I was playing on my Xbox when the arc suddenly made an extremely loud pop sound and then lost audio completely. The app wouldn’t let me adjust the volume and Alexa wake up didn’t emit its usual tone. I had to remove the power from the arc and reapply which resumed the audio. I’m concerned that one of the speakers in the arc may have been damaged when this happened. Has anyone had this issue?
We have had no issues with the arc since purchasing it earlier this year.
Tomorrow is the 3 year anniversary of the Sonos Arc. At this point, I’m chalking this up as an inherent design flaw of the Arc and that this issue won’t be resolved until the release of the Arc 2. If it hasn’t been fixed by now, it probably never will…
Unfortunately, that's exactly how I see it. I really don’t know what I should do. I'm on the verge of selling all Sonos products, simply because I don't think Sonos is bothered to solve the problem.
I don’t blame you for thinking about selling. I still enjoy my Sonos system overall, but having deficiencies when watching Atmos content is very disappointing.
Yup! You can also go into the Sonos App, System, About My System when listening to Atmos if you have a Dolby MAT source (Apple TV, Xbox, soon PS5).
If it just says Atmos, you’re good. If it says Atmos (DD+), it’s being downgraded.
I’m living with the CEC-off solution at the moment. The least annoying compromise for me.
I still expect Sonos to acknowledge the issue in an FAQ or disclaimer though. New customers should be warned about the potential problem so that they can make an informed decision.
I really wonder why this problem occurs with so many different patterns. For me, for example, it doesn't do any good to turn off CEC. I turned it off on the Xbox and the TV and the bang still comes with Dolby Atmos. The only thing that works for me is switching to Dolby Digital 5.1
Have you tried factory reset and not to trueplay?
trueplay off, yes
factory reset before trueplay off, no
But I don't really feel like doing factory settings either, then I have to re-connect my surround speakers and the sub and if it doesn't work, then it's for nothing.
We have a response, but all it largely says is that they can’t reproduce the issue. I’m going to offer to ship my TV, Sonos Arc, and Xbox to Sonos.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/10/23824258/sonos-arc-dolby-atmos-problems-loud-audio-pop
It would be so much easier for them to fly one of their engineers out for a few days and pay you for using your home to test it. 🤣
Weird experience today. (LG C3, Sonos arc + mini sub + surrounds) Was on Xbox Series X just sitting in settings, forget what I was doing but looked down at my phone for a bit, LOUD pop, followed by 3 or 4 smaller pops. Hadn't experienced ‘echo’ pops before.
It's just so weird because native apps have Atmos and they're fine. I don't think I’ve experienced it on the PS5 once, but using my Xbox Series X is like russian roulette. And only since getting the LG set. Used for years on Samsung (no earc) with no problems.
+23
New Arc owner here. With Sony now rolling out the PS5’s Atmos update, should I be cautious of using that mode for audio output?
Based on what I have read on reddit, yes. The PS5 uses Atmos via MAT as well, which appears to be the cause of the problem.
Weird experience today. (LG C3, Sonos arc + mini sub + surrounds) Was on Xbox Series X just sitting in settings, forget what I was doing but looked down at my phone for a bit, LOUD pop, followed by 3 or 4 smaller pops. Hadn't experienced ‘echo’ pops before.
It's just so weird because native apps have Atmos and they're fine. I don't think I’ve experienced it on the PS5 once, but using my Xbox Series X is like russian roulette. And only since getting the LG set. Used for years on Samsung (no earc) with no problems.
Your Xbox setting probably were 120hz and VRR on ?
Hi I’ve just had the same problem I was watching YouTube on Xbox series x and the arc popped like something had blown then no sound changed over to sky and sound came back then about twenty minutes later it did it again while watching YouTube on Xbox series x it’s seems ok now but do you know what’s causing this as this thread been going for sometime now without any solution
Same thing here. I experienced it last night for the first time and then again just now. Last night it was while turning on Ted lasso on the Apple TV+ app and now on Disney +.
I am using: a
Samsung KS8000
Apple TV 4K
Sonos Arc
2x Sonos Ones
Gen 3 Sub
I also experienced the loud loud pops then only audio from the surround speakers continuing to play.
Diagnostic report 1030162427
+3
For me it did not help, unfortunately. 10 Minutes in on Xbox got the pop in the menu.
Isn’t it funny how in the past few months, more and more and more and more posts involve an Xbox? How is it that Sonos has not been able to recreate this error on their end? The answer is obvious.
