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How do I connect my sonos home theatre system to my new EE TV pro box?

  • 17 July 2024
  • 8 replies
  • 134 views

Hi All, 

I have recently dumped Sky for an updated router (Smart Hub2) plus booster WiFi Disc and EE TV Pro box. Sonos support helped me reboot all the sonos system 1x  Playbar, 2 x Play 1 and a subwoofer onto the new network and that works well for music. But.. for the life of me I cannot connect the sonos surround system to the EE Tv Pro box! The tv is on the same new network and the surround system works well when watching Netflix from the app on tv but the sound from all channels from EE box are in stereo and has a poor speech level. 

The only setting on the EE tv box relating to sound gives you an option to have “stereo” or “surround” but when surround is selected the speech level drops and still no surround sound in 5.1 is delivered. 

The TV (LG 2 yr old) is connected to Playbar using optical cable and the only connection options left on the EE box are; USB, Ariel in & out and  SPDIF sockets. 

The settings on the EE box mention connecting surround sound using a HDMI, but how? There are no spare HDMI sockets and where would you plug it into? 

It seems ridiculous to me that a new streaming box can't be added to a wireless sound system. I would really appreciate any help with this issue.

 

8 replies

N
Userlevel 7
Badge +19

As well as telling the EE box what audio you want, you probably need to tell the tv too. Audio signal path is EE box → TV → Playbar. You may need to set the tv to send 5.1 audio to the SPDIF output. Also be aware that not all programs are broadcast in 5.1 - many are only stereo. 

R
Userlevel 7
Badge +15

You have to connect Sonos home theatre as follows:

Playbar to HDMI-ARC port on the TV.

All other boxes (e.g. EE) into the other HDMI ports. 

All the boxes send their signal to the TV, and the TV outputs via optical to your Playbar. You can’t plug boxes into the Playbar.

Your TV sound output settings need to be set up correctly to ensure the EE box etc sound settings are correctly output. e.g. if there is a 5.1 setting in your TV sound settings, that should be on. 

N
Userlevel 7
Badge +19

You have to connect Sonos home theatre as follows:

Playbar to HDMI-ARC port on the TV.

All other boxes (e.g. EE) into the other HDMI ports. 

All the boxes send their signal to the TV, and the TV outputs via optical to your Playbar. You can’t plug boxes into the Playbar.

Your TV sound output settings need to be set up correctly to ensure the EE box etc sound settings are correctly output. e.g. if there is a 5.1 setting in your TV sound settings, that should be on. 

Playbar is an older product and only has optical connection. Use the tv optical out port. 

R
Userlevel 7
Badge +15

You have to connect Sonos home theatre as follows:

Playbar to HDMI-ARC port on the TV.

All other boxes (e.g. EE) into the other HDMI ports. 

All the boxes send their signal to the TV, and the TV outputs via optical to your Playbar. You can’t plug boxes into the Playbar.

Your TV sound output settings need to be set up correctly to ensure the EE box etc sound settings are correctly output. e.g. if there is a 5.1 setting in your TV sound settings, that should be on. 

Playbar is an older product and only has optical connection. 

You’re right. Sorry, yes @MarkAnthony, Playbar to TV by optical. 

(I overlooked that as I used to use an ARC audio extractor to connect my old Playbar to the HMDI-ARC port of the TV instead of using optical...)

M

Thanks @nik9669a and  @Rhonny for input and please forgive me if I'm showing my lack of understanding but I don't seem to be getting 5.1 surround sound still. I've  heard from EE that Sonos cannot be linked wirelessly and I set the EE box to surround on both HDMI and SPDIF. on my TV I have selected the Optical wired settings. And although as @nik9669a mentioned that not all TV is delivered in 5.1 so when I looked at the Sonos app I was not surprised to see PCM 2.0 but then I tried a modern film from Prime and still Sonos app showed PCM 2.0, see screen shots. What am I doing wrong? 

 

M

UPDATE:  I have just tried a Dolby Test video on YouTube and left front, right front and centre seems to work fine. The rear speakers don’t seem to output independently, when the test says “Left speaker” both rear speakers emit sound, likewise when the test says “Right speaker” again both rear speakers throw out sound. The Sub woofer does not work in this official Dolby Surround Test video. In addition during this test, the Sonos app shows PCM 2.0 as above.  

So, I am coming to the conclusion the connections and tv settings are correct, it just needs setting up correctly. I’ll probably have phone support again tomorrow. 

 

M

FURTHER UPDATE: Finally solved! Sonos support went through all the router settings and re-booted home theatre system and isolated the issue to the tv sound settings. Turns out there are TWO sound settings on the LG OLED 55 A16A in the ADVANCED settings. Both need to be set the Dolby 5.1. You need to scroll right down to the bottom to find 2nd setting.

Now 5.1 Dolby shown on Sonos App from all sources.

R
Userlevel 7
Badge +15

That’s great news. So where I said:

“Your TV sound output settings need to be set up correctly to ensure the EE box etc sound settings are correctly output. e.g. if there is a 5.1 setting in your TV sound settings, that should be on.”

I should have said “e.g. if there are 5.1 settings”…!!

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