Random 1 sec audio drop when playing Dolby Atmos from Apple TV 4K

  • 29 April 2023
  • 72 replies
  • 4409 views
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Hi. I've seen some people describing loud sound pop and Audio loss when playing Dolby Atmos from Apple TV 4K and Sonos Arc. I don't experience loud pop, but I do experience Audio loss for approx. 1 second at random places when watching content with Dolby Atmos.

My setup in short is: Apple TV 4K -> [Belkin High-Speed 4K/8K cable] -> Samsung QE75 [eArc] <- [Sonos cable] Sonos Arc (WiFi: One + One SL + Sub )

I've been in contact with Sonos support Norway, and we've done some troubleshooting, but we haven't found a solution yet.

My observations so far:

  • Sound drops out for 1 second when playing content with Dolby Atmos from tv, HBO Max or Netflix from Apple TV 4K.
  • Sound does NOT drop out when playing content with Dolby Atmos from tv, HBO Max or Netflix directly from Samsung TV.
  • Once Dolby Atmos sound completely disappeared when I was watching a movie with Dolby Atmos. Every content I played from Apple TV with Dolby Atmos consistently had no sound. Tried tv, HBO Max, Netflix and demo video on Dolby Summit. Got sound back when playing content with 5.1. If I went to Apple TV > Settings > Video and Audio > Audio Format > Immersive Audio > and turned off Dolby Atmos, I got the sound back on the content where Dolby Atmos didn't work. I switched back and forth on this several times. If I turned on Dolby Atmos, the sound disappeared again. I didn't get sound with Dolby Atmos until I restarted Apple TV. Diagnosis number from when this happened: 518945904.
  • Still, the sound drops out for 1 second randomly when I watch content with Dolby Atmos, e.g. The Last of Us on HBO Max. Sometimes 19 minutes into the episode. Other times 26 minutes or 50 minutes into an episode.
  • I've recorded an audio clip where you can hear the sound dropping out for 1 second. It happens very quickly, but is very annoying.
  • I don't know if it has any correlation, but I have a feeling it happens when there is a sudden change in the sound image, e.g. going from silence to music or talking.
  • I haven't noticed songs with Dolby Atmos dropping out when playing from Apple Music or TIDAL.
  • Sonos asked me to remove the Ethernet cable from the Arc. I have also tried with the Ethernet Cable out and turning off WiFi on the Arc. No difference. Audio drop still there. As i write this Arc is connected with Ethernet.


Some recent diagnostics (04.29.23):
150497503

931202808

1971558742

 

My Apple TV 4K:

(3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Ethernet. A2843 (128 GB). tvOS 16.5. Resolution 2160p UHD - 60Hz HDR10 4:2:0.

 

My Video and Audio settings on Apple TV 4K:

 

Video:

  • Format: 4K HDR (HDR10+)
  • Use HDR+: Enabled
  • Chroma: 4:2:0
  • Match content: Off
  • HDMI Connection: Good. (Apple TV 4K is connected to HDMI (not e-Arc port) Samsung with a Belkin UltraHD High-Speed 8K/4K 2m HDMI cable)

Audio:

  • Audio Output: TV Speakers
  • Audio Format: Auto, Atmos Available
  • Reduce Loud Noise Sounds: Off
  • Audio Mode: Auto

Calibration:

Wireless Audio Sync - not used

 

My Samsung 75-inch TV:

 

Model code: QE75Q80TATXXC

Software Version: T-NKMDEUC-2401.1, B0052220/B60202, BT - S

 

Sound settings:

Sound Output: Receiver (HDMI-eARC)
HDMI-eARC Mode: Auto (only Auto or Off)
Digital Output Audio Format: Pass-through
Digital Output Audio Delay: 100 (default)
Dolby Atmos Compatibility: Turned on

Sonos Arc is connected to the eARC port on the Samsung with the HDMI cable that came with the Arc.

I also have a PS5 connected to the TV.
 

My Sonos setup for surround
 

About My System:

Sonos Arc:
Living Room Status: Connected
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.3 (build 72240060)
Hardware Version: 1.27.1.8-2.2
Series ID: A100
IP Address: 10.0.0.3
Audio In: Dolby Atmos
WM: 0 (currently connected with Ethernet)

Arc settings:

EQ: Bass and Treble at 0. Loudness On.

