- TVs
- Speakers and soundbars
Unsupported audio signal
Sonos unsupported audio signal on soundbar: change TV format
Risk level
Low
Usually safe to check without specialist tools.
Urgency
Low
Quick answer
"You are receiving an audio signal that is not supported" means the TV is sending Sonos a sound format it cannot read. In the TV Sound menu set the digital audio format to a supported one, and if it persists, adjust the cable box or player as well.
Safety first
Stop and check this first
- Turn the volume down before switching audio format: moving between formats can change the level suddenly.
Safe checks you can perform
- Change the TV digital audio format
- Adjust the format on the cable box or player
- Check which formats your Sonos model supports
Leave these tasks to a qualified professional
- Do not attempt this professional task: TV or player manufacturer
- Do not attempt this professional task: Sonos support to review the incoming format
What a technician must be able to justify
Technician visit
These are the steps they must carry out and show you. Tick them as they work: if steps are skipped, do not accept a part swap.
These are not instructions for opening or handling the equipment yourself. They are the checks that should support a technical conclusion.
TV or player manufacturer
What they doIf you cannot locate the digital audio format setting, the maker of the TV, cable box or Blu-ray player gives you the exact path.
They must show youwhere the audio output setting sits on your model and which options it offers.
In writingthe model, software version and the format they recommend.
Sonos support to review the incoming format
What they doSonos support checks which format your product is receiving from the TV and tells you the setting it should end up with.
They must show youthe audio format your Sonos is receiving and the one it should receive.
In writingthe case number, the model, the recommended format and whether eARC is needed.
Before accepting a part or repair
Nothing has been shown yet. Do not accept a part swap based on the code alone.
Follow these steps
Note: Follow the documented order. An error code identifies the affected system, but it does not prove by itself which part has failed.
Change the TV digital audio format
- Who:
- you, with the TV remote.
- How:
- open the TV Sound or Audio menu and find Digital Audio Format or Audio Output, as Sonos describes. Pick a format from its supported list, for example stereo PCM or Dolby Digital, and play the same content again.
- Result that matters:
- sound comes out of Sonos without the unsupported signal message.
- If it plays fine:
- note the format you chose.
- If the message remains:
- the format may come from the video source, so adjust that too.
- Evidence to keep:
- photo of the TV audio menu with the chosen format.
Evidence: Unsupported audio on your home theater speaker · Supported home theater audio formats
Adjust the format on the cable box or player
- Who:
- you, in the video source settings.
- How:
- open the audio settings of the cable box, streaming player or console and pick one of the Sonos supported formats. With a DTS Blu-ray and the S1 Controller app, check whether the player can transcode DTS to Dolby Digital 5.1, as Sonos suggests.
- Result that matters:
- the source delivers a format Sonos accepts.
- If the message goes away once the source is set:
- it was that device's format.
- If the message only appears with DTS discs on an S1 system:
- consider updating to the current Sonos app if your system allows it.
- Evidence to keep:
- device name, setting changed and the content you tested with.
Evidence: Unsupported audio on your home theater speaker · Supported home theater audio formats
Check which formats your Sonos model supports
- Who:
- you, with the name of your Sonos model.
- How:
- read Sonos's supported home theater formats list: the ones common to all products and the extras on Arc, Arc SL, Arc Ultra, Beam (Gen 2) and Beam Ultra. Watch for the formats marked with an asterisk, which need an eARC connection on the TV.
- Result that matters:
- knowing whether the format you ask the TV for is within what your model and connection accept.
- If the format needs eARC and your TV port lacks it:
- choose one without an asterisk.
- If the format is supported and the message still appears:
- contact Sonos support.
- Evidence to keep:
- Sonos model, HDMI port used and the format set.
Evidence: Supported home theater audio formats
Still not solved
If the error persists, stop here. See what the technician must do and show you.
Where this code applies
A code is meaningful only inside the right product and version context.
Primary scope
- System
- TVs
- Brand
- Sonos
- Product type
- Speakers and soundbars
Known code variants
- Estás recibiendo una señal de audio no compatible
- Sonido no compatible Sonos
- Sonos audio format error
- Sonos DTS no compatible
- Sonos DTS not supported
- Sonos señal de audio no compatible
- Sonos unsupported audio
- Unsupported audio on your home theater speaker
- You are receiving an audio signal that is not supported
What it means
Sonos explains in "Unsupported audio on your home theater speaker" that the message appears while playing TV audio when the TV provides a signal the speaker cannot understand. Its supported formats list gives stereo PCM, Dolby Digital and DTS on all home theater products (no DTS on those using the S1 Controller app), with formats such as Dolby Atmos or TrueHD only on Arc, Beam (Gen 2) and similar, some needing eARC. What each model accepts varies, and the message alone never proves that the soundbar or the TV is faulty.
Warnings and stop conditions
- Loweditorial warning
Turn the volume down before switching audio format: moving between formats can change the level suddenly.
Evidence: Unsupported audio on your home theater speaker
Symptoms and causes
Probable causes · in order
- TV output format not supportedCommon
Sonos places the problem in the TV's Digital Audio Format or Audio Output setting, which sends something outside the supported formats.
Evidence: Unsupported audio on your home theater speaker · Supported home theater audio formats
- Video source sending an unsupported formatPossible
A cable box, streaming player or other source can keep sending a format Sonos rejects even when the TV itself is set correctly.
Evidence: Unsupported audio on your home theater speaker
- DTS Blu-ray disc with the S1 Controller appPossible
Sonos notes that DTS is not available on its home theater products using the S1 Controller app, and Blu-ray discs often carry that format.
Evidence: Unsupported audio on your home theater speaker · Supported home theater audio formats
- Advanced format without an eARC linkLess common
According to Sonos, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos in TrueHD and multichannel PCM need an eARC connection even on Arc, Arc Ultra, Beam (Gen 2) and Beam Ultra.
Evidence: Supported home theater audio formats
Virtual technician
Does Unsupported audio signal still appear after these checks?
Answer a few questions to narrow down the likely cause and the safest next action. Guidance only - it never replaces a professional.
Sources and technical references
- 1
Unsupported audio on your home theater speaker
Sonos · 2026 · official_doc
- 2
Sonido no compatible en tu altavoz de cine en casa
Sonos · 2026 · official_doc
- 3
Supported home theater audio formats
Sonos · 2026 · official_doc
- 4
Formatos de audio de cine en casa compatibles
Sonos · 2026 · official_doc
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