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First things first. This is not a rant. This is an expalation of a problem, which reduces the experience in 3D audio a lot. For background: I'm a sound engineer and music producer and I don't wanna sound arrogant, but I know what I'm talking about. (I'm a really nice and funny guy :D)

So lets get to the problem then :D

NO I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE FRONT FACING DRIVER

for better understanding watch this VIDEO

This bug appeared the moment I switched the Arc with the Arc Ultra. Before I made the switch I was on the 16.1 app and firmware. So I don't know if the Ultra causes the problem or the app/firmware. Before the switch everything was running as it should.

So, since there is not much of a topic around this, I'm curious if I am still one of a few who have this bug or one of a few who noticed it.

I made this post in Reddit, but not everyone is on Reddit and the more people know, the faster Sonos can work on it. Reddit discussion

I didn't saw any review which mentioned it.
As you can see in the video, the rear driver is completly silenent when the Era 300's are paired with the Arc Ultra. Also Truplay isn't "sweeping" the driver either. (Timestamp 0:44)
So the mesurement isn't right.
First I thought it could be a feature instead of a bug, but it doens't fit the Dolby Atmos recommendations like this. You won't get sound from "behind" your seating position.
And I remember Sonos self promoted it how it should work, where the rear driver is playing.
 

DOLBY ATMOS LAYOUT

Sound from side driver/channel should boucing off your side walls, rear driver/channel bouncing off the back wall of your seating position and height channel obviosly bouncing off your ceiling. Thats why you should position them facing forward. At the moment you don't get the immersion that sound is coming from behind you, since the driver is silent.

I tested every setting, played the Dolby Atmos testfile (MKV KTrueHD Atmos] and MP4 PEAC3 + joc Atmos]) from different sources (TV Plex app, Nvidia Shield, from a USB through TV) Same result everytime.

If someone could test this behavior and can confirm this, it would be very nice. Sonos can't fix something they don't know and if most people doens't recognize doens't mean something isn't wrong.

Currently I'm running app version 80.12.04 (Android) and 80.12.03 (iPhone) and firmware version 81.1-58210.
If you don't have this problem, what version are you running?

And last but not least: IF this ever getting fixed, the experience with Arc Ultra and Era 300 will be much better! I love my Sonos products soundwise and Arc Ultra is sounding really good, but it could be much better.

Have a nice day

Technically its like this:

in 5.1 you got only side channels which are playing by the outer driver and tweeter.

in 7.1 you got a side and rear channel. the outer and inner driver and tweeter should be playing.

in Dolby Atmos it is like in 7.1 with the addition of the height tweeter which of course playing height objects.

The Era 300 having 6 drivers each. 2 on every side (driver and tweeter) one tweeter above and one tweeter at the front which is disabled in surround and this is correct.

So 5.1 based atmos is outer drivers and top drivers working?

Technically its like this:

in 5.1 you got only side channels which are playing by the outer driver and tweeter.

in 7.1 you got a side and rear channel. the outer and inner driver and tweeter should be playing.

in Dolby Atmos it is like in 7.1 with the addition of the height tweeter which of course playing height objects.

The Era 300 having 6 drivers each. 2 on every side (driver and tweeter) one tweeter above and one tweeter at the front which is disabled in surround and this is correct.

Are you 100% certain that with a 5.1 audio track, the surround channels are only supposed to play out of the outside drivers? With 5.1 audio, I always thought the surround audio plays out of the inside, outside, and top drivers.

Technically its like this:

in 5.1 you got only side channels which are playing by the outer driver and tweeter.

in 7.1 you got a side and rear channel. the outer and inner driver and tweeter should be playing.

in Dolby Atmos it is like in 7.1 with the addition of the height tweeter which of course playing height objects.

The Era 300 having 6 drivers each. 2 on every side (driver and tweeter) one tweeter above and one tweeter at the front which is disabled in surround and this is correct.

So 5.1 based atmos is outer drivers and top drivers working?

Atmos is Atmos. There are just 2 containers which are TrueHD and EAC3 + joint object channel. But at the ene the only difference is bitrate and codec.

Technically its like this:

in 5.1 you got only side channels which are playing by the outer driver and tweeter.

in 7.1 you got a side and rear channel. the outer and inner driver and tweeter should be playing.

in Dolby Atmos it is like in 7.1 with the addition of the height tweeter which of course playing height objects.

The Era 300 having 6 drivers each. 2 on every side (driver and tweeter) one tweeter above and one tweeter at the front which is disabled in surround and this is correct.

Are you 100% certain that with a 5.1 audio track, the surround channels are only supposed to play out of the outside drivers? With 5.1 audio, I always thought the surround audio plays out of the inside, outside, and top drivers.

Yes I am 100% sure. The oudsite drivers are just louder at 5.1. It was alway like that.

Technically its like this:

in 5.1 you got only side channels which are playing by the outer driver and tweeter.

in 7.1 you got a side and rear channel. the outer and inner driver and tweeter should be playing.

in Dolby Atmos it is like in 7.1 with the addition of the height tweeter which of course playing height objects.

The Era 300 having 6 drivers each. 2 on every side (driver and tweeter) one tweeter above and one tweeter at the front which is disabled in surround and this is correct.

So 5.1 based atmos is outer drivers and top drivers working?

Atmos is Atmos. There are just 2 containers which are TrueHD and EAC3 + joint object channel. But at the ene the only difference is bitrate and codec.

Ok is my diagram understanding correct? like is this how it’s meant to work when everything is running as it should.

 

 

Technically its like this:

in 5.1 you got only side channels which are playing by the outer driver and tweeter.

in 7.1 you got a side and rear channel. the outer and inner driver and tweeter should be playing.

in Dolby Atmos it is like in 7.1 with the addition of the height tweeter which of course playing height objects.

The Era 300 having 6 drivers each. 2 on every side (driver and tweeter) one tweeter above and one tweeter at the front which is disabled in surround and this is correct.

So 5.1 based atmos is outer drivers and top drivers working?

Atmos is Atmos. There are just 2 containers which are TrueHD and EAC3 + joint object channel. But at the ene the only difference is bitrate and codec.

Ok is my diagram understanding correct? like is this how it’s meant to work when everything is running as it should.

 

 

Thats correct. It should be like this.

So most streaming content will work fine so will 5.1 PCM but the issue is mainly with Dolby Atmos music and Lossless Atmos via disk?

So most streaming content will work fine so will 5.1 PCM but the issue is mainly with Dolby Atmos music and Lossless Atmos via disk?

Issue is with Atmos and 7.1.

5.1 and stereo upmix is fine

So most streaming content will work fine so will 5.1 PCM but the issue is mainly with Dolby Atmos music and Lossless Atmos via disk?

Issue is with Atmos and 7.1.

5.1 and stereo upmix is fine

Right...(sorry for so many questions) so wouldn’t DDP+ Atmos that’s used by netflix work correctly? since it wouldn’t utilise the inner drivers anyway making the issue something that will occur on 7.1 based Atmos and regular 7.1 audio sources?

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