Nova s90 Fine Tuning Needed

[Nathan Grimmer]

Hello I have just got my Nova S90
I have noticed a few issues and was wondering if a newer firmware update would make this soundbar better.

The problems
Subwoofer at low volume produces a rumbling noise matched to speech, even if the sub is turned down to minus 6. It's annoying.
Rear up firing speakers have interference sounds at low levels, mostly non atmos content, have to turn up firing to - 3 to remove this noise.
Subwoofer could do with more power sent to it, compared to other systems there is not enough power, this is a 8 inch sub and should handle more power.

I am using the new firmware version 180

Also Netflix content doesn't show atmos anymore using this sound bar when using my Sky Glass TV using the native Netflix installed app.
Atmos does show if I play the same content through my xbox though

Anyone else get these issues?
Thanks

 

[Leongino]

Hi Nathan,
Possible solutions to the issues reported (until the next firmware update):

1. Subwoofer rumble at low volume

• Reducing the subwoofer level to –6 is correct, but if it still rumbles, also try lowering the bass from the general EQ.
• If it continues, this is a firmware-related. The recommendation is to wait for the next update.

2. Rear speakers interference at low volume

• Setting the rear speakers to –3, as you did, eliminates most of the noise.
• This is also related to signal management at low volumes and will be fixed in a future firmware update.

1. Subwoofer lacking power (despite being 8”)

• Currently, the factory calibration limits output to prioritize clarity.
• A temporary solution is to increase the bass level on the soundbar and keep the sub at 0 or +1, instead of –6.
• In the long term, a firmware adjustment is expected to improve power.

1. Netflix on Sky Glass without Atmos

• This is not an issue with the soundbar, but with the native Netflix app on Sky Glass, which doesn’t pass Atmos to external devices.
• Solution: use an external device such as Xbox (as you’ve already tested), Fire Stick, or Apple TV so Atmos can be enabled correctly.

These are possible temporary solutions until a new firmware version is released to optimize the system’s performance.


Hope this works for you

 

[Nathan Grimmer]

Thanks for your detailed reply.
The subwoofer there is no other EQ to control the bass only the bassmx up and down. It's like the sub frequency is not correct at low volumes, other systems turn the sub off at low volumes to get round this.

Thanks for the other info around Netflix, I did suspect this, even though on my other Sony soundbar the Nova has replaced the atmos was detected fine with no issues, I will contact sky along to see if they can update the app though

Hopefully there's a firmware update soon as with some tweaks this system could be ok

Nathan

 

[Leongino]

Thanks for your detailed reply.
The subwoofer there is no other EQ to control the bass only the bassmx up and down. It's like the sub frequency is not correct at low volumes, other systems turn the sub off at low volumes to get round this.

Thanks for the other info around Netflix, I did suspect this, even though on my other Sony soundbar the Nova has replaced the atmos was detected fine with no issues, I will contact sky along to see if they can update the app though

Hopefully there's a firmware update soon as with some tweaks this system could be ok

Nathan

“Thanks to you for sharing the issues you’ve found here. This really helps the ULTIMEA support team respond as quickly as possible and address these kinds of cases. I try to help as much as I can, but always from a user’s point of view, not in a professional capacity.”

 

[Ultimea Team]

Hello I have just got my Nova S90
I have noticed a few issues and was wondering if a newer firmware update would make this soundbar better.

The problems
Subwoofer at low volume produces a rumbling noise matched to speech, even if the sub is turned down to minus 6. It's annoying.
Rear up firing speakers have interference sounds at low levels, mostly non atmos content, have to turn up firing to - 3 to remove this noise.
Subwoofer could do with more power sent to it, compared to other systems there is not enough power, this is a 8 inch sub and should handle more power.

I am using the new firmware version 180

Also Netflix content doesn't show atmos anymore using this sound bar when using my Sky Glass TV using the native Netflix installed app.
Atmos does show if I play the same content through my xbox though

Anyone else get these issues?
Thanks

Thank you very much for your detailed feedback on your Nova S90 experience. We take the issues you described very seriously.

Analysis and suggestions for your feedback:
1. Subwoofer low-frequency noise and rear surround interference

Suggestion: Go to the soundbar settings and try disabling "Night Mode" or "Dynamic Range Compression" (DRC) (if enabled). These features emphasize low frequencies at low volumes and may cause unexpected noise.

2. Subwoofer lacks power

This is a very important feedback. The perceived power depends on the subwoofer gain curve and crossover frequency settings preset in the firmware.

Suggestion: Find the "Bass Level" option in the settings and try increasing it (for example, from 0 to +3 or +4) to see if the subjective listening experience improves.

Your feedback that "it should be able to handle more power" is very valuable information. We will provide this directly to the product team for future firmware optimization of the subwoofer's performance.

3. Netflix Atmos Compatibility Issue (Sky Glass TV vs. Xbox)
This is a typical "inter-device compatibility" issue, rooted in your Sky Glass TV's Netflix app or its audio output settings.

Solution:
Go to your Sky Glass TV's audio settings and ensure the output format is set to "Bitstream" or "Dolby Digital Plus," and enable "Dolby Atmos" support.

We hope the above information helps. If this doesn't resolve the issue, please contact us again!