Retired Community Manager

14.12 Update

Changes to volume mapping and impact on Sub output

Thank you for your feedback regarding the recent 14.12 software update with Enhanced Clarity for Arc.

In this update, we made a change to Arc’s audio profile to improve dialogue clarity and the overall sound experience. This change is based on feedback from our listeners in the field and brings Arc in line with our other Home Theater products, resulting in a more accurate representation of the sound as intended by the content creator.

The updated tuning adjusts the spectral balance of Arc+Sub to achieve a more accurate representation of the sound and an improved sound experience. While the Arc+Sub output capability remains the same, the mapping of volume across the 0-100% range has been adjusted with this release which means low and mid volume levels are relatively lower compared to the previous tuning so you may need to adjust the volume slider to achieve your pre-update volume level. The maximum volume and bass output are unchanged. We acknowledge that this change was not made more clear in the release notes and in the future we’ll be sure to make sure we communicate these rare changes more effectively.

Please note, we have identified an issue for some users of Arc, Beam and Ray whose configuration includes a Sub (with or without surrounds), who may find their Sub output is lower than desired after performing a new Trueplay tuning.

Users with Beam or Ray bonded with Sub can increase the Sub level for a more powerful low-end response, however this won’t have the same impact for Arc users. Customers using Arc bonded with a Sub (and/or surrounds) who find their Sub output is lower than desired following performing a new Trueplay tuning, should temporarily disable Trueplay on Arc until this is addressed by an upcoming software update.

Trueplay tunings for Home Theater configurations without a bonded Sub are unaffected, including standalone soundbars and those bonded with surrounds only.

If you would like any assistance adjusting the sound of your Home Theater setup, the community is here to help. You can also contact Sonos support.

Moderation edit:

With the 14.18 software update, the above mentioned issues have been addressed, and the Enhanced Clarity for Arc adjustments are retained. There was a clear preference within our community for the previous volume settings, and these have been restored. This will be apparent immediately after updating to 14.18. The Trueplay issue has been fixed. Customers who experienced a lower Sub level after performing Trueplay after updating to 14.12 will need to update their systems and then perform a new Trueplay tuning in order to address these improvements in their system. Customers will hear a more powerful low end response, meaning any Sub level adjustments made after 14.12 should no longer be required.

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

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Amzy

Lyricist III

If I may add one last comment on this topic, 14.12 is a good update but it may take a perspective change to understand why, about me for a bit, I work in the professional music industry as a creative and I’ve done so for over 20 years as a matter of fact my main instruments are electric and synthesised bass, since this topic is subwoofer, bass and volume related something I believe no one likes more than me I feel I can contribute from my experiences.

The human hearing is biased to loudness, we tend to perceive loud as better same for bass, people love loud bass but truthfully it’s the quality of the bass, the tightness and balance of the system we should be liking, before 14.12 there are quite a few content I found difficult to watch without night sound engaged to tame the dynamics a bit.

Before 14.12 the arc could get pretty loud, shockingly loud in-fact but loudness often introduces distortion which isn’t pleasing to hear unless it was analog distortion (Warmth) from valve or tube amps which no Sonos speaker is or distortion intended by the mix engineer or artist as an effect as part of the story telling.
In conclusion loudness is not always better unless you were fighting a loudness war a systems ability to play clean precise smooth and balanced across all frequencies is far more enjoyable.

@Amzy…… I found the quality of the bass in the 14.10 was fine. I didn’t have any distortion on the SUB or ARC. It felt like the ARC was allowing the SUB to do all the work for the bass. With the Sub now sounding muddy and under powered i adjusted the ARC EQ to try and get the bass back to where it was and im getting massive distortion from the ARC if i put the ARC bass anything above 5. I feel that they have strangled the SUB Bass so as to allow the speech to be heard better on the Ark. As i use my Sonos mainly for music this is a really bad evolution in the sound signature for me. There are solutions as i and many have already said in this topic, such as incorporating this new sound signature into the enhanced speech option or to make multiple signatures such as brands like Sony do. This would be pleasing to everybody. I ask why such a big company like Sonos have not thought about this or allowed for these options in their app before releasing an update that has caused so much upset in the community? Especially since they have a massive beta testing community and feedback before rolling out an update.

I’ve also tried only having my SL ones grouped with my Sub and the Arc disabled/removed from the system. The Bass is still not as before. For now i have no solution to get back to where i liked and enjoyed.

I understand that Sonos want to improve the products but such a drastic change in its sound signature was not something i thought would be imposed on me.

I would be interested if there is any beta testers here that got the chance to test this update before it was forced upon us?

I also switched my mobile phone from android to apple so that i could calibrate trueplay. Now Sonos admit to us that there are problems with trueplay and to turn it off. Another waste of my money. Again lack of proper testing before releasing an update.

For me this update has done more damage than good and i have had no choice in the matter.

What i do know is that i hate this new sound signature, ive been trying to get ‘used’ to it but unfortunately i’m not.

