Arc 2 Speculation

Maybe not so much in the soundbar market but in the normal AVR world disks are still very popular and at the end of the day with how much these devices cost, it really is lazyness by the company not to include it. I personally prefer DTS over Dolby. 

As already stated, hopefully with Disney plus about to add DTS:X and also another big streaming platform about to do the same (can't name for NDA reasons), it might give them the kick up the backside to add the codecs in 

Yeah, if more streaming services support it, then Sonos will (eventually...theyre very slow, like Apple, to adopt things that others have had for years). 

Im hoping for louder, better dynamics, and better mids. Thats it. 

God help us all if they try and do high bandwidth audio wirelessly from other people’s TVs. Look at the trouble some TVs still have with getting eARC (and CEC) working correctly, and those are certified HDMI standards over thin bits of copper. Supporting random third party wireless standards doesn’t seem like a sane plan to me.

Absolutely. The ARC isn’t even as wide as our TV. Without reflective walls, how do you get surround (L-R) from the front? I was about to buy a different system till I heard there may be an ARC2 coming out that could potentially solve this limitation. If you were able to add two ERA 300s at the front for ATMOS it would be awesome….

The Arc for me is the weak link in my 2 x gen 2 subs and Era 300s. If you just listen to the Arc on its own, the sound profile is pretty poor, especially compared to other soundbars on the market. Also, the lack of additional HDMI for audio pass through (Blu-ray player). Support for DTSx is a must. If the new addition of the Arc doesn’t have these extra features, I won’t bother upgrading. 

I expect it’s not laziness that is preventing Sonos adding the DTS-HD or DTS:X codecs, it’s a financial decision.

The patents of the original DTS surround sound codecs expired after which a number of companies Sonos and LG included added it into their home theatre/tv products.

The current DTS codecs require a license fee to use. When a product is targeted at streaming services, not physical media playback, what is the benefit in paying an expensive license fee without the streaming services to use it.

Sony, as part of their Bravia core streaming service, provided DTS soundtracks so it is in their interest to include DTS support in their products. Many of the products I see from manufacturers who have paid the DTS license fees are from an AV background where their existing customers have disk based media so want DTS support.

For a long time, Disney were somehow able to get a small number of their films certified as IMAX enhanced, even though they were using Dolby audio and not DTS. That has finally changed, but the number of IMAX enhanced titles is so small it is meaningless to device manufacturers targeting the streaming market.

DTS-HD and DTS:X are still currently in a no man’s land for streaming. Unless DTS can win over the streaming providers and get a significant amount of content using DTS audio by default and not Dolby, there is no reason for a device manufacturer to pay for DTS licensing fees and the Dolby licensing fees if they’re targeting the consumer streaming market.

For streaming providers it would be a very brave provider who switched to DTS only with so many devices only having Dolby support, so they’ll need to provide both and the reality is most consumers don’t care as long as audio plays. Increased availability of DTS audio from streaming providers might convince a handful of device manufacturers to pay up, but I wouldn’t count on it making a huge difference. Dolby support is required for streaming, anything else is an additional cost for minimal returns.

The licence cost is peanuts though. You're more likely to get more sales having the codec than not as it does put people off and disk sales were actually up this year and not dead in the water. 

I think the Arc is the wrong product for that. It is a sound bar, so needs to go under the TV so may as well continue to use eArc. Unless Sonos start producing TVs and can control both ends, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Where I do see a need for it, would be in something like the rumoured media player, supporting stand alone Sonos speakers to build up a surround system. Think Sony HT-A9/Bravia Theater Quad rather than a width constrained soundbar, except the control device and speakers can be mix and match from Sonos speakers rather than a fixed set.

While soundbars have their place, they really can’t match physically separate speakers for soundstage or dual use movie and music playback. There are limits to what can be achieved with dsp and reflection vs real separation.

Exactly! Other brands have the codecs, Sonos is a premium brand in wireless speakers, so this should be reflected in the product audio support features. 
 

The only reason I have a soundbar set up is my wife won’t allow me to place a traditional home theatre setup with wires, speaker on the floor or ceiling!