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okgrongstad
August 2, 2020

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

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.

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    110 replies

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    ledzep1
    Headliner II
    December 9, 2020

    I

    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

    It is a bit comical isn't it, what gets me is the response from Sonos on the issues, they don’t keep us informed enough, every now and then it would be nice if they posted an update on the progress on these threads.

     

    ledzep1
    Headliner II
    December 9, 2020

    I just noticed they released an app update 12.2.2 yesterday and also a system update 12.2.2, has anyone had the chance to see if it fixes any audio issues?

    seubjoh
    Lyricist I
    December 10, 2020

    Having a similar issue. Trying to play other content then coming back works sometimes. Disappointed after just dropping so much for this setup. LG CX/ Apple TV 4K/ARC + SUB 3 + 2 One SL

    ricow
    Lyricist III
    December 10, 2020

    I just noticed they released an app update 12.2.2 yesterday and also a system update 12.2.2, has anyone had the chance to see if it fixes any audio issues?

    It didn’t fix the issue. Brought support for adding a second sub. No update around this issue yet. Hopefully will be fixed soon. 

    ledzep1
    Headliner II
    December 11, 2020

    I just noticed they released an app update 12.2.2 yesterday and also a system update 12.2.2, has anyone had the chance to see if it fixes any audio issues?

    It didn’t fix the issue. Brought support for adding a second sub. No update around this issue yet. Hopefully will be fixed soon. 

    Thanks for checking. I thought it might fix it as I think they said December for a fix.

    DsunMD
    Lyricist III
    December 12, 2020

    I think the issue is with the Sonos arc itself. I have tried multiple devices, including Apple TV 4K, Roku ultra, and also Google TV chromecast on my LG 77 Cx.  All of them have the issue of the sound cutting in and out after playing Dolby atmos and then playing YouTube. Surprisingly if I play atmos and then another app like CNN go, the sound does not cut in and out. It may be an issue with the YouTube app on third party streamers? 
     

     

    DsunMD
    Lyricist III
    December 12, 2020

    I have just re tested the google TV chromecast and the problem has been solved! 
     

    I used atmos and then switched to YouTube on the google TV chromecast and no sound cutting in and out! Miracle! 

    Jm738
    Lyricist I
    December 12, 2020

    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.

    Agreed. I had this issue prior to receiving my Arc. The chirp is new however and may be specific to the Arc. Anyone have recommended updates/workarounds taking in account that LPCM should now be supported?

    Bryceoflife
    Lyricist I
    December 15, 2020

    As some others have said on this thread, fairly certain this is not a Sonos issue as I was experiencing it before my Arc Arrived. It’s an Apple TV problem from what I can tell. This thread offers some help (workaround): https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251880434

     

     

    DsunMD
    Lyricist III
    December 17, 2020

    I’m resigned to just use the WebOS YouTube and streaming apps. I’ll likely only use Apple TV for apps that aren’t available on WebOS. 
     

    However, when streaming Netflix or any other Dolby vision show, I’ve noticed at times it will drop audio coming from the Sonos arc for 2-3 seconds, revert to TV audio, and then revert back to the arc. My LG CX flashes HDMI port 2 now available as if it was temporarily disconnected. Does anyone else experience this? 

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