Joining in what @nikid said, its as if ive been sold something performant which i enjoyed only to be restricted through no choice of my own. Much like Volkswagen did to my car and millions of unhappy customers when we had to get our cars re programmed due to them faking emission levels !! Guess what, i sold my car and i won’t be buying from them again ?…. take note Sonos lol.

Sonos please modify your announcement ‘THE BASS DOES NOT GO BACK TO HOW IT SOUNDED IN 14.10 WITH TRUEPLAY TURNED OFF’ contrary to what is stated in your announcement.

You also lowered the volume as shown and proven in the youtube video of peter pee. Again contrary to your announcement. Why lower the loudness of your system? what are you trying to compensate or cover up in doing that?

As you can see im pretty peeved at Sonos. I have a lot of money invested in a system that from one day to the next i do not enjoy through no fault of my own.

Rant over lol……. Sonos get your act together !!!

Yea, I see your point there mate, to be honest a one size fits all approach with the sound profile won't work for all, the ability to change profiles or even a clarity settings toggle may fix this, as alway with audio its more complicated than we realised, as there is so much to consider, environmental conditions play a huge part of-cause size of a rooms, material and shapes all determine how the system plays, not to mention our own personal preferences and taste, room correction software is great but never perfect, trueplay is an entirely different level of madness, I do hope they release a fix with options soon.

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K

Kumar

I think where they went wrong was making the ARC play really loud initially, I believe this was to wow people but the ARC never did loudness gracefully over certain decibels

, a trick most manufacturers do to give the perception of loudness is put all the power in front anything above a certain point stops getting loud,

If this is the case, I am surprised; Sonos, in its audio products - Connect Amp and its successor - follows exactly the opposite philosophy, which I think is the better one. Volume controls are linear such that one keeps getting more clean sound levels till almost the end of the slider range. But the consequence of this is that at 50% the sound levels will be lower than many modern amps that follow the quoted approach, leading people to the wrong conclusion that the Sonos product is underpowered in comparison.

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C

craigski

Local Superstar

Lets instead liken this to an electric car. Yesterday you were able to do 100mph but overnight it received a software update which, let's face it, everyone thinks an update improves things, and now today you can only do 75mph and a few other things don't work how they did yesterday and overall it's made things worse. That's how we feel with this. I'm sure you'd be pretty peed with the product and the manufacturer.

Where are you doing 100 MPH in your car? 😁

Back to the Sonos dealer to return the soundbar?

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nikid

Enthusiast II

I'm glad that we can have a bit of humour now after the last few evenings worth of comments. Some really interesting points made and I'm pleased that people are starting to come together and emphasise with other forum members and have some overall realisation for the issues we're facing. I too have the 1SL's as surrounds and when ungrouped they do sound different on their own than pre 14.12, even the volume is lower on those too, maybe not as drastic as my Arc. So I think One's are affected too.

@Amzy is right, a one size fits all isn't going to please everyone, but I just think it could have all been integrated into the speech/dialogue enhancement button and left everything else as it was (Award winning sound in fact). I would be interested to see what the impression is now from the likes of What Hi-Fi and the rest, surely it cannot be a winner. Just for giggles, I pressed the speech button and thought I was listening to some £15 portable Bluetooth speaker. Unbelievable to think I paid 100 times that.

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Pottsy320

Enthusiast I

79 days after New Coke was launched, old Coke was brought back on to the market.

I just hope Sonos are a bit quicker.

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rsint

Enthusiast I

79 days after New Coke was launched, old Coke was brought back on to the market.

I just hope Sonos are a bit quicker.

Well they never even acknowledged the problems with 14.6 before fixing it after months.

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K

Kumar

I'm glad that we can have a bit of humour now after the last few evenings worth of comments.

Yes, and as I have said in the past, this is just a domestic use speaker after all, not a Google self driving car. Or the 737 Max. I have no idea how software engineers protect themselves against their actions there, but I never once heard EULA in that context😂 They would be hounded out of the court of public opinion if they offered that defence, and I am sure that even the discredited Boeing CEO did not go down that road in the hearings.

Sonos is trivial in comparison, so they/their fans can get away with such claims in this market. Though I really cannot see Sonos CEO Spence use that defence - he knows better, I think, that he needs to see the bigger picture.

Which leads me to: some of you with the time to send him a civil email on your disappointment, should do so. He has replied directly to me a couple of times, and came across as a well spoken and reasonable person. Unlike..🤔

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jgatie

@Dogdad I agree. It serves no other reader and I will stop for that reason.

Well, that lasted about a day. 🤣

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Kumar

And there he goes again..😆

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dzerv

Lyricist I

I see the majority of people complaining have an Arc + Sub setup.

I feel 14.12 also messed with my Beam (Gen 2) max volume output as well as bass output. I also use 2x One (Gen 2) as surrounds and sometimes as standalone and have also noticed a slight decrease there as well.

I am not sure if it’s a placebo effect based on all of this feedback about the Arc but I noticed a difference in max output of both volume and bass which lead me to this thread.

Anyone else find their Beam and/or Ones are also encountering issues after the update?

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Changes to volume mapping and impact on Sub output

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