Sonos Arc Soundbar F57 Fix: No‑Nonsense Error Code Guide

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What This Error Means

On a Sonos Arc, F57 (often written as ‘fault 57’) means: internal amp/power fault – the soundbar has tripped its protection circuit.

Plain English: the Arc fails its power-on self-test and shuts itself down, so you get no sound and often no status light or only a brief flash.

  • Arc may look completely dead or disappear from the Sonos app.
  • You may have had a power blip, surge, or it just died out of nowhere.
  • Sonos diagnostics or support notes call it “fault 57” / “F57 hardware fault”.

This is almost always hardware-related inside the bar: power supply or amplifier stage not passing the safety checks. A simple setting tweak will not clear it.

Sometimes a dirty power feed or glitched firmware trip it once and the bar recovers. Most of the time, if F57 keeps coming back, Sonos treats it as a failed unit that needs swapping, not a field repair.

Official Fix

Here’s the Sonos-style playbook: clean power, basic reset, then support. Run this in order.

  • 1. Hard power reset the Arc
    • Unplug the power cord from the wall and from the Arc.
    • Disconnect the HDMI cable from the TV and the Arc.
    • Leave it unplugged at least 60 seconds (90 is better).
    • Plug the Arc directly into a wall outlet – no surge strip, no smart plug.
    • Do not reconnect HDMI yet; just power only.
    • Watch the LED on top:
      • No light at all after 1–2 minutes = it’s not booting properly.
      • White flashing then solid white = it at least started the OS.
  • 2. Try a known-good outlet and circuit
    • Move the Arc to a different wall outlet you know works (same room or another room).
    • Plug it in alone, no TV, no HDMI, no power strip.
    • If it’s still dead or drops out and support later pulls F57 from logs, that rules out your house wiring as the main cause.
  • 3. Swap the power cable
    • The Arc uses a standard C7 “figure‑8” 2-prong power cord.
    • Borrow one from another device (PlayStation, small amp, some TVs) or a spare.
    • Plug that straight into the wall and the Arc, no other changes.
    • If it suddenly behaves, your original cord was suspect. If not, the fault is inside the soundbar.
  • 4. If it boots, test it before you rebuild your setup
    • Once you see a solid white LED, open the Sonos app.
    • Check if the Arc shows up and can play an internet radio station or simple music source.
    • Let it run for 10–15 minutes at a moderate volume.
    • If the Arc cuts out, vanishes from the app, or F57 is mentioned again, note the time – support will want that for diagnostics.
  • 5. Last resort software step: factory reset (only if it will boot)
    • Sonos generally does not recommend random factory resets, but for a persistent fault they may ask you to try it.
    • To reset an Arc:
      • Unplug the power cord from the Arc.
      • Press and hold the Join button (∞ symbol on top).
      • Keep holding it while you plug the power cord back in.
      • Hold until the light flashes orange and white, then release.
      • When it starts flashing green, set it up again in the Sonos app.
    • If the reset fails, the LED never behaves, or F57 keeps coming back, that confirms you’re past anything a reset can fix.
  • 6. When the above fails: escalate to Sonos support
    • Grab the Arc’s serial number (on the label on the bottom/back or in the app if it still shows).
    • Contact Sonos via chat or phone and ask them to run a diagnostic on your Arc.
    • Mention you’re seeing F57 / fault 57 and describe the LED behavior.
    • If their logs confirm an internal hardware fault, the official fix is replacement:
      • Under warranty: usually a straight swap.
      • Out of warranty: typically a discounted “trade‑up” offer on a new Arc or similar model (exact deal depends on region and age).

There is no official, user‑serviceable repair for F57. Sonos does not sell internal power/amp boards to the public; they expect the bar to be replaced, not opened.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: You’re still in warranty, or Sonos offers a solid discounted swap – absolutely take the official replacement; repairing a premium bar for the price of shipping is a no‑brainer.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Out of warranty but the trade‑up discount brings a new Arc close to mid‑range soundbar pricing and you’re already invested in the Sonos ecosystem.
  • ❌ Replace: No warranty, no meaningful Sonos discount, or any third‑party shop wants near‑new‑bar money to attempt board repairs with no guarantee – at that point, put the cash toward a new soundbar.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

Chasing other F‑series error codes around the house? These quick guides might save you some time: