Avid Contributor I

Still bad audio balancing for games with Arc Ultra, is it faulty?

Forum|Forum|10 months ago
November 14, 2025
30 replies
950 views

A while ago I created this post:

This is still a problem. For several games, if not all games, the volume is not how it should be. In the game Metaphor, dialoge form the sides are much louder than from the center. In other games, certain sounds seem too loud. These problems are especially bad when using Dolby Atmos on PS5, but also a problem in Linear PCM, in some cases just as bad like with the Metaphor example. I have tried several combinations without luck. This is not an issue with the TV or PS5 because this is not an issue with the TV audio. I am using passthrough on the TV and device type soundbar on PS5, but tested multiple combinations. Do I have a faulty Arc Ultra? I’m only using the Arc Ultra with my LG C4 TV, no sub or other speakers. I find it odd I can’t find anyone else reporting this.

Edit: I think the main problem is that the soundbar mixes up dialoge and music, so in Metaphor when characters are talking from the sides the volume is increased, but when it is from the center it is muted as if it was part of the background music since the channel for the music is also the center. I also explain this in a comment in my prevoius post, where I also tested turning the music off completely in game which did not fix it. The same seems to happen in dragonball fighterz. The dialoge of the commentator and in-fight voices are loud, but the winning speeches which is played with the winning music is lowered. Is this a bug that will be fixed or is my unit faulty? It’s annoying because the Arc Ultra is confused which sounds to increase and not.

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Silver911

Contributor I

I’m not a gamer, but that sounds frustrating. Since the issue appears mainly with Dolby Atmos and improves with LPCM, I’d compare both modes with Night Sound and Speech Enhancement disabled. I’d also check the TV’s eARC and passthrough settings, then test another game to see whether the problem is consistent. It may be worth contacting Sonos support if the imbalance happens across different games and setups.

A

acceleratorAuthor

Avid Contributor I

I’m not a gamer, but that sounds frustrating. Since the issue appears mainly with Dolby Atmos and improves with LPCM, I’d compare both modes with Night Sound and Speech Enhancement disabled. I’d also check the TV’s eARC and passthrough settings, then test another game to see whether the problem is consistent. It may be worth contacting Sonos support if the imbalance happens across different games and setups.

It’s not mainly with Dolby Atmos, it is with every multi channel setting. The only way to avoid it is to game in stereo. Any change of settings on TV or app has been tried and doesn’t affect this. I have been in contact with Sonos and proven the issue in several games for both PS4 and PS5 on both Dolby Atmos and LPCM, but they blame “Playstation interaction”, which makes no sense since other systems as far as I have tried don’t have these problems, yet 3 different Arc Ultras on 2 completely different locations and TVs do. They also aren’t willing to test this themselves. Sonos is bugged, every Arc Ultra in the world may be bugged, and Sonos doesn’t think that’s a warranty issue. Random voices and effects can be way louder than intended, even words of the same sentence depending on the channel from where in the soundbar they come from, and is easy to reproduce in several games by panning around.

Edit: There is nothing more for me to test here, Sonos needs to test this themselves and prove to me it works if they disagree. The only further test I might do is IF I end up buying the Samsung HW-Q995H during black week, then I will check if it has the same issues. I have already tested the Bluesound Pulse Cinema in a store with some of these games and it didn’t have any issues (the same store where I also tested on their own Arc Ultra which had the same problems as mine did at home).

Airgetlam

The challenge for Sonos continues to be, IMHO, that the Sonos system has no idea what is providing the signal. It is connected to the TV, whatever is passed to the TV is sent on to the Sonos.

Bruce

A

acceleratorAuthor

Avid Contributor I

It is weird to me how so few people talk about this? This is so easy to test on the PS5. People argue about TV models because if you zoom in one has slightly brighter spots, but when characters yell when panning around in games nobody notices?

I just tested the new remastered version of the Witcher 3 on PS5 and it has the same issues as the PS4 version. This is very easy to test.

1. Start a new game of Witcher 3 on PS5

2. Talk to Yennifer in the very first room at the very beginning of the game

3. Turn around as she is talking and the sound gets boosted considerably.

Same happens in the very next playable scene, when training. Skip the running tutorial and go to training. Instead of talking to the old guy, listen to the swords clashing of the other 2 in the background. Turn around and the sound is boosted.

Again, this only happens in multi channel with the Arc Ultra, both Dolby Atmos and LPCM.

Airgetlam

So, from what you’re saying, the audio in the game is poorly mixed, otherwise you’d have the same issues when playing a TV stream.

Bruce

A

acceleratorAuthor

Avid Contributor I

So, from what you’re saying, the audio in the game is poorly mixed, otherwise you’d have the same issues when playing a TV stream.

Not true at all. If you read this thread this is something that only happens on the Arc Ultra, and have been tested working on other soundbars. The Arc Ultra is bugged with PS5 (and PS4).

Airgetlam

Then I’m confused, I guess. What is the difference between a signal from every other device to the TV, and a game from the Sony products?

Bruce

A

acceleratorAuthor

Avid Contributor I

Like I mentioned in my earlier post 1 month ago Sonos blame the Playstation. They say the bar gets confused by the CEC signals, but they haven’t verified it so who knows. I will probably get the Samsung hw-q995h soon and check there also. Also, maybe it is not an issue with rears, as the problem usually comes when sound shifts to the sides of the bar, but how much time should I test this, I should be getting paid.

Airgetlam

What I comprehend is Sonos is handling the output from every device, passed through the TV, except the Sony PlayStations. It makes me wonder what is different about the signals from the PlayStation boxes, that sends a different signal to and through the TVs?

Why does Sonos process this signal differently than every other device out there? I don’t understand why, but it sure seems like if the Sonos processes every other signal from other devices, including TVs, properly, it just makes no sense for the PlayStation to be any different.

It also seems odd to me to lay the blame on Sonos, rather than Sony, if the issue only seems to appear with the PlayStation 4 and 5. But who knows, maybe I am not understanding the issue properly.

I’m sorry you feel put on for testing.

Bruce

A

acceleratorAuthor

Avid Contributor I

What I comprehend is Sonos is handling the output from every device, passed through the TV, except the Sony PlayStations. It makes me wonder what is different about the signals from the PlayStation boxes, that sends a different signal to and through the TVs?

Why does Sonos process this signal differently than every other device out there? I don’t understand why, but it sure seems like if the Sonos processes every other signal from other devices, including TVs, properly, it just makes no sense for the PlayStation to be any different.

It also seems odd to me to lay the blame on Sonos, rather than Sony, if the issue only seems to appear with the PlayStation 4 and 5. But who knows, maybe I am not understanding the issue properly.

I’m sorry you feel put on for testing.

I don’t think it’s odd to blame Sonos when so far all the evidence points to the Arc Ultra being bugged, not the Playstation. The BlueSound Cinema soundbar worked. @Keytar said the OG Arc worked, but not Ultra. Headphones works, stereo mode works, TV works. Importantly, nobody at Sonos or anyone else have been able to prove the contrary, not one example of any other soundbar having these issues, yet I have provided several game examples on video to them of the Arc Ultra not working. They could easily test this and hear the difference. If this was the Playstation then there would be other soundbars having the same issues. When/if I get the Samsung I will check if it also works there.

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