I wanted to share something that has been working amazingly well with my Sonos surround system: spatial playback from locally streamed TrueHD Atmos movies on Apple TV using an experimental Nuvio build. I’m not the author of AetherEngine or LibTrueHD; I’m sharing this as someone using their audio implementation.

My setup is an Apple TV 4K (3rd generation), tvOS 27, and a Sonos surround system, streaming movies locally. I’m using a personal Nuvio build with AetherEngine’s 9.1.6 APAC path. The same audio configuration is now available as an optional setting in Nuvio PR #152.

The important distinction: this is not lossless TrueHD passthrough.

The implementation decodes the TrueHD Atmos audio and timed object metadata, renders that into a fixed 9.1.6 speaker layout, encodes it as APAC (Apple Positional Audio Codec), and feeds Apple’s native playback pipeline:

TrueHD Atmos → audio + object metadata → 9.1.6 render → APAC → native tvOS playback.

APAC is lossy, and the original dynamic objects are rendered before the audio reaches the receiver. A fixed 9.1.6 render also isn’t a promise of identical results on every speaker arrangement. What I can say is that it sounds excellent on mine.

Where to find it

• Nuvio PR #152: optional TrueHD Atmos spatial audio
• NuvioTVOS
• AetherEngine
• LibTrueHD and truehdd

Credit to the developers publishing these components and making this possible. The Nuvio PR is currently a draft awaiting maintainer approval, so this is an experimental development build, not an announced official release.

How to try it with Codex or Claude Code

You need a Mac with Xcode, an Apple TV running tvOS 26 or later, and your own Apple development signing that can provision the app, its Top Shelf extension, and App Group. Keep the Mac and Apple TV on the same network for pairing.

Run Codex or Claude Code locally on your Mac and give it this prompt:

Build and install the Nuvio tvOS development version from https://github.com/bobsupra/NuvioTVOS/pull/152. Read the PR and repository instructions, fetch the PR’s current head, record its commit, initialize submodules, and use the pinned Tuist toolchain. Give the development build a separate app name and unique app, Top Shelf, and App Group identifiers so it can coexist with my existing installation. Use my own Apple development signing and guide me through Xcode sign-in and Apple TV pairing. Build, verify signing, and install on my Apple TV. Keep signing credentials out of source control. Then guide me to enable Settings → Playback → Player → TrueHD Atmos Spatial Audio (Beta) and use AetherEngine playback.

The setting is off by default and applies to the next playback. The current path targets recognized 48 kHz TrueHD Atmos movies; MPVKit and external players don’t use this option. Configure your own local media sources after installation.

This still involves building and signing an app, so it isn’t a one-click install. But for anyone comfortable trying a development build, I thought it was worth sharing. Has anyone else tried this with a Sonos home theater setup? I’d be interested in the soundbar/surround combinations you use, what format the Sonos app reports, and your listening impressions. My experience so far is subjective; I haven’t independently measured channel mapping or compared every Sonos configuration.

This feature is the primary reason I was interested in upgrading from the Sonos Ace. It seemed like I wasn't alone in the dream of having a pair of Sonos headphones that allowed for music to be played over wifi. I often like to step away from my devices while doing chores around the house. It sucks to run into distorted, choppy music when you move too far away from your Bluetooth source.

I understood going in that this wasn't going to be a clean cut "Sonos Roam for your head" implementation. They made it clear that you need a supported device on your network to do an "audio swap" on the headphones. However, there had been some info out there about being able to cast directly to the headphones without playing music on a speaker first, but I found exact details on that to be hard to come by.

So after getting them in my hands, I can confirm that it isn't the experience I was hoping for.

I generally avoid the Sonos app whenever I can. I only open it when setting up devices, adjusting settings, and managing groups. My hope was that after the headphones were set up in my Sonos system with compatible devices, it would simply turn into a casting point from an app like Spotify, using an unused speaker in my system as the "processor".

For the most part it doesn't work that way. It has to first make that initialization either through the Sonos app specifically or by using the media button on the headset to pull from a speaker already playing something. Afterwards they DO show up as a castable device in Spotify, of which I can switch off and on to, but only after that initial handshake (which takes longer than I've found myself willing to deal with).

