What is connected to the AVR’s Zone1 output? Which AVR are you using? The SONOS ARC needs an HDMI-ARC or HDMI-eARC connection. Typically, an AVR Zone2 output does not support HDMI-ARC or HDMI-eARC.

The zone 1 HDMI output would go to the TV, presumably. LCR speakers would be connected directly to the AVR for 3.1. All of this is hypothetical, but I’ve been trying to find the answer to this before I buy more Sonos products, so if ARC and Beam Gen 2 need ARC/eARC connections, I guess this ends my Sonos journey. 

Thank you so much for your response!

Normally, the SONOS ARC replaces an AVR. I don’t think that this is a SONOS application. There are other wireless speakers that could be used as surrounds.

I had a huge response typed, but I guess the same people that work on the app work on this message board because I got an error and everything erased…

Anyway, I wonder if anyone has ever tried connecting a Beam/ARC to the TV’s ARC directly, then connecting the AVR to the TV via non-ARC HDMI for video and optical out for audio. It makes sense in my head since everything else connected to non-ARC HDMI plays fine out of my Beam 5.1 setup right now. But everything that I want in life makes sense in my head before I realize it makes no sense in real life 

Thanks for your help, buzz!!! 

I’ve also had a number of very nice responses trashed.

Try your alternate scheme. It depends on the AVR how well this will work.