For anyone out there that's interested in sonos arc, keep reading. If you're lucky and you stumbled upon this videos among your first in your research, you're lucky cause I'm about to save you some time. I'm super interested in SONOS Arc. So I've been watching ...honestly at this point i stopped counting. But surely over a three dozen different videos with people doing reviews and general recommendation of soundbars, comparisons, standalone reviews of sonos arc, ...literally I watched most of the sonos arc content. And I still have about 10 tabs opened. I am watching tab by tab by tab... Now please pay attention what I'm about to say. This is the FIRST video with concrete information and I wrote this at minute 8 of this video. Now that I finished watching the entire video. Be sure to watch it to the end. The most and useful information about sonos arc content you will find on youtube. Everything else is just so iterative, nothing new... This man deserved a sub and so much more. Well done Pete.
Peter, this is absolutely the most comprehensive video I've seen on placement of the Sonos arc. The amount of hours you had to put in to provide us so much detail is phenomenal. Thank you so much for your hard work and enthusiasm!
Wow. You are incredible! Sonos should pay you royalties. It’s because of your thorough review that I will purchase an Arc to match with my 65” LG OLED TV.
All I did was retune TruePlay according to the suggestions and it has improved the positioning of Atmos for me. Before the height audio can be heard above but a bit further in front of me. Now the Atmos effects are happening right above my head. Big thanks for this video.
@@PeterPeeI got a question, I got a Sony ht-st5000 upfiring speakers all setup right cable etc but no dolby atmos, i dont no why i can not get it, I have read other comments and same with other people
I followed you chart on how high the ceiling vs how far I sit and how much to angle the arc........ HOLY SH*T it’s a huge difference. Thank you very much liked and subed
It’s a great advise in a perfect room. Unfortunately 98% of Arc owners have plants, curtains, ceiling lights, fans and other stuff in their living rooms. Sonos did a good job with the Arc to make it fit in all those rooms and still manage to create a impressive sound stage from the Arc
Thank you for your appreciation! I didn’t realise how Long this video was going to take to produce. Shooting the video and talking it through was easy. But Gosh the investigative work before that took me a Long time! And my kids are getting quite sick of hearing the Atmos demo clip over and over again. Haha.
Be Very Careful to secure Arc if you like listening to loud bass sounds when you wedge soundbar from behind.....I had an electrician install two Sonos One's high up on my walls with the wiring going through the ceiling to hide. While in the attic of my bungalow he asked me to to turn up the volume to test. I ended up catching my Arc about 2 inches from the floor narrowly avoiding catastrophe when it vibrated and fell off wooden tv cabinet....Saying that I still thank you for the wedge idea. It really makes a difference. I have simply made a long chamfered piece of nylon which I glued to my tv unit and then mounted my Sonos Arc to the nylon using sticky back velcro. Thanks for the idea and time
I appreciate the time you took to show all the info for a ignorant guy like me how to properly use this system. Since I got interest in it your videos have been my eyes to see what I would need to know
Thank you for your support. We all learn from basics. No one was born knowing everything. And even on this channel I learn a lot from viewers like yourself too!
Fantastic! The vocal on my arc sounded a little muddy before. I had voice enhancement and treble pretty high. I no longer need to make any adjustments to the EQ after following this video. Well done and thank you!
Great stuff! I attached laser pointers to my arc to map out the sound directions. For the ceiling, I attached mirrors to the ceiling to gauge where the sound is being bounced to. Got the idea as I was flying and someone from the ground pointed lasers into my cockpit. Maybe you can try that Pete! I indeed had to elevate the back of the arc by about 1.5cm to get the best ATMOS.
😅 what a fantastic hack! I have a cat laser that will work perfectly; would it work to have somebody on a step ladder hold the mirror at various ceiling placements? seems to me this would be the easiest method. Captain Kirk
Hi, Peter. Love your videos. I followed your TruePlay suggestions and since you asked viewers to comment on their experiences, here’s mine. I have the Arc, Sub and Ones. Did TruePlay your way and for a couple of weeks observed that movies had very little, if any, imaging. Outside of stereo, sound was rather flat. The bass was slightly muffled. I chose Dolby Atmos titles like RRR, Formula 1 Drive To Survive and Our Planet. Worse yet, when I play Dolby Atmos on Apple Music, several songs sounded bad, particularly the mids. For example, Petty’s vocals on Mary Jane’s Last Dance, Gaye’s on What’s Going On and others’ sounded subdued. I’m very familiar with these tracks and they didn’t sound right. So today I redid TruePlay the conventional way - walked around the entire room and pointed the iPhone up, not toward the Arc. The result: a more acceptable, i.e., “normal” sound imaging in both movies and music. Mind you, I don’t have your tech gadget and expertise. I merely rely on my trustworthy ears. So for now I’ll keep these settings until I hear from you or others. Thank you, buddy.
Thanks Peter, this has been very helpful. After having given it some considerable thought, and doing what research I could, I have in the end decided to not even try the ARC as a replacement for my Playbase - which I have been very happy with anyway. I've had Surround Sound since the mid 90s and this is the best it has ever been. The restriction I have in the ARC placement would - I think - compromise performance. I'd likely hear the upward firing sound direct from the ARC before it is ever reflected from the ceiling. For me, the ARC would need to be where the Playbase is now - 46cm BELOW my seated ear height - 215cm below the ceiling and 200cm from my seating position. There are also, I guess, the possible unwanted reflections (7:27) from the unit that the ARC/TV MUST sit upon. I feel that getting an ARC on the 100day return option direct from SONOS, setting it up - testing it and trying to formulate a (concise) conclusion might just be a waste of time and may even just add it's own level of confusion or even frustration - for me at least. I guess I'll just need to wait to see what SONOS comes up with next.
