Troubleshooting No TV Audio Heard on Your Sonos Home Theatre Device

At Sonos, we believe in delivering an immersive audio experience. If you're encountering issues with your Sonos home theatre device (such as a Beam, Arc, Arc Ultra or Ray) not playing TV audio, or experiencing intermittent sound, this guide offers a range of solutions to help you get back to enjoying your entertainment. These solutions are presented in no particular order, and you may find that only one of them is needed to resolve your specific problem.

If you do hear TV audio from your Sonos Home Theatre Primary device (soundbar or Amp) but do not hear TV audio (or music) from your Surround speakers and/or an attached Sub(s), please see my related article instead:

1. HDMI Cable Integrity and Connection

The HDMI cable is the critical link between your TV and your Sonos home theatre device. A faulty or poorly connected cable can prevent audio transmission.

Utilize the Supplied HDMI Cable: Sonos provides a high-quality HDMI cable specifically designed for optimal performance with your home theatre device. If you are currently using a third-party HDMI cable, we strongly recommend switching to the cable that came with your Sonos product. Third-party cables, especially older or lower-quality ones, may not fully support the necessary bandwidth or features (like HDMI-ARC/eARC) required for reliable audio.
Verify Secure Connections: Regardless of the cable used, ensure both ends are firmly and completely inserted into their respective ports.
- At the TV: The cable should be connected to the designated HDMI-ARC or eARC port. This port is usually labelled clearly on your TV. Consult the TV manual if not.
- At the Sonos Device: Ensure the cable is securely plugged into the HDMI port on your Sonos home theatre device.
Check for Loose Connections: Gently wiggle each end of the HDMI cable at its connection point. If either end feels unusually loose or wobbly, try swapping the ends of the cable. Sometimes, the fit can vary slightly between the two connectors, and reversing them might provide a more secure connection. A loose connection can lead to intermittent audio dropouts or a complete lack of sound.

2. Ray and Optical connections

If you have a Sonos Ray, or if your other Sonos product connects to your source via the Sonos Optical/HDMI adaptor, please ensure the following:

If it is a new install, ensure you removed the small plastic caps from each end of the optical cable.
Otherwise, please ensure the cable is properly inserted at each end. It should “click” into the socket.
You may need to adjust settings on your TV to tell it to output to the optical port (also known as TOSLink or S/PDIF). After a TV firmware update, this setting might be reset.
You may have to restrict audio output to PCM, standard Dolby Digital and standard DTS only - Atmos, Dolby Digital +, TrueHD and McLPCM are not supported over optical. After a TV firmware update, this setting might be reset.

3. Resolving TV HDMI-CEC Network Issues

HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) is a feature that allows devices connected via HDMI to communicate and control each other. While convenient, it can sometimes cause conflicts that interfere with your Sonos Home Theatre device. A full power cycle of your TV can often resolve these communication glitches.

Perform a Full TV Power Cycle:
1. Disconnect Power: Unplug your TV completely from the electrical outlet.
2. Wait for at Least 2 Minutes: This is crucial. Simply turning the TV off with the remote or putting it into standby mode is not sufficient. A full power disconnect allows the TV's internal processors and HDMI-CEC network to completely reset and clear any cached errors.
3. Reconnect Power: After waiting, plug your TV back into the outlet.
4. Power On: Turn on your TV and test your Sonos home theatre device.

4. Addressing HDMI Device Conflicts

Other HDMI-connected devices can sometimes interfere with the HDMI-CEC communication between your TV and your Sonos home theatre device. This can manifest as your Sonos device not receiving audio, or even the TV misbehaving.

Isolate the Conflict:
1. Turn Off TV: Ensure your TV is powered off.
2. Disconnect Other HDMI Devices: While the TV is off, carefully unplug all other HDMI devices (e.g., gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, streaming sticks, set-top boxes) from your TV, leaving only your Sonos home theatre device connected to the HDMI-ARC/eARC port.
3. Test Sonos Functionality: Power on your TV and test if your Sonos device is now operating properly and playing TV audio.
4. Reconnect Devices One by One: If your Sonos device is now working, reconnect your other HDMI devices one by one, testing your Sonos audio after each reconnection. This will help you identify which specific device is causing the conflict.
Resolve the Conflict:
- Disable CEC Functions on Conflicting Device: Once you've identified the problematic device, check its settings menu for options related to HDMI-CEC. Look for settings like "HDMI Control," "Anynet+" (Samsung), "Bravia Sync" (Sony), "Simplink" (LG), "Viera Link" (Panasonic), etc. Try disabling features such as "TV input switching," "power control" (turning TV on/off with the device), or other CEC-related functions. This allows the device to function without disrupting the TV-Sonos CEC communication.
- Utilize a CEC-Less Adaptor: If you cannot disable the problematic CEC functions on the conflicting device, or if the issue persists, a "CEC-less adapter" (also known as an HDMI CEC blocker or HDMI CEC less adapter) can be a simple and inexpensive solution. These small adapters are fitted to the HDMI cable of the problematic device and selectively block the CEC pin in the HDMI cable, preventing it from interfering with your TV's main CEC network. These adapters are widely available online for a small cost (£$€5 or so).

