Renowned Enthusiast I

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TV Audio Volume Too Loud on Grouped Speakers with Sonos Arc Ultra

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Hi everyone,

I have a Sonos Arc Ultra connected to my TV, and I've noticed a strange volume issue when grouping it with other Sonos speakers, such as the Era 100, Five, etc., while watching TV.

The problem is that the grouped speakers play at an extremely high volume, even when their volume is set to just 1.

For example, while my Arc Ultra is set to around volume 15, the other grouped speakers are already noticeably louder at volume 1. This makes it almost impossible to achieve a comfortable and balanced volume across all speakers.

Interestingly, this issue only occurs when playing TV audio. When I play music through the Arc Ultra and group it with the same speakers, the volume levels behave normally and can be adjusted as expected.

It seems like there might be an issue with how TV audio volume is handled when grouping speakers with the Arc Ultra.

Is anyone else experiencing this behavior?

I'd also appreciate it if the Sonos team could look into this and check whether it's a bug that could be addressed in a future software update.

Thanks in advance!

AjTrek1Answer

I don’t think you have a Sonos issue. As has been voiced grouping speakers with TV audio is problematic. The only time it works effectively is when the speakers that are outside of the home theater room are far enough away as to not cause an echo effect. Nevertheless you should be able to adjust volume individually for each room.

If you feel there is something technically wrong then I suggest you run a diagnostic within 10 minutes the next time you have the issue. Record the reference ID but do not publish it the community. Then call Sonos tech support to discuss the issue and the data compiled in the diagnostic.

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.

Stanley_4

Grand Maestro

If you want it looked at you need to submit a diagnostic and call Sonos.

For other users here:

What source are you using on your TV and what TV is it?

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AjTrek1

It’s always been recommended not to group speakers with a Sonos soundbar when using TV audio. I’m surprised you didn’t mention the echo effect which is created with TV audio grouping. However, feel free to contact Sonos tech support as previously mentioned.

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Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.

jgatie

Yeah, I group other rooms sometimes for sports so one can listen in the kitchen, bathroom, etc., but I don’t see the use of grouping speakers in the same room. The delay, the lack of volume control, and the fact they play all the channels of the surround sound format downmixed into stereo completely defeats the purpose of a surround sound system.

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K

kdth_jhspk69Author

Renowned Enthusiast I

I have a Samsung Q95T, and this happens both when watching regular TV and when using an Apple TV connected via HDMI.

I use speaker grouping temporarily to extend the living room TV audio to the kitchen or another room, so I can keep listening to whatever is playing on the TV while moving around the house.

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AjTrek1Answer

I don’t think you have a Sonos issue. As has been voiced grouping speakers with TV audio is problematic. The only time it works effectively is when the speakers that are outside of the home theater room are far enough away as to not cause an echo effect. Nevertheless you should be able to adjust volume individually for each room.

If you feel there is something technically wrong then I suggest you run a diagnostic within 10 minutes the next time you have the issue. Record the reference ID but do not publish it the community. Then call Sonos tech support to discuss the issue and the data compiled in the diagnostic.

Translate

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.

K

Killygirl

Contributor I

I wanted to share something that might help, as I’ve been experiencing exactly the same frustrating problem with my Sonos system for approximately 12–18 months.

Whenever I grouped additional speakers with my Living Room home theatre to listen to TV audio in other rooms, the additional speakers became incredibly loud, even at volume 1 or 2. Reducing the volume just one or two increments would make them go silent. Music playback, however, was perfectly normal.

My current setup includes an Arc Ultra, two One surrounds and a Sub 4, connected to a Sony TV. The problem occurred with every speaker I added to the TV group, regardless of model. I also believe it was happening when I previously used a Beam as my Living Room soundbar.

After considerable troubleshooting, I finally found a solution!

I discovered that the problem occurred when watching television through my TELUS ARRIS Optik TV box, but not when using my Apple TV.

The Sonos app showed:

Apple TV: Dolby Atmos — normal volume control.
TELUS TV: Stereo PCM — extremely loud grouped speakers.

I checked the audio-output settings on my TELUS box and discovered they were set to Stereo. I changed the setting to Surround, which resulted in Sonos receiving Dolby Digital 5.1.

The problem immediately disappeared! I can now group additional rooms with my TV and adjust their volume normally.

I realise your television and sources are different, so I can’t be certain this will resolve your particular issue. However, I would encourage you to check what audio format Sonos reports when the problem occurs and investigate the audio-output settings of the device supplying your TV signal.

I hope this helps. I know how frustrating this problem can be, and I was so relieved to finally find something that worked!

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Killiane

K

kdth_jhspk69Author

Renowned Enthusiast I

I wanted to share something that might help, as I’ve been experiencing exactly the same frustrating problem with my Sonos system for approximately 12–18 months.

Whenever I grouped additional speakers with my Living Room home theatre to listen to TV audio in other rooms, the additional speakers became incredibly loud, even at volume 1 or 2. Reducing the volume just one or two increments would make them go silent. Music playback, however, was perfectly normal.

My current setup includes an Arc Ultra, two One surrounds and a Sub 4, connected to a Sony TV. The problem occurred with every speaker I added to the TV group, regardless of model. I also believe it was happening when I previously used a Beam as my Living Room soundbar.

After considerable troubleshooting, I finally found a solution!

I discovered that the problem occurred when watching television through my TELUS ARRIS Optik TV box, but not when using my Apple TV.

The Sonos app showed:

Apple TV: Dolby Atmos — normal volume control.
TELUS TV: Stereo PCM — extremely loud grouped speakers.

I checked the audio-output settings on my TELUS box and discovered they were set to Stereo. I changed the setting to Surround, which resulted in Sonos receiving Dolby Digital 5.1.

The problem immediately disappeared! I can now group additional rooms with my TV and adjust their volume normally.

I realise your television and sources are different, so I can’t be certain this will resolve your particular issue. However, I would encourage you to check what audio format Sonos reports when the problem occurs and investigate the audio-output settings of the device supplying your TV signal.

I hope this helps. I know how frustrating this problem can be, and I was so relieved to finally find something that worked!

Thanks so much for sharing this! It looks like you've nailed it. The issue only seems to happen with Stereo PCM, not with Dolby Digital 5.1 or Dolby Atmos. Your post really helped me figure out what was going on. Much appreciated!

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