One speaker from stereo pair stops working



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I had this very same issue with my Right speaker not playing as a surround sound speaker but playing music when connected as a stereo pair. I fixed it. Here is the scenario and what I did to fix it:

I have 1 Sonos Playbar, 1 Sonos Sub and 2 Sonos Play 5's 2nd gen. The Play 5's are my rear surround sound speakers. After I moved them to a new room one of the Play 5's stopped connecting via wifi. I researched the issue and some Play 5 2nd gen's have faulty wifi cards inside. The "broken" Play 5 will connect via an ethernet cable to my router.

When connecting the "broken" Play 5 with an ethernet cable the speaker will work as a stereo pair to my other Play 5. However, once added as a surround speaker it is not recognized by the sonos app. When trying TruePlay Tuning the Sonos app would not recognize the "broken" speaker. I swapped the 'broken" Play 5 with the other Play 5 (from Right speaker to Left speaker) and this did nothing to solve the problem.

The fix:
  • Make sure there are no other connected devices between your rear speakers or directly behind the rear speakers. You may think this is not an issue but it probably is. Suck up your pride and disconnect all devices near or in between your two surround speakers. I swallowed my pride and unplugged my Logitech harmony remote's charging base. This may have been the sole issue or part of it.
  • Make sure your router's 2.4 g hz is on channel 11. Other channels to try are channel 1 and channel 6. Channel 11 seemed best for me.
  • Give all speakers a static IP. Do so by logging into your router and assigning a static IP for each of your Sonos speakers. Don't forget the Sub. You can check each Sonos device IP within your Sonos app via settings -> About My Sonos System.
  • If your rear speakers are currently set as surround sound, remove them as surround sound via the settings on your Sonos phone app. Seetings -> Room Settings -> Remove Surrounds.
  • Test your Playbar and Sub to make sure they can connect via wi-fi and they both work. Do so by playing a song or using your tv to test that the audio still plays through the Playbar and Sub.
  • Plug your Playbar speaker into your router via an ethernet cable.
  • Disable wi-fi on your Playbar. Settings -> Advanced Room -> Wi-Fi -> Playbar -> Disable Wi-Fi.
  • Reset your router. Technically I didn't do this but it's probably a good idea.
  • Once again, test the Playbar and sub to make sure they can play music, etc.
  • Plug the "broken" Play 5 speaker into the router via an ethernet cable.
  • Add the "broken" Play 5 speaker within your Sonos app.
  • Turn on wifi on your Playbar. Settings -> Advanced Room -> Wi-Fi -> Playbar -> Enablee Wi-Fi.
  • Add your left and right rear speakers as surround sounds.
Hope this works for you.
Userlevel 7
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Same problem here. My diagnostic information is send with number:

2035234434


There are a few wireless networks, including your guest network, nearby running on the same channel as your main network. This is making it hard for your speakers to stay in communication with your network. Try changing your main network's wireless channel over to 1 and send along a new report if any issues remain.
Userlevel 7
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Hello,

I’m having this issue as well. Two Sonos One in a stereo pair trueplay tuned, but the right speaker does not play music. Diagnostic number is 137599950


Hi there,

In your report I see that you have a couple wireless access points that are running on wireless channels 1 and 6. Having the access points on different channels can cause issues for your Sonos speakers. Try switching all of your access points over to channel 1 or 6, then test things out again.
Userlevel 7
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I'm having the same problem. No complaints for my internet. But this is the second time in 3 months that one of the speakers in two separate speaker pairs have gone out. I separated them and re-joined but it's fixing the problem this time. My diagnostic number is 1138675781

Hi there,

Thanks for sending in the report. I see that there are wireless communication issues showing up between your speakers. When playing to a stereo pair, communication between speakers is important so they can stay in sync. First, try changing the wireless channel your Sonos system is using. Also, take a look around your speakers for any third party electronics that might cause interference. Common sources of interference include cordless phone bases, wireless baby monitors, wireless printers and cameras. You might also try repositioning your speakers.
Same problem here. My diagnostic information is send with number:

