Sony Bravia Optical and Sonia Beam 2 output

[Timelordsboots]

Hello

Could anyone assist and advise me if i am able to receive audio via optical while using my Astro A50 Bluetooth headset and HDMI audio via my Sonos Beam 2?

I use my headset for gaming and like to use your sonos for watching TV. I have to disconnect the Sonos from my TV when using my headset otherwise I don’t get any sound which is a pain. Many thanks Jon 

[Timelordsboots]

Just to update my TV is the XR-50X90J

[royabrown2]

@Timelordsboots 

Two questions here, I think:-

(i) Will the Sonos Beam 2 (it’s not Sony’s Beam 2, by the way, SONOS isn’t Sony) do Optical?
Yes:-

https://www.sonos.com/en-gb/shop/beam

“HDMI eARC

Connect to your TV's HDMI eARC/ARC port with the included HDMI cable. If your TV has an optical output only, use the included Sonos Optical Audio Adapter.”

So find that adapter, and set it up….

(ii) Can the TV do Bluetooth and Optical at the same time? That I don’t know, though maybe another poster will; but armed with the above, you can just try it anyway.

[Timelordsboots]

Hi many thanks for responding so quickly.

Yes as noted currently I have my Astro A50 Bluetooth headset connected to the TV optical out.

The Sonia Beam 2 (I know it’s not a Sony brand 🙂) is connected by HDMI3 which is E-Arc.

The trouble I have is the Sonos deactivates the optical out on the TV so I don’t get any sound from my headset which I use for gaming so I have to disconnect the sonos Everytime I game.

Other TV brands have a setting where you can set it so you get sound from both outputs so I just want to see if anyone knows whether Bravia has that option. 🙂

[royabrown2]

@Timelordsboots 

Thank you for the clarified problem statement.

So you aren’t having the issue that the Sony can’t do Bluetooth to your headset at the same time as doing eARC Out over HDMI to the SONOS, and so you are wondering if it can do Bluetooth to your headset and Optical to the SONOS at the same time. This is what I thought you were asking 😢

What you actually have is (i) an allegedly Bluetooth headset working off an adaptor on the Optical output (no doubt because this TV won’t work this directly off its own Bluetooth).

And (ii) a SONOS Beam that I very much doubt is reaching back up the HDMI cable and persuading the TV to turn off its Optical output.

So I would suggest that what you are seeing is the TV turning off Optical because (e)ARC is in use, and this would happen with any soundbar or receiver, because it is a Bravia thing, not just a SONOS thing.

However (iii) the Astro 50 is described as ‘not Bluetooth’. It’s wireless, yes, but that’s not necessarily the same thing. I also read that it’s compatible with various gaming boxes, but I can see nothing to indicate that it works off a TV.

So I’m confused, still, here.

There are lots of people complaining that you can’t switch the SONOS off, except by unplugging it, and with exactly the issue that with ARC active, you can’t have Optical as well. Though one suggestion is that if you turn off CEC (BraviaSync) on the TV when you want to use the headphones, then this turns off the ARC, allowing the Optical to be used. Works with ARC, but might not work with eARC, so might need the eARC off as well. Or if ARC/eARC can be switched off separately, that might be all it needs.

My LG GX lets me choose Optical instead of ARC, but needs CEC off first, or it just goes back to ARC. And won’t let me have both at once.

All this still doesn’t allow the headphones and the SONOS to be used simultaneously, though. One way round this may be to use an optical splitter, e.g.:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zexmte-Digital-Optical-Splitter-Adapter/dp/B07BKQVB8N
and the optical to HDMI adapter that comes with the Beam, if simultaneous operation, rather than either/or is needed.

Well worth trying the BraviaSync toggle off, though, as the SONOS will come back instantly when you toggle BraviaSync back on again.