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Answered

2 issues: Airplay & ARC surround sound

  • April 4, 2021
  • 4 replies
  • 671 views

System (bought from 2021)

  • Arc
  • Five (left)
  • Five (right)
  • Sub Gen 3
  • Sony 65x9500H 4K HDR
  • MacBook Pro 2019 Cantina 10.15.7

Set up

  • Arc connected to TV via HDMI 3 ARC / eARC
  • Macbook connected to TV via USBC to HDMI
  • All devices are connected to 1 wifi
  • I watch movies streamed off my laptop onto the TV. There are two ways for me to get audio from the Laptop to the Sonos 5.1 system:

 

  1. I change the laptop audio output to Sony TV. The TV then pushes sound to the Arc & Sub; I do not get any sound out of the Fives. When I press buttons on the Five, I can control the whole system like pausing and turning up the sound but I cannot get any sound from them
  2. I change the laptop audio setting to the Sonos 5.1 airplay setting. However, the connection lasts for about 20 minutes before it starts breaking apart or disconnects completely. I then have to toggle the sound from laptop speakers to Sonos 5.1 airplay OR I wait: if I wait, sometimes the sound comes back, some times it does not.

    I do use a VPN (as I live in Shanghai so there’s no way around not using one).

Could someone help me with the problems of 1) 2)?

Thanks! (Below is what I went through with the Sonos robot)

Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:18:12): Hey there! I'm the Sonos Assistant. 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:18:13): All of our reps are currently offline, but I'm here to answer your questions. 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:18:15): Are you here to ask about an open case? 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:18:16): Menu Options:
    Yes
    No 
null (04/04/2021, 18:18:36): No 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:18:38): You can ask me something by typing below, or pick one of these popular topics. 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:18:40): Menu Options:
    Help with new system or product
    Having an issue with my system
    Question about Sonos functionality
    Sonos Shop or returns
    Questions about S2 
null (04/04/2021, 18:18:49): Having an issue with my system 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:18:51): Please select from an option below, or you can ask me a question. 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:18:52): Menu Options:
    Audio Issues
    Can't Connect to System
    Product(s) Missing from the Sonos app
    Update Issues
    Music services setup
    Voice Issues 
null (04/04/2021, 18:18:59): Audio Issues 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:19:02): Sorry to hear that - I can help you with your audio issues. 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:19:03): First, can I please have your email address? 
null (04/04/2021, 18:19:14): xxx
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:19:18): What kind of issues are you experiencing? Select an option below, or select More to see other options. 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:19:20): Menu Options:
    Low audio volume
    Distorted Audio
    No/low audio over line-in
    Audio quality issues over line-out
    No audio over optical connection
    Dolby Atmos Questions
    More 
null (04/04/2021, 18:19:28): More 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:19:31): Select an option below, or select back to see other options. 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:19:32): Menu Options:
    No audio over HDMI/ARC
    Surround volume low or absent
    Audio interruptions
    Back 
null (04/04/2021, 18:19:56): Surround volume low or absent 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:19:58): Do you hear any audio coming from the surrounds? 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:19:59): Menu Options:
    I hear audio
    No audio 
null (04/04/2021, 18:20:01): No audio 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:20:04): Are you playing TV audio to your home theatre? 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:20:05): Menu Options:
    Not TV Audio
    TV Audio 
null (04/04/2021, 18:20:10): TV Audio 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:20:11): If you play music to the system, do you hear any audio from the surrounds? 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:20:13): Menu Options:
    No music audio
    I hear music 
null (04/04/2021, 18:21:00): I hear music 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:21:03): If there is audio coming out of the surrounds, that indicates that everything has been set up properly. You may just need to make some adjustments to the Surround Audio. 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:21:04): ^{"t":"carousel","b":"SonosAssistant","v":"Carousel_SurroundsTvVolume"}^ 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:21:05): Is the sound working now? 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:21:07): Menu Options:
    Working now
    App settings didn't work 
null (04/04/2021, 18:22:37): App settings didn't work 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:22:40): Are you able to adjust any audio output settings on your TV? If so, can you switch the audio output to Dolby Digital and let me know if you hear TV audio? 
Sonos Assistant (04/04/2021, 18:22:41): Menu Options:
    Fixed it
    TV settings didn't help 
null (04/04/2021, 18:23:28): TV settings didn't help 

 

Best answer by teezey

UPDATE: FIXED

The issue was the source. Because I am playing through my Macbook, when I use AIRPLAY the sound is playing STEREO so no Atmos & I havent split my wifi into 2.4 & 5ghz so it may be interfering 

 

When I play through the TV, most of the source material is only 2.0 and so there isn’t any surround sound.

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4 replies

What are your TV’s HDMI and audio settings set to?

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
  • teezey
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • April 7, 2021

Thanks for getting to back to me.

 

ARC = Dolby Audio

HDMI (video input) = Dolby Audio

 

Other options are: Standard, Dialogue, Sports, Cinema, Music. I’ve tried all settings.

 

The surrounds disconnected completely now so I had to reconnect them. I’m wondering if this could be the issue? re: 2.4 vs 5ghz

 

 

  • teezey
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • April 7, 2021

Okay, I disconnected everything & managed to reconnect.

 

Back to the original problem: 

  1. I change the laptop audio output to Sony TV. The TV then pushes sound to the Arc & Sub; I do not get any sound out of the Fives. When I press buttons on the Five, I can control the whole system like pausing and turning up the sound but I cannot get any sound from them
  2. I change the laptop audio setting to the Sonos 5.1 airplay setting. However, the connection lasts for about 20 minutes before it starts breaking apart or disconnects completely. I then have to toggle the sound from laptop speakers to Sonos 5.1 airplay OR I wait: if I wait, sometimes the sound comes back, some times it does not.
  • teezey
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • Answer
  • April 7, 2021

UPDATE: FIXED

The issue was the source. Because I am playing through my Macbook, when I use AIRPLAY the sound is playing STEREO so no Atmos & I havent split my wifi into 2.4 & 5ghz so it may be interfering 

 

When I play through the TV, most of the source material is only 2.0 and so there isn’t any surround sound.

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