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.

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Markec

Lyricist I

As per the comments above this update has destroyed my sound system. The power and volume levels are dreadful. Turning Trueplay off does not solve the issue and your description of the benefits of what you have done are a joke. There is no improvement in any area. Give people an option to go back to the old settings. There are thousands of complaints online. Hold your hands up you got it wrong and revert back to the old version .

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arcosin

Enthusiast II

As per the comments above this update has destroyed my sound system. The power and volume levels are dreadful. Turning Trueplay off does not solve the issue and your description of the benefits of what you have done are a joke. There is no improvement in any area. Give people an option to go back to the old settings. There are thousands of complaints online. Hold your hands up you got it wrong and revert back to the old version .

Talking to a wall might give you better results than talking to sonos support. I don’t understand how a company that made the best soundbar systems got so bad in such a short time.

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Ian Sives

Enthusiast I

I was wondering…...Would a temporary solution be to uninstall the sonos s2 app and re install an older s2 14.10 apk file, disabling the auto update feature, followed by a factory reset on our sonos speakers? Then re create our rooms and set up as before. Could this get us back to pre 14.12?

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Markec

Lyricist I

Im not sure. You would think when you speak to support they would be able to give you a way to get back to the old version

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Ian Sives

Enthusiast I

Working this now but I think i will remove the app from my iphone tonight and try doing this on my samsung tab. I’ll let you know how i get on. Just wondered if anybody had tried that yet

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sjw

Local Superstar

Working this now but I think i will remove the app from my iphone tonight and try doing this on my samsung tab. I’ll let you know how i get on. Just wondered if anybody had tried that yet

The speakers don't install the software from the App - they'll just see a later version on Sonos severs, download it and you'll need to update the App to the same.

It took hundreds of posts for Sonos to bother to reply - and it seems they still don't fully address the issues.

In the past, better, higher level responses have been got once enough users complained to other ‘media' outlets.

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K

Kumar

In the past, better, higher level responses have been got once enough users complained to other ‘media' outlets.

For someone with the interest enough to research, a study of what made Sonos do a complete about face to their 2020 bricking decision, might hold some insights.

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stevegee

Lyricist III

How about starting a class action lawsuit for them breaking our expensive equipment ?

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Ian Sives

Enthusiast I

Or we can also start reaching out to audio, hifi news websites such as whichhifi, soundandvision. I see it has started already….

https://piunikaweb.com/2022/08/04/sonos-s2-true-play-resetting-or-low-bass-output-v14-12-update/

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rosswells127

Prodigy I

I am heavily invested in the Sonos ecosystem but am luckily not directly affected by the 14.12 sound profile changes. Having said that I am certainly empathetic to others who now have a sound system that they consider a backward step to what they had with 14.10. I don’t profess to be any sort of expert but to me the “sound” sense is like taste in that it is really subjective so I struggle to understand why Sonos simply don’t offer an EQ that lets their users create settings to suit their individual taste. Also not sure why they didn’t encompass their 14.12 changes - which seem biased towards enhanced dialog improvements - within their exising dialog enhancement option rather than a sledge hammer approach of changing the entire sound profile. Regardless, I suppose that if I was an affected customer I would hope that Sonos would publicly justify their changes or admit fault and commit to coming up with a solution to satisfy their loyal user base moving forward. In this case hopefully the latter!

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Changes to volume mapping and impact on Sub output

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