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.
For sure, straight quality wise I would barely be able to tell the difference between Dolby MAT and DD+, even when listening to Apple Lossless Music.
No, the downside with turning off eARC is that you get lipsync issues in some media. I’m sensitive to lipsync so turning off eARC is a no go for me.
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 was planning on dropping $1500+ on an Arc home theater system until I found this thread a few weeks ago.
Lurking this forum and reading all these stories of how Sonos support has been deflecting and gaslighting their customers for years has made me reconsider ever purchasing a Sonos product. It’s not even just the Arc, the Beam 2 also has “The Pop” and another persistent issue where it makes a full volume jackhammer-like sound.
WTF Sonos?? It’s completely unacceptable that issues like this get dismissed for years, and the way customer support tries to deny that this is a real issue really rubs me the wrong way.
Thank you to everybody who’s shared their experience in this forum. You’ve saved me a lot of money and headache.
Thanks, dude. I’m just frustrated. I’ll try to hang to hang in there a little longer.
When it works, it really does sound great.
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.
I actually wonder if this is a thing. I hadn’t had a single issue until sometime after I tuned my system using TruePlay. Doubtful, but worth a try.
I just tried it with Forza Horizon 5 and it popped within 5 seconds.
Failed experiment.
At the time I bought the arc and bass I was between this and the Sennheiser AMBEO (with the advantage that you don´t really need a separate bass with the AMBEO), today I´m hitting my head against the wall. First world problems, I know, but this is very frustrating and again the company does nothing to solve this. Do check it, prob a better choice right now.
+3
Not using the Sonos provided cable here – one of three pack of 48Gbps 8K Cable Matters HDMI leads.
Has been fine for the most part of a year, until mid-October.
Seems a majority of us are using Sony Bravia, and the X900H series. The Android 11 firmware was released not long before this October time frame… 🤔
+3
I still stand by my Dolby MAT theory – it’s the only consistent point between Apple TV and Xbox Series X.
Sorry to hear it, dude. Once you’ve had the first pop, they keep coming back often.
If you want to test, or catch a diagnostic, or get it on video: play an Apple Music spatial audio playlist on your Apple TV. I bet you’ll reliably get a pop inside 30 minutes.
I am playing ‘Made for Spatial Music’ on Apple Music thru my TV and Apple TV. Let’s see. Will post an update.
My Living Room has an older setup as well with Beam, Play-1’s and Gen 2 sub. No serious issues ever for years in that setup.
I had my same set up (Sony 900H, Apple TV4K, Sonos Arc, Sonos One Surrounds) for over a year with no issue ever. Then last spring, out of the blue: BANG. Then it popped every 15 to 20 minutes after that while watching Atmos Content. Sad.
That certainly suggests to me that the issue is upstream from Sonos, either the TV not handling the stream properly, or the device feeding the TV sending a signal that the TV passes on to the outboard speakers.
We have lots of reports of both Xbox and Apple TV being affected. And these are widespread devices from major manufacturers, so it might just be their popularity causing the reports.
Likewise we have lots of reports from both Sony and LG TVs passing the signal. Again, major popular manufactures.
On the other hand, we only have reports of Sonos devices being affected. Granted, this is a Sonos forum. But nobody is linking to similar threads about other sound bars and any request for examples is avoided.
The weight of the evidence is pointing at a solution having to come from Sonos. Yes, maybe the Atmos spec is somehow not being followed by the major content players and TVs, but even if (if!) that is the case, it’ll still be on Sonos to fix it in software if they want to keep selling devices. I know I have stopped buying further Sonos devices until my Arc can play Atmos.
Really glad someone brought this to light...I had no idea about the issue until recently and I have a Sonos Arc on my wishlist for the house we’re building (I’m still game if they issue a fix). Good luck to you all, hope they release a fix soon!!
Sonos rep replied to the Reddit thread covering
Has anyone tested the Apple TV 4K 3rd-gen with this issue yet? Thinking about picking one up today or tomorrow to see if the issue exists with that combination of hardware, I did try a bunch of config changes to my setup and had the pop happen within 30 minutes again
I haven’t experienced it since that one time months ago but it just happened twice within 5 minutes of the initial pop while playing the Resident Evil 4 Remake demo on Xbox Series X. I have had CEC disabled on the Xbox side for months which I thought fixed the issue but it didn’t.