5. Rebooting Your Sonos Home Theatre Device

Like any electronic device, your Sonos home theatre unit relies on software to function correctly. A simple reboot can often clear minor software glitches or temporary errors that may be preventing it from receiving or processing audio.

Reboot your Sonos Device:
1. Disconnect Power: Unplug your Sonos home theatre device (Beam, Arc, or Ray) from its power outlet.
2. Wait for 20 Seconds: Allow at least 20 seconds for the device to fully discharge and clear its temporary memory.
3. Reconnect Power: Plug your Sonos device back into the power outlet.
4. Wait for Boot-Up: Allow a moment for the device to fully power on and reconnect to your Sonos system. Once the status light is solid white (or off, according to the setting), test your TV audio.

6. Correct Source Selection in the Sonos App

Sometimes, your Sonos home theatre device might simply be set to play from a different audio source, preventing it from automatically switching to TV audio. This can happen if the device was recently rebooted or if you were previously playing music through it.

Manually Select TV Source via Sonos App:
1. Open Sonos App: Launch the Sonos app on your smartphone or tablet.
2. Select Your Room: On the Home screen, locate and tap on the room name associated with your Sonos home theatre device (e.g., "Living Room" for your Beam/Arc/Ray).
3. Select TV Source: Under the "Your Sources" section, tap on "TV." This will instruct your Sonos device to switch to the TV audio input.
Voice Control for TV Source (if enabled):
- For Alexa: If you have Amazon Alexa enabled on your Sonos home theatre device, simply say, "Alexa, switch to TV."
- For Sonos Voice Control: If you are using Sonos Voice Control, say, "Hey Sonos, switch to TV."

7. Ensuring Supported Audio Codecs are used

Sonos home theatre devices support a range of audio formats (codecs), but not all of them. If your TV or source device is sending an unsupported audio format, your Sonos device will not play.

Verify Supported Audio Formats:
- Sonos Beam (Gen 1 & 2), Arc, Arc Ultra, Ray, Amp: These devices support Dolby Digital (AC-3), DTS, and PCM stereo. The Sonos Arc, Arc Ultra and Beam (Gen 2) also support Dolby Digital Plus with Atmos metadata via HDMI-ARC, and Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD) and McLPCM, through eARC connections.
Adjust TV Audio Output Settings: Most modern TVs have settings that allow you to control the digital audio output format.
1. Navigate to TV Sound Settings: Go to your TV's settings menu, and look for "Sound," "Audio Output," or "Digital Audio Out."
2. Select a Compatible Format: Generally, Auto is the best choice, but if you are experiencing any issues or see formats other than what you expect reported in the app, try Passthrough or Bitstream. PCM should only be used as a last resort, as it restricts audio to stereo only.
3. Check Individual Device Settings: If you have external devices connected to your TV (e.g., Apple TV, PlayStation, Xbox, Blu-ray player), these devices may also have their own audio output settings. Ensure they are configured to output a supported format to your TV, which will then pass it to your Sonos device. Look for options like "Bitstream," "Dolby Digital," or "Atmos."
Check "Now Playing" in the Sonos App: You can verify the audio format your Sonos home theatre device is currently receiving by going to the Now Playing screen, which can be expanded by tapping on the selected room at the bottom of the app screen.

8. Re-running TV Setup (If Initial Setup Was Incomplete)

If your initial TV setup process for your Sonos home theatre device never fully completed due to one of the issues described above, you may need to go through it again after resolving the underlying problem. This ensures your Sonos device is properly configured to communicate with your TV.

Access TV Setup in the Sonos App:
1. Open Sonos App: Launch the Sonos app.
2. Go to Settings: Tap on the Settings icon (gear icon) in the bottom navigation bar.
3. Select Your Room: Under the "System" section, tap on the room where your Sonos home theatre device is located.
4. Initiate TV Setup: Scroll down and tap on TV Setup. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup process.

We hope this guide helps you resolve any issues with your Sonos home theatre device. If you've tried all these steps and are still experiencing problems, please don't hesitate to call us directly, visit the Sonos Support pages or create a new post on this community forum, providing as much detail as possible about your setup and the troubleshooting steps you've already taken. Our community members and moderation team are here to help!

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