Arc Ultra and Era 100’s 

The work around I’ve found is to not use Advanced TruePlay. With Advanced TruePlay, the Arc Ultra itself sounds like an echo machine with far too much volume from the rears.  Just using the basic/positional TruePlay, it does work fine, but I don’t like not being able to take full advantage of the technology that should work. Sounds like a firnware needs to be figured out by Sonos

Hello, im on android so ive never had the advanced trueplay (where you walk around the room).
For myself I feel the issue is there with or without trueplay.

Same here. I am using Android. Never used Advanced Trueplay. 

Why this post got marked as „answered“? Trueplay isn‘t the solution! Many here have tried without Trueplay, with basic trueplay and advanced trueplay. I tried everything since day one the Arc Ultra got released. The rearspeaker sound still comes from the front with 5.1 content! Trueplay changes nothing in this behaviour.

Good luck making a return as well.  I returned an Arc 0ver 30 days ago.  Tracking shows they have had it for over 30 days.  Still no credit.  Multiple emails and calls all they do is lie to me.  Case number is ********.

Moderator edit: Case number recorded and removed

I have this same problem with ERA300 for surrounds.  Using test files, the rear surround tests were not sending anything to the ERA300s but rather played from the Arc Ultra.

A short update after further tests with various test videos: Unfortunately, the noise for rear left and rear right is actually louder from the Arc Ultra than from the Era 100, whether without Trueplay, with Trueplay or with Trueplay Advanced (now checked again with my wife's iPhone).

However, the problem only seems to occur with TV audio. I have now played a test audio via Apple Music and surprisingly: The sound for rear left and rear right really only comes from the Era 100 and not additionally from the front!

This thread cannot be marked as solved yet, there are many of us with the same problem

I don't know exactly why, but my last post was deleted or not even displayed. I have noticed that a test song in Dolby Atmos from Apple Music does not cause any problems. Here the rear sound only comes from the Era 100...

 I have read that Dolby Atmos sources play as expected where rear channel sound is only played through the rear speakers and that only 5.1 non Atmos sources have rear channel sound, that should only be played in the rear channels, also being played in the Arc Ultra.  Is this your experience?

No. My test sound videos are Dolby Atmos sources. It also says in the Sonos app that it is Dolby Atmos. Nevertheless, the sound for the rearmost rear speakers also comes from the Arc Ultra.

I have just written to a ‘Sonos employee’ in the chat. (German) I was told that this is not an error and that everything is working absolutely correctly. Here is the entire chat history (automatically translated):

Me:

I've been using the Sonos Arc Ultra + 2 Era 100 as a home cinema setup for a few days now. I tried out some test videos for Dolby Atmos and realised: Strange. The sound for rear left and rear right comes not only from the Era 100, but also from the Arc Ultra. The sound from the Arc Ultra is even louder than from the Era 100.

I have already tried setting the system to Trueplay, Advanced Trueplay or no Trueplay at all. However, the problem still occurs.

When I start an Atmos test song via Apple Music, everything is output correctly. Here, the rear sound only comes from the Era 100.

Unfortunately, setting the level of the surround speakers in the Sonos app doesn't help either. It does come out louder from the Era 100, but also from the Sonos Arc Ultra. Is this a known bug that will be fixed? Or is my Arc Ultra defective?
 

Sonos-Employee:

Hi, the Arc Ultra is working as intended in this case - it will output audio in a surround/DT configuration. You can adjust this configuration with EQ settings or possibly Trueplay as you have already tried, but there is nothing wrong with the Arc Ultra's output. 

Me:

For what reason is the rear audio on Apple Music only played from the Era 100, which is correct from my point of view. And why isn't it the same for TV audio? It can't be that the rear sound from the front comes out of the Arc-Ultra louder than from the rear. That makes no sense at all. 

Sonos-Employee:

It does, because by itself Arc Ultra is the first 9,1,4 sound bar. If you add a pair of ERA 100* or ERA 300 as surround speakers and sub(s), it would create up to a 9.1.4 system with 9 ear level audio channels, 1 subwoofer channel with 2 height channels from Arc Ultra and 2 more vertical channels from the ERA surround environment.

* Era 100 has virtualised height channels.  This allows the Arc Ultra to function in the configuration in which you have set it up. This changes when playing Apple Music, as the content from the TV is different from the music service content altogether. 

Perhaps I can interest you in a feature request to have this changed in a future update on the Arc Ultra? 

Me:

Do you provide your own test videos that I can use to check the function of my system? If this is really the case, then I will return the Sonos Arc Ultra. In my opinion, this is not a feature but a bug. 

Sonos-Employee:

We do not currently have this material on hand, but if you would like to proceed with a return, you are welcome to do so at the time of purchase. Thank you for your feedback anyway. 

its the same issue with Atmos or Dolby 5.1 for me.
Sound that comes out of the rear surround sound comes out also from the ARC Ultra (and at a louder volume)

 That’s a deal buster.  I’ll wait to see if that issue is addressed.

This comment is PURE speculation. Could it be that the Arc Ultra is more advanced than the Arc and capable of doing a lot more FX processing as a stand-alone unit. It therefore recognizes when Era 300 ‘s are used and says...”OK Era 300 you can handle what I’ve done on my own but now since you’re just as capable I’ll send the material to you”. The reverse would apply when the Arc Ultra senses that Era 100’s are being used and therefore keeps more of the FX processing upfront. As I said just PURE speculation.

Same issue. Arc Ultra with Era 300

 Rear channel sound coming through the Arc Ultra.

Does anybody know if this is an issue with the original Arc? I would like to just return the Ultra and get the original. But if it’s got the same issues I will be returning  the whole system.

I guess it was never an issue with the old Arc, because it is a 5.1 channel soundbar. Before I had the Beam Gen 2 with 5.1 channels also. It was never an issue and the surround sounded always correct from behind. In many cases the Beam Gen 2 had a much better surround experience (because of this issue).

I had the the AMP (the newest one), that i upgraded from……… when i plug back the amp and use that as the main + pair to surrounds it works as expected.

No surround in the coming out in front for DD 5.1 content.

To add to both I think the idea was to compete/compensate for a true 7.1 surround sound being left front,center,right front,left rear and right rear and compensating for a left surround and right surround with signals coming from both front and rear left side and right side channels.

I would rather have the 5.1 then 7.1 FX processing 

At the moment, after endless testing, I am 100% sure that the Arc Ultra together with Era 100 Rears continues to calculate internally with 9.1 and does not switch to 5.1. If you look at the speaker arrangement of a 9.1 surround system, the 4th and 5th channels are positioned diagonally at the front (red circles).

Only the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th channels are then present at the rear. And this is exactly what my sound system sounds like. The 4th and 5th channels come from the side at the front and there is silence at the rear, but if you then switch to a better soundtrack with more channels, the sound comes correctly from the rear. With a 5.1 soundtrack, however, the 4th and 5th channels must always come from the back. This does not seem to have been programmed correctly with the Arc Ultra and Era 100. I hope that Sonos fixes this serious error with high priority. An error like this simply cannot be allowed with a 5.1 soundtrack!

Has anyone tested the exact same song in Apple Music atmos through the Sonos app vs through the Apple TV app? Perhaps that could clarify the issue

I‘ve found no difference between the Sonos App and Apple TV 4K with Apple Music and Dolby Atmos. Both seemed to work fine. In my opinion this issue exists with 5.1 Soundtracks only. Because during 5.1 Soundtracks the 4. and 5. channel speakers have an other position in a room than with Dolby Atmos, 7.1 or 9.1 Soundtracks.

I see, sorry I misunderstood. Makes sense 

At the moment, after endless testing, I am 100% sure that the Arc Ultra together with Era 100 Rears continues to calculate internally with 9.1 and does not switch to 5.1. If you look at the speaker arrangement of a 9.1 surround system, the 4th and 5th channels are positioned diagonally at the front (red circles).

Only the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th channels are then present at the rear. And this is exactly what my sound system sounds like. The 4th and 5th channels come from the side at the front and there is silence at the rear, but if you then switch to a better soundtrack with more channels, the sound comes correctly from the rear. With a 5.1 soundtrack, however, the 4th and 5th channels must always come from the back. This does not seem to have been programmed correctly with the Arc Ultra and Era 100. I hope that Sonos fixes this serious error with high priority. An error like this simply cannot be allowed with a 5.1 soundtrack!

Thank you for all your work on this! I am new to Sonos! Is this something you think they will address or are we out of luck? 

Yesterday I had contact with Sonos Chat support in Germany. Seems they are aware of this issue. This is the transcript (translated from german to english):

Sonos Support: Hello. My name is ******. How can I help you? 

Me: Good afternoon ******, I'm having problems with my new Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar with Era 100 rear speakers. Basically the sound is great, except with 5.1 soundtracks, then the sound from the 4th and 5th channel seems to come from the front side instead of the rear. It seems as if the Arc Ultra, together with the Era 100 Rears, does not route the 4th and 5th channels to the rear, but continues to work as with a 9.1 soundtrack. This is because the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th channels would then correctly come from the rear, and the 4th and 5th channels would then be positioned correctly at the front and side. With 5.1 surround, however, the 4th and 5th channels should always be at the rear. Better soundtracks with more channels, on the other hand, are always played correctly. In various forums I can find lots of other people with exactly the same error who use the Era 100 as a rear speaker with the Arc Ultra. Is Sonos already aware of this error?

Sonos Support: Good day to you, ******! I hope you are doing well. 
Thank you for describing the issue you went through. Please allow me a moment to check my end.

Sonos Support: Thank you very much for your time. It looks like you are affected by a back “over performance” coming from the Arc Ultra. Thank you for reporting this to us. We are currently investigating this experience, which will be flagged in case # ******** so our team can be aware and investigate this matter. 

Me: Thanks, for now my old Beam Gen 2 sounded better in many cases. The sound always came correctly from behind at 5.1. 

Sonos Support: Thank you for letting us know about this. I have logged the case according to the issue you are facing. This is currently under investigation. 

But it is important that everyone with the same problem also reports to Sonos so that they know that there are more people with the same problem. Then there is a better chance that this bug will be fixed soon!

Moderator Edit - Removed case number.