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Sonos with Yamaha receiver and streaming from laptop

  • 28 February 2020
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I have an LG projector and a Yamaha receiver, Sonos beam and sub, and wired in surround backs wired to my sonos amp. I typically stream stuff off my laptop through the yamaha receiver which then feeds the video to the projector. The receiver is a TSR-7850 and has an HDMI ARC. I can get picture going from my laptop to my projector but I can’t get corresponding sound through the receiver to my beam and subsequently throughout the surround sound sonos setup. What am I doing wrong?

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Best answer by Airgetlam 29 February 2020, 19:14

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45 replies

Airgetlam

What kind of audio signal are you sending to the Yamaha? I’ve never seem a receiver with an HDMI-ARC port, that’s fascinating, but you have to have a Dolby Digital signal coming out. I’ve not read the manual, but I doubt the receiver is transcoding, so I’m betting your laptop is sending a DTS or Dolby Digital Plus, or even a Dolby Atmos signal to the receiver, which should be reflecting that back out to the Beam. And the Beam can’t interpret any of those kinds of signals.

It is certainly worth reading the manual to see if that receiver has the ability to transcode, if it does, the signal going out needs to be a Dolby Digital signal. However, there’s always the potential that transcoding can take time, and delay these audio signals, so the earlier you can set the Dolby Digital signal, the better, i.e. in whatever software you’re using on your PC.

Bruce
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Bruce,

Thanks for the help. I must admit though, most of what you’re saying sounds like it is written in a foreign language. I have no idea what type of audio signal I’m sending the receiver. I have an HDMI cord that goes from my laptop to my receiver. The HDMI ARC port is an output on the receiver. You can see it on pg. 15 here: https://usa.yamaha.com/files/download/other_assets/3/1188333/web_AV17-0350_TSR-7850_om_U_En_D0.pdf

How do I know if I have a Dolby Digital signal coming out?

How do I know if my laptop is transmitting a DTS, Dolby Digital Plus, or Dolby Atmos signal to the receiver? It’s a Dell Latitude 7490.

How can I convert the signal to something the Beam can interpret? Surely people stream from their laptops and project using a projector and use Sonos for the sound, right?

Airgetlam

Completely understand. ;)

There are two places I’d be looking at in your system. And I’m not near my Win10 machine to double check for accuracy, so I’ll be somewhat vague, and trust you to poke around and find these things and maybe learn where things are, and figure out where I am just some looney on the inter webs.

The first place is in the app you’re using to play the files. There should be somewhere in the app where you can control what kind of audio is being sent out.

The second place is in the Win 10 settings for either Audio or perhaps Video, where you are able to configure the output of the HDMI output, and define what kind of audio is included with the video stream. 

Look around for those two settings. I think if the first works, you wouldn’t have to worry about the second...but only if that player app is the only one you ever use to play a video. The latter, being a full system setting, is more likely to help in future use. 

 

Bruce
106rallye
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You’re not mentioning how you’ve connected your equipment. Did you connect the Beam to the the HDMI-ARC and the projector to the HDMI not labelled ARC on the Yamaha and did you set up the Amp as surround?

Airgetlam

Actually, great question. I’d made certain assumptions about the connections based on the way I’d have done it. 

Bruce
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@106rallye Yes, I have my laptop connect to the Yamaha receiver providing picture and sound input via an HDMI cord. Then the receiver should route the picture to my LG projector via an HDMI cord and then sound to my Sonos Beam via an HDMI ARC cord. I’ve tried plugging the HDMI ARC cord into the optical adapter and into the optical audio output on the Yamaha receiver as well as into the output HDMI ARC slot. Neither work. I’ve tried moving the projector HDMI cord into both HDMI output slots as well (even though the projector cord is not HDMI ARC). The cord going from my laptop to the receiver is not HDMI either. If I need to buy another HDMI ARC cord to solve this, then that would be easy. Any advice?

M
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Also, yes the Amp is surround and has the built in ceiling speakers. It’s connected to the Beam so it’s all one unit.