2035234434
Mondale/vkrishn3,

If you’ve tried the things suggested above and not had any success, I would suggest you perhaps also contact Sonos Customer Care.
Hello,

I’m having this issue as well. Two Sonos One in a stereo pair trueplay tuned, but the right speaker does not play music. Diagnostic number is 137599950
I'm having the same problem. No complaints for my internet. But this is the second time in 3 months that one of the speakers in two separate speaker pairs have gone out. I separated them and re-joined but it's fixing the problem this time. My diagnostic number is 1138675781
chewmull,

Yes, I agree with jgatie, Sonos would likely just swap your unit if there was a known issue.

A few other things....Have you tried the things mentioned in this 'off the top on my head' list:
  1. Factory resetting the problem speaker(s)
  2. Swapping the Left and Right Speakers
  3. Moving the Speakers elsewhere in the home to rule out nearby interference from other devices
  4. Cabling the Speakers to the network to ensure it’s not related to your WiFi
Each one of those would maybe test different things and if the same speaker kept dropping out, then it maybe something to highlight in your call to Sonos Customer Care, which might go some way to supporting your claim.
I understand what you guys are saying, but unfortunately there are multiple threads for the same issue so the volume is misleading. I do plan to call support again as I’m unwilling to just give up, but the point of my post was to prove it worked one way but not the other, and solicit some thoughts for next steps, not necessarily defense of the “local interference” argument because it no longer makes sense to me given it works reliably unpaired vs not reliability paired. I would also submit that the “it works for me so it must be you” argument is not entirely true all the time, there is no way a Play1 manufactured years ago uses the identical chips etc. that a Play1 made today. I will forge on and update with relevant details to hopefully help someone with the same problem. I do appreciate your thoughts. Thanks

There were multiple threads about that issue also. Where the two issues differ is that there was one thread that was 76 pages and 1800+ posts for the Playbar. Also, if you read that thread, Sonos admits fairly early that there is an actual bug, and got to work on a fix, so they aren't prone to sweeping an issue under the rug.
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I understand what you guys are saying, but unfortunately there are multiple threads for the same issue so the volume is misleading. I do plan to call support again as I’m unwilling to just give up, but the point of my post was to prove it worked one way but not the other, and solicit some thoughts for next steps, not necessarily defense of the “local interference” argument because it no longer makes sense to me given it works reliably unpaired vs not reliability paired. I would also submit that the “it works for me so it must be you” argument is not entirely true all the time, there is no way a Play1 manufactured years ago uses the identical chips etc. that a Play1 made today. I will forge on and update with relevant details to hopefully help someone with the same problem. I do appreciate your thoughts. Thanks
To highlight Ken's point, there was an actual bug in the Playbar firmware last year. The main thread (and there were dozens of others) hit 76 pages with 1800+ posts, and the story hit all the tech sites. That's for a relatively low sales volume item. If there was a bug in the pairing of the best selling Sonos units, this thread would be 200+ pages, not 4.


Here's the thread:

https://en.community.sonos.com/troubleshooting-228999/no-sound-on-certain-channels-after-system-update-today-6789926
Not sure specifically what did it, but everything started working again today... I changed my 2.4Ghz wifi channel, power cycled my router/modem/access point/switches, and then pressed and held the join button on the back of each speaker until they flashed orange. Once they went back to white (on their own), the app and the speakers all started working normally again.


I know the “canned” Sonos answer to this problem is wireless interference, I have been fighting this problem for almost a year and have tried everything recommended. What I don’t understand, Is why my Play1’s have no drop issues until they are paired? Is there sudden interference once they are paired? It appears to me there is a major bug with the pairing operation, particularly if everything works great until you pair, then it goes to hell.

