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Distorted dialogue through Beam 2

  • 17 July 2022
  • 6 replies
  • 730 views
T

Hi there, I recently purchased a Beam Gen 2 which I use to listen to the TV and music streaming apps, I do not have a sub or surrounds. I use a Foxtel iQ4 box which connects to the TV via an HDMI cable and can transmit Dolby 5.1, 2.0 or PCM which I then port directly to the Beam through the HDMI-ARC output port on my Sony TV. I use the TV’s “Pass through” mode which does no decoding of the audio signal, otherwise I get lip synch issues with the audio (the sound is delayed). I have the ability to output compressed audio from the TV to the Beam without modification, or convert it to PCM if I choose.

I have noticed that when watching the TV in Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0 mode, some lower frequencies that are especially associated with male voices are significantly distorted even at low volumes. This is repeatable and removable by changing the output to PCM audio (but then the sound quality is noticeably inferior). Various scenes in Apollo 13 (such as the CO2 scrubber scene) and the local news bulletins are significantly affected.

Is there any way to fix this issue?

Thanks,

Andrew

 

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Best answer by Airgetlam 18 July 2022, 07:46

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6 replies

T

Looks like I have the same problem as someone else, distorted dialogue through the TV during dialogue. It’s also happening with female voices, maybe I need to arrange for a return.

 

Airgetlam

Might be smarter, quicker, and less difficult to submit a system diagnostic within 10 minutes of experiencing this problem, and call Sonos Support to discuss it.

There may be information included in the diagnostic that will help Sonos pinpoint the issue and help you find a solution.

When you speak directly to the phone folks, they have tools at their disposal that will allow them to give you advice specific to your Sonos system and network.

Without more information, it could be that the Beam is only receiving a stereo signal from your TV, which would cause issues with the ‘center’ channel, the one designed to carry voices. A diagnostic and a phone call might resolve that. 

Bruce
T

Thanks Bruce, I will call Sonos and discuss the issue - note that according to the Sonos iPhone app the Beam is receiving Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0 (depending on the broadcast) as it shows up on the iPhone screen, then when I tell the TV to only send PCM the app then shows the audio source is PCM and the distortion problem goes away…

 

Andrew

Airgetlam

Sure sounds like a source issue, those 2.0 signals would not have as clear a ‘voice’ channel as the 5.1. On the other hand, the controller will be telling you what the Beam is receiving from your TV. While in most cases, CEC is supposed to tell the sources feeding your TV what  kind of signals are acceptable, it does rely on the broadcaster….and even then, that can fail, no fault of Sonos.

When I lived in Texas, the local CBS station would carry the pre-season football games, using a 5.1 signal. However, the group providing the signal to my local station only was sending a stereo signal. Yes, I ended up talking to the TV stations engineer, via email, trying to figure it out. Their base signal was Dolby Digital, but the source they were being fed was stereo. Which made it hard to hear the announcers. Perhaps a blessing for me as I’m not fond of the steams in Texas, but still annoying. 

Bruce
T

Update: I returned the unit and got another one. So far so good, the distortion is gone for those sections of the movie/news broadcast where the previous one was distorting.

So maybe I just got a bad one first time ...

Airgetlam

It’s not impossible, just doesn’t appear to be a common thing. Manufacturing can err at times. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.

 

Bruce
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