Airgetlam

I’m wondering if there is something in the setup of the receiver that requires turning on to get either the HDMI-ARC or optical output to work. You would need to double check the manual for the receiver. 
If you have a TV set that has HDMI-ARC, it would really be nice to put that in play for testing, rather than trying to go through the amplifier. We’re currently troubleshooting three variables, the PC output, the amplifier pass through, and the Beam’s functionality. Being able to deal with one at a time would be helpful.

As a side note, you’re aware that the Beam is not a center speaker, correct? It is the three front speakers in a single enclosure. If you are indeed sending a Dolby Digital signal to it, all three channels come from it. The Beam isn’t capable of playing just a single center channel. 

I’ve never seen a setup that would work to send wired surrounds connected to the receiver, and the three front channels through the HDMI-ARC. Sonos certainly doesn’t support such a setup. In order to have surrounds with a Sonos sound bar, it is required to have either a Sonos Amp or a pair of Sonos speakers bonded to the sound bar. 

I suspect that your receiver can’t separate the front signals to send to the HDMI-ARC, and the surround information to the wired surrounds. 

Bruce
buzz

Normally an HDMI port is input or output, not both. ARC (Audio Return Channel) is designed to accept an audio signal from a display APP. Unless the projector has APP’s (such as NETFLIX), ARC is not applicable to this system. 

In this system an “audio extractor” should be inserted between the receiver’s HDMI output and the projector. The extractor will provide an optical connection for BEAM. BEAM would be set for “Autoplay” -- allowing BEAM to automatically switch to the HDMI audio whenever it starts.

While I don’t have any specific product recommendation, here is a link that you can use to start your search. These are more or less generic products.

M
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My wired surrounds are fed through the Sonos amp so I’m good there.

When I right click on my laptop speaker icon in the bottom right corner, it looks like it has the ability to output Stereo, 5.1, and 7.1 and then it looks like Dolby Atmos for Home Theater would be an option but it’s greyed out and I can’t click on it.

I feel like I’ve tried every combination of my Sonos Beam HDMI cable in the ARC and non-ARC ports, the optical port using the converter, the projector HDMI cable in both the ARC and non-ARC. I’ve tried the settings in the Yamaha receiver set to decode Dolby Surround, DTS Neural, DTS Neo, and auto and none of them make the Sonos produce sound. I’ve tried each of these settings with the ARC function turned on and off in the Yamaha receiver’s options. The laptop can only be fed to one spot (the HDMI input port). I’ve tested it with a TV and a high speed ARC cable and it produces both sound and video through a Tv. So I’m at a loss here. I feel like I’ve tried every permutation with the projector, receiver, Sonos, laptop setup but I must be missing some equipment or something...

M
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The thing that makes me more confused is that I have a 5.1 system up in my living room (all wired) and have all the speakers wired into the same type of Yamaha receiver in that room. I have an HDMI ARC cord going to my TV as my output and a regular HDMI cord going from my laptop to the Yamaha receiver as the input. I am getting full surround sound on all five speakers with the video playing on the Tv…

Is it something with Sonos?

M
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Thanks @buzz ! Would this work as well? I had ordered this one yesterday thinking I might need to try having both the beam and the projector in one end and the other going into the projector’s HDMI out (non-ARC). https://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Switch-4K-Splitter-Bi-Directional/dp/B079JQ9XXV/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=HDMI+Switch+4K+HDMI+Splitter+techole&qid=1583080979&s=electronics&sr=1-3

buzz

Don’t attempt create a surround system that has speakers driven by both YAMAHA and SONOS components. The surround system must be one or the other. If you attempt to piece together a combined system, you’ll be trading one frustration with another.

You could use the YAMAHA as an input selector without attaching speakers, or you could use the YAMAHA to drive speakers in another room or out in the garden.