Why they have yet to issue a warning or acknowledge this issue, involves reputation and sales. Which going forward, I will endeavor to warn anyone I know who is eyeing a Sonos Arc, and if they’ve already purchased one to NEVER plug in an Xbox product to the Sonos Arc.
I don’t own an Xbox, and have never changed the hardware configuration of my TV since purchase.
Tomorrow is the 3 year anniversary of the Sonos Arc. At this point, I’m chalking this up as an inherent design flaw of the Arc and that this issue won’t be resolved until the release of the Arc 2. If it hasn’t been fixed by now, it probably never will…
Maybe.
But if that’s true they sold a product as Atmos certified only for it to be incapable of doing so. I don’t care if it only has issues with MAT. It’s their responsibility to release a product that works as described. It doesn’t say “incompatible with MAT” which puts them as the accountable party in these issues if it cannot be fixed.
The funny part is I have yet to experience this on an Apple TV 4K even when using Dolby Vision and Atmos on both my Arc and Gen 2 Beam. It’s only been my Xbox. I’m sure it’ll happen on my Apple TV soon enough but I don’t understand why I’ve had the issue with Xbox but not Apple yet.
i wonder what happened with tom warren set, did they fixed it for him, tried to ask him in twitter but he didn't respond
its shame that sonos don't have anything to say about this issue, no ETA for fix
If I understand it correctly,
Or you can hop on the conspiracy crazy-train and speculate that Sonos let Chris Welch etc know that they will lose their preferred access to Sonos execs and upcoming products if they keep on this issue. :)
New Arc owner here. With Sony now rolling out the PS5’s Atmos update, should I be cautious of using that mode for audio output?
Yes, beta users here reported the pop after switching to Atmos.
After all the software updates, I decided to test again. Apple TV playing Apple Music in Spatial Audio → Sony 900H → Arc/Ones/Sub. All OEM cables.
It took a little under 6 minutes until pop and audio loss. Diagnostic: 1209526902.
Well I am deeply disappointed in Sonos at this point. The reply I got was simply that they know of the issue and it is not their fault so I should just disable Atmos. If that's the case then I want them to update their Arc product page to say NOT COMPATIBLE WITH XBOX/APPLETV/ROKU. I feel cheated right now and even though I know it most likely isn't ALL Sonos fault here, other manufacturers have seemed to push out firmware updates that fix Atmos issues with these devices. If nothing else it seems only the Sonos gives the loud BANG whereas other manufacturers just have crackles.
Hi
We are aware of this behaviour and are investigating it, but we do not have any additional information to share on a resolution at this time.
We are also aware of other manufacturer brands experiencing the same problem. Some users have reported it with in-built TV apps, so it is not limited to X-Box and Apple TV owners.
The issue only happens when playing Atmos content, so in the meantime, you can prevent this from happening by disabling Atmos audio on the TV or source device - not ideal, I know, but if it has happened to you before and you are concerned about it happening again, this step would prevent it.
I hope this helps.
First of all, THANK YOU for at least acknowledging the issue, that is a first major step to put consumer minds at ease a little. I perfectly understand things taking time (software developer here) but just want to know that the issue is at least being worked on, and if Sonos is sure it is not their issue, then we need to be able to know what to tell other manufacturers (i.e. Apple/Microsoft) so that we can get a resolution at some point. As many have reported, $800 is no small chunk of change to spend on something that has a glaring issue, so we want to at least know that things are being looked into so we can expect some sort of resolution at some point.
Now for others, I have done some more troubleshooting on my side and noticed after a factory reset of my TV (Sony XBR75X90CH) the issue hasn’t YET repeated. Now, a setting IS different this time in that when I enabled eARC, it didn’t automatically change the HDMI3 channel to “Enhanced Format”, and it is still in “Standard Format”, which according to Sony means it is running in HDMI 2.0 mode instead of HDMI 2.1 for backwards compatibility. Now, the strange thing is, the Sonos app is still reporting “Dolby Atmos” when playing content from my Apple TV, but from what I have read it is a compressed version of Atmos instead of uncompressed if HDMI is running in 2.0 mode instead of 2.1. Long story short, this might be a “better” compromise in the meantime if your TV allows running the ARC port in backwards compatibility mode. I will report here immediately the first POP that I get, but I went from seemingly every 10 minutes to watching a couple hours without issue so far. Also for reference AppleTV was on 15.5 when I disabled Atmos, and is now on 15.6 as well. I’ll take compressed Atmos for the time being over no Atmos if this truly is what is preventing the POP.
