Frequently asked questions and troubleshooting
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. 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. Measurements are relative — they accurately show differences between positions in your room. For absolute SPL accuracy, an optional calibration step with a reference mic is available for advanced users.
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. If your room is noisy, measurements will still work but may have reduced accuracy in quiet frequency ranges. Turn off fans, HVAC, and other noise sources if possible.
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 — it ensures each recorded sweep is aligned correctly with the known test signal.
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 a PDF report with room geometry, measurement data, and recommendations. 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.
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. Wireless connections (Bluetooth/AirPlay) may have variable latency — if calibration results are inconsistent, try a wired connection.
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.
Need more help?
If you can't find the answer to your question above, reach out to us directly.
support@sonarroom.app