Arc loose HDMI

  • 2 November 2022
  • 23 replies
  • 1214 views
T
Userlevel 3
Badge +6
  • twuk
  • Enthusiast I
  • 98 replies

So having had trouble for the last 4 days trying to get a new Sonos Arc to work consistently with my TV… blaming the TV, the new Sky box, having tried 4 different cables, it seems the culprit (or at least a big contributor) is a very loose HDMI port on the Arc.  This results in the cable partly coming out of the Arc each time it’s placed back on the wall.

I ended up having to put a cable tie holder on the back of the Arc itself to hold the HDMI cable motionless as it’s mounted.  This has things working - at least temporarily - but I’m concerned that 1. it may not hold indefinitely and 2. I shouldn’t have to resort to a cheap cable holder for a soundbar that cost over £1k!

Coming to the forum, I immediately found another thread with multiple customers confirming the same.  That dates back to 2020, and it seems nothing has been done to fix this obvious product fault.  That thread is annoyingly locked, so it’s not possible to follow up there.

Sonos Arc Loose HDMI Connection

Are others still finding this to be an issue, and is there any value in seeking a replacement or will this just be a fault in all of them?

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23 replies

Airgetlam

I’d contact Sonos support. I’ve had no ‘looseness’ issues on any of my Arcs. 

Bruce
Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Are you using the Sonos HDMI cable?

Have you tried other HDMI cables?

Are you sure you have the HDMI cable fully inserted?

T
Userlevel 3
Badge +6

Are you using the Sonos HDMI cable?

Have you tried other HDMI cables?

Are you sure you have the HDMI cable fully inserted?

No, the Sonos cable is too short to be used when the Arc is wall mounted.
Yes, have tried 4 different cables as stated above.

Yes, inserted as far as possible.

Each cable attaches firmly to other devices when tested, but when inserted to the Arc the connection is loose. Because these cables are also more rigid, mounting the Arc on the wall forces the cable to disconnect. 

K

So having had trouble for the last 4 days trying to get a new Sonos Arc to work consistently with my TV… blaming the TV, the new Sky box, having tried 4 different cables, it seems the culprit (or at least a big contributor) is a very loose HDMI port on the Arc.  This results in the cable partly coming out of the Arc each time it’s placed back on the wall.

I ended up having to put a cable tie holder on the back of the Arc itself to hold the HDMI cable motionless as it’s mounted.  This has things working - at least temporarily - but I’m concerned that 1. it may not hold indefinitely and 2. I shouldn’t have to resort to a cheap cable holder for a soundbar that cost over £1k!

Coming to the forum, I immediately found another thread with multiple customers confirming the same.  That dates back to 2020, and it seems nothing has been done to fix this obvious product fault.  That thread is annoyingly locked, so it’s not possible to follow up there.

Sonos Arc Loose HDMI Connection

Are others still finding this to be an issue, and is there any value in seeking a replacement or will this just be a fault in all of them?

I bought my Arc and sub unit in December 2022 and have exactly the same problem. As I needed to conceal the hdmi cable in the wall and would not be easy to replace I future proofed myself by purchasing the most expensive Sondstrom hdmi lead Curry’s had in stock at the time. 
However the connection between the cable and the hdmi socket seems loose. As a result, any slight movement of the ARC, hdmi cable or the sound bar table it sits on results in a total loss of sound via the Sonos speakers and my new LG tv resets back to the tv speakers. This is most annoying and has taken me up to an hour of multiple attempts of disconnecting and reconnecting or moving the hdmi lead ever so slightly before it finally reconnects. This has left me with a real bad aftertaste about the Sonos, and instead of being a proud owner who is keen to show its qualities off I now never know whether it’s going to work when I turn on the new tv. Would be interested to know if this is a common Sonos problem or is it down to my Sondstrom cable. 

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

I suggested trying the Sonos cable because if it is loose you have proof that it is not YOUR cable that is bad but the socket. With that answer in hand an exchange for a new Arc with a working HDMI socket should be far easier.

Try the Sonos cable, if it doesn’t work call Sonos and get your Arc replaced.

K

Just picked up the mic-less version (SL) from Costco (warehouse store here in the States), and I too am having problems keeping my HDMI secured on the Arc. 

106rallye
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

And the Sonos cable?

J

I have found that in most cases the loose connection is because Sonos recess the HDMI port too far. The HDMI cable is simply not go going in the port all the way. Trimming some of the HDMI rubber stop from the end of the cable fixes this issue.

 

T
Userlevel 3
Badge +6

I have found that in most cases the loose connection is because Sonos recess the HDMI port too far. The HDMI cable is simply not go going in the port all the way. Trimming some of the HDMI rubber stop from the end of the cable fixes this issue.

 

Serious design flaw, shouldn't have to trim cables like that!

Airgetlam

I’ve certainly never needed to do that!

