However, if you want to use your TV’s speakers or otherwise not allow your Sonos Beam to draw any power, you can accomplish either of these goals without much effort.
How a Sonos Beam Works and Why
A Sonos Beam will get connected to a television via HDMI-ARC, so your TV can output sound through the Beam, and you can use your TV remote to control your Beam’s volume. However, a Sonos Beam is also equipped with Bluetooth and can be paired to a range of devices wirelessly in addition to being used as a TV soundbar. When Bluetooth functionality enters the mix, powering on and powering off speakers tends to be inconvenient because, with wireless tech, you’ll usually want to start using your Beam from another device away from the Beam itself. Having to walk to the Beam, power it up, and then connect it to Bluetooth can be a hassle. So, Sonos designs the Beam as an always-on device, making it easy to use your Beam from whatever location in your home, assuming you’re in Bluetooth range.
How to Turn Off Sonos Beam
There are two main ways to ’turn off’ a Sonos Beam, depending on what you want to do. In the first case, if you’d like to use your TV’s speakers and not the Beam, you can disconnect the Beam’s HDMI cable. This way, your TV will now output its sound through its own internal speakers, which you can use your familiar remote control to adjust. However, the Beam will still be technically ‘running,’ albeit while idle, which will only need 5 to 6 watts. In context, modern light bulbs tend to use 5 to 10 watts when in use. In the second case, if you don’t plan on using your Beam for a while and don’t want it to draw any power, disconnect its power cable. Naturally, you won’t be able to use the Beam with your TV while it’s unplugged, but unless disconnected, the HDMI port on your TV the Beam is plugged into won’t be available, either.