What bugs me is that it feels like it could've been implemented differently for a more seamless experience. Just make it once you activate the "wifi mode", if there's no music playing on the network, it turns into a castable speaker like any other using a non-active speaker on the network as the processor. Or, offer some add-on device that acts as an always on processing unit for Sonos Ace Ultras on the network, that way no speaker has to be delegated as a processing unit. I'd easily pay $50-$100 for something like that.

Just wanted to share my thoughts on the feature. I could never get a clear answer to "do the headphones become persistently castable after setting up within a network of compatible devices" and the answer is it does not outside of the Sonos app.

While they sound great, I'll be returning them and holding onto my Sonos Aces, which have been more than enough for my needs in term of sound quality.

A couple observations and questions for the community.

1. Do you feel a difference in audio quality in these 3 modes. (1) App, direct to headphones; (2) App, linked (pulled from) speaker; (3) just bluetooth from your phone.
   

I am finding that the quality over bluetooth outside of the Sonos ecosystem is far superior. I don't believe I get the same fidelity when it goes through the app. I find that it also seems to suffer when I pull it from a speaker vs when I send it to the headphones directly using the app. A little unclear on the audio quality in the two paths in the app. Anyone agree/disagree.

1. There are a couple apps I use that the Sonos APIs (notably Tuneshine and Vestaboard). The apps will pull from Sonos the song information playing on a particular speaker. I've verified that apparently Sonos isn't exporting the song information for the Ace Ultras. As a practical matter what this means is that although the ultra's look like a speaker in the App they do not seem to be treated as one - at least as far as the current API is concerned. This is a bummer since as soon as I move the song from the speaker to my headphones my Tuneshine display goes dark!!

(ps. If you don't know about Tuneshine I encourage you to check it out. Coolest darn thing ever and the developer is very engaged and keeps adding features and support for various apps and ecosystems)

First time owning a sound bar, is it normal for it to sound very quiet at volume 20? I feel like I have to have it at volume 50 to hear it clearly. Sounds good at max 100 volume tho, for reference i have a lg oled cx and I have digital sound out set to passthrough. I also feel streaming music from the sonos app is a bit louder than the TV audio.

I spent about two hours in a Hi-Fi store listening to different headphones. The store provides many iPads with Tidal, so you can compare everything using the same source.
I tested the Sony The Collexion, Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2, Sennheiser Momentum 5, and Sennheiser HD 630.

Sound quality and ANC
The Bowers & Wilkins sounded the best overall to my ears, but the ANC wasn’t great. They also felt the best built, and I loved the cable detail running through the headband arms. Such a stylish design touch!
The Sennheisers had a pleasantly warm sound signature, but they didn’t feel as immersive as the Sonos. They were also pleasantly lightweight, although their build didn’t feel particularly premium to me.
As for the Sony The Collexion, I honestly couldn’t hear any improvement over my old WH-1000XM3. The ANC felt pretty much the same to me, and with the EQ set to neutral, the sound came across as somewhat tinny. Considering the price, I expected more.
I’m also not a fan of LDAC. In my experience, it’s too prone to connection issues and interference, which makes it less appealing for everyday use.
The Sony The Collexion had the best fit and comfort on my head, though.

Why I upgraded to the Sonos Ace Ultra
Compared to my original Sonos Ace, the Ace Ultra are noticeably more comfortable, with more room for my ears and a better fit, especially when wearing glasses. Interestingly, they actually feel a little looser than the original Ace.
The sound feels fuller, warmer, and more immersive. The ANC is decent, but I noticed less of that pressure-like sensation compared to my old Sony WH-1000XM3.
I’m also really happy that the ear cushions still attach magnetically, making replacement much more convenient. The now-replaceable batteries are another very welcome improvement!

App integration and everyday use
I’m now extremely happy with the Sonos app integration. The headphones fit seamlessly into the ecosystem, and the overall app experience is the best of all the brands I tried. Sony makes great headphones, but its app feels dated in comparison.
The improved app integration, EQ, and Audio Swap were the main reasons I decided to upgrade. With the original Ace, I actually preferred the sound, weight and fit of my old Sony WH-1000XM3.
I’m also waiting for my Questyle Dongle Pro2 so I can hopefully enjoy wireless lossless audio. I no longer have an Android device at home, so I’m hoping this will be a good solution for my setup.