I have the problem since March 2022. And I tried all the things called here. All without success.
Finally I read that you should turn off trueplay and then run Dolby Atmos MAT. I wanted to try that next.
Apple TV 4K seems to be a common denominator for a lot of the reports.
UPDATE: I had an HD Fury Arcana which I used with my older TV that only had an ARC port (never had this issue then). I have not used it since getting a new TV with an eARC port. I decided to try the HD Fury and have not encountered the issue in the last 48 hours. For clarity the below is the setup:
Apple TV 4K → HD Fury → Video to TV eARC and Audio to Sonos Arc system
If this resolves the issue, it would not be ideal for most since the HD Fury is a 249USD device.
I actually have an unused Arcana that I haven’t sold on yet but I don’t think this solution will work for me as I have multiple devices going into the TV that need to send sound to the Arc (happy to be corrected on this assumption!!).
Although I do have a 4K Dr HDMI which I might try between Apple TV and TV so see if this sorts out what seems to be some kind of a audio signal problem…
Well I am deeply disappointed in Sonos at this point. The reply I got was simply that they know of the issue and it is not their fault so I should just disable Atmos. If that's the case then I want them to update their Arc product page to say NOT COMPATIBLE WITH XBOX/APPLETV/ROKU. I feel cheated right now and even though I know it most likely isn't ALL Sonos fault here, other manufacturers have seemed to push out firmware updates that fix Atmos issues with these devices. If nothing else it seems only the Sonos gives the loud BANG whereas other manufacturers just have crackles.
Totally agree. Sonos needs to publish a disclaimer that these devices are not reliably compatible with Arc and could produce very loud popping noises and audio loss.
At the very least Sonos should offer those who are having this issue an opportunity to return their Arc. It’s false advertising to say Dolby Atmos content is available using these devices.
If you're experiencing a loud pop followed by audio loss on your Sonos Arc soundbar, it could be due to a few different factors. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:
1. Ensure the Sonos Arc is properly connected: Check that all cables are securely plugged into their respective ports, both on the soundbar and the TV or audio source.
2. Check the audio source: Verify that the audio source (TV, streaming device, etc.) is set to output audio to the Sonos Arc. Check the audio settings on your device and ensure it is correctly configured to send audio to the soundbar.
3. Restart the Sonos system: Power off the Sonos Arc and any other Sonos components you have, including the Sonos app. Wait a few seconds, then power them back on. This can help resolve temporary software or connectivity issues.
4. Update Sonos software: Ensure that your Sonos system is running the latest software version. Open the Sonos app on your mobile device or computer, go to Settings, and check for any available updates.
5. Reset the Sonos Arc: If the issue persists, you can try performing a factory reset on the Sonos Arc. Keep in mind that this will erase any custom settings or configurations you have made on the soundbar.
6. Contact Sonos support: If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it's recommended to reach out to Sonos customer support for further assistance. They can provide specific troubleshooting guidance or determine if there may be a hardware issue with your Sonos Arc that needs to be addressed.
Remember to consult the Sonos user manual or support resources for detailed instructions specific to your model and setup.
Regards;
David Johson.
Interesting. I am owner of Sonos Home Theatre (Sonos Arc + Sub 3rd gen + 2xOne SL) for almost 3 years, owning Apple TV 4K (2021) - Dolby Atmos enabled, PS5 - all connected into LG OLED TV CX (eARC enabled, CEC enabled, Passthrough enabled) and I have never experienced the Arc popping sound.
I am paying for top-tier Netlifx, Disney+, HBO Max, Apple Music, playing Atmos movies from native LG apps, Apple TV apps, Apple Music, but never experienced it.
When I will be able to test PS5 beta firmware, I will test as well.
May be the only 40Gbps HDMI ports on LG TV CX has something to do with that, but so far I was lucky.
None of those four examples fit the behavior described in this thread.
The only thing any of them have in common is some sort of general “popping sound”. Users here are reporting that their Sonos soundbar, when playing Atmos content from an Apple TV or XBOX, makes a loud noise and crashes, requiring a power cycle to fix. I’ve yet to see an example this exact same behavior reproduced by any other soundbar.
However, I believe having the port set to “Standard” takes you all the way down to HDMI 1.4, as in you can’t even get 4K60 or HDR on “Standard”. I recommend checking into that on your Apple TV.
+3
X900H (XH92)
Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen)
Arc
2x One Surrounds
Sub (Gen 2)
Seems like most of us here experiencing the issue are using surrounds; just checking for consistencies, has anyone experienced without rears?
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