Hi Peter 👋 I bought the Sonos Arc, Sonos Sub, and Sonos Five and I am very satisfied, thank you for your videos 🙏 they help me with my decisión I want another Sonos Sub regrets from Mexico 🇲🇽
Honestly have to ditto so many others here. Watched a ton of videos as to how to set up my Sonos system and the most simplistic aspects (placement) and more technical components (spacing, ceiling height,, etc.) are great to know. I have an 85” Sony 95j with sub and 2 back ones. Still playing with it and this helps a ton. If any specific help for a 18x12 room whereas the direct front viewing is about 8 ft. From the soundbar/sub and 4ft and 6ft from the respective surrounds, with a 9ft ceiling and soundbar roughly 32” high! Am welcome to listen.. much appreciated.
We have roughly the same room size except that my ceiling is higher. For your case, I'd recommend that you push your soundbar nearer to you as much as you can, or change your listening position to nearer where your sound bar is. Or if you can somewhat sit a little lower. Given that your TV is huge, you might not have the option to sit any nearer though! Other than that, you might consider raising the rear of your Arc by about half an inch to see if you are able to get a better effect.
Interesting video. I just bought the arc last week, and was rather underwhelmed by the whole thing. Tried watching some atmos content but didn’t experience anything special. At £900 was expecting much more. Fortunately was able to return it.
Great video. Two comments: 1) By tilting the soundbar forward, you are pointing the main drivers downwards; 2) given the fact that the recommended placement of the tv is 1/3 below the viewers' eyes heigh, it would be impossible to place the soundbar at "ear level". Which makes tilting the bar even more problematic. Unless, of course, you place the tv way above, which makes it a pain to watch after a while.
Yeah, I struggle with that fact (drivers point downwards by the same degree) too. But the directivity of the main forward drivers is less acute than the top firing drivers so I feel that's alright.
Amazing, thanks to you I have realized on how much quality I am missing out on. My Arc is currently wall mounted over a sideboard. So the tv and the wood underneath both obstruct the sound. Luckily I'm moving soon, so in the new place I can put everything to the optimum :D
@@PeterPee 13:24 is this still recommended to angle the Arc in the back? I’m worried with the 300s and Arc both using their side firings to create the side surrounds if having the Arc angled down will mess with the combined surround effect.
Excellent recommendations! I had been tilting my Arc forward over a month already to get the most height effects. It does make a difference. I will try next to trueplay by not pointing the phone mic upwards.
It’s actually ok but it will require that you follow the recommendation that you place it at least at ear level. Also, make sure there isn’t a surface immediately in front of the arc that the front firing channels will bounce off.
Peter Pee My Arc is roughly 2.5 feet off the ground, on a TV stand. Unless I am very close, I imagine by tilting the Arc, I am effectively firing the sound waves downwards that come from the front firing speakers? Basically moving them from my chest area to my knees or shins? Does this make sense?
Great review I was wondering why my arc setup didn’t sound with its full potential well I just found out why I did my truplay tune wrong I went to close to the Arc now I know can’t wait to retune it later 😝
I actually use a rubber wedged stopper for the door. :) or you could get a few pieces of erasers and cut it down to desired height. I like rubber because it’s inert and doesn’t rattle and move out of position.
The only distance I can position the soundbar from the ceiling is about 5.5 foot and my only possible seating position is 9.5 feet from the soundbar. Therefore, the atmos effect isn’t optimal even if I tilt the soundbar 1” by raising it at the back. The restricted 15 degree angle of the atmos speakers due to the size constraints of the bar is a sacrifice then? Realistically how many people can actually sit within 6 feet of the TV in a normal living room environment? Furthermore, if the back is raised will it not affect the other speakers in the bar detrimentally? Perhaps the rumoured Arc 2 realease this year will address this problem?
Great video help me place my setup. Another content idea: I think you should make a user submission video series where people submit their setups and you critique it.
Thanks for the great video! Now that you can change the volume of the height channels, does this change how you would do True play in terms of holding the phone or walking around as you mention in the video? Is there an ideal way to hold the phone or where to walk to help increase the center channel too? Thanks!
Hey Tim! Those trigonometry lessons then were the stuff that got us to the moon! If the depictions in the movies were accurate, computation was done by computer but verified by hand!
This is the best video/advice Ive seen anywhere on the real reason that things don’t sound as they should! In my case I have a RSJ (not sure you call them same name in Singapore) but its a steel put into my lounge to support the ceiling and its halfway between myself and the arc and I think this is whats stopping me hearing the actual height. Not a lot I can do about this! The steel is about a foot in height itself. But thanks Peter you have helped loads of people with this Im sure. Did you ever work in Simlim square? Or lucky Plaza?
I think it’s called beam support? Not sure. No la I have never worked in Sim Lim or Funan. Funan has been refurbished and it looks really great now with quite a few audio stores!
Peter Pee Im from UK but been to Singapore many times and always enjoyed going to Sim Lim or Funan, had to be careful in the old days with the price though! Used to get great bargains in the old days due to the exchange rate but now its more expensive:) So I’m 9 feet away from arc. Arc is two feet high and I sit about 3.5 feet high. I have a lg c9 65 mounted on wall. Would you recommend putting the arc on something to raise it up ? Also what angle would you recommend I lean the arc? Many thanks!
Raise your sound bar to as close to your ear level of 3.5’ as possible. You need some serious angling as you’re sitting quite far from the source. If you can move the mlp towards the bar or the bar towards the mlp it’ll help. As for the angling you will need to raise the rear by a full inch. Even then it’s not optimal. Best to move the mlp forward by another 2 feet.
Hi Peter, great content. Learn a lot from yours. I have a LG CX65 and a ARC, if i put the TV at optimum height, the center of the TV should be about 90cm from the floor. However, in order to have the optimum sound effect from the Arc, it is also 90cm from the floor. Some how eye level = ear level, how i can work this around? Really appreciate your content and your video. I never expect i can learn so much from them.