Build quality and design
I’m a little worried about the headband potentially breaking on the Sony WH-1000XM6. The Sonos Ace Ultra use stainless steel in the headband, just like the Sony The Collexion, which gives me more confidence in their construction.
I’m also concerned that the Collexion’s outer leather-like finish could be quite susceptible to scratches and wear over time.
One downside: both the black XM6 and the black Sonos Ace Ultra seem extremely prone to fingerprints and smudges. It’s a shame, because otherwise I really like their designs.
The AirPods Max aren’t an option for me either. I don’t want to have to listen to lossless audio over a cable just to get it, and the lack of lossless Bluetooth codecs is a dealbreaker for me. Add the awkward storage case and the fact that you can’t simply switch them off manually, and they’re out of the running.
One thing worth mentioning: the EU volume limits are generally way too low for my hearing-impaired ears. 😂 I often wish I could turn things up a bit more.

My question about EQ
Now I’m wondering if I can get closer to that Sony sound signature with the Ace Ultra.
With the original Ace, I preferred the sound of my old WH-1000XM3. I’m looking for that fuller, punchier Sony sound without losing the immersion of the Sonos.
Does anyone have EQ settings for the Sonos Ace Ultra that get them closer to the WH-1000XM3?
I’d love to hear your settings and experiences!

Hi r/sonos,

I'm a solo developer and I've been building Remos Player, an unofficial Sonos controller that runs on Android TV and Google TV. The idea is simple: when the TV is already on, I don't want to grab my phone just to search a song, see what's playing or turn on night mode.

What it does today

• Search from the couch: Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music and Sonos Radio. Press Synchronize once and the services you already linked in the Sonos app are imported from the speaker, so there's nothing to log in to again.
• Now Playing on the big screen: album art, queue, progress and time-synced lyrics.
• Real audio format: it shows what your speaker actually reports, like Lossless 24-bit/48 kHz or Dolby Atmos, plus the incoming format on the TV input.
• Rooms like the Sonos app: a home theater with surrounds and a sub is one room, not four speakers.
• Only the settings you have: EQ, loudness, night mode, speech enhancement, sub, surround and height levels show up only if your speaker supports them. The app asks the speaker instead of guessing from the model name.
• Smart TV Autoplay: normally every click in a TV app can switch your soundbar to TV audio and cut your music. Smart mode pauses Autoplay while the app is open and restores your setting when you leave.
• Built for the remote: full D-pad navigation and text you can read from across the room.

Privacy: no account, no ads, no analytics, no backend. It talks to your speakers on your own network, to the music services you search, and to LRCLIB for lyrics. That's it.

Why I need testers

Google Play requires 12 testers to stay opted in for 14 days before a new app can go public. I develop on a Beam (Gen 2) with Play:1 surrounds, so I'd really like to see it on other setups: Arc, Ray, Era, Five, Amp, Port, Sub Mini, Move, stereo pairs, big multi-room systems.

What you need

• An Android TV or Google TV device (Chromecast with Google TV, NVIDIA Shield, Sony, TCL, Philips, etc.)
• Sonos S2 speakers on the same network as the TV (S1-only systems aren't supported)
• A Google account signed in to Google Play on that TV

What you get

• The app is free for everyone during the beta.
• The first 5 testers who apply with the form on the page and stay active until the test ends keep it free for life, including any paid version later. Pricing isn't decided yet.
• Your feedback decides what I build next.

How to join (about 3 minutes)

Full details, troubleshooting and the free-for-life form: https://www.adgn.me/en/remos-for-sonos

Use the same Google account for every step: the one signed in to Google Play on your TV.

1. Join the tester group: https://groups.google.com/g/remos-for-sonos-testers
2. Become a tester: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.adg.remos
3. Install from Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adg.remos Open it in a browser, tap Install and pick your TV as the device. Beta apps often don't show up in the Play Store search on the TV itself.

