Sonos Beam Doesn’t Work With Samsung TV: We Fixed It

I’m a huge fan of action movies and just can’t get enough of the adrenaline rush they’ve got to offer.

From the thrilling gunshots echo to suspenseful background music, it’s the sound that puts life into movies.

To get the best sound effects from movies and games, I’ve got a Sonos Beam connected to my old TV for over a year now. 

Just recently, I planned on watching Top Gun: Maverick on the big screen of my brand-new Samsung Smart TV.

All set for an immersive sound experience, I tried connecting my Sonos beam to the TV based on the Sonos app’s instructions on my phone.

I used the HDMI cable to connect the Sonos Beam to my TV but it wasn’t working while the TV speakers were still on. 

With an action-packed movie playing, I just couldn’t rely on the TV speakers to match up to the sound clarity and detail delivered by my Sonos beam.

I read through official Sonos forums and watched videos to find a fix that worked.

It was only after about an hour of research that I got the Sonos Beam working on my TV again.

Here’s how to fix Sonos Beam not working with Samsung TV and what Anynet+ actually is. 

To fix Sonos beam not working with Samsung TV, turn on the Anynet+ feature on your TV. Go to Settings > General > External Device Manager. Now select Anynet+ and turn it On through the TV remote.   

Check if Anynet+ is Enabled

Your Samsung TV has a feature called Anynet+ as a trading name for HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronic Control).

This feature allows users to control devices attached via HDMI with a single remote control. 

This implies that your Sonos beam can be controlled with your Samsung TV remote while it is connected to the HDMI ARC or eARC input on your TV.

If the Anynet+ feature is turned off, your beam may not be able to discover your TV or cause other features to not work properly such as voice commands. 

Note that if the Sonos Beam is connected via an optical adapter, you won’t be able to use voice commands such as “Turn on the TV” or “Turn off the TV”. 

Here’s how to check if Anynet+ is enabled on your Samsung TV: 

  • Press the Home button on your remote control and select Settings
  • On the Settings menu, navigate to General and select External Device Manager
  • Now go to Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) and toggle the feature via remote to turn it On (if it’s Off by default) 

Check if the Sonos beam is working perfectly 

Soft Reset Samsung TV & Sonos Beam 

If there’s no sound coming from your Sonos Beam while it’s connected to the Samsung TV, it might be due to a connection issue or technical glitch.

This can be fixed by performing a soft reset on both devices and connecting them again. 

Make sure to disconnect the Sonos Beam from your Samsung TV by plugging out the HDMI cable before starting the soft reset.

Samsung Smart TV: Soft Reset Guide

  •  Unplug the TV from the power socket
  • Wait for at least 60 seconds 
  • Meanwhile, press and hold the power button of your TV for 30 seconds (Skip if the power button is not available) 
  • Finally, plug the TV back in 

Sonos Beam: Soft Reset Guide

  • Unplug the Sonos Beam from the power outlet
  • Wait for about 60 seconds
  • While waiting, press and hold the Beam’s power button for 30 seconds
  • Plug it back in and wait for the device to turn on

Connect both the TV and Sonos Beam back through the HDMI cable and check if the sound is coming from the beam now. 

Make sure that the cable connecting Sonos Beam with your Samsung TV is connected to the HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) input on the TV. 

Check The Sound Output

Your TV may not be able to recognize the Sonos Beam due to incorrect sound output settings.

Ensure that the sound output setting of the TV is configured correctly. 

To do this: 

  • Press the Home button on your Samsung TV remote
  • Navigate to Settings > Sound > Sound Output
  • Now select External Speaker if it’s not already configured
  • Your TV should be able to recognize the Sonos Beam now
  • Try playing any sound on the TV to check if the Sonos Beam is working properly

Reconnect or Replace the HDMI Cable (If Required) 

If your TV’s sound output settings are correct but the sound is still not audible via Sonos Beam, it’s time to check the HDMI cable for any defects.

The HDMI cable that connects your Sonos beam to the TV might have any external or internal defects.

Try reconnecting it once to check if it fixes the sound issue:

  • Turn off both the TV and Sonos beam
  • Disconnect both ends of the HDMI cable from the TV and Sonos Beam
  • Wait for about 2 minutes to pass
  • Reconnect the HDMI cable to the Sonos Beam and the HDMI ARC input of your Samsung Smart TV
  • Finally, turn on both the TV and Sonos Beam and try to check if the sound issue is fixed now

If reconnecting the cable didn’t fix your problem, it’s possible that the cable might be faulty.

