Contributor I

Terrible purchase

13 replies
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Canadian living in China for the last 8 years now. After a lot of research I decided to purchase a sound bar due to space restrictions living in China. In Canada I always used component AC3 systems but I have read that SB tech has come a long way. I recently purchased a 75r645 TCL which i am super happy with and its equipped with eARC so Sonos Acr and 2x One XL seems like the best choice. Due to likely protectionism taxes this unit is much more expensive (12,000 rmb) than other countries in China so it was a difficult choice over the MUCH cheaper Samsung HW-Q950A. Getting it up and running was not at all easy and a poor experience. Having the eARC and ability to control day to day operation with the TV remote was a big deciding factor over the Samsung. After 3 hours of playing with configurations randomly I finally got it working but the input lag and screen update for the remote is long and annoying. If this was a cheap product or old tech I would accept this…. but not considering the price from a brand that considers themselves top in latest tech. Secondly the sound is abysmal! Yes I updated everything and did the full set up. The rear channels come in way too hot but can be adjusted but still lack any kind of decent sound field. The blending from front to back is horrible. When I swing the camera around in a PS5 game there is an EXTREMELY noticeable sound difference between the front and back. There is virtually no side fill at all with just a hard break from front to back and a very different sound destroying the effect all together. I would compare it to my first AC-3 set up I bought in around 2001 for sound processing. When I turn it up to play games on my PS5 or watch a movie its literally unlistenable. Glassy, hard and full of digital noise. I find myself wanting to turn it down almost immediately at which point its no better than my TV speakers. Lastly this isn't a deal breaker but it just adds insult to injury…. Both Alexa and Google apps aren't available in China at the software level. Normally I bypass this with VPN but the lousy closed source Sonos software blocks me out from even activating it. To make matters worse I cant return this because its opened. So I am stuck with a literally useless 12,000 RMB (1899 USD) product. Right now my only recourse is to sell it used and buy the Samsung.

Sonos Arc

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J

John B

I have a ton of experience when it comes to high end audio.

Ah I have to admit I only have experience of mid-range systems, my current one being a Cyrus DAC XP+ connected to a pair of Cyrus 8 Power amplifiers in dual mono mode playing through PMC floorstanders. I have never owned a high end system.

Airgetlam

I was honestly unaware that Sonos, or anyone else, for that matter, suggests that Sonos is ‘high end audio’. I’d have thought their price point made that pretty clear, too.

Bruce

T

Turok

Lyricist II

This is strange to me.

Getting it up and running was not at all easy and a poor experience. Having the eARC and ability to control day to day operation with the TV remote was a big deciding factor over the Samsung. After 3 hours of playing with configurations randomly I finally got it working but the input lag and screen update for the remote is long and annoying.

I own multiple Sonos products and setup has been painless every single time. I was using a Samsung TV earlier but recently upgraded to a Sony A80J for eARC. Zero input lag with both.

I have no experience with high-end audio but have owned a Denon AVR with KEF Q Series speakers in a 5.1 configuration for several years before it was gifted within family. My current Sonos Arc setup compares favorably with that though the soundfield is smaller. I fixed that recently with a little experiment grouping an Amp with Q Acoustics 3030i speakers as front stereo. The Q Acoustics blend in nicely with the Sonos speakers. So, depending on how you look at it, the Q Acoustics are as good or as bad as the Sonos speakers, or the Amp is playing tricks. The one thing is Arc does not do well for music which the Q Acoustics fill in really great.

I have also tested with the Dolby Atmos test tracks having uncompressed TrueHD audio running in Kodi. I can mostly make out positional audio with my eyes closed and the surround effect is not localized. TruePlay helped a lot. I also have an Xbox Series X connected. Watched BluRay discs and played stuff like Forza Horizon 5, Halo and so far so good. But then again, I have no experience with high-end audio so can’t compare really.

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