M
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@buzz right now I’m trying to use Yamaha as the input selector. All my speakers are run through the Sonos, which only has one connection point via the Beam to the Yamaha. The HDMI output is to the projector for picture (non-ARC HDMI output) and the HDMI input is via an HDMI cord from my laptop and should be producing video and audio for the Yamaha receiver. The question is, how do I get the Yamaha receiver to transmit the audio to the Beam and the picture to the projector? I have picture, so that works. And I have the option to do the Beam via an HDMI cord (ARC-compatible) or the optical adapter for the HDMI cord. No other speaker wires are attached to the Yamaha receiver. In fact, no other cords are attached to the receiver except for the HDMI output to the projector, the HDMI input from the laptop and the Beam, however I determine that it should be connected.

Why isn’t the Yamaha transmitting audio to the Beam?

buzz

Why isn’t the Yamaha transmitting audio to the Beam?

In addition to video and audio information there is two way communication between the HDMI source and the “sink” (display). When you connect the YAMAHA HDMI output directly to BEAM, the YAMAHA is asking “what kind of display are you?” Since BEAM is not a display it cannot answer the question and the YAMAHA shuts down that output.

The audio extractor sitting between the YAMAHA and the projector answers the YAMAHA’s question and extracts audio for BEAM.

M
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@buzz this makes sense if your only option is Yamaha’s HDMI output but what if you use the optical output? Doesn’t Yamaha expect that to be audio?

 

Either way, I’ve ordered the extractor and will report back in a few days to update on how that works!

buzz

That YAMAHA does not offer any digital outputs. Attempting to use the YAMAHA’s analog outputs in this application will be very frustrating.

M
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Ok, my frustration with Sonos “easy” set up system continues to mount. I purchased the below audio extractor from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082KW5MXS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And tried setting it up with the Yamaha receiver and Sonos sound bar using every configuration possible (I used the HDMI to optical converter with the Beam and plugged the projector into the extractor as well) with the other end going to the HDMI output on the Yamaha receiver (tried both ARC and non-ARC slots). I even tried using a splitter in addition to the extractor so I wouldn’t have to use the optical converter on the Beam HDMI cable. Can anyone help? If I can’t use the Yamaha receiver, that’s fine, I just want my Sonos set up to work as the audio for my projector. If I’m at an impasse, then I will just have to return the Sonos and go with wired speakers which I don’t want to do.

melvimbe

 A couple points to make.

 

First, forget about using ARC in the scenario.  As Buzz pointed out ARC is useful in connecting a display device to an audio player device.  You can’t use ARC to connect two audio player devices together, which both your Yamaha and Beam are.  The ARC ports on these devices are both  tehcnically HDMI outputs, which might be hard to understand, but mention it just to illustrate why connecting the two together like that won’t work.  Since it does help you in this situation, all you really need to know is that it doesn’t help you in this situation.

 

Second, you said you are using the yamaha receiver to switch inputs, but you’ve only mentioned one input, the laptop.  Do you have others?  If not, the Yamaha receiver isn’t useful in your situation, just connect the laptop to the splitter you already bought.   If you do have more than one source, then you can replace it with a HDMI switch with 2 or more inputs, and HDMI output + optical output.  I’m not saying you can’t use the Yamaha in your setup, but you aren’t using it as it’s designed to be used, and you’re introducing more ‘points of failure’ with it’s inclusion.

 

If you remove the Yamaha from the equation, then the issue could be that your laptop isn’t sending audio in PCM stereo or dolby digital.  It looks like you already know where to check that.  The other end would be the Beam and making sure that’s setup correctly.

Danny
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@melvimbe how do you get your laptop to send a signal in PCM stereo or DD? It looks like it’s only sending in stereo.

melvimbe

@melvimbe how do you get your laptop to send a signal in PCM stereo or DD? It looks like it’s only sending in stereo.

 

I don’t know.  I don’t use laptops or PCs as a source, only what formats Sonos will accept.  It may be that your laptop can only send stereo.

 

What content are you watching anyway?  if you’re using the laptop to access streaming services, it would be much easier just to get a streamer like fire tv or roku (ultra).

