Sonos Arc Soundbar F43 Fix: Fast HDMI/ARC Error Guide

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What This Error Means

F43 on a Sonos Arc setup basically means: HDMI ARC/eARC audio link failure.

Translation: your TV and Sonos Arc stopped talking over the ARC/eARC HDMI port, so you get no sound, cut-outs, or the TV saying your audio system can’t be found.

Official Fix

Follow this order. Don’t freestyle it.

  • 1. Kill power to everything.
    • Turn off the TV.
    • Unplug the TV from the wall.
    • Unplug the Sonos Arc power cable.
    • Wait a full 60 seconds. Let the HDMI chips fully drain.
  • 2. Strip the HDMI path down.
    • Unplug all HDMI devices from the TV except the Sonos Arc.
    • Make sure the Arc is on the TV’s HDMI ARC or eARC port only. No adapters, no splitters, no sound settings boxes in between.
    • Use the original Sonos HDMI cable if you still have it. Otherwise, use a short, high-speed HDMI cable rated for ARC/eARC.
  • 3. Power it back up in the right order.
    • Plug the TV back into power. Turn it on and wait until it’s fully booted.
    • Plug the Sonos Arc power back in. Wait 1–2 minutes for it to fully start.
    • Don’t touch remotes during this. Let the TV and Arc do the HDMI handshake.
  • 4. Fix the TV audio settings.
    • On the TV, go to Settings > Sound / Audio Output.
    • Set output to HDMI ARC, eARC, or Receiver / External Audio System (wording varies by brand).
    • Turn HDMI-CEC back on (called Anynet+, Bravia Sync, Simplink, etc., depending on brand).
    • If there’s an eARC mode setting, turn it On / Auto.
  • 5. Re-run TV setup in the Sonos app.
    • Open the Sonos app on your phone/tablet.
    • Go to Settings > System > [Your Sonos Arc].
    • Look for TV Setup or similar and run through the prompts.
    • Let it detect the TV and finish. Don’t skip any screens.
  • 6. Test the basics.
    • Play something from a built-in TV app (Netflix, YouTube, etc.).
    • Confirm the TV shows audio going to HDMI ARC/eARC and you hear sound from the Arc.
    • Then plug your other HDMI devices back into the TV one by one, checking that sound still routes to the Arc.
  • 7. Update firmware.
    • On the TV: check for a system/software update and install it.
    • In the Sonos app: go to Settings > System > System Updates and update if anything is pending.
  • 8. Rule out bad hardware.
    • Try a different HDMI cable on the TV’s ARC/eARC port.
    • If possible, connect the Arc to another TV with ARC/eARC and test.
    • If it only fails on one TV, that TV’s ARC port is likely bad. If it fails on multiple TVs with good cables, the Arc’s HDMI jack may be shot.

The Technician’s Trick

  • Deep CEC/ARC reset (the “HDMI exorcism”).
    • Unplug every HDMI cable from the TV. Yes, all of them.
    • Unplug the TV from power.
    • With the TV unplugged, hold the TV’s power button for 10–15 seconds to drain it.
    • Leave it unplugged for 2 minutes.
    • Plug the TV back in and turn it on. Wait until it’s fully up.
    • Now plug in only the Sonos Arc to the TV’s HDMI ARC/eARC port.
    • Make sure HDMI-CEC is enabled again on the TV.
    • Once the Arc is detected and audio works, start adding your other HDMI devices back, one at a time. If F43 comes back right after one device, that box is the troublemaker.
  • Bypass ARC completely with optical (when the TV’s ARC is cursed).
    • If your TV’s ARC/eARC port is flaky, use the Sonos HDMI-to-optical adapter (the one that ships with the Arc) and a Toslink optical cable.
    • Connect TV optical out → Toslink cable → Sonos optical adapter → into the Arc’s HDMI port.
    • On the TV, set audio output to Optical / Digital Out.
    • You’ll lose Dolby Atmos, but you’ll get stable sound and no more ARC-based F43 issue.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Error only shows up with certain inputs, different HDMI cable helps, or optical works fine — keep the Arc, this is a connection/settings problem, not a dead soundbar.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Arc is out of warranty, HDMI ARC works but randomly drops, and repairs or board swaps cost over ~40–50% of a new unit.
  • ❌ Replace: Arc won’t pass audio on any TV or cable, even over optical, and quotes for repair are close to or above the price of a replacement soundbar.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

Dealing with F-series style errors on other gear too? These guides might save you some time: