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Question

Sonos Ray TV volume inconsistency

  • August 3, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 8 views

We have a Sonos Ray connected to a Sony Bravia TV via optical cable, and we use streaming services from the TV’s apps, or watch VirginMedia for digital live TV.  With our previous Samsung soundbar, and with the TV’s built in volume we get a consistent volume across Virgin and the streaming apps, and have never had issues.

With the Sonos Ray connected and with the TV remote set up to control the Ray’s volume, we now have inconsistent volumes across Virgin and the streaming services - we can watch Netflix and have the TV volume on, say, 10 and then when we switch to Virgin the volume is significantly higher and we have to turn the volume way down.

Another symptom of this is that when the volume is too loud we have to turn down all the way to zero, but can still hear the sound from the Ray, and have to keep pressing volume down for a while to get to “real” zero sound from the soundbar, and then come back up again.

Is this normal/expected behaviour?  It’s driving us crazy!

3 replies

controlav
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  • Lead Maestro
  • August 3, 2026

For the first issue, the Ray just plays what it is sent from the TV, there’s no volume normalization that can be done.

For the second issue, sounds like the TV is displaying the “wrong” volume level, which is expected as the optical connection provides no way for the TV to know what the volume on the Ray is. The TV should not even bother displaying a volume level when in optical mode as it cannot know.

The HDMI-ARC connected soundbars don’t have the problem with displaying the volume level, though many TVs don’t display the volume level at all, just + or - as the volume is changed.


  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • August 3, 2026

Thank you controlav for this answers. So it sounds like we just have to live with it from this description. Would an HDMI-ARC connected soundbar not have these issues?


Stanley_4
  • Grand Maestro
  • August 3, 2026

If your tv allows adjusting the volume on the optical outputs you might want to use only that as your control.

Leave the Ray's volume set at a reasonable mid-range level.