Danny
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That’s a fair point. I’m streaming youtube, cbs sports, netflix, hulu, golf channel, etc. from my laptop. 

melvimbe

That’s a fair point. I’m streaming youtube, cbs sports, netflix, hulu, golf channel, etc. from my laptop. 

 

I stream most of those through fire tv in dolby digital, and I’m sure the others are also available.  I would drop your receiver and laptop out of the equation, and use fire tv plus the splitter/extractor you already have.

Danny
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Ok this is crazy, I think I’ve purchased every device I can to make this work and tried every combination.

I bought the Nvidia Shield (streaming device like Roku, Apple Tv, etc.) and have the HDMI cord from that going into an HDMI splitter. From the splitter, I have an HDMI cord going to my projector and another HDMI cord going to the Beam. This produces video but no sound.

I’ve also tried plugging the HDMI cord from the Shield into the extractor with the HDMI output from the extractor going to the projector and the optical output going to the Beam via the HDMI/optical adapter. This produces video but no sound.

I’ve also tried plugging the HDMI cord from the Shield into the extractor with the HDMI output from the extractor going to the HDMI splitter. From the splitter I have the HDMI cords going to the Beam and the projector. This produces video but no sound.

I’ve also tried the HDMI cord from the Shield into the splitter with one output going directly to the projector and the other output going to the extractor. From there I’ve tried plugging the Beam into the extractor’s HDMI output and the extractor’s optical output. Again, video but no sound.

I’ve also tried plugging the HDMI from the Shield into my Yamaha receiver and then using the splitters/extractors as outputs from the receiver, but this seems redundant and I can just cut the receiver out if I don’t need it. 

The extractor has settings for P, 2.0, and 5.1. I’ve tried each of these settings with each of the above configurations. Nothing seems to work. The Beam plays music from the Sonos app so I know it’s set up and working properly. I just don’t know why I can’t project and use sound.

melvimbe

Ok this is crazy, I think I’ve purchased every device I can to make this work and tried every combination.

I bought the Nvidia Shield (streaming device like Roku, Apple Tv, etc.) and have the HDMI cord from that going into an HDMI splitter. From the splitter, I have an HDMI cord going to my projector and another HDMI cord going to the Beam. This produces video but no sound.

 

 I wouldn’t expect this to work.

 

 

I’ve also tried plugging the HDMI cord from the Shield into the extractor with the HDMI output from the extractor going to the projector and the optical output going to the Beam via the HDMI/optical adapter. This produces video but no sound.

 

 

This should work.  Check to make sure the Beam is set to play from the TV source (using the Sonos app)  and not a streaming source.  You can also change the setting so that it automatically switches to TV audio when it turns on...but you may not have set that yet.

 

The other thing to check is that your Shield is set to PCM or DD audio.

 

I’ve also tried plugging the HDMI cord from the Shield into the extractor with the HDMI output from the extractor going to the HDMI splitter. From the splitter I have the HDMI cords going to the Beam and the projector. This produces video but no sound.

 

 

Sounds like your first setting.  That won’t work.

 

I’ve also tried the HDMI cord from the Shield into the splitter with one output going directly to the projector and the other output going to the extractor. From there I’ve tried plugging the Beam into the extractor’s HDMI output and the extractor’s optical output. Again, video but no sound.

 

 

Not following this one, but pretty sure it’s wrong.

 

I’ve also tried plugging the HDMI from the Shield into my Yamaha receiver and then using the splitters/extractors as outputs from the receiver, but this seems redundant and I can just cut the receiver out if I don’t need it. 

 

 

Correct, the Yamaha isn’t really doing anything for you here.

 

 

The extractor has settings for P, 2.0, and 5.1. I’ve tried each of these settings with each of the above configurations. Nothing seems to work. The Beam plays music from the Sonos app so I know it’s set up and working properly. I just don’t know why I can’t project and use sound.

 

I don’t know what ‘P’ means.  Perhaps PCM (stereo), but that’s also what 2.0 means.  Regardless, I doubt that’s the issue,   Check to make sure the Beam is set to play the TV source, and your Shield is sending PCM or Dolby Digital.

Danny
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