I am not disabling Atmos on a Soundbar I bought specifically because it has Atmos. This should have been fixed by now.
I reckon that almost every report I have ever read about this ‘popping’ issue mentioned online in relation to Soundbar’s (not just Sonos ones, but others brands too) that somewhere in the HT setup, is either an XBox or an Apple TV-4K (or both) - those two connected products seem to be a common denominator and it’s certainly happening with other manufacturers Soundbars, if you look online. It makes me wonder if it’s not a Sonos-owned issue🤔??
It might also ‘perhaps’ explain why Sonos is not making any public comment about the issue, if it is partner-related.
Came across something interesting on Reddit
In this post the user has the same issue discussed many times in this forum, however making changes to the video setting seems to have fixed his issues.
Wondering if this is a Dolby Vision / Dolby Atmos combination thing? I know for me I get this issue on the Xbox series X and have both activated all the time. I don’t get this on the Apple TV because I match dynamic range settings
What are others experiences??
This is exactly correct. As soon as I disable Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos works perfectly without any popping, as soon as I enable Dolby Vision on Apple TV, pop within 7min, every time. Hard reset repeat, always occurs. I was a QA Tester for Sony, and this what would be classed as an “A” Bug. It is reproducible. And it always initially occurs with an Xbox Series X. Prior to last week, when I got an Xbox Series X, I had zero issues with my Apple TV no matter what the setting or content. As soon as the Xbox Series X was played with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, this error occured. After which, the Apple TV 4K began to have issues and is now permanently having issues. So Brian, this IS a Sonos issue, as once the error has occurred from initial Xbox Series X connection, now any Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos combined from any source, Sonos Arc can no longer function properly.
+18
Hi
what wil sonos do to resolve it. Do we need to change a setting to prevent this till a solution is coming.
The issue happens on other brands too, so a resolution is not something we’re in the right place to achieve. We’re seeking ways to mitigate the problem in the meantime.
You can prevent it from happening by disabling Dolby Atmos (on your TV), as reported at the start of this thread.
For sure you could replicate this in your test center?
We have been so far unable to reproduce it ourselves - thus the need for engineers to contact anyone who can reproduce it reliably.
Please let me know how to get Sonos to pay me. I could use some additional income, or even product, instead of merely the satisfaction I derive from attempting to help my fellow humans, obviously a bad instinct that Ken and I share.
Ah that’s great thanks! I’ll keep an eye on my emails :)
Came across something interesting on Reddit
In this post the user has the same issue discussed many times in this forum, however making changes to the video setting seems to have fixed his issues.
Wondering if this is a Dolby Vision / Dolby Atmos combination thing? I know for me I get this issue on the Xbox series X and have both activated all the time. I don’t get this on the Apple TV because I match dynamic range settings
What are others experiences??
This is exactly correct. As soon as I disable Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos works perfectly without any popping, as soon as I enable Dolby Vision on Apple TV, pop within 7min, every time. Hard reset repeat, always occurs. I was a QA Tester for Sony, and this what would be classed as an “A” Bug. It is reproducible. And it always initially occurs with an Xbox Series X. Prior to last week, when I got an Xbox Series X, I had zero issues with my Apple TV no matter what the setting or content. As soon as the Xbox Series X was played with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, this error occured. After which, the Apple TV 4K began to have issues and is now permanently having issues. So Brian, this IS a Sonos issue, as once the error has occurred from initial Xbox Series X connection, now any Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos combined from any source, Sonos Arc can no longer function properly.
I tried the “disable Dolby Vision” on Apple TV and still had the pop occur when playing Atmos yesterday
I know when I want to feel like a tough guy, I always find a lower level support person who is only following the rules. I then proceed to mock and ridicule them for something over which they have no control. That really pumps my anonymous internet muscles. Then I go out into the real world and kick a kitten, cause that's how I roll.
