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Sonos · Soundbars · 2026-05-03

Sonos Arc No Sound From TV: eARC and CEC Fixes

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Sonos Arc No Sound From TV: eARC and CEC Fixes

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The Sonos Arc is one of the best soundbars for HDMI eARC, but a silent Arc while the TV plays video is one of the most common Sonos complaints. The cause is almost always one of: an eARC handshake stuck in a bad state, a TV audio output set to PCM or "Internal Speakers," a CEC conflict from another HDMI device, an HDMI cable that can't carry eARC bandwidth, or a Sonos app that needs to re-run TV setup. The steps below resolve every variant in order.

Quick answer

Symptoms

Step 1: Verify the HDMI port and label

The Arc must be on the TV's eARC- or ARC-labeled port. Most TVs have only one:

If the Arc is plugged into a regular HDMI input, the TV will accept the Arc as a video input but won't route audio back to it.

Step 2: Replace the HDMI cable

The Sonos Arc supports eARC up to 37 Mbps audio bandwidth. Most "High Speed" and "Premium High Speed" cables work for ARC but fail intermittently with eARC.

  1. Use a Certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable (look for the holographic certification sticker)
  2. Reseat both ends until they click
  3. Run point-to-point — no HDMI switches, splitters, or wall plates for this test

Step 3: Set TV audio output

The TV decides whether audio routes to the Arc or stays on the internal speakers. Wrong setting = silence.

Avoid PCM unless explicitly diagnosing — it forces stereo and strips Atmos.

Step 4: Re-run TV setup in the Sonos app

The Sonos S2 app's TV Setup wizard re-discovers the Arc and re-negotiates audio routing.

  1. Open the Sonos app on your phone (S2 app — older S1 doesn't support Arc)
  2. Settings → System → tap your Arc
  3. Tap TV Setup
  4. Follow the prompts — it'll ask you to point your TV remote at the Arc and press buttons to verify CEC volume control
  5. If it can't detect button presses, the TV's Anynet+ / Bravia Sync / SimpLink isn't enabled — fix that on the TV first (step 5)

If TV Setup completes successfully, audio should return immediately. If it fails or hangs, continue to step 5.

Step 5: Reset CEC on both devices

CEC by brand:

Disable CEC in the TV's settings, restart the TV, then re-enable CEC. This forces a fresh discovery and is often the fix when the Sonos app's TV Setup hangs.

Step 6: Full power cycle

If steps 1–5 look correct but you still have no sound:

  1. Unplug the Sonos Arc power cable from the wall
  2. Unplug the TV from the wall
  3. Disconnect the HDMI cable from both ends
  4. Wait 60 seconds (Sonos Arc has internal capacitors that need to discharge)
  5. Plug TV back in first, wait for it to fully boot
  6. Plug Arc back in, wait for the LED to turn solid white (~30 seconds)
  7. Reconnect HDMI cable to the eARC port
  8. Open Sonos app, tap your Arc, run TV Setup again

Step 7: Check the Sonos S2 app version

Sonos's 2024 app rewrite caused weeks of disruption with TV setup, eARC discovery, and group playback. By 2026 most issues are fixed, but a few users still hit edge cases on older Arc firmware.

  1. Open Sonos app → Settings → System → System Settings → About this Sonos system
  2. Note the Arc's software version
  3. App Store / Google Play → check Sonos app for updates
  4. In the Sonos app: Settings → System → System Updates → check for Arc firmware updates
  5. If the Arc's software is behind, update it manually — Sonos doesn't publish a specific build that fixes eARC, so just take the latest

If Sonos app issues are blocking TV setup specifically, you can also use AirPlay 2 from an iPhone as a temporary workaround for streaming app audio (TV remote volume won't work with AirPlay).

Step 8: Test with a different audio format

Some TVs send Atmos or Dolby Digital Plus that the Arc doesn't decode cleanly with the current firmware. Diagnose:

  1. Set TV Digital Audio Output to PCM (temporarily)
  2. If audio returns over PCM, the issue is format-specific. Switch back to Bitstream and try Dolby Digital instead of "Auto"
  3. If a specific streaming app still fails, the format is usually set by the device's own audio output settings rather than the app — check those first, then the app's own settings if it has any

Step 9: Disconnect other HDMI devices

CEC chatter from other devices (PS5, Apple TV, Blu-ray player) can interfere with the eARC handshake.

