Minimum volume too loud
Hi all, I noticed a huge difference of minimum volume on my beam if I play music or watch tv. The minimum volume of the tv is great, every increments (1, 2, 3, 4, ...) allow to finely adjust the volume at low level. However, when I play music through Apple Music the minimum volume is already too loud at increment 1. Is there a way to have the same volume level from tv and music and if possible based on the tv volume? Big issue for me because I cannot listen music on the morning when my room is fully quite.
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Wahou I saw all these topics about this since many years and still no solution from Sonos. This is incredible:
https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/alter-volume-sensitivity-in-app-43530
https://en.community.sonos.com/wireless-speakers-228992/minimum-volume-is-too-loud-to-enjoy-background-music-6764717
https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/lower-minumum-volume-level-6457485
https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/low-volume-control-very-poor-6801066
https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/lower-volume-6798239
https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/lower-minimum-volume-6765655
https://en.community.sonos.com/setting-up-sonos-228990/beam-volumes-different-between-tv-and-music-6816021/index1.html#post16307282
https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/alter-volume-sensitivity-in-app-43530
https://en.community.sonos.com/wireless-speakers-228992/minimum-volume-is-too-loud-to-enjoy-background-music-6764717
https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/lower-minumum-volume-level-6457485
https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/low-volume-control-very-poor-6801066
https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/lower-volume-6798239
https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/lower-minimum-volume-6765655
https://en.community.sonos.com/setting-up-sonos-228990/beam-volumes-different-between-tv-and-music-6816021/index1.html#post16307282
The issue is Alexa uses volume increments of 1 through to 10 and Sonos products (and most TV's) use increments 1-100.
TV's also appear to output the different audio formats through their port at different volumes to cater for their own brand of receivers/HT products. On top of that some TV providers (Virgin Media being one example here in the UK) output their standard TV channels slightly louder than their HD channels and their 5.1 Netflix channel is even louder through their set-top boxes. In fact their different TV boxes (TiVo and TiVo 6) each vary in volume too.
The Sonos HT products have to cater for all these volume differences and presumably a 'mean average' has to be drawn during the internal testing stages and the past experience with other products, like their PlayBar, PlayBase etc.
I suspect there will always be some volume differences. The industry needs to get together and sort out an agreed standard... which is unlikely to happen in the near future. It’s perhaps one of the reasons why Sonos choose to just use the two main codecs only... PCM and Dolby Digital.
In any case their Beam will only play the audio stream that is sent to it ... it does not process that audio, so if your experiencing a huge volume difference between channels, or different audio sources, it’s likely down to the TV itself, or your provider, or a combination of both, IMHO.
Fortunately Sonos have provided a way for us to deal with all the various differences in audio output. I think they call it a 'volume control'. ?
I think if Sonos HT devices had to sample and process the audio in some way to achieve an automatic volume level here, we would likely see lip-sync issues with the video output on screen and I, personally speaking, would rather have 'varied volume', rather than it being further delayed and out of sync with my TV.
TV's also appear to output the different audio formats through their port at different volumes to cater for their own brand of receivers/HT products. On top of that some TV providers (Virgin Media being one example here in the UK) output their standard TV channels slightly louder than their HD channels and their 5.1 Netflix channel is even louder through their set-top boxes. In fact their different TV boxes (TiVo and TiVo 6) each vary in volume too.
The Sonos HT products have to cater for all these volume differences and presumably a 'mean average' has to be drawn during the internal testing stages and the past experience with other products, like their PlayBar, PlayBase etc.
I suspect there will always be some volume differences. The industry needs to get together and sort out an agreed standard... which is unlikely to happen in the near future. It’s perhaps one of the reasons why Sonos choose to just use the two main codecs only... PCM and Dolby Digital.
In any case their Beam will only play the audio stream that is sent to it ... it does not process that audio, so if your experiencing a huge volume difference between channels, or different audio sources, it’s likely down to the TV itself, or your provider, or a combination of both, IMHO.
Fortunately Sonos have provided a way for us to deal with all the various differences in audio output. I think they call it a 'volume control'. ?
I think if Sonos HT devices had to sample and process the audio in some way to achieve an automatic volume level here, we would likely see lip-sync issues with the video output on screen and I, personally speaking, would rather have 'varied volume', rather than it being further delayed and out of sync with my TV.
+24Set the Maximum Volume Limit on the Beam to a lower value, this should reduce the volume step size.
I don't know if that will effect the Alexa volume, but if you use the "My Speaker" skill instead of the Sonos skill it allows for a value from 1 to 100 (eg "alexa, tell my speaker to set the volume to 5 in the office").
I don't know if that will effect the Alexa volume, but if you use the "My Speaker" skill instead of the Sonos skill it allows for a value from 1 to 100 (eg "alexa, tell my speaker to set the volume to 5 in the office").
+1This doesn't solve the problem - The OP is 100% correct. it's infuriating and unacceptable that it's not been resolved yet given the cost of the kit involved
On iphone App, set the volume slider to zero. Then move the slider to the right - It slides slightly with zero increase in volume, then as you continue sliding it jumps from zero to a significant level.
The effect of this is more significant during music playback in a 5.1 surround set up with a beam, bar or base and a sub.
If you want relatively normal stereo sound in music playback, its recommended you have the rear speakers set to max for music in surround setup.
With those speakers behind you instead of at a distance ahead of you as in a traditional wired setup, and a limited low minimum volume limit, music can sound unacceptably noisy.
On iphone App, set the volume slider to zero. Then move the slider to the right - It slides slightly with zero increase in volume, then as you continue sliding it jumps from zero to a significant level.
The effect of this is more significant during music playback in a 5.1 surround set up with a beam, bar or base and a sub.
If you want relatively normal stereo sound in music playback, its recommended you have the rear speakers set to max for music in surround setup.
With those speakers behind you instead of at a distance ahead of you as in a traditional wired setup, and a limited low minimum volume limit, music can sound unacceptably noisy.
SRutland,
Are you sure you’re not sliding the volume-slider too far and simply can’t hear the lower end volume. There is a 3rd party App called SonoPad/SonoPhone, which I rarely use, but that has a numerical value for the Sonos volume slider controls, with values between 1 and 100 and if I set it to the lowest value 1, I find it an acceptable low volume.
Are you perhaps just seeking better volume-slider granularity in the Sonos controls for users with what perhaps maybe termed 'sausage fingers' perhaps? It’s not easy to set a precise volume level 1 on a mobile, though it is not impossible.
However lowest volume level 1 does seem just fine for everyone in our household, both young and old.
I’m quite happy with the lowest volume setting on Sonos devices, but would like to see a numerical value in the Sonos App to help confirm its precise setting.
Are you sure you’re not sliding the volume-slider too far and simply can’t hear the lower end volume. There is a 3rd party App called SonoPad/SonoPhone, which I rarely use, but that has a numerical value for the Sonos volume slider controls, with values between 1 and 100 and if I set it to the lowest value 1, I find it an acceptable low volume.
Are you perhaps just seeking better volume-slider granularity in the Sonos controls for users with what perhaps maybe termed 'sausage fingers' perhaps? It’s not easy to set a precise volume level 1 on a mobile, though it is not impossible.
However lowest volume level 1 does seem just fine for everyone in our household, both young and old.
I’m quite happy with the lowest volume setting on Sonos devices, but would like to see a numerical value in the Sonos App to help confirm its precise setting.
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