Getting started, troubleshooting, and contact
SonarRoom requires iOS 17 or later. For the best experience with AR room scanning, we recommend iPhone 12 or newer. iPhone 14 Pro and later models with LiDAR provide the most accurate room geometry. Devices without AR capabilities can use the manual 2D room editor.
SonarRoom plays test tones through your speaker system, not the phone speakers. Connect your iPhone to your audio system via Bluetooth, AirPlay, aux cable, USB, or HDMI. For older receivers without Bluetooth or AirPlay, use a Lightning-to-3.5mm or USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter with an aux cable to your receiver's line input, or use an HDMI adapter. Any method that routes your phone's audio output to your speaker system will work. The app will guide you through verifying each speaker channel during setup.
SonarRoom supports stereo, 2.1, 5.1, 7.1, Dolby Atmos with height channels, and fully custom speaker configurations. You can place any number of speakers and label each with its role.
No. SonarRoom uses your iPhone's built-in microphone with device-specific correction curves for supported models (iPhone XS through iPhone 17 Pro Max, plus iPad Pro/Air/mini 2020–2025). Measurements are relative — they accurately show differences between positions in your room. If you do have a calibrated USB measurement mic (miniDSP UMIK-1/UMIK-2, Dayton UMM-6, Behringer ECM8000, Sonarworks XREF 20, etc.), plug it in — the app detects it automatically, applies a built-in generic profile, and you can import your mic's specific .cal or .frd calibration file for maximum accuracy.
Plug the USB mic into your iPhone (via Lightning-to-USB or USB-C adapter). SonarRoom detects it automatically during onboarding or in the pre-measurement checklist. The app shows the mic name and type, and applies a generic correction profile if one exists for your model. For best results, import your mic's specific calibration file (.cal or .frd format) — the app will use it for all future measurements with that mic. You can switch between inputs manually or let the app auto-select by priority (USB > Wired > Built-in > Bluetooth).
Yes. For multichannel systems, SonarRoom generates a multichannel WAV test signal file (WAVEFORMATEXTENSIBLE format with proper channel masks for 5.1, 7.1, and Atmos layouts, up to 16 channels). Export the file to a USB drive, media server, or stream it to your AVR. Play the file on your system while walking the room with your phone — the app records and tracks your position using the same AR pipeline as regular measurement. Extended gaps between speaker sweeps (500ms) allow reverb to decay between channels.
A typical measurement walk takes 3–5 minutes for a standard room. The app plays repeating sine sweeps while you walk, and shows a coverage map in real time. You'll reach good coverage (90%+) with a slow, thorough walk through the space.
Acoustic measurements are more accurate when the ambient noise level is low. SonarRoom checks noise conditions before starting and uses ambient noise gating to flag sweeps compromised by transient noise events (door slams, HVAC surges). If your room is noisy, measurements will still work — the adaptive deconvolution suppresses noise at affected frequencies, and the coherence display shows you exactly which parts of the measurement are reliable. Turn off fans, HVAC, and other noise sources if possible for best results.
Before measuring, SonarRoom plays a sharp impulse through your audio system and listens with the phone mic. This measures the round-trip delay (phone to DAC to amp to speaker to air to phone mic). This offset is essential for accurate impulse response extraction. For wireless connections (Bluetooth/AirPlay), the app automatically plays a warm-up tone first to wake your DAC from standby and waits for the wireless stream to stabilize before calibrating. For surround systems, per-channel latency calibration measures timing offsets for each individual speaker.
Yes. SonarRoom offers a point-by-point mode where you stand at a position, tap "Measure Here," and the app runs a full sweep set. You then move to the next position and repeat. The app suggests an optimal grid pattern for your room.
The 3D heatmap overlays acoustic data onto your room model. By default it shows overall acoustic quality. You can switch between frequency response flatness, SPL level, RT60 (reverb time), bass energy, stereo imaging quality, and more. The frequency band selector lets you isolate bass, mids, or highs.
SonarRoom scores every measured point based on frequency response flatness, stereo imaging accuracy, acceptable RT60, and bass energy balance. The positions with the best combined scores are highlighted as sweet spots, ranked from best to least optimal.
Yes. You can export measurement data as CSV, full analysis as JSON, impulse responses as WAV, multichannel test signals as WAV (WAVEFORMATEXTENSIBLE), or generate PDF reports. Parametric EQ correction profiles can be exported as manual PEQ settings, convolution filter WAV files, or in formats compatible with miniDSP, Dirac, and Room EQ Wizard. Frequency response charts and spectral decay plots can be shared as images via the iOS share sheet.
Ensure good lighting in the room. Walk slowly along the walls, keeping the camera pointed at surfaces. On non-LiDAR devices, wall positions may be off by 5–10cm — this is normal and acceptable for acoustic analysis. You can manually adjust the generated floor plan after scanning.
Check that your iPhone is connected to your audio system and that the correct output is selected in iOS Settings > Sound. Make sure the volume is turned up on both the phone and your receiver/amplifier. SonarRoom will play a verification click through each speaker during setup — if you don't hear it, the routing needs adjustment.
Calibration requires the phone mic to pick up the impulse played through your speakers. Move closer to a speaker, increase the volume, and ensure the room is quiet. For Bluetooth/AirPlay connections, the app automatically plays a warm-up tone and waits for the wireless stream to stabilize — if calibration still fails, the latency may exceed 1 second; try a wired connection. If you've switched audio inputs (e.g., plugged in a USB mic), recalibrate — the app warns you when the input route has changed since the last calibration.
Ensure the mic is connected via a Lightning-to-USB or USB-C adapter (not a hub). Check that iOS has granted microphone access for SonarRoom in Settings > Privacy > Microphone. Some USB mics require power — make sure the adapter supports USB power delivery. If the mic still doesn't appear, try disconnecting and reconnecting it. The app will show the detected input name in the pre-measurement checklist.
The coverage indicator shows what percentage of the room area has nearby measurement points. Walk toward the unmeasured areas shown in grey on the map. Move slowly and steadily — quick movements can cause AR tracking to lose accuracy. Try walking in a grid pattern to cover the room systematically.
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