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Persistent surround sound drop outs

  • November 9, 2025
  • 5 replies
  • 44 views
H

Whatever I do, I seem to get random surround speaker dropouts.

These last a few seconds, occurring maybe every few minutes - whether I’m on TV audio or Sonos Sound System Radio which I assume rules out any TV related issues.

I’m running an Arc Ultra with a Gen 3 sub and two Ones for surround. The TV Is a 5 year old LG.  Having started with a totally wireless setup, I’m currently trying the Ultra, the sub and the TV hardwired to the router, which is only about 3-4 metres from the Ones. All software is showing as updated. And I’ve lost count of the reboots performed.

So, what can I try next?  Is it somehow an unresolved wifi issue between the Arc and the others, or could it be a gremlin in the actual Ultra, or…?

I’m stumped, frustrated and right out of ideas! Any suggestions much appreciated.

Thanks all.

 

Best answer by Airgetlam

What did Sonos Support say, when you called in?

My suspicion is some sort of disconnect between your soundbar, and the connected surrounds. While you seem to have wired the soundbar, I hope you haven’t turned off the WiFi on it, it’s the normal way it communicates with the surrounds, via a ‘hidden’ 5 GHz channel. They normally don’t connect directly to your router. 
 

Have you checked for sources of potential 5Ghz, or any other type of WiFi interference? Have you turned off the radio in any of these speakers?

 

5 replies

Airgetlam
  • Airgetlam
  • 44820 replies
  • Answer
  • November 9, 2025

What did Sonos Support say, when you called in?

My suspicion is some sort of disconnect between your soundbar, and the connected surrounds. While you seem to have wired the soundbar, I hope you haven’t turned off the WiFi on it, it’s the normal way it communicates with the surrounds, via a ‘hidden’ 5 GHz channel. They normally don’t connect directly to your router. 
 

Have you checked for sources of potential 5Ghz, or any other type of WiFi interference? Have you turned off the radio in any of these speakers?

 

Bruce
Triticale
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  • Triticale
  • Collaborator II
  • 93 replies
  • November 9, 2025

I agree with ​@Airgetlam. When I wired my Arc I switched off the WiFi in the Arc settings. Then other devices need to go through the router instead of the own Arc’s network, so it didn’t sound great. 

Also check potential interferences or something which is demanding bandwidth if you connection is not good enough.

Stanley_4
  • Stanley_4
  • Lead Maestro
  • 12383 replies
  • November 10, 2025

You can get a quick look at your wifi link status (if un-wired) from the App 

 

H
  • Harper Boy
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • 1 reply
  • November 10, 2025

Airgetlam, Triticale and all - you nailed it for me!  Thank you so much!

My newbie assumption that the Arc’s wifi enable/disable option in the app refers to one’s own wifi (and hence should be ‘disable’ when hard wired to the router) rather than to the Sonos one was obviously wrong. Although I think my RTFM habits are reasonable, in my defence I have struggled to find a clear description of some of the app’s functional options anywhere in the Sonos documentation…

Again, my thanks for kindness in sharing your (doubtless hard-won) knowledge. I can now enjoy listening to it all so much more !👍

Airgetlam
  • Airgetlam
  • 44820 replies
  • November 10, 2025

You’ve proven you’re human ;)

Glad it is working now!

Bruce


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