  1. Unplug everything from the TV except the Arc
  2. Test eARC normally
  3. If audio returns, reconnect devices one at a time and re-test
  4. The interfering device usually has weak CEC implementation — disable CEC on that device specifically (not the TV)

PS5 is a common culprit because it sends CEC commands when switching between menus and games.

Step 10: Factory reset the Arc

Last resort before contacting Sonos support:

  1. Unplug Arc from wall
  2. Press and hold the Connect button on the back of the Arc
  3. Plug the power cable back in while continuing to hold Connect
  4. Continue holding until the LED flashes amber and white
  5. Release — the Arc resets to factory defaults
  6. Set up from scratch in the Sonos app
  7. Run TV Setup

This clears any corrupted internal state — sometimes the only fix when CEC handshake state is permanently stuck.

Sub Mini, Sub, and surround speaker pairing

If you have a Sub Mini, Sonos Sub, or Era 100/300 surrounds paired with the Arc and no sound is coming from any of them, the issue could be the Arc-to-Sub link, not eARC:

  1. Open Sonos app → Settings → System → tap your Arc room
  2. Verify Sub and surrounds show as bonded
  3. If a Sub or surround speaker is offline, tap it → Re-add to the room
  4. Re-run Trueplay tuning (usually Settings → System → Tap Arc → Trueplay Tuning; on the Arc this needs a compatible iOS device — Android Quick Tuning exists only on newer hardware such as the Arc Ultra and the Era speakers)

Trueplay tuning compensates for room acoustics and can also fix subjective "muffled" or "thin" complaints.

Decoding Sonos Arc display behavior

The Arc has no display — only an LED. Indicators:

When the Arc itself may be failing

If you've tested:

…and audio still won't pass over eARC, the Arc's HDMI input may be failing. Sonos's warranty is 1 year (longer in EU). Symptoms that point to hardware:

Submit a diagnostic report from the Sonos app: Settings → System → About → Send Diagnostic — note the diagnostic number and contact Sonos support with it.

FAQ

Why does my Sonos Arc work with AirPlay but not TV apps? AirPlay routes audio directly from your phone or Apple TV to the Arc over Wi-Fi — the HDMI link isn't involved. If AirPlay works but TV apps are silent, the Arc hardware is fine. The issue is in the HDMI eARC path: TV audio output setting, CEC handshake, or cable.

Do I need eARC, or is regular ARC enough for the Sonos Arc? Regular ARC is enough for Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital Plus with Atmos metadata (lossy Atmos). eARC is needed for lossless Atmos (TrueHD). Most streaming apps deliver Atmos as DD+, so you get Atmos either way. UHD Blu-rays carry lossless Atmos on TrueHD, which does need eARC — and note the player connects to the TV, not the bar. The Sonos Arc has a single HDMI port and it is eARC-out to the TV; there is no input to plug a source into.

Why does my Arc show audio activity but no sound? This is rare and usually means the Arc is decoding audio but not driving its speakers — could be a hardware fault (factory reset and contact Sonos) or, more commonly, the Arc is bonded to a different room in the Sonos app and audio is going elsewhere. Check Settings → System.

My Arc audio drops every time I switch Netflix to Disney+. Why? App switching causes the TV to renegotiate audio format with the Arc. If your TV's Digital Audio Output is "Auto," it can briefly silence the eARC link during format change. Set it to Bitstream specifically, which holds a consistent format and reduces handshake chatter.

Why is the Sonos S2 app required and what changed in 2024? S2 is Sonos's current app, replacing S1. The 2024 app overhaul broke many features for several months — most are now fixed. The Arc only works with S2; if you have the older S1 app on your phone, it won't recognize a new Arc.

Can other HDMI devices interfere with Sonos Arc audio? Yes. CEC commands from a PS5, Apple TV, or Blu-ray player can hijack the TV's audio routing. Disable CEC on those devices (not on the TV) to reduce conflicts. Step 9 isolates this.

Will Trueplay tuning fix no-sound issues? No — Trueplay tunes acoustic balance only, not the digital signal path. It won't restore audio if the eARC handshake is broken. Run Trueplay only after confirming sound works through the Arc.

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