We wish the brand would add increased support, and support may also depend on your TV since you can't connect ouboard devices to the bar directly, but the addition is a step in the right direction.
#Sonos arc dolby atmos update#
Sonos officially has "nothing to share" on DTS:X, but an update to the S2 app adds DTS Digital Surround (5.1) as of November 16. meaning those with an extensive Blu-ray collection have had to set outboard devices to output PCM for DTS audio tracks to play at all, which also excludes DTS:X, the biggest rival to Dolby Atmos. I did occasionally wish I could ramp up the center channel for dialogue-there is a dialogue boost, but it also makes the upper register sharper-so here's hoping that's also in the works.Īnother major hole in the Sonos Arc's home theater offerings has long been its lack of DTS support. And in my original evaluation, I rarely felt the need to make adjustments, as the Arc is so well tuned. Luckily, Sonos did add the ability to control the height channels with an update to the S2 app in May 2021, which could be crucial for those with higher ceilings.
#Sonos arc dolby atmos drivers#
A lack of home theater trappingsĬontinuing on the minimalist theme, the Arc’s plug-and-play design makes for simple operation, but also allows for fewer ways to adjust and tinker with settings than the vast majority of competing devices.įor instance, while the app makes it easy to adjust the volume and EQ of add-on Sonos speakers, you can't adjust individual drivers such as the center channel. In short, total reliance on your TV for surround sound output comes with real limitations. The Arc’s support for HDMI eARC means that it can source uncompressed audio from a device connected to your TV-but only if you have a newer TV that also supports eARC connection.
This also means the Arc can’t source uncompressed Dolby Atmos signals from outboard components, some of which may not support Atmos without it. This not only robs a TV input if you connect via HDMI ARC (necessary to source Atmos), but it also makes getting Dolby Atmos sound more complicated.įor example, if your TV is too old to passthrough Dolby Atmos (basically if it doesn't support Dolby Digital Plus) you can't get Atmos at all, as there's no way to simply bypass the TV by connecting a streaming box or Blu-ray player to the Arc directly. The bar’s lack of an extra HDMI input is the main concern, though. Total reliance on your TV's sound output comes with real limitations. Luckily, now that Dolby Atmos Music tracks are available over Tidal, there are more chances to explore it than ever.Ī few minor quibbles aside, the word that keeps coming up when describing the Arc’s sound signature is “premium.” It really does deliver on its promise there, and those looking for tactile detail and cinematic pop will find both in spades. The best music reproduction by far came from Atmos tracks in films, especially notable in the Guardians 2 soundtrack George Harrison’s "Sweet Lord" on Ego’s home planet was a revelation. The Arc does best with richer productions like The Weeknd’s “Starboy” or Snarky Puppy’s “Jefe," while more acoustic-oriented tracks were less dynamic and sounded more processed. Similar to most soundbars (including Samsung's $1,700 Q90R), stereo music over the Arc is also flatter and more static, though still enjoyable. But that's being pretty nitpicky-I mostly just enjoyed the ride. Occasionally in the quietest moments of shows like The Wire, I became aware of the Arc’s digital processing as there seemed to be a slightly metallic color to voices.
Unsurprisingly, sound floated down to earth on stereo mixes of old sitcoms like Seinfeld, but details were still notable and dialogue smooth and rarely shouty.
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