Low audio from surround speakers when watching TV

This article provides some information on why your Sonos surround speakers may be outputting audio at a low volume when you’re watching TV.

Increase the volume of the surrounds

You can increase the overall volume of the surround audio when playing from your TV.

Follow these instructions to change surround audio settings:

Sonos app for iOS or Android

1. Go to the Settings menu.
2. Under My System, select the room with your surround speakers.
3. Under Sound, select Surround Audio.
4. Adjust the TV Level slider to increase the volume of the surround speakers.

Sonos S1 Controller app for iOS or Android

1. From the  Settings tab, select System.
2. Under Products, select the room with your surround speakers.
3. Under Sound, select Surround Audio.
4. Adjust the TV Level slider to increase the volume of the surround speakers.

Adjust the audio format

The audio from your surround speakers may differ based on the audio format received from the TV.

Check and see if your listed format is stereo/PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, or Dolby TrueHD. See our article on checking your Sonos home theater audio format to see what format Sonos is receiving from your TV.

If the format is Stereo/PCM, Sonos is receiving two-channel audio and interpreting which audio should go to the rear surrounds This means you may not hear a lot of surround audio. Make sure your TV is set to output Dolby Digital instead. Check your TV's product manual for specific instructions on how to switch formats.

If you have a Sonos Arc, Arc SL, Arc Ultra, or Beam (Gen 2), check our article on listening to Dolby Atmos on Sonos to make sure your Sonos product is configured correctly to output Dolby Digital audio.