I’m still somewhat concerned that this isn’t a Sonos issue, but instead an issue up the chain. Perhaps with the CEC interpretation of MAT, which might be faulty at the point of ‘change’.
If so, Sonos may not be in a position to ‘fix’ this issue, since they’re actually playing what has been handed to them further up the chain.
I have yet to see an issue with Dolby Atmos soundbars by Sony, Bose and LG. It’s also not happening with a receiver setup as far as I’ve seen. It’s not unreasonable to expect it to work properly or be entitled to a refund program. I love the versatility of Sonos but I’d give that up and switch to Bose just to be able to use Atmos.
The issue has been isolated to Sonos and that alone makes it their issue.
We have been so far unable to reproduce it ourselves - thus the need for engineers to contact anyone who can reproduce it reliably.
I would get it occassionally with PC → LG CX → Sonos Arc
After I got rid of my LG CX and replaced with a monitor (PC → HDFury Arcana → Sonos Arc) I found that I can now reproduce the popping at will by running the Windows System Sound Test:
System → Sound → Arcana Properties → Select “Dobly Atmos for home theatre” and click TEST.
The pop happens consistently. I’m glad to put in a case if the engineers want to get on a call and monitor in real-time.
My Decade-Long Advocacy for Sonos Comes to an End…
I’ve been a Sonos advocate since 2010, a relationship that lasted longer than most Hollywood marriages. Over the years, I've filled nearly every room in my home with Sonos speakers, singing the brand's praises to friends and family who then also took the plunge into this wireless speaker ecosystem. My faith was so unwavering that I even invested in Sonos by purchasing a significant number of shares in the company. But, much like any relationship that ends bitterly, my story with Sonos has reached an unfortunate climax.
In 2021, I decided to up the ante by converting my home cinema into a Sonos sanctuary. My set-up included a Sonos Arc, Ones, and not one but two Subs. The vision was cinematic audio bliss. However, the reality has been far from it.
For the last two years, my movie-watching experience has been marred by an incessant, loud popping sound emanating from the Sonos system. To put it mildly, it's been a pain. It’s like having an uninvited guest in your home that not only interrupts your movie but yells in your ear while doing so.
What adds salt to the wound is the customer support experience. I contacted Sonos support three times, hoping for a resolution. Each time, I was met with the blame being shifted onto my TV or some other random piece of equipment. Following their suggestions, I replaced my TV and even my Apple TV, but to no avail.
The only “solution” has been to disable CEC and Atmos features—two of the main reasons I invested in the system in the first place. This is the equivalent of buying a sports car only to find out it can’t go above 30 mph.
I reached out to Sonos one last time, asking for either a replacement or a refund. As you might have guessed, both requests were met with a hard no. At this point, it became clear: Sonos had their chances and they've lost a once-devoted advocate.
So, I’ve made a painful decision. I’m selling all my Sonos equipment and even offloading my shares in the company. My decade-long advocacy for Sonos has come to an abrupt and disappointing end. As I transition to another system, one thing remains crystal clear: no brand, no matter how much nostalgia or trust it has built up, can rest on its laurels indefinitely. Sometimes, you just have to know when to move on.
So I’m still not sure, personally speaking, that this issue is entirely down to Sonos and hopefully I am free to express that personal view in the thread here as there is evidence in the posts that the same/similar popping noise has been encountered on other brands of Soundbar/Receiver whilst playing LPCM uncompressed Atmos audio from an Apple TV 4K and/or Xbox.
This is the statement I can’t get behind. When I search for non Sonos soundbars with popping sounds I get results, but none of them describe the sound as a gunshot pop. To mean there is a varying context that needs to be applied here when people describe “popping”.
If someone can provide a video showing the exact type of pop sound being produced by a non-Sonos soundbar I will back down from my stance. But from my research this is a Sonos issue alone
Thats not to say that upstream needs to make changes as well, and maybe Sonos hardware produces this sound where other soundbars are able to handle it far more gracefully (perhaps catching the exception and pre-muting) but I think there is a fix on multiple ends here that is needed for a permanent resolution
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