Sound cutting in and out on Sonos Arc after playing Dolby Atmos content on Apple TV 4K

110 replies
20357 views

Sound cutting in and out on my Sonos Arc after playing Dolby Atmos content on Apple TV 4K

I’ve had my Sonos Arc and Sub Gen 3 for about two weeks now and I’m very satisfied with the sound quality, but I’m having some very annoying issues with audio cutting in and out…
I have the latest LG OLED TV, a LG GX (same as the CX, just wall mounted). The only two boxes I have hooked up to my TV is an Apple TV 4K and a PS4 Pro, but I’m having sound issues on my Apple TV.
Before I explain the problem, yes, I’ve pretty much done all the troubleshooting I can do. Plug everything in and out, check that the cables is properly connected, updated everything, the Arc, TV and Apple TV, everything should be up to date as I’m writing this post.

Okay, so here’s the issue, with a half ish solution.

My issue:
If I play any content that supports Dolby Atmos on iTunes, Apple TV+, Netflix etc. and try to play some music through the Apple Music app or watch any video on YouTube on my Apple TV after that, the audio cuts in and out every other second. This even happens after playing a Dolby Atmos movie on iTunes and when I go back to the movie menu, the audio starts to cut in and out. It doesn't help to turn the TV and Apple TV on and off and it doesn't help to just restart the Apple TV itself.

The half ish solution:

The only fix that I found that worked, is to play a movie that is in 5.1 after playing Dolby Atmos supported content. If I do that and then go into Apple Music or YouTube, the audio is fine and it doesn't cut in and out every other second.

The issue:
So it seem like the Arc might have an issue going from Dolby Atmos straight over to stereo sound. But going from Dolby Atmos to 5.1 or from 5.1 to stereo works just fine.
It work perfectly the other way around, from stereo to 5.1 or Dolby Atmos. The only thing I hear then is a little loud zippering or buzzing sound, but I guess that’s just because the Arc is switching the sound receiving signal? If that zippering / buzzing sound shouldn't happen, let me know.

The funny part:

Here’s the the funny part though, if I play something in Dolby Atmos on my Apple TV and after that play a YouTube video on the built-in YouTube app on the TV, the audio is fine. Same if I AirPlay music to the Arc. So I’m a little unsure if there’s something that has to be fixed from Sonos’s end or Apple’s?

I’m seeing a lot of people on here tags @Ryan A and @Kyle A, so I’m gonna do that too, seeing as they come up with a lot of good answers.

If anyone else has had similar issues, let me know.

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

Show previous replies

S

sleepfree

Lyricist I

i’m having the same issue. Really hoping it gets fixed soon.

B

Bonovox78

Lyricist I

Hi all, I came across this thread while googling the similar issue I have. The only difference being I do not have a Sonos soundbar. I have a Bang and Olufsen Soundstage. So, the issue lies either at Apple’s or LG’s end. So I recommend you email both and explain the issue. Just to add my LG CX is only new since Friday last, previously I had a LG E8 OLED which does not have earc and this issue didn’t occur. There was some slight screen change refresh going from say Disney back to the Apple TV4K main screen but no sound drop/cut.

G

GenAckbar73

Lyricist III

Great news! LG is working on a FIX for this issue:

“We are aware of a compatibility issue related to the Dolby ATMOS and Apple TV. We have a temporary workaround to have the sound work, while we work on developing the fix.

We will need to change a few settings for the workaround. On the LG TV go to:

- Settings → Sound → Additional Settings → HDMI Input Audio Format → HDMI “PCM” Setting

On the Apple TV we will need to change the following:

- Settings → Video and Audio → Audio Format → Dolby Atmos “Off” Setting

A fix for this issue should be out in December. Please stay tuned for updates.”

https://lgcommunity.us.com/discussion/14247/cx-atmos-audio-bug-with-apple-tv-4k

R

ricow

Lyricist III

Great news! LG is working on a FIX for this issue:

“We are aware of a compatibility issue related to the Dolby ATMOS and Apple TV. We have a temporary workaround to have the sound work, while we work on developing the fix.

We will need to change a few settings for the workaround. On the LG TV go to:

- Settings → Sound → Additional Settings → HDMI Input Audio Format → HDMI “PCM” Setting

On the Apple TV we will need to change the following:

- Settings → Video and Audio → Audio Format → Dolby Atmos “Off” Setting

A fix for this issue should be out in December. Please stay tuned for updates.”

https://lgcommunity.us.com/discussion/14247/cx-atmos-audio-bug-with-apple-tv-4k

Massive thank you for sharing this great news! Looking forward to the update.

S

Stevoid

Lyricist III

I’ve been dealing with this and Sonos for months. They’re only solution is to not use Atmos. I’ve even escalated to the executive leadership and they offered me a refund if I return it. The reality is this product isn’t ready for prime time, it’s a shame too and certainly it not what I expected from Sonos.

J

jaco228

Lyricist I

FYI, this is definitely not a SONOS issue. Unplugged the HDMI ARC to the Sonos and you’ll see the the LG tv does the same audio stuttering. This is an LG tv and Apple TV issue. It’s just that so many people have this LG CX, Apple TV and Sonos combo that people naturally blame the speaker system.

S

Stevoid

Lyricist III

This has been replicated on my Sony A1E 65 and 55, LG GX77, LG 77G7, LG CX48. Without the Apple TV as well for the “audio in and out”. The chirp from Atmos to non atmos only happens with eArc is on. Sonos confirmed this is their issue. Like i said before this has been escalated all the way to Patrick Spence and confirmed it’s a Sonos issue and a fix is in the works.

S

Stevoid

Lyricist III

This has been replicated on my Sony A1E 65 and 55, LG GX77, LG 77G7, LG CX48. Without the Apple TV as well for the “audio in and out”. The chirp from Atmos to non atmos only happens with eArc is on. Sonos confirmed this is their issue. Like i said before this has been escalated all the way to Patrick Spence and confirmed it’s a Sonos issue and a fix is in the works.

Additionally the only two TVs I have that support eArc are the GX and CX.

D

DownTownBufTech

Contributor I

Same issue here with CX, Appletv 4K, and new arc arriving today.

S

Stevoid

Lyricist III

They replaced my arc as well. Didn’t fix the issue. They released a half baked product that is having issues with Atmos and the only option is to turn off eArc or don’t use atmos. Makes no sense.

I requested an update today and here is the response. It’s purely comical.

There is no update to share at this time. As previously stated this will likely take some time and I will reach out if there are any updates available or things for us to try. Work is being done towards improvement with the Arc system but this is not a fast process. The offer is still open to return/buyback your 5.1 system if you would rather not wait for our developers to work this out.

Thank you,
Brandon G
Sonos Escalations Team

Show more replies

Sign up

Login to the community