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Sonos era 300 static, pop sound

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266 replies

R
Userlevel 1

I do have automatic updates enabled - so if it came before last night, it`s installed. But nothing new upon manual checking. Thanks anyways for the advice @Denni_86.

Flare
Userlevel 4
Badge +5

Hi. 
 

installed the update and still hear the pops on my pair of era 300 with arc and sub. 
 

watching Picard and had it poping 4 times in a 5 min period. 
 

@soyoth 
Was the popping from a single speaker, both at the same time or both randomly?

 

Arc + Sub x 2 + Sonos One Surround | PlayBar + Sub + Sonos One Surround | Beam Gen1 | Play5 Gen2 x 2 + Sub | Sonos One x 4 | Play3 x 1 | Boost
P
Badge +2

I’m also experiencing these static pops on my surround Era 300’s. I also noticed I get static pops when running True Play ever since adding the 300’s.

I know exactly what you mean—got the same pops (from each speaker) while running Trueplay many times now, this after fruitlessly cycling/rebooting everything on my network several times. (My phone autocorrected “cycling” to “crying” … both would be equally accurate.)

P
Userlevel 2
Badge

Do you have automatic updates showing as enabled in the App?

Yes, my system has the “Update Automatically” enabled.

I shared the version from the issue I had while using speakers #3, #4, #5 and #6

https://en.community.sonos.com/speakers-229128/sonos-era-300-static-pop-sound-6881431?postid=16654711#post16654711

It is the same version on the system currently as well

Version: 15.3 (build 72240060)
Hardware Version: 1.38.3.10-1.2
Series ID: A100

 

If my memory serves, this current build was released after I had reported the issue from #1 and #2. Sharing for curiosity, I’m definitely not in a position to confirm or deny the update had any effect on the issue. Comments in this thread from others reported the issue persisted on their speakers after updating however.

It seems without some more explicit indication from Sonos themselves we’d just be guessing at whether there’s a firmware/software component to the underlying issue and whether they’re attempting to resolve it that way. The Sonos folks should have a far better perspective on the reports, diagnostics and configurations of the affected units that have been reported so I trust they’ll isolate the issue and I’ll just have to be patient while they figure it out.

Hopefully the units that have been RMA’d so far are useful. I’m starting to feel some guilt burning through these units!

Thank you for your effort mate. I can’t imagine how much time you have spent in troubleshooting and RMA’s!

My hardware version is showing as 1.38.3.10-9.2 and still getting the pops and cracks.

Was particularly bad with one track via bandcamp yesterday. Tried playing it with loudness on & off and the pops were still happening.

Would really like to hear something official, feels like this issue is being ignored.

S
Userlevel 1

Hi. 
 

I am getting the same with my pair connected to the arc. Intermittent popping sounds.

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @BJ2003, @Denni_86 & @Edwin_73 

what does the build number mean?

As I understand it (but I’m not a software engineer so “pinch of salt”), each time the source code for software is changed and recompiled (turned into executable code), that’s a new build.

is this the new Build 73041230 ?

Yes.

I have a different number which is 73041050?….. very confusing this!

Your non-Era units should have this build number. If you have any Era speakers on this build, please do a manual check for updates.

Generally, all units on a system should be on the same build, which equates to the same software version. Sometimes, such as now, a patch is released for a particular model or group of models, which results in those models being on a slightly more advanced version (read: higher number). Once the next general update is released, it will contain the changes that are in this patch and all units will be on the same build number once again (with a higher number than the Eras have now). I hope this makes sense.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
R
Userlevel 1

Good advice for anybody actually using an optical connection. Does not apply to me / my Era 100s. Btw it looks like as if the frequency of the popping depends on the source - streaming radio from TuneIn gives me plenty of popping, streaming from Spotify I did not hear anything popping for a longer time now.

Still far from being an acceptable situation.

D
Userlevel 1

When using the buttons on the Era 300, particularly the volume slider, the static / popping sound is pretty clear (a little after you hear the beep tone the speaker is intended to make) even after the update. With the update it is very hard to hear the static now while playing music - greatly diminished. But it concerns me that the unit still has popping issues. 

D
Userlevel 1

Hearing same issue with intermittent popping noise as well like that described above. Using bluetooth as Airplay was dropping. If over Wifi could assume poor signal, but that doesn’t seem to be case.

B
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

it's back for me too.  Yesterday after the update it was gone.  Came back today……

M
Userlevel 2
Badge

Cross referencing a Reddit thread, evidently widespread.

https://www.reddit.com/r/sonos/comments/12aizq7/static_pop_sound_stereo_set_era_300_only_using/

Sound is like the popping/clicking that can be heard while listening to vinyl albums. Happening in stereo streaming Apple Music in the app or audio-in both on wireless and wired.

Submitted diagnostics and will call into support now to see if there’s any case already open or whether debug info can be captured to help investigate.

As a follow-up, I was able to get support over the phone reporting this issue. After a few diagnosis I was asked to attempt to capture a video of the sounds. After 15 minutes of pointing my phone at the speaker streaming music via the Sonos app, I was able to capture an audible “pop”. 

Unfortunately at this time the resolution attempt is to issue an RMA for the affected speakers. I will report back regarding whether the replacements resolve the issue or not after I receive them and have a little time to test.

Hopefully it’s just a software issue. But still, this shouldn’t have happened with all the “testing” that goes into these expensive speakers. 

D
Userlevel 1

The digital popping sound seems to follow with transients in audio e.g., it can sound almost like an intentional very light click track with the beat (although with some latency and inconsistency ). 

M
Userlevel 2
Badge

Both of the replacement Era 300s I received also have the same issue. The “pallet-id” on the boxes are different from one another so I have no evidence of it being a hardware or software issue.

I’m doing more testing in hopes there could be some setting but it seems unrelated to

  • volume or volume limit
  • Atmos or regular audio
  • streaming, bluetooth or audio-in source
  • wifi or ethernet
  • stereo pairing or solo
  • streaming latency setting (from audio-in)

I was able to hear the low-volume static version of the popping for over a minute while very close to a speaker just after it had made the “success” tone after stereo pairing. There seems to be some audible sound when it is ready to play some sound that I’d describe as an opening and closing “thup” that can be heard after some audio events.

All 4 of these Era 300s shipped out of the same location so it is plausible it could be a manufacturing issue with some component in specific batches, an overall hardware issue with the speaker or something software related. I suspect if it were either of the latter it would be reported far more commonly though.

I need to sit down with them a bit longer to record and document the sounds further and will reach back out to Sonos. I certainly hope I don’t need to burn through more RMAs especially if it turns out to be software related.

Thanks for following up. I would send them back and wait and see if Sonos acknowledges and does a software update to see if it fixes it

S
Userlevel 1

Still getting the pop, although fainter. 

D
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

I think it is important that as many people as possible create a ticket at sonos for this reason, so that sonos sees that it sucks....

Do you think they have not known before the sale or deliberately ignored?

B
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

it's back for me too.  Yesterday after the update it was gone.  Came back today……

what sound format?

 

I'm not exactly sure here yet. I tested them separately with Bluetooth.  No problems.  There is a major error in the software as soon as you connect the Eras as Surrounds. Defenitly not hardware problem. 
S
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

I have also experienced this on my new Era 100.

Since switching the microphone off (using the switch on the back of the speaker) I don’t think I have experienced any pops/clicks.

 

edit: I spoke too soon, but I think it’s less less and frequent, or perhaps I’ve just imagined it. 😂

E
Userlevel 2
Badge

it's back for me too.  Yesterday after the update it was gone.  Came back today……

what sound format?

 

I'm not exactly sure here yet. I tested them separately with Bluetooth.  No problems.  There is a major error in the software as soon as you connect the Eras as Surrounds. Defenitly not hardware problem. 

