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Answered

Sonos system with Beam 2 not controlling grouped speakers

RangerDog
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I just replaced my Playbar with a Bean Gen 2 in my home theater. Everything is working great. Getting Dolby Atmos with spatial effect when listening to music via my Apple TV and Atmos video content. However, I can’t get the Apple TV remote to operate correctly. It turns the volume up and down for the Beam (plus connected sub and surrounds). But if I add other speaker groups in other rooms, only the volume of the Beam group changes.

I also use a Logitech Harmony remote and that adjust the volume of all speakers as it should. When I had the Playbar the Apple TV remote also controlled all grouped speakers. I must be missing some setting somewhere but can’t figure it out. Help please!

Best answer by RangerDog

After a lengthy chat with Sonos support it seems the change from optical connection to eArc also changes how the remote works with Sonos grouped systems. The support person was impressed the Harmony remote controls grouped speakers. It’s a cool product that can be set to include other speakers or rooms when turning on specific home theater devices. Unfortunately, it’s also a discontinued product you can’t buy any more. (Still supported, for now.)

It does seem like a technical issue Sonos could easily solve with the proper motivation. You know, grouped speakers are easily controlled by the Sonos app so why not by a remote?

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10 replies

106rallye
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  • 106rallye
  • 6124 replies
  • October 9, 2022

In my experience no TV or auxilliary remote will command anything else than the Sonos “room” the soundbar is in, because they work from the TV. The Logitech probably works form the network side of things to command the volume of the group.

Airgetlam
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  • Airgetlam
    Airgetlam
N
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  • nik9669a
  • Senior Virtuoso
  • 5519 replies
  • October 9, 2022

My Harmony only affects my “tv” HT room speakers, not any grouped ones. Whilst the volume indicator for the group increases/decreases, it’s only that one room being controlled. 

Airgetlam
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  • Airgetlam
    Airgetlam
RangerDog
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  • RangerDog
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  • Enthusiast I
  • 20 replies
  • October 10, 2022
nik9669a wrote:

My Harmony only affects my “tv” HT room speakers, not any grouped ones. Whilst the volume indicator for the group increases/decreases, it’s only that one room being controlled. 

106rallye wrote:

In my experience no TV or auxilliary remote will command anything else than the Sonos “room” the soundbar is in, because they work from the TV. The Logitech probably works form the network side of things to command the volume of the group.

With my Playbar setup the Apple TV remote controlled the volume of any and all speakers grouped at the time with the home theater setup, as did the remote for the satellite TV box and the Harmony remote. So did my iPhone and iPad when used as a remote. Before the Apple TV I used a Firestick and that also controlled volume on all grouped speakers.

With the switch from the Playbar to the Beam it changes the audio from optical to HDMI eARC which I would expect to solve rather than create this issue.

106rallye
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  • 106rallye
  • 6124 replies
  • October 10, 2022

@RangerDog To the best of my knowledge no normal remote has ever controlled group volume - much to the chagrin of a lot of users, though I see the logic of this.

 

 

RangerDog
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  • RangerDog
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  • Enthusiast I
  • 20 replies
  • Answer
  • October 10, 2022

After a lengthy chat with Sonos support it seems the change from optical connection to eArc also changes how the remote works with Sonos grouped systems. The support person was impressed the Harmony remote controls grouped speakers. It’s a cool product that can be set to include other speakers or rooms when turning on specific home theater devices. Unfortunately, it’s also a discontinued product you can’t buy any more. (Still supported, for now.)

It does seem like a technical issue Sonos could easily solve with the proper motivation. You know, grouped speakers are easily controlled by the Sonos app so why not by a remote?

J
  • John B
  • 19684 replies
  • October 10, 2022
RangerDog wrote:

After a lengthy chat with Sonos support it seems the change from optical connection to eArc also changes how the remote works with Sonos grouped systems. The support person was impressed the Harmony remote controls grouped speakers. It’s a cool product that can be set to include other speakers or rooms when turning on specific home theater devices. Unfortunately, it’s also a discontinued product you can’t buy any more. (Still supported, for now.)

It does seem like a technical issue Sonos could easily solve with the proper motivation. You know, grouped speakers are easily controlled by the Sonos app so why not by a remote?

So do you have the Harmony Hub?

Smilja
  • Smilja
  • 2770 replies
  • October 10, 2022
RangerDog wrote:

It does seem like a technical issue Sonos could easily solve with the proper motivation. You know, grouped speakers are easily controlled by the Sonos app so why not by a remote?

 

Because the Sonos app and your Harmony remote work over WiFi. Your Apple TV remote works with bluetooth/infrared and aside from you Beam/Playbar none of your Sonos gear has IR receiver built into them.

 

I for one use Sonos Voice Control to control the volume on my (grouped) Sonos gear.

»And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
J
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  • J
    John B
J
  • John B
  • 19684 replies
  • October 10, 2022
Smilja wrote:
RangerDog wrote:

It does seem like a technical issue Sonos could easily solve with the proper motivation. You know, grouped speakers are easily controlled by the Sonos app so why not by a remote?

 

Because the Sonos app and your Harmony remote work over WiFi. Your Apple TV remote works with bluetooth/infrared and aside from you Beam/Playbar none of your Sonos gear has IR receiver built into them.

 

I for one use Sonos Voice Control to control the volume on my (grouped) Sonos gear.

Indeed.  I am guessing the OP has the Hub and so has WiFi connection via the Harmony.

RangerDog
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  • RangerDog
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  • 20 replies
  • October 10, 2022

Yes, my Harmony has a hub and can use WiFi, Bluetooth and IR.

106rallye
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  • 106rallye
  • 6124 replies
  • October 10, 2022

Mystery solved then….

J
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  • J
    John B
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