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Gold333
Contributor I
April 13, 2023

7 meter / 275 inch screen. Is Sonos Arc the right solution?

I need product information and the sales rep knew surprisingly little about their own speakers.

Can someone tell me if Sonos Arc is the solution for me?

 

I have a home theater (7 meter / 275 inch) screen. I need a speaker which can output surround sound (e.g. Dolby Atmos, Sonic 3D, Sennheiser GSX 7.1, CMSS-3D, Windows Sonic, etc.)  Any one of those formats will do. I can output all of them using Hesuvi.


I run normal and 3D Blurays from a PC to a projector using HDMI 1.4a to power the projector.

The pc also has the standard audio jacks:


1. S/PDIF Out

  1. Rear Out
  2. Cen / Sub Out
  3. Line out
  4. Line In
  5. Mic In

and Bluetooth.

 

Are Sonos products like the Arc the solution to a home cinema setup? If so how can I connect it best. I will ideally purchase one before the weekend if it is suitable.

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15 replies

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Gold333Author
Contributor I
April 13, 2023

 

Personally I prefer the soundbar solution as it is a single device I could just place and remove as needed when watching a movie. If it gives a semblance of Atmos it would be enough for me. (I’m more concerned about surround sound quality than outright volume, ad I do have neighbours to contend with).
​​  

You seem reluctant to accept the advice being given. Sonos do offer a “home trial” in many regions, so you could take advantage of that and try it out for yourself. Perhaps you could report back on how it works out for you?

I would happily and gratefully accept the advice given if there had been a specific example of why  a soundbar would not be the best solution.

I made the assumption myself that a 15ft ceiling height might prove too much for the upwards firing speakers in a soundbar. I also stated that outright volume is not a prerequisite if the argument was that a similarly sized room might be too large for the overall sound output of a soundbar.

 

In any case, using Sonos Arc as a solution appears moot in my case as I realised the PC GPU I use uses HDMI 2.0b (GTX 1080Ti). This is not enough for eARC. eARC needs the HDMI 2.1 specification. 
 

It looks like I am forced to look for a wireless solution.

UKMedia
UKMedia
April 13, 2023

 

Personally I prefer the soundbar solution as it is a single device I could just place and remove as needed when watching a movie. If it gives a semblance of Atmos it would be enough for me. (I’m more concerned about surround sound quality than outright volume, ad I do have neighbours to contend with).
​​  

You seem reluctant to accept the advice being given. Sonos do offer a “home trial” in many regions, so you could take advantage of that and try it out for yourself. Perhaps you could report back on how it works out for you?

I would happily and gratefully accept the advice given if there had been a specific example of why  a soundbar would not be the best solution.

I made the assumption myself that a 15ft ceiling height might prove too much for the upwards firing speakers in a soundbar. I also stated that outright volume is not a prerequisite if the argument was that a similarly sized room might be too large for the overall sound output of a soundbar.

 

In any case, using Sonos Arc as a solution appears moot in my case as I realised the PC GPU I use uses HDMI 2.0b (GTX 1080Ti). This is not enough for eARC. eARC needs the HDMI 2.1 specification. 
 

It looks like I am forced to look for a wireless solution.

What everyone is trying to say is that a single device for a large space may be pushing the capabilities of any device, however that is connected.  The ceiling height is irrelevant unless you are going to use Dolby Atmos, it is the sheer size of the room that is of concern.

Remember: Sometimes Red Wine helps :)
    Gold333Author
    Contributor I
    April 13, 2023

    I appreciate the advice, I really do. Thank you for having taken the time to offer suggestions. I’m glad people have been so helpful.

    I thought I’d be satisfied by any of the products we’ve discussed as I have been happily using this for sound under that 300inch screen in the space in question for the past 8 years. 
     

    I thought anything would have been better than that.

     

    In any case, I will continue the hunt. Should I find something that works amazingly well I will add to this post in the future should it help others.

    melvimbe
    melvimbe
    April 13, 2023

    I think people would be able to give you much better advice if you gave actual dimensions of the room.  The screen size isn’t really relevant to audio, and the 20 ft cable length doesn’t really tell you anything either.  You can make assumptions, but nothing really reliable.

    It does not sound like an Arc soundbar is the right solution for you...I agree with the others.   15 ft ceilings do not lead themselves well to atmos audio, at least if you are going to use upfiring speakers like with the Arc.  I would guess that you aren’t going to get much from the side firing speakers either.   And Sonos speakers are not designed to be stored away when not in use.  They are meant to be always on.  And you only mention TV/projector audio, no mention of streaming music or multiroom audio.  Essentially, you are spending a lot for features you aren’t interested in.

    Honestly, I’d say the same with any of other high end soundbars.  It’s the wrong tool for the job.  You are going to need to run a wire between the PC/projectors.  I get the appeal of a soundbar, but you if you are looking for something that’s quick to setup for a large space, I think you’re better off with a amp + pair of speakers or 2 amplified speakers for stereo.  You can’t really do temporary surround sound well, you’ll be better off with good stereo.

    Danny
      buzz
      buzz
      Grand Maestro
      April 13, 2023

      Regardless of your approach, you’ll need an HDMI-eARC connection between your video source and the sound system if you want access to premium audio formats. So far I’ve seen only one device that claims to offer wireless HDMI-ARC. I have no experience with this device. With any wireless HDMI device expect some pain. There is ongoing technology development. A couple years ago I’d say “no way” for wireless HDMI. Now it’s “maybe”. I expect that, as WiFi7 rolls out, wireless HDMI will become more practical -- but this is pure speculation on my part.

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