Not only as surrounds. If you pair them as a stereo couple the issue also occurs! I also heard it back once again but in a much less frequency! It’s definitely a software issue…. 

B
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

it's back for me too.  Yesterday after the update it was gone.  Came back today……

what sound format?

 

I'm not exactly sure here yet. I tested them separately with Bluetooth.  No problems.  There is a major error in the software as soon as you connect the Eras as Surrounds. Defenitly not hardware problem. 

Not only as surrounds. If you pair them as a stereo couple the issue also occurs! I also heard it back again but in a much less frequency! It’s definitely a software issue…. 

Yes also in Stereo. I think yesterday's update was to calm us down.  And it is much more work to solve this. Big big big softwareproblem….. 

Ken_Griffiths

I was just a bit puzzled as to why I had a different hardware version to OP who also had Era 300 speakers. Thought they would have the same version?

I would just like some acknowledgement from Sonos, when calling support it has felt like they don’t believe me and the store I bought the speakers from were surprised that I wanted to return & exchange as they have a low return rate and suggested it was a set up issue. All I have done is add them to my wifi network and run the audio setup test so can’t see what I could’ve done wrong tbh!

I would perhaps just choose to leave the automatic Sonos update feature enabled, as mentioned earlier in this thread and see if the issue gets resolved for you. Hope that’s the case and all are covered by the Sonos warranty, from new, in any event.

S

I hear popping sounds from both bij Era 300’s too. Use them as rears, combined with an Arc and Sub (gen 3). Never experienced this with my previous Ones as rears 

Flare
Userlevel 4
Badge +5

My ERA300's are setup as surrounds now on F/W 15.2.2 and while I was watching Episode 2 of American Manhunt The Boston Marathon Bombing today on Netflix and I think heard the static pop at around 44:07 from only the LEFT side speaker.

The pop was consistently reproduceable no matter how many times I rewind and replay, the pop was clearly audible at the time.

Could someone please listen to this and let me know if the pop that is heard at around 6 seconds is the one that everyone is referring too?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaVgkdp7yio

Arc + Sub x 2 + Sonos One Surround | PlayBar + Sub + Sonos One Surround | Beam Gen1 | Play5 Gen2 x 2 + Sub | Sonos One x 4 | Play3 x 1 | Boost
E
Userlevel 2
Badge

My ERA300's are setup as surrounds now on F/W 15.2.2 and while I was watching Episode 2 of American Manhunt The Boston Marathon Bombing today and I think heard the static pop at around 44:07 from only the LEFT side speaker.

The pop was consistently reproduceable no matter how many times I rewind and replay, the pop was clearly audible at the time.

Could someone please listen to this and let me know if the pop that is heard at around 6 seconds is the one that everyone is referring too?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaVgkdp7yio

That’s the one I heard also on mine now. It’s a bit different crack now after the FW update. Previous the crack sounded like when you’re playing a record…

J
Userlevel 3
Badge

I just spoke with Sonos support once again as (continuing my case) speakers #7 and #8 also had the popping sounds. Interestingly these two seem to be the “best” as they pop far less frequently than the initial pair #1 and #2 I received. Regardless, they were able to collect some live diagnostics while I was on the phone with them and I was told they detected a hardware fault with the speakers.

It sounds like this has become a known issue for them, at least internally, and the engineering team is investigating the cause which again appears to be suspected as a hardware issue with an internal component. I’ll let Sonos communicate what they find either with individuals who call in or if they opt for a wider communication for affected customers-- that way I don’t share any misinformation while they investigate.

I would reiterate a prior comment of mine: if you are affected, I encourage you to take the time to capture a system diagnostic after experiencing the issue, documenting it best as you’re able to and contact Sonos support to report the issue. You will likely need to undergo an RMA for the unit(s) if they determine the issue is the same as the one I have evidently been encountering.

D
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

I have a single Era 300 used of course, just for music. Have not had this issue and from reading online, this problem only seems to rear it's head when the 300s are used as surrounds? 

yes only as surrounds

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