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sono1027jp
Contributor I
October 27, 2026

Beam Ultra: 9-10s of silence on TV power-on only

Setup: Sonos Beam Ultra, REGZA 43Z890S (2026 model), HDMI 2 (eARC/ARC),
included Ultra High Speed HDMI cable.

Symptom: Every time the TV is powered on, the Beam stays silent for 9-10 seconds before
audio starts. Channel changes and input switches are instant. Only a cold TV power-on is
affected. On the same TV, REGZA's own soundbar (RA-B100, proprietary link) reached audio
in 2-3 seconds.I thought it would be 5–6 seconds, so this was unexpected.

What I have tried, all with zero effect (still 9-10s):
1. TV > audio device power off set to "Do not link" (no CEC standby sent)
2. Digital audio output set to PCM (rules out format negotiation / decoder startup)
3. TV off then on within 30 seconds (Beam cannot have entered idle; rules out idle wake)
4. eARC off / ARC only (rules out eARC capability handshake)
5. Different certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable (rules out signal integrity)
6. TV's internal speakers start in under 1 second, so TV boot and decoding are not the bottleneck.

The delay does not move at all regardless of configuration, which makes me think it is a
fixed-length initialization routine at power-on rather than a negotiation step.

Has anyone else seen a fixed ~9-10s startup delay that is completely immune to TV-side
settings? Any known fix or workaround? 

7 replies

Stanley_4
Stanley_4
Grand Maestro
October 27, 2026

Cold power on, either unplugged from power or on a switched outlet, has to do a lot of internal setup that a normal change to standby mode doesn't. 

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Puppeteer
Puppeteer
Contributor I
October 27, 2026

I have similar with LG (cold or standby) and Arc Ultra - never actually timed it but 5-10s sounds about right... 

Never really viewed it as a 'fixable' issue as I think it is just devices handshaking and/or self checking.

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Long term forum contributor, @User117655 now 'Anonymous', who had a forced user reset imposed by the forum update...
    Puppeteer
    Puppeteer
    Contributor I
    October 27, 2026

    Just timed it, approximately 8 seconds 🤔

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    Long term forum contributor, @User117655 now 'Anonymous', who had a forced user reset imposed by the forum update...
      AjTrek1
      AjTrek1
      October 27, 2026

      What is the source of the broadcast (i.e. cable box, AppleTV, FireStick or built-in app)? My LG’s will do a similar delay. I use a cable box therefore there are two handshakes to contend with. However, as you said once everything is up and running there are no volume delays even if I pause (time shift) the broadcast.

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        kdowling
        kdowling
        October 27, 2026

        Using a Sony TV (CEC off), a TiVo (yes a TiVo DVR!) and Beam Ultra, it takes 8 seconds before I hear anything when turning on / coming out of standby. If I just turn the TV off and back on, it takes 3 seconds before I hear anything. This is all without removing power from anything.

        I think 9-10 is probably completely normal, and really depends on what devices are involved. I don’t think it’s something that needs to be fixed. But, that’s just IMO.

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          kdowling
          kdowling
          October 27, 2026

          On the same TV, REGZA's own soundbar (RA-B100, proprietary link) reached audio
          in 2-3 seconds.

          Comparing apples to oranges. What about compared to a different soundbar using the eARC/ARC port on the same TV? It could very well be the TV has slower handshaking using eARC/ARC hdmi port than you are expecting.

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            Stanley_4
            Stanley_4
            Grand Maestro
            October 27, 2026

            Sonos can likely look at a diagnostic and see if the delay is the TV, Sonos or an interaction.

            Power things on and send the diagnostic as soon as the sound stabilizes.

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