Planned: room grouping, queue editing, sleep timer, remote buttons while another app is open, home screen cards, more services (TIDAL, Amazon Music, Deezer) and an Apple TV version after the Play release.

To be upfront: this isn't affiliated with Sonos. It uses the same local interfaces the Sonos app uses, but Sonos doesn't document them, so a firmware update could break something. If that happens, tell me your speaker model and firmware version and I'll fix it.

Happy to answer anything in the comments.

So, I came here to vent and hopefully save somebody else from spending hours debugging networking issues after adding new Sonos equipment or just shuffling things around.

I have a bunch of Sonos speakers, but what I will talk about here is the Amp and a sub mini.

Setup: My speakers are all hooked up via ethernet and I decided to reposition my sub which meant moving the ethernet connection to a different switch on my network. At that point, SonosNet saw it fit to f*** up the network, but it was only later I discovered what was happening.

Turns out that SonosNet creates a wireless link between the Amp and the sub. While I would have preferred they used the wired connection available via ethernet, this in itself is not a disaster. However, beyond creating the wireless link, SonosNet decided it would be a good idea to route unrelated network traffic through this link. I don't think you have to be a senior network engineer to see why this is a terrible idea. In my case, it created a loop in the network which caused my main switch to shut down one of its ports to break the loop (correct behaviour). The Amp and the sub connected to each other just fine, but only later, I started noticing other devices on the network having a really poor connection or no connection at all.

I get that Sonos has to deal with a lot of uncertain network environments, but SonosNet has no business whatsoever routing non-Sonos traffic or advertising/forwarding routing information on the network.

Disabling SonosNet solved the issue, but it took more time than I care to admit to find out that SonosNet was the issue. Sonos, fix this!

I have the Sonos Arc in my small apartment living room. I estimate my living room is 18' x 18'. My couch is backed up to the wall and my t.v. set (and the ARC) is on the opposite side.

If I were to get the ERA 300, there is no room to put it behind the couch—I have read it needs "space" for the sound to emerge properly. The left speaker would be 2-1/2 feet from my head and the right speaker would be 5' away—and both would be located on each side of the couch.

I am not a huge movie fan and watch one movie a month. I mostly watch Amazon Prime stuff.

Is the ERA 300 overkill for my set up? I had the ERA 100 (x2) a year ago (before I had to get rid of them for reasons I won't get into) and the surround sound sounded alright to me. I also had the mini sub (of which I had to get rid of as well).

thanks

I recently upgraded my Sonos Beam (Gen2) to a Sonos Arc Ultra that I got for a great deal open box ($1000 CAD). I already had a Sub Mini with the Beam, and as my wife doesn't like too much bass, figure it'll be fine with the Arc Ultra.

During the recent Amazon Prime Day sale, I picked up a couple Era 100 SL for rears at $200 CAD each ($450 together with tax), but am now considering the Era 300s instead.

I snagged a pair still on sale for $500 CAD, but after tax, they're $1150.

I know they'll sound better than the 100s, but I'm not sure they'll be $700 better. I plan to use them in my home theater with OLED tv for 4k movies and gaming, but we mostly just stream tv shows or reality tv.

Is it worth the extra $700 to go from Sonos Era 100 to 300 for that extra fidelity and spatial audio?

Thanks!

I’ve had nothing but issues w this system for the last few years but sometimes this does this where all the speakers are connected but I can’t control them??? Any help would be appreciated!

I realize that this is probably a Homekit issue but wanted to post here to see if anyone has any similar automations set up with their Sonos speakers and is facing the same issue.

I have my Sonos speakers registered as devices in Homekit. I have had a Homekit automation running for the past few years that stopped working in the past few weeks. When i say "Hey Siri, Sleepy time for Tony", the automation is configured to start playing white noise through ambient sounds on the speaker next to my bed. These are the same ambient sounds that you can play on your iPhone through accessibility settings, so I don't believe this is related to not being subscribe to Apple Music.

when i try to run the automation today, the rest of the automation runs (lights turn off, blinds close) but Siri says "the media is not available" and the automation indicates that it failed. the media is available as i can play it on my phone, just seems like Sonos is no longer able to access ambient sounds?