Trueplay: On

Surround Audio: TV level: 0. Music Level: -4. Music Playback: Ambient.

Spatial Music: On

Home Theater:

TV Autoplay: On

Ungroup on Autoplay: On

TV Dialog Sync: 0 (default)

Group Audio Overlay: Low (default)

 

The Arc is connected to:

Sonos One: Living Room (LS)
Status: Connected
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.3 (build 72240060)
Hardware Version: 1.21.1.8-2.2
Series ID: A100
IP Address: 10.0.0.12
WM: 1 (not possible with Ethernet in my current setup)

 

Sonos One SL: Living Room (RS)

Status: Connected

Sonos OS: S2 Version: 15.3 (build 72240060)

Hardware Version: 1.26.2.3-2.2

Series ID: A300

IP Address: 10.0.0.9

WM: 1 (not possible with Ethernet in my current setup)

 

Sub: Sub

Status: Connected

Sonos OS: S2

Version: 15.3 (build 72240060)

Hardware Version: 1.32.1.4-2.2

Series ID: A200

IP Address: 10.0.0.10

WM: 1
 

I have seven other Sonos speakers placed in other rooms in my apartment, but the surround setup above are the only selected speakers in the app when the sound drops.
 

Sonos system settings:

Audio Compression: Automatic

Network: SonosNet Channel 1



I hope Sonos support and the Sonos Community find something useful from this!

AB

72 replies

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Arborg 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

I can only recommend that you continue troubleshooting with our technical support team - I hope they find an answer for you!

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
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Hi @Arborg 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

I can only recommend that you continue troubleshooting with our technical support team - I hope they find an answer for you!

Thank you, Corry!
I am sure we will find a solution! Whether it's Sonos, Samsung or Apple TV causing the issue is still hard to say…



Yesterday I did some more testing after I saw someone here in the Sonos Community had audio interruptions that were solved by turning off Wi-Fi on some devices on their wireless network.

I turned off the wireless network on my router and only had Arc and Apple TV 4K connected via Ethernet cable. Unfortunately, there were still Audio interruptions when I played Mad Max: Fury Road from the movie library on Apple TV. The Sonos app confimed that it was playing in Dolby Atmos. I'm starting to become more and more convinced that it could be a handshake problem between ATV / Sonos / Samsung.

I'm running out of things to try. Of course, resetting the Arc is an option, but I think it's a last resort.

AB
Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Arborg 

Yesterday I did some more testing after I saw someone here in the Sonos Community had audio interruptions that were solved by turning off Wi-Fi on some devices on their wireless network.

 

I would take that report with a pinch of salt, if I were you. If the Arc is dropping out (and not just the surrounds) then it has nothing to do with the network.

Edit: I don’t think a reset would help, to be honest, though I could be wrong.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
D

Hi,

Have a very similar setup as yours and having same symptoms. Drops audio 1sec every now and then when playing Atmos. Very annoying.

All Sonos units in my surround setup has been conneced to wired network, and HDMI cables are changed to new high quality ones to remedy the issue but it persists. 

Airgetlam

What did Sonos support say when you submitted a diagnostic, and called them with the number?

 

Bruce
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Hi,

Have a very similar setup as yours and having same symptoms. Drops audio 1sec every now and then when playing Atmos. Very annoying.

All Sonos units in my surround setup has been conneced to wired network, and HDMI cables are changed to new high quality ones to remedy the issue but it persists. 

Sorry for my late reply. Very annoying indeed! You have done more than I can. I'm going to send my Apple TV 4K for service. Will update you on what Apple returns with!

AB
A
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What did Sonos support say when you submitted a diagnostic, and called them with the number?

 

Sorry for my late reply. They didn't find anything wrong with the Arc. They said I should contact Apple. I asked them to write an email for proof that Sonos can't see anything wrong on their side and have done what they can. I  going to send the Apple TV in for service. I'll update you!

AB
M

I have the same problem [arc, sub, era300]

So frustrating as the hole system is tailored against playing atmos.

If I play content thorough Samsung apps all is fine but if I play it on my Apple TV I get the dropouts with atmos films.

One solution is just drop the Apple TV but is so much more enjoyable consuming content on AppleTV compared to Samsung apps 

C
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

Dolby Mat issue, Apple TV and Xbox use Dolby Mat and Sonos need to sort this issue with Dolby Mat.