Bruce
Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Not on Sonos but I’ve had HDMI and other cables where the connector jacket was too big for some devices.

Too lazy to look up the connector specification to see who is at fault.

Love my Dremel grinder tool, it solves so many problems.

J

I’ve certainly never needed to do that!

Me either until recently but I’m telling you I’ve had to do it on quite a few Sonos Arc lately.

Airgetlam

Fascinating. I’ve got about a dozen HDMI cables, never touched one to adjust the amount of ‘flashing’ at the end. Although they’re mostly from Blue Jeans Cable, and I think, if memory serves, are Belkin cables. I wonder if there’s a standard length of exposure for the terminal that isn’t being observed by some makers. 

Bruce
Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Spec here, Chapter 3 lays out the connector spec in detail but nothing I saw had ruled for the finger grip portion of the plug.

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20160305072940/http://www.microprocessor.org/HDMISpecification13a.pdf

K

I’ve had intermittent HDMI connection issues with my Arc as well. I have tried several HDMI cables and have the same issue. Sonos tech support confirmed I was losing signal and sent a replacement product. WHEN I WS SETTING IT UP, I once again had my signal drop when moving the cable so I could place the unit into position. I am a big Sonos fan, have happily spent a lot of money on their products, and I highly recommend them. Unfortunately, the HDMI port placement and design of the Arc just seems like a “miss” and is flawed. I have resorted to securing the HDMI cable with tie wraps and using the power cable for extra support. Disappointing. Hopefully Sonos will resolve this and make existing owners whole.

V

I’m was having the same problem every week when the cleaning lady was here. Just touching was enough to get it disconnected. I have a wall mounted TV which also requires 3 or 4 meter cables. To make sure I never had to take the TV of the wall again I threw 4 of the best cables I could found in the wall tube. SO not an easy task trying out new cables.

Today I fixed it by using an extender (female-to-female HDMI) and connected a thin HDMI cable to the Sonos end. The metal part/pin is actually not longer then the others but somehow it’s reliable.

Can someone tell me if the black squared one actually is the the one provided by Sonos?

 

 

K

Hi Vhylen77.

What a bummer right?

Does Sonos actually provide a HDMI cable with the Arc? I know they provide an Optical cable but did not think a HDMI also.

Another thing that is disappointing is that this is a Sonos forum, and there has been no input or response from them.

V

Hi @kleimank

 

It’s possible that there wasn’t a HDMI cable included. From what I read in this thread it seemed one might have. But indeed some kind of feedback would be appreciated, maybe they only reply on support tickets.

 

But it’s sad for for such high end product.

Airgetlam

This is a Sonos Community Forum, just look at the top of the forum page. As such, the only Sonos employees who are here are Forum Moderators, and not Sonos Support people. 

In answer to the original question, Sonos does include an appropriate HDMI cable in the box. You can see the box contents listed on the sales page. As to whether the pictured HDMI cable is an original Sonos cable, I don’t know offhand. It doesn’t look right to me, but I’m not near my system at this moment, and it’s entirely possible that Sonos could have change cables over time, so it’s hard to be definitive. I do know the cable that ships with all Sonos sound bars will carry an appropriate eARC signal, and as a result, anything below that would be included. 

Bruce
R

I just got a new Arc for the primary bedroom and can’t get my hdmi cable to stay connected while using the wall mount. I tried the cable Sonos supplied as well but faced the exact same problem with a loose connection that easily slides out.

 

Airgetlam

You may want to call Sonos Support directly to discuss it. Aside from urging you to seat it properly, which you’ve likely done, there isn’t much this forum can do to help.

Bruce
Z

Hello. I’m new here. I went through 4 soundbars in the last few weeks starting with a really cheap Samsung, tried a few Bose bars and settled for the Beam 2. First Sonos product. I really like it but it really surprised me as well.       

I had a high end HDMI cable that was pre-run through a wall so I just used it. Same thing. The connecter never really felt seated in the back of the Beam’s ARC port. I’ve was finalizing some wiring to tidy things up and I just had to touch the Beam or move the stand a bit and it would revert to the TV speakers. I never had any weird noises, etc but at times I wondered if it sounded right. I think like Jeepman because I considered trimming some of the casing back.           

I even tried a few other high end cables and same thing. However today I tried the supplied HDMI cable and it is perfect. Fits like a glove.

I did a little online research and came across this site which had a few threads on this subject. The supplied cable is apparently more than capable of handling the audio so I’ll just go with it. The run behind the wall not very long and openings were large so I fed the supplied cable through. 

I paid attention tonight and it really sounded good. While I like the well rounded sound of the Beam the audio is most important and it was very clear. I do have the voice enhancement feature on. 

It’s nice to know I was not imagining it.                                                                                 

Z

Out of curiosity I tried this with an old HDMI and it did not work. Still wobbly.

 

      

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