Arc Volume Peaks and Valleys

  • 1 October 2023
  • 3 replies
  • 30 views

Userlevel 1
Badge +4

When watching CNN, the volume seems to peak at the beginning of someone speaking, for a second or two, then come down and level out.  I only hear this on CNN or at least it is most noticeable on that channel.  My settings pretty much mirror Peter Pee’s suggested for Arc + Gen3 Sub + 2 300s.  My source is Directv.  Is this common or do I have a problem?  Is there a setting that will level this out?


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3 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +16

Hi @DerekCharles,

I haven’t really heard of something like this, but if you’re only noticing this issue with CNN, then it’s possible the issue lies with their channel instead of the Sonos Arc.

To test further I would suggest you check channels with similar content, such as other news channels, to see if the volume peaks and lowers with someone speaking. If possible, try playing CNN through the Sonos Arc with a different TV.

If you experience the same issue with different channels or with a different TV, then I would recommend you reach out to our support team for further troubleshooting, as they have the necessary tools to assist you with this.

I hope this helps!

Userlevel 1
Badge +4

Hi @DerekCharles,

I haven’t really heard of something like this, but if you’re only noticing this issue with CNN, then it’s possible the issue lies with their channel instead of the Sonos Arc.

To test further I would suggest you check channels with similar content, such as other news channels, to see if the volume peaks and lowers with someone speaking. If possible, try playing CNN through the Sonos Arc with a different TV.

If you experience the same issue with different channels or with a different TV, then I would recommend you reach out to our support team for further troubleshooting, as they have the necessary tools to assist you with this.

I hope this helps!

Jamie, thanks for your reply.  I haven’t noticed it on other channels, however it could be that it just isn’t as pronounced, so I’ll try other news channels and listen more closely.   I can say that I do not notice this effect on other TVs without separate audio systems, which is what lead me to suspect that it is either within the Arc or accentuated by the Arc.

Userlevel 7
Badge +16

Hi @DerekCharles,

If you do notice it with other channels, it’s definitely worth reaching out to our support team in that case. I’m not sure a diagnostics can look into the specific peaks with the volume, unless the volume itself is changing, so I would recommend recording a video of the issue that you can send to our support team.

Some extra steps before you reach out would be to reboot the TV, Sonos Arc, and re-seating the HDMI cable between the Arc and TV. You’ll also want to check for updates in the Sonos app and check if your TV needs a firmware update.