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MacBook USB-C connectivity to SONOS Beam

  • 14 July 2020
  • 9 replies
  • 5996 views
D

It’s a long story but i want to use my Beam with my 2020 MacBook Pro which only has USB-C output.

Sonos say this is not supported as Beam is made for TVs (with optical or HDMI-ARC output).

I can hook it up via wifi but get a bad lag which can’t be cured.

SO I got it working with following daisy chain: USB-C => HDMI adapter; HDMI => optical; optical => HDMI.

It’s driving me nuts that it won’t just simply work with the USB-C => HDMI, as I understand that both USB-C and HDMI (from 1.4b) are supposed to support everything

e.g. see this CNET report:

“Dongles begone! HDMI Licensing has announced a new version of USB-C that has native HDMI support. That means you'll be able to connect compatible tablets, phones and laptops directly to a display without the need for a separate converter.

A simple USB-C-to-HDMI cable will replace the $70 dongles that currently exist, though the source device will need to have been designed to output HDMI via USB-C. According to HDMI Licensing it's not backwards compatible with existing devices or upgradeable via software.

Called "HDMI Alt Mode" the new standard supports up to HDMI 1.4b, a version that supports resolutions up to 4K and extras such as Audio Return Channel (ARC), 3D, HDMI Ethernet Channel and Consumer Electronic Control (CEC).

Unfortunately the cable won't support HDR video or 4K streaming services, which require the newer HDMI 2.0a standard.”

If anyone can explain to me what is going on here I will be eternally grateful.

I’m a big fan of SONOS products but quite frustrated by this and the fact that SONOS support just shutting my enquiry down with “not intended to work with anything except TVs” when surely it should work with anything that can produce an HDMI output?

Thanks





 

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Best answer by Airgetlam 14 July 2020, 21:10

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9 replies

Airgetlam

So, the device supports ARC, but doesn’t create it. The Sonos is looking for a signal on the ARC channels of HDMI. 

I would recommend instead getting a device that changes the output from your Mac to an optical signal, and the connect the optical cable to the adapter that came with the Sonos, and connect the adapter to the Beam. Then you’d need to ensure that your Mac is sending a Dolby Digital signal, or a stereo signal. Other codecs, such as DTS, won’t be carried across optical, and also can’t be interpreted by the Beam. 

Bruce
D

thanks Bruce - would be great if there was a hack to make the MacBook create an ARC signal.

I had already got it working along the lines you suggested:

“So I got it working with following daisy chain: USB-C => HDMI adapter; HDMI => optical; optical => HDMI.”

Just so messy! Just want to plug the MacBook directly into the Beam!!

 

Airgetlam

Yea, I know. I’ve got the same issue with my equipment. Nothing creates an eARC signal except a  new TV that I don’t own,  and I’d really like to use my Apple TV with Atmos. I’m anxiously waiting on the HDFury device that’s mentioned in the Home Theater area of the forum, which can create an eARC signal from a standard HDMI signal. 

Bruce
J

Can you link the adapters you use? I have the USB-C => HDMI adapter; HDMI => optical, but cannot find the optical => HDMI.

This is a frustrating issue for me, too, so any help would be appreciated! 


Update: I found this Converter  on Amazon. Seems like it might do the trick. 

 

controlav
Userlevel 7
Badge +23

Can you link the adapters you use? I have the USB-C => HDMI adapter; HDMI => optical, but cannot find the optical => HDMI

The Beam comes with that optical adapter.

Author of the leading independent Sonos app for Windows, the only Sonos app for Xbox, and a Sonos app for iOS
J

Can you link the adapters you use? I have the USB-C => HDMI adapter; HDMI => optical, but cannot find the optical => HDMI

The Beam comes with that optical adapter.

Correct but I would still need an optical female to hdmi male adapter since the back of the sonos beam does not have a plug in for the optical male. 

J

I am actually trying to set up the same hack for my 16 inch macbook pro. I bought a hyper drive 7 in 2 USB-C hub, and a UHD HDR eArc Arcana adaptor from HD Fury. 

 

I connected the HDMI cable from my USB-C hub to the Arcana adaptor (HDMI in), and then I connected my Sonos Beam to the Arcana adaptor (eARC out) using another 4K 60Hz HDMI cable that came with the Sonos Beam.

But for some reason its not working. Where am I going wrong? 

Below are the directions for how to set up the Arcana adaptor. Any suggestions on how I can get this working?

 

 

Airgetlam

As a guess, your Mac is not sending an appropriate codec/ signal to the USB C hub to be forwarded to Arcana device, but you’d probably be much better off talking to their customer support channel in Discord. 

Bruce
J

Thank you! I’m trying to connect with them to troubleshoot this.

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