Sonos's home theater no-sound article covers the three commonest cases. With no audio from any source over an optical cable, check the cable is firmly attached at both ends, remove any dust cap from the cable or adapter, and set the TV to output audio through the optical port rather than its internal speakers. With no audio from Blu-ray discs, the DTS format is not supported by S1 systems, so change the player's audio format to a format the system supports such as Dolby Digital 5.1, or update to the latest Sonos app.
With no audio from a streaming service, Dolby Digital Plus surround is supported only by the Arc, Arc SL and Arc Ultra, so change the device's audio output to a supported format. Before any of this the product must be set up in the Sonos app. For music that plays but stops or skips, Sonos points at streaming account limits, internet speed of at least 5 Mbps, restarting the router, removing a Bridge and reducing wireless interference. If a product plays no audio at all, check the power light and reboot.
Differential
Likely causes of “Sonos home speakers and soundbars connects but has no sound”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The TV outputs to its own speakers
What separates it The TV plays but Sonos is silent because the TV outputs to its own speakers
How to confirm Set the TV to output the sound over optical, in its audio settings
- 2
A loose optical cable or a dust cap
What separates it No audio comes from any source because the optical cable is loose or a dust cap is on
How to confirm Reseat the optical cable at both ends, and remove the dust cap from each plug
- 3
An unsupported audio format
What separates it Blu ray or streaming content is silent because the audio format is not supported
How to confirm Change the source's audio format, for example to Dolby Digital 5.1 or PCM
- 4
Music streaming limits
What separates it One music service stops because of a limit on how many streams it allows
How to confirm Check that the account is not streaming somewhere else at the same time
- 5
A muted or unset-up product
What separates it There is no sound from a new product because it is muted or not set up
How to confirm Finish the set up of the product in the Sonos app, and try again
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The product name and the source: TV, game console, Blu-ray or music service
- The cable type and the TV's audio output setting
- The audio format the source is sending
- Whether the light is solid white and whether other rooms play
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck set-up
ReversibleCheck the set up, and make sure that the product is set up in the Sonos app.
Check the cable
ReversibleCheck the cable, by reseating the optical cable at both ends and removing any dust cap.
Set the TV output
ReversibleSet the TV output, by choosing optical output in the TV's audio settings, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Change the format
ReversibleChange the format, setting the source to Dolby Digital 5.1 or PCM, if a format is unsupported.
Check the service
ReversibleCheck the service, and for music, check the account limit and the internet speed, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Reboot
ReversibleReboot the product, by unplugging the power cord, waiting ten seconds and reconnecting it, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Contact Sonos
ReversibleContact Sonos Support if it stays silent after these steps, giving them the model, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Formats by model
- Sonos says Dolby Digital Plus from streaming services is supported only by the Arc, Arc SL and Arc Ultra; Blu-ray DTS is unsupported on S1 systems.
- Wired connections
- The optical article applies to home theater products that use an optical connection; check the setup article for your model for HDMI eARC.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models Arc soundbar, Beam (Gen 2), Ray soundbar, Era 300 speaker, Era 100 speaker, Sub (Gen 3), Sub Mini.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If no source plays through a verified optical cable and correct TV setting, contact Sonos Support
- !If only one streaming app is silent, contact that service
- !If the product will not power on, contact Sonos
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Optical, Blu-ray DTS and streaming format checks.
Account limits, 5 Mbps, router restart and interference.
Audio processing settings on the TV.
Rebooting a silent speaker.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why is my Sonos soundbar silent?+
Usually the TV output setting, a loose optical cable or an unsupported audio format.
Which soundbars play Dolby Digital Plus?+
Sonos says only the Arc, Arc SL and Arc Ultra.
Why does Blu-ray have no sound?+
DTS is not supported on S1 systems; transcode to Dolby Digital 5.1 or update the app.
Do I need HDMI or optical?+
Sonos's article covers optical; check your model for HDMI eARC.
Why does streaming music stop?+
One-stream account limits, slow internet or interference, per Sonos.
How fast should my internet be?+
Sonos recommends at least 5 Mbps for streaming music.
What is a dust cap?+
A cover on new optical cables; remove it before connecting.
Can a Sub cause no sound?+
A Sub plays with the system; check the app if it is silent.
Why does streaming stop but the TV works?+
Sonos lists one-stream account limits, internet speed below 5 Mbps and wireless interference as the causes of music service dropouts, which are separate from TV input faults.
Do I need to reset the soundbar?+
Sonos does not recommend a factory reset as a troubleshooting step; reboot first by unplugging the power cord for 10 seconds.
Do I need to reboot?+
Rebooting is a quick first step.