Some Sonos Arc Ultra users have managed to pair the Play:1 as a surround speaker

Sonos’ new Arc Ultra soundbar announced last month has taken the audio world by storm, boasting cutting-edge features like Sound Motion transducers, Dolby Atmos support, and deeper bass capabilities. With its 9.1.4-channel configuration, the Arc Ultra is designed to be the centerpiece of any home theater setup. But despite the hype, it’s not without its quirks, especially for owners of older Sonos Play:1 speakers.

The Arc Ultra brings high expectations but has faced compatibility issues right out of the box. Many Sonos users were disappointed to discover that their Play:1 speakers, which have long been trusted for surround sound, are officially unsupported as surround speakers with the Arc Ultra. Sonos recommends newer Era 100 or 300 speakers or the Sonos One for full surround compatibility. The Play:1, launched over a decade ago, simply lacks the processing power, RAM, and bandwidth to handle high-bandwidth Atmos audio properly. Here’s the full list of Sonos speakers that are supported as surround options for the Arc Ultra.

However, some Sonos Play:1 owners have discovered an unexpected workaround. By resetting their devices and following specific steps in the Sonos app, they’ve managed to connect their Play:1 speakers as surrounds with the Arc Ultra, with some even reporting that it works with Dolby Atmos content. Sonos has acknowledged this compatibility as a software glitch, warning users that a future update will likely close this loophole.

Arc Ultra users with Samsung TVs have also reported audio dropouts, particularly during Dolby Atmos playback. This issue seems to be isolated to certain Samsung models, with users experiencing interruptions in audio when watching high-definition content. Sonos is reportedly working on a firmware fix to address this, but affected users may find this limitation frustrating in the meantime.

Additionally, Sonos’ Trueplay tuning feature, which optimizes sound based on room acoustics, has been glitchy on the Arc Ultra. Some users report issues with the Trueplay setup not completing or failing to accurately adjust sound profiles. For those who rely on Trueplay for a customized listening experience, this has been a noticeable shortcoming.

While the Arc Ultra may be the new flagship for Sonos, some users are approaching it with caution. Interestingly, it’s not the only recent Sonos product facing similar response from sections of users. The company recently launched the ACE headphones, which have already seen a near 20% discount for Black Friday, but some reviews suggest they might not deliver the value of alternative brands in the same price range.

With an update to patch compatibility issues on the way, Sonos fans will have to wait and see if the Arc Ultra can live up to its promises without forcing them into costly upgrades. In the meantime, Play:1 enthusiasts can enjoy their workaround while it lasts — though they may soon have to consider newer models if they want guaranteed compatibility and top-notch sound.