AjTrek1
Userlevel 7

I’m very late to this thread. I’ve been a member of this community since 2015 and that’s not a long time compared to the tenure of other members.

However in my brief time in this community Samsung TV’s (IMO) have been mentioned more than other brands as a common thread with having issues with Sonos. BTW, that dates back to the Playbar even though it only used an optical connection. Since the introduction of CEC with HDMI ARC and eARC connection/audio issues IMO have proliferated.

The issue count  (again IMO) by brand in order of frequency seems to be Samsung, Sony and LG. The biggest complaint on LG being not allowing pass-through of DTS. That’s an odd one because at one time LG’s allow it, then stopped and I think now the newer models are once again allowing DTS pass-through. Also the LG “Picture Frame” pops up on occasion.

All said Samsung seems to be the leader with issues. To be fair maybe Samsung is the TV of choice which means more purchases equates to a higher number of incidents.

My final point being is that instead of focusing on the AppleTV 4K, the Arc and other devices in this thread…maybe the attention should be turned toward Samsung. I’m just saying…

Note: Full disclosure I own three (3) LG’s dating 2019 thru 2021. All have a Sonos Arc and AppleTV 4K connections. On one LG I have a Panasonic 4K Player that sends Dolby Atmos, DD 5.1 and DTS audio. I play Movies through the ATV direct from Apple and installed Apps for MAX (formerly HBO Max), Stars, and Paramount. Through my ISP I subscribe to the premium programming of Netflix and Amazon. Furthermore I have an older Sony Bravia with a Beam Gen 2 and ATV 4K using a HD Fury to get Dolby Atmos with no audio issues. The product I don’t use is Xbox. Otherwise I have no audio issues. Knock on wood. 😂

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.
T
Userlevel 1
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I've had this problem for over a year. Calling Sonos support is a dead end. So is calling Apple. 

I get 1-2 seconds without sound several times during movies rented on Apple Movies etc. 

The only solution so far is turning off Atmos and put it on Dolby 5.1 (on Apple TV). 

 

It's a total mess and it's so frustrating that these companies cannot sort this out togheter. It affects thousands of users. 

D
Userlevel 1
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Same issue here.  Arc, Sub, 2 X Era300’s, Apple TV, Samsung Frame TV 2022. Random sound drops for approximately 1 second or less.  Happens 3 or 4 times over the course of a 2 hour movie.

 

At a loss of what to do as the Atmos sounds amazing but the drop outs ruin the experience when it happens.

T
Userlevel 1
Badge

Same issue here.  Arc, Sub, 2 X Era300’s, Apple TV, Samsung Frame TV 2022. Random sound drops for approximately 1 second or less.  Happens 3 or 4 times over the course of a 2 hour movie.

 

At a loss of what to do as the Atmos sounds amazing but the drop outs ruin the experience when it happens.

 

You got to set Apple TV to Dolby 5.1 instead. Sadly only solution I've found and I've been looking for a solution to keep atmos for over a year. 

D
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Same issue here.  Arc, Sub, 2 X Era300’s, Apple TV, Samsung Frame TV 2022. Random sound drops for approximately 1 second or less.  Happens 3 or 4 times over the course of a 2 hour movie.

 

At a loss of what to do as the Atmos sounds amazing but the drop outs ruin the experience when it happens.

 

You got to set Apple TV to Dolby 5.1 instead. Sadly only solution I've found and I've been looking for a solution to keep atmos for over a year. 

 

I certainly understand your point but not sure if turning off Atmos is necessarily a solution.

T
Userlevel 1
Badge

Same issue here.  Arc, Sub, 2 X Era300’s, Apple TV, Samsung Frame TV 2022. Random sound drops for approximately 1 second or less.  Happens 3 or 4 times over the course of a 2 hour movie.

 

At a loss of what to do as the Atmos sounds amazing but the drop outs ruin the experience when it happens.

 

You got to set Apple TV to Dolby 5.1 instead. Sadly only solution I've found and I've been looking for a solution to keep atmos for over a year. 

 

I certainly understand your point but not sure if turning off Atmos is necessarily a solution.

It does not fix the reason it is happening, but it doesn't make the sound disappear in a movie. And it doesn't really sound that different :)

If you find a real solution that keeps atmos, post it right away!

