I had two PLAYBARs that did not show this behavior. They were connected to Vizio TVs.
I’d probably try several things, and test between each.
First, a simple power cycle of the Sonos PLAYBAR, by unplugging it from the wall for a couple of minutes. I’d be tempted, given the nature of some capacitors (I have no idea if Sonos uses them) to go longer than two minutes. Essentially unplugging the PLAYBAR, and then do some other chore for half an hour, and then come back and plug it back in.
Next, I’d do the same power cycle process to the TV set. After that power cycle, I’d look at the audio settings to be sure the TV was set to ‘fixed’ on any digital/optical output, just in case. Many TVs (perhaps most?) don’t have this setting, but it’s worth checking, just in case.
Third, and most ‘destructive’, is a step I’m only recommending because you say you have other Sonos equipment. If this was the only Sonos device in your home, I’d let Sonos reps make the call, but in your case, I’d try a factory reset of the PLAYBAR, to force a new copy of the OS to get loaded.
Finally, if none of those work, I would recommend 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 phone folks, they have tools at their disposal that will allow them to give you advice specific to your network and Sonos system.
Thanks so much for taking the time to write all this out, @Airgetlam — appreciate you! The Playbar and my TVs have been power cycled countless times over the years and I’ve played with all the settings I can find, so I’m going to start with a factory reset and move on to diagnostics if that doesn’t help. Thanks again!
Let us know what ends up working. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen this behavior before, but I also don’t own my PLAYBARs anymore, having updated them to Arcs. So my experience with them is ‘dated’.
The sound quality is so good that I just never bothered to upgrade. Finally bit the bullet and picked up an Arc because I needed a new soundbar in the basement, which is where my Playbar has been moved to.
I was less annoyed with this issue in my living room. Sometimes we left it pretty loud, so it was nice to come back to it at 10% the next day. In my basement, on the other hand, the TV only gets used during workouts, so it always needs to be cranked up. That makes this issue much more annoying.
I’ll update as soon as I have any worthwhile news — thanks again
The sound quality is so good that I just never bothered to upgrade.
This is how I feel about the Playbar myself. It sounds so much warmer that the Arc. But the Arc does deliver a more dynamic sound to your home theater. It louder, but does snot sound better IMO. I have the treble set to -2 for the Arc to take some of the edginess off and get close to what the Playbar sounds like without any EQ.
@Pools-3015 I agree, and I initially missed the warmth of the Playbar because the difference is pretty noticeable. I do find that the Arc projects and fills the space a lot better though, which I really appreciate since my entire first floor is open.
Ok… it looks like a factory reset did the trick. I tested it a bunch last night and this morning, and the volume has held steady. Big thanks to @Airgetlam, really appreciate your help!
