room which seats eight to ten people, whilst it’s max volume is also loud, but without any distortion being evident. It is certainly more than loud enough for my small room (and ears) and would definitely dusturb the neighbours next door, or even the folk in the house after that, at its max setting.

I’m not seeing much volume difference between PCM and Dolby Digital output either and switching over to playing music seems to be on par with the TV sound.

So this appears to me to possibly be a TV audio-out issue, by some brands and or models of TV perhaps?

Obviously I’m no TV audio expert, but presumably there is no industry set standard here for volume output and that each manufacturer are gearing things for their own in-built TV speakers and their own brand of soundbars, leaving other manufacturers, like Sonos, having to average their sound accordingly across all the various different brands and models.

I’m just wondering if pin-pointing that average audio output, to suit the majority, is something Sonos would choose to do with the new Beam, once they have been able to collect the data and feedback from its 'real-world' users, as it would be nigh on impossible to test the Beam with every make and model of TV out there, prior to its public launch date.

well, there a lot different issues with volume for the Beam, maybe related to Version 9 like in my case.
to watch movies is almost a nightmare with DD...
i did troubleshooting and everythings leads to Sonos and Version 9, i wish it would not the case but thats it.

my experince with the beam regarding HDMI ARC is not good, so i am using optical ,might be als an root cause in some cases.

but the TV just passes the audio signal to Sonos and they are processing it and if the sounds is good for tv speakers, something is wrong with the Sonos processing ot whatever.

maybe the support for some TVs has changed in Version 9 or whatever, but Sonos Support is not really able to get the issue and says, its normal for action movies....yes, but not this extreme and fact, before Version 9 i had no Volume issues.

i guess we have to live with it and hepfully with newer version solved.