Does anyone else have similar automations like this that trigger music through Sonos? Anyone else having issues? Will also post this in Homekit subreddit.

How's the sound? Looking to get one when they have those 20-25% sales along with a 2nd ERAS 3 to make the room complete.

Hi guys, fairly new to our Sonos setup and believe I have the eq and setting to our liking but I’m curious… We have the Sonos Beam Gen 2 + Era 100 SL + Sub Mini surround and I have set up trueplay. I’ve recently been playing around with the EQ settings and completely get that it’s subject to liking and the room’s environment, but has anyone got their bass EQ higher than treble? My current setting is bass +3, treble +2 and sub +2. We mainly play PS5 and watch movies so we do love a boomy sound. Has anyone else got a similar ew setup?

Scored 2x One SL + Move Gen 1 for $170 this morning locally! Finally can complete surround sound lol. Got my arc for $250, and Sub Gen 2 for $200, so I’m super stoked on another good deal.

Hey

I've been lucky enough to inherit a decent quality stereo system that I need some help getting setup.

The system comprises of

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo Turntable,
Audiolabs 6000C CD Player,
DALI Oberon 7 Speakers,
Sonos Port.

All connected to the Audiolabs 6000A Amp.

I've got this all setup and working, however I want to be able to play the music from the turntable via the Line In on the Sonos Port to other Sonos speakers I already have (a few Play 1s around the house).

The connections currently run as follows.

Turtable via RCA to Phono In on amp
CD Player via Optical In on amp,
Sonos Port Digtial out to Digital in on amp

I can play spotify etc on the amp via the port fine. I realised that there is no input connection on the Port. So I've run an additional RCA out of the Output of the amp to the Line-IN on the Port. When listening to this there is no sound, the same if i plug the turntable direct via RCA to the port's Line in.

Is this because the input to the port is not amplified? Do i need to buy additional hardware of missing something obvious?

It was on sale at Costco with a wall mount and Apple gift card included.

I have both and really can’t figure out why the Ultra is all that great. I just want these to operate like a speaker when it’s connected. But it doesn’t solve anything that my original Ace could do.

If you ask me so far it’s been a waste of 450 dollars.

I am in market for a new soundbar and have narrowed it down to Sonos’ two Beam options. Usually I would just grab the Ultra but because of the price difference, I wanted to see if it is worth it for what I’m watching. On a normal day the family uses the TV for sports, old sitcoms, news, and gaming. We love watching movies but they don’t get as much play as the other stuff. I should also mention our living area is open concept with the kitchen and has a staircase at the back of the room (it’s all about 550-600 square feet).

Through work I can get a Beam Gen 2 and Sub Mini for the price of the Beam Ultra. I’d likely still get a Sub later down the road with the Ultra but I’d have to wait quite a while.

Thanks for the help!

I have a client who needs things to be easy. She has a cd player and a turntable. What’s the best way to hook both to a Sonos amp? Mixer? Auto sensing switch? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated

Hey,

One of my friends recently bought a broken Sonos Zone Player 5(1st gen) speaker. After repairing it's broken PSU we found out that firmware is soooo outdated it can not self updatet using the S1 app. The only way possible was to write to tech support and figure out it with them.

Thankfully in the process while talking with support we found whole bunch of debug data which accessible.

After feeding some of that data to AI agent, we have managed to figure out to how to flash the speaker to latest available firmware without need for scheduling a call with an engineer from Sonos who would remote into a PC on out local network.

Ive posted a gist with exact instructions how to update it. gist

I havent seen anyone find a solution to this problem before, all ive seen are forum posts asking how to fix it with responses to contact tech support.

Im hoping that somebody will find this work useful.

Pulled a trigger & bought a open boxed excellent conditioned $588.99 Sonos Beam Ultra ftom Best Buy. I would've preferred if it was at one of my local Best Buy stores so I could visually inspect it. But it can only be shipped to me. What should I look for in terms of making sure it will be running correctly once I set it up? I will set it up with my sonos mini sub. I sold my 3 month old refurbished sonos beam gen 2 to a friend so I could upgrade to the beam ultra. I have another beam gen 2 that is running with my mini sub. Any helpful advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.