Is Your Sonos Beam Not Playing TV Sound? (Fix it NOW)

Sonos Beam not playing TV sound, and you can’t find out why? Don’t worry, just read ahead!

The Sonos Beam soundbar connects to the TV either via HDMI ARC or (eARC), but if your TV doesn’t have those ports, you can always use the HDMI to Optical adapter.

However, now you are connected, but there is no sound from the soundbar, so let’s walk you through the solutions.

So, if your Sonos Beam is connected to the TV, but there is no sound, first ensure that the HDMI cable is connected to the ARC or eARC port.

Also, boost the volume of all sources, and verify that you’re not using Dolby Digital+ audio format.

We’re only scratching the surface here, so dive into the in-depth steps!

Sonos Beam Not Playing TV Sound – Quick & Easy Solutions!

Tip: Follow the troubleshooting steps in order.

1. Verify You Use the Correct TV Port

It’s crucial to ensure that you’re connecting your Sonos Beam soundbar to the HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC port on your television.

If you’ve connected the HDMI cable to a regular HDMI port, then you’re attempting to transfer video, not sound.

So, looking at the back side of your TV, ensure that the port to which the Beam’s HDMI cable is connected has the label “ARC or eARC”.

If not, then locate the HDMI ARC port on the television and reconnect the HDMI cable to the correct port.

Quick Tip: If you’re unsure which HDMI port on your TV is ARC, check the TV’s manual or ask Google for more details about the exact model.

2. Boost the Volume from All Sources

So if your Sonos Beam connected to TV but no sound, perhaps the volume is too low.

Sonos Beam doesn’t come with a remote, and if paired correctly, you can control it with the TV remote.

2.1 Increase Television Volume

So, grab the remote control of the TV and press the Volume Up button multiple times to verify that your TV is producing loud audio output.

It’s also important to verify that the TV is not muted by pressing the “Mute” button on your remote, which typically looks like a crossed-out speaker.

2.2 Increase Beam Volume Limit

Also, open the Sonos app, go to “Sound” and select the Volume Limit option.

Make sure that the Volume Limit is not below 20%, so drag the slider to the right and leave it at ~85 up to 95%.

Tip: When ready, restart the TV and check whether the Sonos Beam soundbar is playing sound!

3. Test a Different Streaming Platform

If you didn’t know, Sonos Beam doesn’t support Dolby Digital Plus, which is commonly used by most streaming platforms by default.

For example, Netflix is one of them, so if you don’t hear sound through your Sonos Beam, go to another streaming platform such as YouTube and test.

Hence, if you hear sound through another platform, but not through all, then navigate to the Sound Settings of the specific app and set the sound to “Stereo”.

Note: If you’ve connected a PlayStation to your TV, set the “HDMI OUT” to “Bitstream (Dolby)” and for Xbox set the Bitstream off and set the format to “Dolby Digital.”

4. Disconnect All the TV HDMI Sources

Sometimes the Sonos Beam no sound problem originates from the third-party HDMI devices connected to the TV.

Those could be TV boxes, consoles, or other speakers, so it’s vital to test whether your Sonos Beam will output your standalone TV audio. 

Hence, unplug all HDMI sources from the TV and leave only your Sonos Beam soundbar!

If it’s not working, continue reading…

5. Configure Your TV Audio Settings

If you don’t have other devices connected to your TV, but the Sonos Beam does not output any sound, perhaps your TV audio settings are set to DD+ (Dolby Digital Plus).

This won’t work, so you need to head into the TV settings, find the “Audio/Sound” options, and verify that you use Dolby Digital 5.1 or PCM (Stereo). 

This is vital, so if you need to, check the TV user manual to navigate to the audio settings, or browse through the menus to discover them.

• On most TVs you can find the audio settings in the Settings → Sound → Audio Format.

Quick Tip: On some TVs, you must select the default audio source to be “Receiver HDMI”.

6. Reset Your Sonos Beam to Default

If nothing helps and you don’t hear audio through your Sonos Beam, chances are that there is something wrong with the settings configuration.

Hence, the only way to unpair Sonos units from the app and carry out the initialization again is to factory reset the Sonos Beam soundbar.

Here’s how to factory reset Sonos Beam in easy steps:

1. First, disconnect the power cable from the Sonos Beam.
2. Hold the Join button while reconnecting the power cable.
3. Release after your status light flashes orange and white.

That’s it. Now you can head back into the app, but don’t rush into setting the soundbar just yet, instead continue reading for a potential solution…

Warning: This method will delete all the data and revert all soundbar settings to default!

7. Skip Sonos’ TruePlay Configuration

If your Sonos Beam soundbar is now reset to default, when you open the Sonos app you will be prompted to set up the unit initially.

So, while you are doing it, we advise skipping the TruePlay configuration as this automatically sets up the Beam equalizer and can sometimes cause faults.

So, when you’re prompted to adjust the TruePlay, just hit “Skip” in the top-right corner and test!

How to Set Up Sonos EQ Manually?

• To reach the equalizer settings in the Sonos app, go to Settings → System → Room → Sound → EQ to reveal the equalizer settings.

By default, everything would be at “0” which means that you would hear audible sound.

However, to amplify the playout, set the Bass to +2 dB and Treble to +3 dB.

You should also toggle on the “Loudness” for even better sound for your TV.

Tip: You can always press “Reset” to revert the EQ settings of your Sonos Beam to default!

8. Implement Replacement HDMI Cable

If there is no sound from Sonos Beam under any form or variety, then all evidence leads to a defective HDMI cable.

So, the next step is to check whether the Sonos Beam will start playing the TV sound with a replacement HDMI cable if you have one at home.

Feel free to disengage an HDMI cable from a different setup from your home, which has proven to be working correctly.

Then, connect the HDMI cable to the Sonos Beam and to an HDMI ARC or eARC port on your TV.

If you use an optical adapter (dongle), verify you use the TV OPT-IN.

If your Sonos Beam soundbar won’t play the TV sound even with a replacement HDMI cable, perhaps there is something wrong with the TV.

Quick Tip: If your TV has an option to reset all audio settings, we recommend trying this now!

9. Test the Sonos Beam on Different TV

The final step in diagnosing the audio output problem of your Sonos Beam soundbar would be to test it on a different TV.

You can use any TV as long as there is an HDMI ARC/eARC port or an optical output via HDMI to Optical dongle.

If your Sonos Beam soundbar doesn’t output audio even on a different TV, then the problem is with the device itself.

The best next step would be to try and claim your warranty by contacting the local merchant or by reaching out to Sony Customer Service.

What Should You Do If Your Sonos Beam Is Not Playing TV Sound But HDMI Arc Is Not Detected?

If your Sonos Beam is not playing TV sound and HDMI Arc is not detected, troubleshooting is essential. Start by checking all connections and ensuring your TV’s HDMI ARC setting is enabled. If issues persist, consider updating your device firmware to help fix sonos hdmi arc issues effectively.

Wrapping Up

Hence, if your Sonos Beam not playing TV sound, first verify that you’re using the HDMI ARC or eARC TV port and increase the TV volume.

Then, ensure that the TV’s audio format is set to Dolby Digital 5.1 or PCM, and if nothing helps, reset your soundbar.

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