Another great post, this video was awesome. I did have a question - how would I position the Arc in a room with vaulted ceilings (varying ceiling height)?
This is a tricky one to answer. My living room has a ceiling that is of two different heights. One part of it is open air well and thus goes up to nothing while another part is ceiling. So I just make sure the mid point between me and the sound bar is the flat part of the room. My bedroom is even worse as it has a sloping ceiling halfway through the room. I had to place the tv at the side of the room where the projection of atmos speakers will go up to a flat ceiling.
Very helpful information. I found the chart to be exactly what I needed to optimise the best listening and viewing experience. Just wish I had my own cinema room to which I would soundproof. The downside to true play is it is not compatible with android phones. Which I find very annoying as I don't have an apple phone. After speaking to Sonos they said the mic on apple phones is the same and android depending on make and model varies too much to be able to have software to be able to do true play. Have now added a pair of Sonos ones for surround effect.
Another TOP video THANKS. I sit 12 feet away so have gone for a full tilt(15degrees) with about a 9ft ceiling. To me it seems the angle enhances the front drivers and doesn't send sound into the floor (ARC 2ft off ground and pulled to front of unit ).
Great tips, Peter. Very detailed!! Just wondering if one wedges the back of the Arc to increase the angle of the top firing speakers, then would not the front speakers also become tilted downwards accordingly?
Hi Peter... Firstly I must thank you for being absolutely the best guru on all things Sonos! and Audio!... Now my questions and I really hope you can help me with some guidance. I am using the Soundbar with a Optoma Short Throw Projector. The screen has a slim frame. Now I also ordered the Sonos Wall Mount for the Arc soundbar. Q1 - Will the screen frame interfere with the upward facing speakers? Q2 - Can the angle of the upward facing speakers be increased beyond 15 degrees when wall mounted? Thanks so much in advance!
Awesome suggestions, can't wait to try them. I'll have to make some measurements. what do you recommend using to wedge the rear of the arc to get the necessary tilt of the atmos speakers? Also, what media did you use to test your setup?
Yes. I’m exploring the bluesound ecosystem. The software seems to be really good. I’ve gotten the pulse 2i. Am considering either getting another to pair it up for true stereo, or to get the pulse 2i soundbar with flex as surround.
This is great. I understand tilting helps get the top facing speakers pointing in the right direction, but doesn't it make the forward facing speakers now pointing in the non optimal direction?
Good job! I haven’t tried following your advice ( 6am in flats) but will update on success or failure once I have. Makes me wonder why Sonos didn’t either put adjustable feet on Arc or do a similar video. Perhaps Sonos could use your knowledge professionally!
Hi Peter, great video...very detailed...QUESTION - I always see that the Sonos Arc is. placed below the TV - what about if I place it above the TV? I am sitting on a couch about 8ft away - so ears about 3 feet from the floor...I have the SONOS wall mount which as you noted goes flush to the wall, so that is about 3 inches further back and behind the tv which is on a wall mount....I was therefore wondering if the better way to enable the upwards pointing speakers to do their thing is to mount the soundbar flush on the wall above my TV? My room ceiling is 9ft. The to of my TV is 5ft from the floor. What would be your advice?
Thank you for the amazing video! Question: I am trying to set up my projector and do NOT want to cut holes in my ceiling to connect my Arc with the projector. Can I place the arc behind my seating and point it upwards, or does it always need to be in front of the viewer?
Pete thank you for another amazing video. I’m hoping you could help me I’ve purchase an 85 inch Samsung Q950T and I’m mounting it on a wall my seating area is 10 feet away and my ceiling hight is 9 feet now I would like to wall mount the Sonos arc also but I just wanted to make sure how high off of the ground I should place it can I please get your thoughts on this, thank you.
The seating area is a little too far off. Let’s prioritise setting the arc mounting height as close to ear level as possible. Next, try to shorten the GAP between the soundbar and your seat. If you can’t move your seat anymore, push the sound bar forward towards the seat. Once that’s set, if you can angle it, angle down depending on how hight that level is and how big the resulting GAP is from your seat. Refer to my chart in the video.
In my room it’s 12.6 Wide & 15’ Long & 8’ High & My sitting angle is to the left of the room 9’ away from the sound bar. My sub is facing ( Openings are left to right ). Unfortunately my TV stand allows me to put the bar a foot and a half off the floor, but I have clearance so that I can bounce off the ceiling and that it’s on the very edge of the shelf. My rears are both left and right of the room facing towards the TV and I have those right against the wall on either side. How do I set my height when calibrating ? Thanks again for everything you do for us regarding Sonos advice.
For your room, it is similar to mine, except that my ceiling is trickier as it is a lot higher. In your case, it is actually a good thing that your bare is lower. But your sitting position is still a little further than ideal. If you are able to tilt the angle a little, I suggest that you wedge the rear of the arc by just about 1.5cm, which is 2/3 of an inch. That is fairly aggressive and might mean it is not so great for aesthetics. Play around with that. If you do not want to change the angle, then you might want to adjust the heights channel to make them more pronounced. You can do this in the S2 app by going to heights adjustment. Do a +6 and see if you can hear the difference.
Peter, How far from the Edge of the wall would you place the Sonos 5’s ? I’m using a sub as well so what I place them in the vertical or horizontal position ? I’m using the Arc.
Well learned something today... I’ll need to redo the TruePlay. Two things I did wrong... the instructions stated to point the mic (bottom of the iPhone up) and the second wrong thing... i stood in front of the Arc and went well in front of my MLP.
If you don't get issues with the sound following their instructions, those are the correct instructions to follow. I am just suggesting how to get around some common issues that a lot of users have, for example, pointing it upwards throughout the entire stage 2 Trueplay.
