HT-ST5000 Soundbar

[robmerce]

I have had the soundbar for a week and now the OSD isnt working, my connections are secure.

The soundbar is working well other than that.

It is ARC to ARC HDMI connected too

[Anonymous]

Hi @samkerracher

THanks for the update - I am really surprised that you got another one and had the same fault.  Unlucky maybe?

Curious on how things went today - if the engineer phoned you today that is.

[samkerracher]

Yeah completely unlucky! This one lasted longer than the other. Never had issues with Sony products before at this level.

Spoke to the engineer. Took me through accessing the service menu (in order one after other: Stop, Display, Pause and Up). And then using the Factory Initialise function. This seems to take longer than using the normal reset method (Power button and volume down for 5 seconds). Unfortunately no success, tried a few times now

It's very frustrating as using my Harmony remote can change inputs (bit buggy) and listen to stuff. Just can't see the main GUI, nor make setting changes, Last night when pressing HOME it was even greying out with semi transparent the HDMI input, HOME is shown on the front panel display, but on the TV just no visible menu.

The input list that appears on the left at times, has the HDMI 1,2 and 3 blank, but they are selectable....

The engineer reckons the whole logic board may need replacing but said it sounds more software than hardware based, as the functionality is essentially working.

I have until Monday to decide if I take for repair Tuesday or the retailer collects for a refund on Tuesday as they have no stock.

UK stock seems scarce and a lot of retailers have taken it off their sites, is their a known issue?

[samkerracher]

Here's a photo showing the device stuck on TV input with the menu background showing and no menu

@Anonymous could you follow up with Sony on this? I have another one coming from a different Retailer Tuesday, returning this 2nd faulty one Thursday (as need the box from the new one really...).  Just concerned the 3rd could do the same. So far I have been lucky that it has been on both occasions with the first 30 days of purchase so refunds have been possible.

[Jonnie1266]

Hi,

I appreciate that that you have been having problems and hopefully they will be resolved soon. 

I just wanted to know how good the sound actually is. Does it actually fill the room as indicated by Sony ? Is it as good as having rear speakers ?

Thanks in advance.

[samkerracher]

It seems to depend on the rok if I am honest. A lot of users are finding it different based on their actual rooms.

I was lucky that I can hear side AND rear sound, on Atmos demos through an NVIDIA Shield and in UHD Atmos blu-rays (and normal blu rays with Atmos).

That's why I am so desperate to have one that stays working as the sound quality is amazing.  Normally with a product I would stop at 1, maybe go to 2, but 3 is purely because I love it, when it works...

[Jonnie1266]

Thanks for your honesty, interesting about the room !

I hope you get it sorted out soon 

Regards

[samkerracher]

@Anonymous

I have sent sent this mail to Sony support, who have not been helpful, now just mailing me saying home visits are dependant on the repair centre... They should inform the call centre staff of that instead of the guy I spoke to insisting they would come to my home.

I have tried to be helpful here in case a firmware update is required and may prevent other customers getting the same issue.

Here's the email:

Hi there,

I have since decided to return the SECOND faulty soundbar to Currys as they can't arrange a replacement as have no stock (the first was returned to Amazon UK).

I spoke to a Sony repairer over the phone who instructed me on how to access the service menu, and run the Factory Initialise. This didn't work unfortunately. Neither does using the Power button and Volume down reset.

Summary of debug steps taken:
1. Use Power and Volume down reset for 5 seconds, "WAIT" appears repeatedly until "RESET" is shown, then "HELLO" appears. Upon booting, issue remains

2. Using Service Menu (STOP, Display, Pause, Direction Up) and using the "Factory Initialise", the reset takes longer than normal method, eventually on front panel, "RESET" is shown, then "HELLO" appears. Upon booting, issue remains

3. Have unplugged soundbar for period of time and turned back on, issues remains

4. Have tried different HDMI cables (seems unrelated as device is unresponsive to HOME button etc)

5. Have tried different HDMI inputs on TV (seems unrelated as device is unresponsive to HOME button etc)

I have bought a THIRD Sony HT-ST5000 soundbar from Weybridge Audio, a third different retailer, which arrives Tuesday.

Can you please escalate this to senior engineers/tech staff.

For two soundbars from 2 different retailers to end up having the same issue seems odd to me.