D
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Same issue here.  Arc, Sub, 2 X Era300’s, Apple TV, Samsung Frame TV 2022. Random sound drops for approximately 1 second or less.  Happens 3 or 4 times over the course of a 2 hour movie.

 

At a loss of what to do as the Atmos sounds amazing but the drop outs ruin the experience when it happens.

 

You got to set Apple TV to Dolby 5.1 instead. Sadly only solution I've found and I've been looking for a solution to keep atmos for over a year. 

 

I certainly understand your point but not sure if turning off Atmos is necessarily a solution.

It does not fix the reason it is happening, but it doesn't make the sound disappear in a movie. And it doesn't really sound that different :)

If you find a real solution that keeps atmos, post it right away!

I don’t know.  I wouldn’t say it doesn’t really sound that different though.  Atmos content, at least in my set up, sounds pretty great.  Both movies and music.  Much better than 5.1 in my opinion.  And certainly since Atmos is being touted as such a significant feature of the Era 300’s as well as the Arc I’d still say there needs to be a proper fix.

T
Userlevel 1
Badge

Same issue here.  Arc, Sub, 2 X Era300’s, Apple TV, Samsung Frame TV 2022. Random sound drops for approximately 1 second or less.  Happens 3 or 4 times over the course of a 2 hour movie.

 

At a loss of what to do as the Atmos sounds amazing but the drop outs ruin the experience when it happens.

 

You got to set Apple TV to Dolby 5.1 instead. Sadly only solution I've found and I've been looking for a solution to keep atmos for over a year. 

 

I certainly understand your point but not sure if turning off Atmos is necessarily a solution.

It does not fix the reason it is happening, but it doesn't make the sound disappear in a movie. And it doesn't really sound that different :)

If you find a real solution that keeps atmos, post it right away!

I don’t know.  I wouldn’t say it doesn’t really sound that different though.  Atmos content, at least in my set up, sounds pretty great.  Both movies and music.  Much better than 5.1 in my opinion.  And certainly since Atmos is being touted as such a significant feature of the Era 300’s as well as the Arc I’d still say there needs to be a proper fix.

I haven't got the Era's, but I see your point. The loss of sound in movies kills the mood for me. 

W

I have the exact same issue when using atmos on my Apple TV, samsung TV, and Sonos Arc. 1 second audio drop offs randomly. It really does take you out of the immersive experience. I found that if you switch to 5.1 it stops, but why would you buy a ridiculously expensive equipment like Sonos if you can’t use all its features?

T
Userlevel 1
Badge

I have the exact same issue when using atmos on my Apple TV, samsung TV, and Sonos Arc. 1 second audio drop offs randomly. It really does take you out of the immersive experience. I found that if you switch to 5.1 it stops, but why would you buy a ridiculously expensive equipment like Sonos if you can’t use all its features?

It's frustrating, not going to lie. But since Sonos, Apple and Samsung really doesn't acknowledge the problem, it's not much to do other than set it to 5.1. Sadly. :/

 

TV OS 17 doesn't help either. 

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Tafsern & @Wolfsmith 

If you haven’t tried it already, the first step I would always take with TV audio interruptions is to reboot the TV by removing power for at least 2 minutes. This restarts the TV’s software in a way that Standby does not achieve, and can often fix such issues.

I hope this helps.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
M

Same exhaustingly frustrating problem.

 

Equally frustrating are suggestions to unplug and / or restart.

 

It is clearly an issue on the Sonos side they are aware of.

 

Great quality speakers, but the issues are “the pits.”

R

I have exactly the same problem. So annoying …

Been through all that troubleshooting but nothing worked so far (except for switching to 5.1 - but that can't be the solution).

H

I have the same issue. Have tried everything. I too have resorted to turning Atmos off and using 5.1. It’s crazy having this issue considering how much we paid for the Sonos

R
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Same issue here. I get a one second sound drop when playing Dolby Atmos TV content from Apple TV to Samsung with Sonos Arc.

Apple TV (latest model, 64GB, updated to TVOS17) by HDMI to Samsung Q90T (latest software).  Sonos Arc to Samsung’s eARC port.

I hope that if this thread gets long enough, someone with influence will notice…
 

R
Badge

I’m having the same issue, and not just with Atmos movies, but with Atmos music from the Music app on AppleTV. Very frustrating. 

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