I havent recieved my ARC yet, but i imagine that the best way to find the correct position/angle would be to simply download the official atmos 5.1.2 test file ripped from those Atmos demo blu-rays, and then download a decibel sound meter for your phone. Mount the phone at ear-level facing forward on your couch, or have someone hold it there, play the 5.1.2 test file with the static playing out the height channel, then adjust the angle/height of the arc until you reach the highest loudness as displayed numerically on your phone with the decibel meter running.
Hi Peter, For my setting, I do not have enough mounting space below the TV for a 4-6inch clearance without the SONOS sound emissions hitting objects on a front cabinet. Placing the soundbar at the edge of the front cabinet is also not preferred as there is a risk of it falling over (young kids in the home who may just pull the bar over the edge). The cabinet also has front drawers with a thick edge which would still reflect the sound upwards. So my question is this:- Would mounting the SONOS Arc ABOVE the TV be a good option? There would be no obstruction for the upward firing speakers. My concern is the angle for the front and side speakers. Would the drop in sound quality for the center and sides be worth the sacrifice for better Dolby Atmos experience from the upward firing speakers? Would appreciate your insights. Thanks.
Wow! Thanks so much for this video you've got a new sub! Thanks for all the hard work. Has anyone had to tilt their arc? Of so what did you use to tilt? I need to get mine tilted by 2/3". TIA
Thank you for the video Peter. Just got the Arc the other day. I am noticing though that the unit seems louder or favors the left side of the bar, especially with voice tracks. I found others who experienced this too on the Sonos forums. Any ideas what could cause this? I will say, the bar is closer to my left wall than right, so I don't know if this is just acoustics bouncing back.
Thanks for the great tips as usual, Peter! Question, do you think placing sound absorbers/diffusers on the ceiling for acoustic room treatment would interfere with the Arc's Atmos capabilities?
Peter excellent article, but I need a bit of help for my new Sonos arc and sub setup. Can you help with how high I have to raise the rear of the Arc up to enhance Atmos for my distance setup. Many thanks. Stu. Sonos Arc Setup 75” Sony Bravia. Ceiling - 2.6M. = 8.53ft Arc height - 0.64M. = 2.09ft MLP - 3.2M. = 10.49ft
Love this content. I’m thinking of installing a TV and Arc above a fireplace in the livingroom. Based on your content would you recommend sitting the arc on the mantel to enable it to be angled, instead of the wall bracket as it’s fixed and would project the sound above us when we are sitting on a sofa.
For anyone out there that's interested in sonos arc, keep reading. If you're lucky and you stumbled upon this videos among your first in your research, you're lucky cause I'm about to save you some time.
I'm super interested in SONOS Arc. So I've been watching ...honestly at this point i stopped counting. But surely over a three dozen different videos with people doing reviews and general recommendation of soundbars, comparisons, standalone reviews of sonos arc, ...literally I watched most of the sonos arc content. And I still have about 10 tabs opened. I am watching tab by tab by tab...
Now please pay attention what I'm about to say.
This is the FIRST video with concrete information and I wrote this at minute 8 of this video.
Now that I finished watching the entire video. Be sure to watch it to the end.
The most and useful information about sonos arc content you will find on youtube. Everything else is just so iterative, nothing new...
This man deserved a sub and so much more.
Well done Pete.
Hey Wiz, you are so kind with your words. I appreciate you showing your appreciation!
Agreed👌
deserves a sub mini or gen 3?
Peter, this is absolutely the most comprehensive video I've seen on placement of the Sonos arc. The amount of hours you had to put in to provide us so much detail is phenomenal. Thank you so much for your hard work and enthusiasm!
My arc is on bracket made for tv. How do I change the degree in this situation?
Absolutely incredible video. Thank you, Peter. Just what I was hoping to find!
Haha Garrett, no way!
This video is a must view for Arc owners, amazing!!!!!
Thanks for your kind recommendation!
Point at the arc during tuning made a night and day difference. Thank you!
Glad that the tip helped!
Do you point the mic toward the arc during the entire walking process??
I saw no other person on youtube reviewing sonos products in such a detail. Amazing work Peter, thank you and well done :)
Wow, thanks for your compliments!
Wow. You are incredible! Sonos should pay you royalties. It’s because of your thorough review that I will purchase an Arc to match with my 65” LG OLED TV.
All I did was retune TruePlay according to the suggestions and it has improved the positioning of Atmos for me. Before the height audio can be heard above but a bit further in front of me. Now the Atmos effects are happening right above my head. Big thanks for this video.
Happy that it helped you!
WOW... An actual technical video by someone that clearly knows their subject matter and not just making it up or going over basics...
Thank you sir!
@@PeterPeeI got a question, I got a Sony ht-st5000 upfiring speakers all setup right cable etc but no dolby atmos, i dont no why i can not get it, I have read other comments and same with other people
@@PeterPee a other question can you put the Sonos era 300s high up on the wall, have you got a video
Thank you Peter! I mounted my sonos arc with your tips yesterday. It sounds really good! Can’t wait to upgrade my TV!
Fantastic! Great that you found it useful!
Thanks so much Peter!
I'm waiting on my ARC and Sub Gen 3 to arrive. I can't wait to start setting this up in my house.
I share your excitement! Hope the days pass quickly for you!
I followed you chart on how high the ceiling vs how far I sit and how much to angle the arc........ HOLY SH*T it’s a huge difference. Thank you very much liked and subed
So Glad it helped you!
Absolutely amazing video peter. Bravo mate
Incredibly useful informaiton about Arc placement. I have always placed mine near the rear of my TV cabinet, until now. :)
It’s a great advise in a perfect room. Unfortunately 98% of Arc owners have plants, curtains, ceiling lights, fans and other stuff in their living rooms. Sonos did a good job with the Arc to make it fit in all those rooms and still manage to create a impressive sound stage from the Arc
Once again you really put together a great video with great content. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into these videos.
