Contributor I

Answered

TV ARC Ultra and Ceiling Architectural Speakers - How to avoid latency

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First, I apologize up front if this has been asked/answered in other threads. I have done searches but nothing directly comes up for my questions that I have found.

I currently have a great room and purchased an Arc Ultra soundbar (in use with latest generation Samsung Frame TV connected via HDMI/ARC) in the Living Room space. It sounds great, but obviously on the other end of the room you really have to turn that soundbar up loud to hear it, which becomes uncomfortable if in the Living Room space. Was thinking of adding Sonos ceiling architectural speakers into that area (the kitchen) to keep sound levels reasonable. However I am learning about the latency that will become an issue. It seems like there is a creative way to solve this issue, and am trying to figure that out.

Some options I am considering:

HDMI/ARC Splitter or distributor - What if I send the same signal from the Frame tv to both the soundbar and the Sonos amp driving the ceiling speakers via a splitter. Could this resolve, or will this introduce any weirdness in other ways I am not anticipating? For example will this goof up how the app works between the zones, or anything like that?

Any advantage to introducing the Sonos Port to this mix? Would the soundbar be as functional with virtual surround if its source is the Port? Also would any lip sync delay now introduced be too awkward to make this not desirable?

Does it make sense to bring any non-Sonos amps into this sound architecture mix? Honestly I have a closet full of them just collecting dust at this point (mostly 8+ year old tech), wondering if leveraging any of them will help in any way.

Should I consider not using Sonos ceiling speakers and going another route all together?

My goals are to be able to turn the kitchen zone on and off as needed. I anticipate both zones (Living Room and Kitchen) will always have the same audio playing since it is a shared space, wouldn’t make sense to have combating sound sources, and I am happy to use the TV as that single source as it can also play Apple Music, Amazon, etc…. I do also realize I can also just use the Sonos app linked to these accounts, and may do that too at times. Lastly we’d like to control some of this via Alexa in the house such as turning zones off or on, turning volume up or down, and starting music up (“Alexa, play Top Hits”), things like that.

Sorry to bother with these questions, but this is not a minor investment, and before I pull the trigger on Sonos ceiling speakers and amplifier, I want to be sure I can accomplish my goals and avoid latency between these spaces with shared tv audio, and have the ability to use Alexa. I figure someone here as been through this. Thanks for any feedback!

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SchlumpfAnswer

Virtuoso

@jaspass

If I got it right, you have set up two „rooms“ and like to group or ungroup them from time to time.

For streaming sources that’s no problem but for tv audio source you get that delay.
I recommend using the „tv dialogue synchronization“ option within Arc Ultras settings. For me level 2 or 3 helps to get audio of both rooms in sync without noticeable delay.
Be aware that this option causes a minimal delay between video and audio from tv source, but imho that really isn’t remarkable.

You can control both Sonos rooms from Arc Ultras supported voice assistants. If Arc Ultras microphones are too far away from dining room, you could use a cheap Amazon Echo Dot over there.

Ralf

Airgetlam

I’m not overjoyed to answer this, it is a challenge Sonos is not designed for, and I am not sure my words will help, but here it is.

Possibly. ARC is fairly low amperage, if you go with such a device, I’d certainly want it powered, to ensue both devices get a ‘full’ power signal. I think you’d want to leave both ‘rooms’ in the Sonos software to recognize incoming input from the HDMI ARC signal, so there wouldn’t normally be an issue
Not sure what benefit a Port would add to this, unless the in ceiling speakers have an amplifier that needs to be fed. And any Sonos device, including the Port, would be subject to the delay when grouped with the soundbar. The Sonos Port can’t drive surround speakers, but it really is unclear if you want these in ceiling speakers to be surround, or carry the ‘front’ signal.
I’d be tempted, before going to the lengths of installing the ceiling speakers, to get a small Sonos device, like the Sonos Roam, and test that in your kitchen. By definition, it will be set up as a different ‘room’, but could play the TV’s channel, with the delay, if you group them.

Not sure I answered all your questions. But hopefully this gives you something to think about, and expands your knowledge about what Sonos can, and can’t, do.

Bruce

SchlumpfAnswer

Virtuoso

@jaspass

If I got it right, you have set up two „rooms“ and like to group or ungroup them from time to time.

For streaming sources that’s no problem but for tv audio source you get that delay.
I recommend using the „tv dialogue synchronization“ option within Arc Ultras settings. For me level 2 or 3 helps to get audio of both rooms in sync without noticeable delay.
Be aware that this option causes a minimal delay between video and audio from tv source, but imho that really isn’t remarkable.

You can control both Sonos rooms from Arc Ultras supported voice assistants. If Arc Ultras microphones are too far away from dining room, you could use a cheap Amazon Echo Dot over there.

Ralf

J

jaspassAuthor

Contributor I

Thanks, yeah I get the feeling this is not a straight forward thing to answer, but you never know how creativity can solve for this is my hope.

Thinking about the first option discussed, I am realizing an HDMI/ARC output from a tv cannot really be split as it is meant to be point to point. However I am wondering (just thinking out loud) as it is easy to split a digital optical output, then use the Sonos optical adapter for input into the Arc Ultra, and the other as input into the Sonos Amp. Maybe that would work? Anyone heard of this solution being successful?

Schlumpf

Virtuoso

@jaspass

I don’t think splitting the tv out signal is a good plan. You would need a long optical cable connection and maybe a signal amplifier. And I doubt the result will be synced audio without any issues.
Why don’t just try the easy way I mentioned above. I do it that way with my tv setup and a single Era300 in the dining room.

Ralf

Airgetlam

Also, optical is limited to 5.1, and doesn’t have the bandwidth available to carry an Atmos signal.

Bruce

J

jaspassAuthor

Contributor I

@Airgetlam

Thanks for the feedback! Sorry when I replied I hadn’t seen your message yet. So you are saying the TV Dialogue Sync option gets the audio better in sync with other rooms, and the sync to video (lips moving) is hard to detect? That is good feedback. I can adjust that setting now without the other speakers just to see how setting 2 and 3 look/sound.

Schlumpf

Virtuoso

@jaspass

It was me… but no problem at all. 😂

Give it a try and I‘m pretty sure it also will work for you.

Ralf

buzz

Grand Maestro

You’ll need a PORT and an amplifier from your closet or an AMP to drive your speakers. Either will incur the same latency. You can tinker with the impact of the latency (somewhat), at the risk of damaging the voice sync by adjusting TV Dialog Sync. Maybe this will be constructive, maybe not.

106rallye

If the TV and the in ceilings are really that far apart. You might not notice the delay. I have an open plan kitchen. The One I have there is sometimes grouped with the Arc Ultra in the living room. The delay is hardly noticeable to me.

Schlumpf

Virtuoso

@jaspass

If you already have any other Sonos speaker besides Arc Ultra, you could try what I suggested before buying an Amp or something else.

Ralf

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