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Answered

Sub and surround not working when playing music

  • October 19, 2020
  • 10 replies
  • 1772 views
O

Hello everyone!

I’ve been putting together my home theatre system. Initially I got two One SL and then the Sub Gen 3. When I paired the two Ones as stereo together with the Sub, it sounds fantastic.

Today I got the Arc, so I decided to add it to my system. I don't have a TV yet, but I figured I can still add the Arc to the Ones and Sub and use it to play music. Adding everything together was a breeze and I can see in the Sonos app that the room says + Sub + LS + RS. Wi-Fi is turned off in all speakers, as everything is wired via ethernet.

The problem is when I play music I only get output from the Arc. No sound is coming either from the Ones or from the Sub. If I remove the Arc and group the Ones and Sub in another room, they work as expected. Music is being streamed from Apple Music via the Sonos App.

The Sub is turned on and the Eq settings are correct. Music playback in the room settings is set to “Full” and “music level” is 9 while “TV level” is set to 0. The Sub sound is turned up as well. Again, using only the Ones + Sub works perfectly fine and sounds fantastic.

Do I have to hook a TV to the Arc in order to play music with the full system? Or is playing music in the Arc+Sub+Surround speakers not supported? Will I only get surround sound and bass while watching TV?

Thanks!

Best answer by ocesar

I’m finally done. Thanks Silverthorn for sticking with me! I’ll describe what I did in hopes that it might help someone else.

 

Silverthorn was right, the TV is not an issue. I don’t have a TV hooked up yet, and the Arc, Sub and Ones are working together.

 

Before describing the issue, it’s worth noting that I tried with wifi enabled, but didn’t disconnect the ethernet cables. It might have worked but that wouldn’t be a solution in my case because I can’t use wifi reliably in this room. Also I simply prefer ethernet.

 

First I moved the Sub to the front of the room. It immediately started working. I tried hooking up the Ones in the back of the room, and though they could be added as surrounds, no sound would come out of them. Tried restarting to no avail.

It got me thinking that it might be something about the network switch where the back of the room is hooked vs the switch at the front (they are different switches). The switch at the front is a gigabit switch. The one in the back is an old router converted to a switch.

So I got a long cable to hook ONE of my surround speakers to the switch at the front, to test my theory. When I was in the process of connecting the new cable, I accidentally pressed the “play” button on the speaker. Music started playing in all speakers except the single One SL still hooked to the old router.

So I replaced the router for another gigabit switch, and it worked!

Mind, everything worked in isolation while it was hooked to the old router; the Ones+Sub worked flawlessly connected to the old router. The problem was just between speakers in one switch and speakers in the router (acting as hub)

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10 replies

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  • Silverthorn
  • Prodigy II
  • October 19, 2020

Have you set music playback to full under the surround settings?

"I saw the Stooges and the MC5"
O
  • ocesar
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • October 19, 2020

Have you set music playback to full under the surround settings?


Yes, forgot to add that in my original question. Music playback is set to “full” under surround settings. I have added the clarification in my original question. Thanks!

O
  • ocesar
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • October 19, 2020

I’ve been doing further testing. I removed everything and left only the Arc. When I play music with just the Arc, I can hear a rich full sound coming from just the Arc (obviously). Then I reset the Sub (unplug, plug while pressing the Connect button) and pair it with the Arc. The moment it’s paired to the Arc, the sound is thinner (no bass coming from the Arc anymore) but I can’t hear anything from the Sub.

So it’s as if the Arc is trying or thinks it’s sending audio to the Sub, but no audio is coming out of it.

I know the Sub works, so there must be something I’m missing?

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  • Silverthorn
  • Prodigy II
  • October 20, 2020

Try enabling wifi again to make sure that's not an issue?

"I saw the Stooges and the MC5"
O
  • ocesar
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • October 20, 2020

Thanks. Will try and report back.

O
  • ocesar
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • October 20, 2020

Try enabling wifi again to make sure that's not an issue?

Enabling wifi does not make a difference. I’ll try hooking up a TV to the Arc and see if it makes a difference. I don’t see why this would be the case though.

S
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  • Silverthorn
  • Prodigy II
  • October 20, 2020

I should have mentioned disconnecting the ethernet cables. Some modem routers have an issue. Something like RST settings? You get a packet storm effect going sometimes.

Can't see a lack of a tv being an issue.

 

"I saw the Stooges and the MC5"
O
  • ocesar
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • October 20, 2020

So this is super strange.

Before moving the upstairs TV I decided to re-add the Arc to my system (reset, then re-add) but moved the Sub to the FRONT of the room. Before, the Sub was positioned at the back of the room, where the back surround speakers are. I disconnected the Sub, moved it to the front so it sits close to the Arc. I plugged it in, wired via ethernet.

Lo and behold, it works flawlessly with the Arc. 
So I know it’s not wifi. Also I know the ethernet jack in the back of the room works because the Sub works when used with the Ones but not the Arc.

I unplugged the Sub again, moved it to the back, tested with the Arc, it doesn’t work. Repeated again moving it to the front, it works.

What gives? Does the Arc knows somehow that the Sub is in the back and it doesn’t like it? I mean it’s a looker I know, but that’s just vanity at this point…

I’m going to try hooking up the surrounds now.

O
  • ocesar
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • Answer
  • October 20, 2020

I’m finally done. Thanks Silverthorn for sticking with me! I’ll describe what I did in hopes that it might help someone else.

 

Silverthorn was right, the TV is not an issue. I don’t have a TV hooked up yet, and the Arc, Sub and Ones are working together.

 

Before describing the issue, it’s worth noting that I tried with wifi enabled, but didn’t disconnect the ethernet cables. It might have worked but that wouldn’t be a solution in my case because I can’t use wifi reliably in this room. Also I simply prefer ethernet.

 

First I moved the Sub to the front of the room. It immediately started working. I tried hooking up the Ones in the back of the room, and though they could be added as surrounds, no sound would come out of them. Tried restarting to no avail.

It got me thinking that it might be something about the network switch where the back of the room is hooked vs the switch at the front (they are different switches). The switch at the front is a gigabit switch. The one in the back is an old router converted to a switch.

So I got a long cable to hook ONE of my surround speakers to the switch at the front, to test my theory. When I was in the process of connecting the new cable, I accidentally pressed the “play” button on the speaker. Music started playing in all speakers except the single One SL still hooked to the old router.

So I replaced the router for another gigabit switch, and it worked!

Mind, everything worked in isolation while it was hooked to the old router; the Ones+Sub worked flawlessly connected to the old router. The problem was just between speakers in one switch and speakers in the router (acting as hub)

S
Forum|alt.badge.img+9
  • Silverthorn
  • Prodigy II
  • October 20, 2020

Yeah, networking issues are often where the issues are. Glad you sorted it out.

"I saw the Stooges and the MC5"
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