Thank you for your appreciation! I didn’t realise how Long this video was going to take to produce. Shooting the video and talking it through was easy. But Gosh the investigative work before that took me a Long time! And my kids are getting quite sick of hearing the Atmos demo clip over and over again. Haha.
Be Very Careful to secure Arc if you like listening to loud bass sounds when you wedge soundbar from behind.....I had an electrician install two Sonos One's high up on my walls with the wiring going through the ceiling to hide. While in the attic of my bungalow he asked me to to turn up the volume to test. I ended up catching my Arc about 2 inches from the floor narrowly avoiding catastrophe when it vibrated and fell off wooden tv cabinet....Saying that I still thank you for the wedge idea. It really makes a difference. I have simply made a long chamfered piece of nylon which I glued to my tv unit and then mounted my Sonos Arc to the nylon using sticky back velcro. Thanks for the idea and time
I appreciate the time you took to show all the info for a ignorant guy like me how to properly use this system. Since I got interest in it your videos have been my eyes to see what I would need to know
Thank you for your support. We all learn from basics. No one was born knowing everything. And even on this channel I learn a lot from viewers like yourself too!
Fantastic!
The vocal on my arc sounded a little muddy before. I had voice enhancement and treble pretty high. I no longer need to make any adjustments to the EQ after following this video. Well done and thank you!
I am so Glad that it helped you!
What a game changer your video has been. Thank you Peter!
Thanks for the excellent explanation of speaker placement. Learned a lot. I'll be changing the placement of sound bar tonight!
Do try it out and I hope it works well for you! Let us know!
Great stuff! I attached laser pointers to my arc to map out the sound directions. For the ceiling, I attached mirrors to the ceiling to gauge where the sound is being bounced to.
Got the idea as I was flying and someone from the ground pointed lasers into my cockpit.
Maybe you can try that Pete!
I indeed had to elevate the back of the arc by about 1.5cm to get the best ATMOS.
😅 what a fantastic hack! I have a cat laser that will work perfectly; would it work to have somebody on a step ladder hold the mirror at various ceiling placements? seems to me this would be the easiest method. Captain Kirk
I appreciate all your time you put into this. Thank you sir.
This is the channel to subscribe to, for real information and help to optimize your Sonos experience. LG
LG..... is that german?
Hi, Peter. Love your videos. I followed your TruePlay suggestions and since you asked viewers to comment on their experiences, here’s mine.
I have the Arc, Sub and Ones. Did TruePlay your way and for a couple of weeks observed that movies had very little, if any, imaging. Outside of stereo, sound was rather flat. The bass was slightly muffled. I chose Dolby Atmos titles like RRR, Formula 1 Drive To Survive and Our Planet.
Worse yet, when I play Dolby Atmos on Apple Music, several songs sounded bad, particularly the mids. For example, Petty’s vocals on Mary Jane’s Last Dance, Gaye’s on What’s Going On and others’ sounded subdued. I’m very familiar with these tracks and they didn’t sound right.
So today I redid TruePlay the conventional way - walked around the entire room and pointed the iPhone up, not toward the Arc. The result: a more acceptable, i.e., “normal” sound imaging in both movies and music. Mind you, I don’t have your tech gadget and expertise. I merely rely on my trustworthy ears. So for now I’ll keep these settings until I hear from you or others. Thank you, buddy.
6 feet away for listening distance is way too short. My couch is at least 8-9 feet away. Who sits 6 feet away from a 65” TV?!
I do
Exactly. I'm sure my purchase was a waste damn
For a 65", it's 8.9' away (2.69 m) for mixed usage (30° fov); and 6.5' away for cinema viewing (1.98 m) (40° fov).
So fantastic. Thank you Peter!
Excellent advice. I just discovered your content earlier today...excellent work ...thank you for sharing.
This is an amazing video! Thanks Peter!
Thanks Peter, this has been very helpful.
After having given it some considerable thought, and doing what research I could, I have in the end decided to not even try the ARC as a replacement for my Playbase - which I have been very happy with anyway. I've had Surround Sound since the mid 90s and this is the best it has ever been.
The restriction I have in the ARC placement would - I think - compromise performance. I'd likely hear the upward firing sound direct from the ARC before it is ever reflected from the ceiling. For me, the ARC would need to be where the Playbase is now - 46cm BELOW my seated ear height - 215cm below the ceiling and 200cm from my seating position.
There are also, I guess, the possible unwanted reflections (7:27) from the unit that the ARC/TV MUST sit upon.
I feel that getting an ARC on the 100day return option direct from SONOS, setting it up - testing it and trying to formulate a (concise) conclusion might just be a waste of time and may even just add it's own level of confusion or even frustration - for me at least.
I guess I'll just need to wait to see what SONOS comes up with next.
Thanks very much. Very good content for a new Sonos owner.
Phenomenal analysis!
Hi Peter 👋 I bought the Sonos Arc, Sonos Sub, and Sonos Five and I am very satisfied, thank you for your videos 🙏 they help me with my decisión I want another Sonos Sub regrets from Mexico 🇲🇽
Nice! That’s the real ultimate setup!
Same config as I am using!
Honestly have to ditto so many others here. Watched a ton of videos as to how to set up my Sonos system and the most simplistic aspects (placement) and more technical components (spacing, ceiling height,, etc.) are great to know. I have an 85” Sony 95j with sub and 2 back ones. Still playing with it and this helps a ton. If any specific help for a 18x12 room whereas the direct front viewing is about 8 ft. From the soundbar/sub and 4ft and 6ft from the respective surrounds, with a 9ft ceiling and soundbar roughly 32” high! Am welcome to listen.. much appreciated.
We have roughly the same room size except that my ceiling is higher. For your case, I'd recommend that you push your soundbar nearer to you as much as you can, or change your listening position to nearer where your sound bar is. Or if you can somewhat sit a little lower. Given that your TV is huge, you might not have the option to sit any nearer though!
