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I bought a Beam 2 seven month ago, and the last couple of months the Beam is developing a tinny metalic sound in talking/voice sounds (playing music is still fine, but I think other frequencies are used there,  I am sure there is technical / scientific explanation for it). Here is a sound sample example of it:

Sonos- donderdag om 19-33.m4a

This is a clip/fragment from youtube: Sonos Era 300 + Arc & Sub: Ultimate Home Audio Experience? - YouTube

So I found my self more or less forced to buy another new soundbar from Sonos (Why not another brand?; it was black Friday and I already invested in two subs and 2 Sonos surround boxes which are 1500 euro worth, and I hope it is a rare defect) which does not has that problem (and I did not also perceive that distorted effect at other cheap desktop speakers and other (Sonos) speakers, that I possess ).

The distortion was less when I placed the sound bar on soft fabric tissues, but unfortunately that did not solve it enough. Anyone an idea what kind of defect it is?

Because according to Sonos, it's the TV/PC manufacturer's fault or their software or HDMI component. Otherwise, all TVs would be affected and not just a certain percentage of devices. And on the other hand, the TV manufacturer is blaming Sonos. That's what I've understood from various Google searches and the support. Since it's only a percentage, Sonos isn't doing anything, sadly compared for such a big name of brand for sound systems. There are already 2 TVs with the problem in my situation and I'm surely not testing a third one. But that's just one thing that i complain about the Beam and the Sub. I thought I'd pay more for a new home system and going to get the Sonos, which is almost twice as expensive, but that was probably the wrong choice. Maybe they don't do anything because they have at the moment clearly more problems with the new app to all devices.......


I know I’m a little late to this, but I have had the same issue with my new Beam where it’s particularly noticeable that it’s distorting sound through my PS5 (I’ve done all the audio changes and testing, called Sonos support, etc). Does anyone know if the Arc has this same issue? I want to stick with Sonos but if the Arc is the exact same I want to avoid it, especially given its price.


It would depend on the source. If it is the TV sending an incorrect signal, then it would be the same. If it’s a hardware issue on the Sonos itself, it would be extremely unlikely that an Arc would suffer the same issue. This is why it is always encouraged that you 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 Support staff, they have tools at their disposal that will allow them to give you advice specific to your network and Sonos system.

Resolving where the issue is would go a long way to making your decision easier. 


I’m trying to find what’s causing it at the moment. I called Sonos Support again and they decided they’ll get me in touch with the engineering department within the next couple of days since we couldn’t figure out the issue. If they can’t get it figured out, then I’m returning my Beam, sadly. I would love to get the Arc then, but if it’s the same issue, I’ll be very upset. I was just hoping to hear if there was any input on this from someone else or if they’ve experience a similar issue.


It might help if you were to state what TV you have, in case that’s part of the issue. I can certainly state that neither of the Arcs I own and use on a daily basis with an LG and Samsung device (to lazy to look up numbers, but both around a year old) have an issue. My Arcs were purchased fairly early on, although not as part of the initial release. 


I have my Beam hooked up to an LG C3 on the eARC port. I’ve tried switching the audio output from Pass Through and Auto and both have issues. PCM just puts it in stereo which doesn’t completely solve the problem, but helps. But at the same time, makes the Beam seem unnecessary if I’m only getting stereo quality sound. I really want to stick with Sonos but I fear I’d get the same issue if it truly is something with the LG TV.


Frankly, if it were me, I’d be sure that the C3 was up to date, firmware wise, and given the return policy on a Sonos, give it a shot. Fear of the unknown doesn’t result in much, knowing, with either success, or failure, would provide knowledge, rather than trepidation. 


Yep, made sure the TV was updated just yesterday, so I suppose you’re right. And hey, the Arc is on sale right now anyway so might as well. I’m guessing emailing the engineers will/would be an arduous process, so might as well cut out the middle man. Thanks for the advice


A few more words of supposed ‘wisdom’. ;)

Make sure you power cycle the TV, making sure to force it to reload the OS it runs. Also, at least for setup, make sure you use the HDMI cable supplied with the Arc, just in case. But I expect everything will be fine. 

Good luck!


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