I have attached 2 photos for reference:

1) showing the TV input only display the background graphic of the soundbar menu, the main GUI is inaccessible.

2) when able to access the side input menu (rare and buggy), the HDMI 1, 2 and 3 inputs are blanked out, but can be accessible

This second soundbar is exhibiting the same issue as the first after 3 weeks of use (the first failed after 2).

For tech staff this is what I have found with the faulty soundbar:

1. The soundbar takes a lot longer to turn on ("Please wait" appears on front panel repeatedly) than when it was working fine

2. The soundbar takes a lot longer to turn off ("Stand by" appears on front panel repeatedly) than when it was working fine

3. Once it turns on, the Sony logo appears for a time, then disappears, then comes back. Eventually the front panel shows "TV" on the front. On the TV the background graphic of the GUI is shown (see attached photo), no menus are accessible.

4. When pressing HOME it can take a long time for the Front panel to show "HOME". On the TV nothing is usually shown, or just the background graphic of the GUI.

5. Using my TV (Sony 79X9005B) and the "Home Theater Control" app I am sometimes able to change input and the other available settings on the soundbar.

6. Using a programmable remote, the Logitech Harmony, I am able to direct switch inputs, however only sometimes.

7. When managing to get to BT input, the Bluetooth pairing interface and GUI is shown. Sound and pairing works fine.

8. The Music Service input doesn't work, seems to be connected to the main GUI of the OS just background graphic is shown

9. When I am able to select an input from the buggy side menu, the picture and sound comes from the soundbar fine. So sound works, video pass through works, just not the main GUI.

Remote command responds

INPUT -/+ - rarely works, when input menu is shown on left side HDMI inputs are blank

CLEAR AUDIO + - seems to work

SOUND FIELD - seems to work

DISPLAY - nothing happens

NIGHT - according to Home Theater app on TV works, front panel display however blanks out when pressed

VOICE - same as NIGHT

DIMMER - Works

RED/GREEN/YELLOW/BLUE - not used outside GUI that isn't appearing

MUSIC SERVICE - front panel shows input, TV shows background graphic on GUI

PAIRING - nothing happens

BACK - works in service menu and any menu that randomly comes up (e.g. Input side menu)

OPTIONS - brings up SYNC, when can get on HDMI inputs, brings up side options menu. Seems buggy and intermittent

HOME - barely responds. Main GUI never shown

SW +- - works

Volume +- - works

Mute - works

Rewind, play, forward, prev, pause, next, STOP - not sure as not been able to access menus where it's used

AUDIO - works

RX/TX - sometimes works, brings up BT menu, not main GUI

Overall
it seems the main GUI has failed, so I can't access setting menus or the normal tile selection of inputs, the device is not very usable.

Is there a link to the current firmware so I can place on a USB and re-flash the device?

I would appreciate that this be forwarded outside of the call centre to technical staff so they are aware of the issue, should a firmware update be required.

I would rather other users and customers don't encounter this issue with such a high-end product.

[Anonymous]

Hi @samkerracher

I'll action this tomorrow and ensure the right people are contacted.

Cheers

[samkerracher]

Thanks @Anonymous thats much appreciated.  The new one comes tomorrow but Inwill have the faulty one up until Thursday so can do any checks until then if they come back with anything.

[Flashheart8]

Hi Samkerracher

Thanks for all your hard work in diagnostics, this is exactly what's just happened today to mine.

Had mine 33 days.....i know, purchased from John Lewis and i've tried the resets as you've discribed to no avail.

I'm a member of AVForums and the same thing is happening with other units, this is a very poor situation for such an expensive unit and it's high time Sony and the likes addressed any such issues with honour and stop insisting we jump through hoops to get it dealt with and giving the impression these are rare faults, when they are obviously aware of the problems as they are worldwide.

Hopefully i'm exchanging mine next week when John Lewis have stock but they will wait, with unit in hand to here from Sony, to be honest i love the sound when it works but not covinced the replacement will last.

Just a note, these units get really hot, mine has plenty of open air all around but this isn't good for any electronics and will cause damage down the line.

A heads up for anyone worried about this fault, mine started a couple of weeks earlier when the unit would reset certain settings ie. HDMI setting changing from enhanced back to standard also any HDMI renaming reverting back to HDMI 1,2 or 3 over night, I should have flagged a problem then as still in the 30 day period, in hindsight this is the software on it's way out.