Other than that, you might consider raising the rear of your Arc by about half an inch to see if you are able to get a better effect.
Hey Peter - great job. Making me love my Sonos system!
You and me both!
Interesting video. I just bought the arc last week, and was rather underwhelmed by the whole thing.
Tried watching some atmos content but didn’t experience anything special.
At £900 was expecting much more.
Fortunately was able to return it.
Thanks for all your work, 👍
Thanks for this, Peter. I wanted to ask what do you use to elevate the rear of the ARC at an angle?
Great video. Two comments: 1) By tilting the soundbar forward, you are pointing the main drivers downwards; 2) given the fact that the recommended placement of the tv is 1/3 below the viewers' eyes heigh, it would be impossible to place the soundbar at "ear level". Which makes tilting the bar even more problematic. Unless, of course, you place the tv way above, which makes it a pain to watch after a while.
Yeah, I struggle with that fact (drivers point downwards by the same degree) too. But the directivity of the main forward drivers is less acute than the top firing drivers so I feel that's alright.
@@PeterPee Life is all about compromises ;)
Amazing, thanks to you I have realized on how much quality I am missing out on. My Arc is currently wall mounted over a sideboard. So the tv and the wood underneath both obstruct the sound. Luckily I'm moving soon, so in the new place I can put everything to the optimum :D
Glad that this is helpful!
@@PeterPee 13:24 is this still recommended to angle the Arc in the back? I’m worried with the 300s and Arc both using their side firings to create the side surrounds if having the Arc angled down will mess with the combined surround effect.
Excellent recommendations! I had been tilting my Arc forward over a month already to get the most height effects. It does make a difference. I will try next to trueplay by not pointing the phone mic upwards.
Yes, it does work wonders. 🙂👍
How does the forward channel perform? Considering now they will be angled slightly downwards
Nico Dharmawan I was wondering the same.
It’s actually ok but it will require that you follow the recommendation that you place it at least at ear level. Also, make sure there isn’t a surface immediately in front of the arc that the front firing channels will bounce off.
Peter Pee My Arc is roughly 2.5 feet off the ground, on a TV stand. Unless I am very close, I imagine by tilting the Arc, I am effectively firing the sound waves downwards that come from the front firing speakers? Basically moving them from my chest area to my knees or shins? Does this make sense?
Incredible insights and clear explanations! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Love the vid Peter. Thank you for such great content!! 👍👍👍
Thanks Peter, really helpful advice.
This is so helpful, thank you!
Hi Peter, great and detail explanation as always but it would be amazing if you put metric conversion in the chart as well 👍🏼
Oh! Ok, I will take your suggestion on that.
Don’t be lazy and convert it yourself. Takes no time at all.
Great review I was wondering why my arc setup didn’t sound with its full potential well I just found out why I did my truplay tune wrong I went to close to the Arc now I know can’t wait to retune it later 😝
Amazing video, thank you!
Excellent content going beyond what other channels have. What would you recommend to wedge the arc with?
I actually use a rubber wedged stopper for the door. :) or you could get a few pieces of erasers and cut it down to desired height. I like rubber because it’s inert and doesn’t rattle and move out of position.
Try buying various thicknesses of timber or window fitting spacers👌
Peter, this did it for me! Subbed!
Always happy when a viewer gets the desired result!
Awesome video I sincerely hope you grow your channel! Subbed!
Thanks for the sub! Glad you are finding it useful!
This comes right up to my geek level! I will lose days trying various different things! 😂
The only distance I can position the soundbar from the ceiling is about 5.5 foot and my only possible seating position is 9.5 feet from the soundbar. Therefore, the atmos effect isn’t optimal even if I tilt the soundbar 1” by raising it at the back. The restricted 15 degree angle of the atmos speakers due to the size constraints of the bar is a sacrifice then? Realistically how many people can actually sit within 6 feet of the TV in a normal living room environment? Furthermore, if the back is raised will it not affect the other speakers in the bar detrimentally? Perhaps the rumoured Arc 2 realease this year will address this problem?
Wedging the arc forward a bit will be great for me because I have the LG CX and the stand it sits on will act like a perfect tool for that!
And maybe apply some Blu tack to make sure it doesn’t slid off!
Hi Steven I'm thinking of this exact same combination. but isn't the LG CX screen bottom too low to have a Arc sitting just in from of it?
Great video help me place my setup.
Another content idea: I think you should make a user submission video series where people submit their setups and you critique it.
Thanks for the idea! It is indeed a great idea! Let me have a thought on how to execute this.
Nice charts Peter!
Thanks for the great video! Now that you can change the volume of the height channels, does this change how you would do True play in terms of holding the phone or walking around as you mention in the video? Is there an ideal way to hold the phone or where to walk to help increase the center channel too? Thanks!
I dug deep in my trigonometry memory bank"! LOL. Time to join as a Patron!
Thank you Tim! I appreciate your support! And yes I realised I forgot all my trigonometry.
@@PeterPee My trigonometry in school was in the early '70s.
Hey Tim! Those trigonometry lessons then were the stuff that got us to the moon! If the depictions in the movies were accurate, computation was done by computer but verified by hand!
Maybe it’s not like that, I don’t know. But I’d like to believe that humans are still on top of the game.
@@PeterPee The movie "Hidden Figures" is amazing for showing that hand calculating.
Extremely useful
Superb!
This is the best video/advice Ive seen anywhere on the real reason that things don’t sound as they should! In my case I have a RSJ (not sure you call them same name in Singapore) but its a steel put into my lounge to support the ceiling and its halfway between myself and the arc and I think this is whats stopping me hearing the actual height. Not a lot I can do about this! The steel is about a foot in height itself. But thanks Peter you have helped loads of people with this Im sure. Did you ever work in Simlim square? Or lucky Plaza?
I think it’s called beam support? Not sure. No la I have never worked in Sim Lim or Funan. Funan has been refurbished and it looks really great now with quite a few audio stores!
Peter Pee Im from UK but been to Singapore many times and always enjoyed going to Sim Lim or Funan, had to be careful in the old days with the price though! Used to get great bargains in the old days due to the exchange rate but now its more expensive:)
So I’m 9 feet away from arc. Arc is two feet high and I sit about 3.5 feet high. I have a lg c9 65 mounted on wall. Would you recommend putting the arc on something to raise it up ? Also what angle would you recommend I lean the arc? Many thanks!
How high is your ceiling?
Peter Pee Its about 9 feet.
Raise your sound bar to as close to your ear level of 3.5’ as possible. You need some serious angling as you’re sitting quite far from the source. If you can move the mlp towards the bar or the bar towards the mlp it’ll help. As for the angling you will need to raise the rear by a full inch. Even then it’s not optimal. Best to move the mlp forward by another 2 feet.
Well done, sir! Thank you!
Nice explanation, thanks for the effort
You are welcome. Glad it was helpful.
Hi Peter, great content. Learn a lot from yours. I have a LG CX65 and a ARC, if i put the TV at optimum height, the center of the TV should be about 90cm from the floor. However, in order to have the optimum sound effect from the Arc, it is also 90cm from the floor. Some how eye level = ear level, how i can work this around? Really appreciate your content and your video. I never expect i can learn so much from them.
Another great post, this video was awesome. I did have a question - how would I position the Arc in a room with vaulted ceilings (varying ceiling height)?
This is a tricky one to answer. My living room has a ceiling that is of two different heights. One part of it is open air well and thus goes up to nothing while another part is ceiling. So I just make sure the mid point between me and the sound bar is the flat part of the room. My bedroom is even worse as it has a sloping ceiling halfway through the room. I had to place the tv at the side of the room where the projection of atmos speakers will go up to a flat ceiling.
Very helpful information. I found the chart to be exactly what I needed to optimise the best listening and viewing experience. Just wish I had my own cinema room to which I would soundproof. The downside to true play is it is not compatible with android phones. Which I find very annoying as I don't have an apple phone. After speaking to Sonos they said the mic on apple phones is the same and android depending on make and model varies too much to be able to have software to be able to do true play. Have now added a pair of Sonos ones for surround effect.
Another TOP video THANKS. I sit 12 feet away so have gone for a full tilt(15degrees) with about a 9ft ceiling. To me it seems the angle enhances the front drivers and doesn't send sound into the floor (ARC 2ft off ground and pulled to front of unit ).
Great tips, Peter. Very detailed!! Just wondering if one wedges the back of the Arc to increase the angle of the top firing speakers, then would not the front speakers also become tilted downwards accordingly?
Yes, common issue raised. But the front angle speakers has a wider cone of coverage than the atmos drivers at the top.
Hi Peter... Firstly I must thank you for being absolutely the best guru on all things Sonos! and Audio!... Now my questions and I really hope you can help me with some guidance. I am using the Soundbar with a Optoma Short Throw Projector. The screen has a slim frame. Now I also ordered the Sonos Wall Mount for the Arc soundbar. Q1 - Will the screen frame interfere with the upward facing speakers? Q2 - Can the angle of the upward facing speakers be increased beyond 15 degrees when wall mounted? Thanks so much in advance!
Awesome suggestions, can't wait to try them. I'll have to make some measurements. what do you recommend using to wedge the rear of the arc to get the necessary tilt of the atmos speakers? Also, what media did you use to test your setup?
My question is how does the extra decline affect the front drivers? Seems like it puts them angled closer to the floor
That was my first thought too.
Great content.
Are you also gonna test other products than Sonos?
Yes. I’m exploring the bluesound ecosystem. The software seems to be really good. I’ve gotten the pulse 2i. Am considering either getting another to pair it up for true stereo, or to get the pulse 2i soundbar with flex as surround.
Great Video!
This is great. I understand tilting helps get the top facing speakers pointing in the right direction, but doesn't it make the forward facing speakers now pointing in the non optimal direction?
Good job! I haven’t tried following your advice ( 6am in flats) but will update on success or failure once I have. Makes me wonder why Sonos didn’t either put adjustable feet on Arc or do a similar video. Perhaps Sonos could use your knowledge professionally!
I wouldn't say this is a slim soundbar. Almost 9cm tall. Great videos are always. love your work!
Yeah, not exactly slim granted. But it does look curvy!
Subscribed! 10 thumbs up, what a great set of recommendations!
As an aside, I wonder how I can wedge the back of the soundbar if I wall mounted it? 😆
Did you do this for the beam? I can’t seem to find it but would be interested. Your videos have been great. Thank you.
No I didn't. The Beam doesn't use dedicated upward firing drivers, but instead rely on phased array. So I didn't do that video for Beam.
Hi Peter, great video...very detailed...QUESTION - I always see that the Sonos Arc is. placed below the TV - what about if I place it above the TV? I am sitting on a couch about 8ft away - so ears about 3 feet from the floor...I have the SONOS wall mount which as you noted goes flush to the wall, so that is about 3 inches further back and behind the tv which is on a wall mount....I was therefore wondering if the better way to enable the upwards pointing speakers to do their thing is to mount the soundbar flush on the wall above my TV? My room ceiling is 9ft. The to of my TV is 5ft from the floor. What would be your advice?
Any chance you can do a demo video of the trueplay tips you mentioned? :)
Subscribed! great video
Thank you for the amazing video!
Question: I am trying to set up my projector and do NOT want to cut holes in my ceiling to connect my Arc with the projector. Can I place the arc behind my seating and point it upwards, or does it always need to be in front of the viewer?
Pete you the man! Thanks again for yet another well informed vid and tips!
You’re most welcomed and happy to share!
Pete thank you for another amazing video. I’m hoping you could help me I’ve purchase an 85 inch Samsung Q950T and I’m mounting it on a wall my seating area is 10 feet away and my ceiling hight is 9 feet now I would like to wall mount the Sonos arc also but I just wanted to make sure how high off of the ground I should place it can I please get your thoughts on this, thank you.
The seating area is a little too far off. Let’s prioritise setting the arc mounting height as close to ear level as possible.
Next, try to shorten the GAP between the soundbar and your seat. If you can’t move your seat anymore, push the sound bar forward towards the seat.
Once that’s set, if you can angle it, angle down depending on how hight that level is and how big the resulting GAP is from your seat. Refer to my chart in the video.
Peter Pee thank you for your reply.
Great info thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks!
In my room it’s 12.6 Wide & 15’ Long & 8’ High & My sitting angle is to the left of the room 9’ away from the sound bar. My sub is facing ( Openings are left to right ). Unfortunately my TV stand allows me to put the bar a foot and a half off the floor, but I have clearance so that I can bounce off the ceiling and that it’s on the very edge of the shelf. My rears are both left and right of the room facing towards the TV and I have those right against the wall on either side. How do I set my height when calibrating ? Thanks again for everything you do for us regarding Sonos advice.
Wow. Thank you so much for your kindness and appreciation!
For your room, it is similar to mine, except that my ceiling is trickier as it is a lot higher. In your case, it is actually a good thing that your bare is lower. But your sitting position is still a little further than ideal. If you are able to tilt the angle a little, I suggest that you wedge the rear of the arc by just about 1.5cm, which is 2/3 of an inch. That is fairly aggressive and might mean it is not so great for aesthetics. Play around with that.
If you do not want to change the angle, then you might want to adjust the heights channel to make them more pronounced. You can do this in the S2 app by going to heights adjustment. Do a +6 and see if you can hear the difference.
Peter, How far from the Edge of the wall would you place the Sonos 5’s ? I’m using a sub as well so what I place them in the vertical or horizontal position ? I’m using the Arc.
Well learned something today... I’ll need to redo the TruePlay. Two things I did wrong... the instructions stated to point the mic (bottom of the iPhone up) and the second wrong thing... i stood in front of the Arc and went well in front of my MLP.
If you don't get issues with the sound following their instructions, those are the correct instructions to follow. I am just suggesting how to get around some common issues that a lot of users have, for example, pointing it upwards throughout the entire stage 2 Trueplay.
Thank you!
THANK YOU!!!!!
I havent recieved my ARC yet, but i imagine that the best way to find the correct position/angle would be to simply download the official atmos 5.1.2 test file ripped from those Atmos demo blu-rays, and then download a decibel sound meter for your phone. Mount the phone at ear-level facing forward on your couch, or have someone hold it there, play the 5.1.2 test file with the static playing out the height channel, then adjust the angle/height of the arc until you reach the highest loudness as displayed numerically on your phone with the decibel meter running.
Heh, that's an idea too. But you might risk measuring the sound directly from the speaker and not the reflected sound.
Hi Peter, For my setting, I do not have enough mounting space below the TV for a 4-6inch clearance without the SONOS sound emissions hitting objects on a front cabinet. Placing the soundbar at the edge of the front cabinet is also not preferred as there is a risk of it falling over (young kids in the home who may just pull the bar over the edge). The cabinet also has front drawers with a thick edge which would still reflect the sound upwards. So my question is this:- Would mounting the SONOS Arc ABOVE the TV be a good option? There would be no obstruction for the upward firing speakers. My concern is the angle for the front and side speakers. Would the drop in sound quality for the center and sides be worth the sacrifice for better Dolby Atmos experience from the upward firing speakers? Would appreciate your insights. Thanks.
What a great question! Hope Peter can answer this one!
Great work this I’m gona try at home !!!
Have fun experimenting! I hope it helps. It is at least a baseline. Tweak as you deem fit!
So whats everyone using to angle their arc forward ????
Wow! Thanks so much for this video you've got a new sub! Thanks for all the hard work.
Has anyone had to tilt their arc? Of so what did you use to tilt? I need to get mine tilted by 2/3". TIA
To clarify. The bar has to be at ear level to notice the upward sound?
Thank you for the video Peter. Just got the Arc the other day. I am noticing though that the unit seems louder or favors the left side of the bar, especially with voice tracks. I found others who experienced this too on the Sonos forums. Any ideas what could cause this? I will say, the bar is closer to my left wall than right, so I don't know if this is just acoustics bouncing back.
So wouldn’t tilting the arc down point the front speakers towards the floor and loosing dialog detail at the expense of trying to improve Atmos?🤔
Thanks for the great tips as usual, Peter!
Question, do you think placing sound absorbers/diffusers on the ceiling for acoustic room treatment would interfere with the Arc's Atmos capabilities?
Yes. It will. Don’t do that for Atmos TOP firing speakers. They need to bounce for it to work.
Peter excellent article, but I need a bit of help for my new Sonos arc and sub setup. Can you help with how high I have to raise the rear of the Arc up to enhance Atmos for my distance setup. Many thanks. Stu.
Sonos Arc Setup
75” Sony Bravia.
Ceiling - 2.6M. = 8.53ft
Arc height - 0.64M. = 2.09ft
MLP - 3.2M. = 10.49ft
Love this content. I’m thinking of installing a TV and Arc above a fireplace in the livingroom. Based on your content would you recommend sitting the arc on the mantel to enable it to be angled, instead of the wall bracket as it’s fixed and would project the sound above us when we are sitting on a sofa.
Yes, I would say sit the arc on the edge of the mantle and carefully angle it and secure it for best sound.
What is the affect of placing a soundbar (Arc) above the TV? Thanks Peter! Excellent videos.
It won't sound nearly as good. Might as well buy a much cheaper one if it's going to be mounted above a tv.