Try replacing it with a new HDMI cable and check if the Sonos Beam starts working. 

Update Samsung Smart TV Software (If Available)

Make sure that your Samsung TV is running on the latest software as outdated software may cause compatibility issues with the Sonos Beam. 

Follow these steps to check for updates on your TV: 

  • Press the Home button on your TV remote
  • Go to Settings and navigate to the Support option
  • Choose Software Update and click on Update Now (if the update is available) 
  • Once the update is installed, try using the Sonos Beam on your TV

Get in Touch With Sonos or Samsung Support 

If none of the above solutions have got the Sonos Beam working properly on your TV, you can finally get in touch with Sonos Support Team via live chat or call regarding your problem.

You can also share your issues and get proven solutions from other Sonos product owners or technical experts in the official Sonos community.

Moreover, you can also contact the Samsung Support Team with issues related to the Sonos Beam based on your Samsung TV model.

Connect with them via live chat or call to get personalized solutions once the problem diagnosis is complete. 

Based on your problem description, Samsung authorized technicians will offer a repair service in case of hardware problems or other best possible solutions for software issues. 

Enjoy The Crystal Clear Sound

Make sure that the Anynet+ feature on your Samsung TV is enabled to allow Sonos Beam to discover your TV while it’s set up.

If Anynet+ is turned off, you may not be able to use voice commands on your Sonos Beam as well.  

Try soft resetting both TV and Sonos Beam if your Samsung TV isn’t able to recognize the Sonos Beam or there’s no sound coming out even after the beam is set up. 

Ensure that your Samsung TV output settings are configured properly and set on External Speaker to prevent Sonos Beam from being restricted by your TV to play the sound coming from your TV. 

Inspect the HDMI cable that connects your TV to the Sonos Beam for any type of defects.

Try reconnecting it to check if the beam starts working normally.

If it doesn’t, you may want to try replacing the HDMI cable to verify if the primary cable is faulty.

I’d highly recommend going through Sonos Community discussion threads to find the most relevant solution for Sonos Beam issues based on your TV model and connection setup. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is Sonos Beam compatible with Samsung TV? 

Yes, Sonos Beam is compatible with Samsung Smart TVs.

There are several ways in which you can connect the Sonos Beam to your Samsung TV.

You can use the HDMI cable and connect it to the HDMI ARC input of your TV.

Alternatively, you can use an Optical audio adapter, WiFI, or Bluetooth to connect the Sonos Beam.

How do I enable HDMI-CEC on my Samsung TV?

The HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronic Control) protocol is termed Anynet+ on your Samsung TV.

This ensures that HDMI-ARC settings are correct on your TV and that external soundbars such as Sonos Beam is set up properly. 

Follow these steps to enable HDMI-CEC (Anynet+): 

  • Press the Home Button on your TV remote and select Settings
  • On the Settings Menu. Click on the External Device Manager
  • Now select Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) option
  • Press Enter on your remote control and toggle the switch to turn it On/Off 

What is HDMI eARC mode & is it available on my Samsung TV?

eARC stands for Enhanced Audio Return Channel.

As a part of the latest HDMI 2.1 specification, the eARC highly improves bandwidth and speed.

This allows users to transmit high-quality audio from their TV to soundbars such as the Sonos Beam.

The eARC mode is compatible with high bitrate formats including Dolby Atmos and DTS for an immersive sound experience. 

Here’s a list of supported devices and audio formats for eARC:

  • TV: UHD TU7000 and above models are supported
  • Soundbar: Q70T and above models 
  • Audio format: The latest high-bitrate audio formats are supported such as DTS Master, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, and more.

Why won’t my Samsung TV recognize the Sonos Beam? 

There may be several reasons why your TV isn’t able to recognize the Sonos Beam.

Ensure that the Anynet+ option is enabled, and try soft resetting both Samsung TV and Sonos Beam.

Moreover, check that the HDMI cable is connected to the ARC or eARC port on your TV and inspect the cable for any type of defects. 

Would the HDMI cable that comes with Sonos Beam work on my Samsung TV?

Yes, the HDMI cable provided by Sonos is a High Speed with Ethernet HDMI cable compatible to work with your Samsung TV.

Ensure that you connect it to the TV’s ARC or eARC input to make the beam discoverable for your TV and allow it to work perfectly. 

About the author

Maria Chan, or MC, as we call her, is the genius girl-boss who gave up on her cushy silicon-valley job to grind it out with us. Her undying pursuit of wanting Zeebox to the best makes it very clear that she has no interest in running a generic tech-site.