Any thoughts, explanations or clues are appreciated.
I have 5 pairs of Play:1’s/Sonos Ones. They all run on SonosNet and are set on a channel that is 5 channels away from my central router 2.4ghz channel. I have no stored WiFi credentials in the Sonos App Advanced Settings and have reserved their IP addresses in the DHCP Reservation Table, as mentioned in the threads on this forum. I’ve not had a dropout issue. My Son and Daughter have paired Play:1’s too, though not as many, and they’re not having any such problems either.

So my thoughts are you must have something local that’s causing this issue.

Have you spoken with Sonos Customer Care? A year wrestling with this issue seems much too long to me. I would give them a call.
I have done everything you have with the addition of removing Airtime Fairness, and still no joy. Your response does not explain why everything works great until they are paired? If I have interference it would be problematic all the time, not just when paired, unless there is something that pairing is doing to reduce the effectiveness of the wireless operation, and in that case it’s still a Sonos problem and not “interference”. Additionally, people are having pairing drops with wired connections.. further to the point of a bug in my opinion. I have talked to customer care, submitted diagnostics etc.. my network map can be all green and I still have drops...

I didn’t provide a reply as an explanation of your problem. I’m just highlighting the fact that I (and others) don’t have the issue you have. So it appears that it is something local. It could be an incompatible router firmware version for all I know, just as an example or something else interrupting the network communication

I’m actually just saying it’s not an issue that I, or others are seeing. I would have thought if it were a common problem, that this forum would light up, bearing in mind that Sonos sell many hundreds of these speakers every single day and have done so for a good many years.

It really must be a local matter and you do need to go back to Sonos Customer Care and resolve it with them. A year of that type of problem is something you (and they) need to explore further and resolve. All Sonos can do is check their own devices. The remainder of the network setup is really in your domain (pardon the pun) to get fixed, but I’m sure the Staff will assist you as much as they are allowed to do.

I can’t even begin to advise you what your issue is here,or how to resolve it, as there is nowhere near enough detail available to be able to do that.
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I know the “canned” Sonos answer to this problem is wireless interference, I have been fighting this problem for almost a year and have tried everything recommended. What I don’t understand, Is why my Play1’s have no drop issues until they are paired? Is there sudden interference once they are paired? It appears to me there is a major bug with the pairing operation, particularly if everything works great until you pair, then it goes to hell.

Any thoughts, explanations or clues are appreciated.
I have 5 pairs of Play:1’s/Sonos Ones. They all run on SonosNet and are set on a channel that is 5 channels away from my central router 2.4ghz channel. I have no stored WiFi credentials in the Sonos App Advanced Settings and have reserved their IP addresses in the DHCP Reservation Table, as mentioned in the threads on this forum. I’ve not had a dropout issue. My Son and Daughter have paired Play:1’s too, though not as many, and they’re not having any such problems either.

So my thoughts are you must have something local that’s causing this issue.

Have you spoken with Sonos Customer Care? A year wrestling with this issue seems much too long to me. I would give them a call.


I have done everything you have with the addition of removing Airtime Fairness, and still no joy. Your response does not explain why everything works great until they are paired? If I have interference it would be problematic all the time, not just when paired, unless there is something that pairing is doing to reduce the effectiveness of the wireless operation, and in that case it’s still a Sonos problem and not “interference”. Additionally, people are having pairing drops with wired connections.. further to the point of a bug in my opinion. I have talked to customer care, submitted diagnostics etc.. my network map can be all green and I still have drops...
I know the “canned” Sonos answer to this problem is wireless interference, I have been fighting this problem for almost a year and have tried everything recommended. What I don’t understand, Is why my Play1’s have no drop issues until they are paired? Is there sudden interference once they are paired? It appears to me there is a major bug with the pairing operation, particularly if everything works great until you pair, then it goes to hell.

Any thoughts, explanations or clues are appreciated.

I have 5 pairs of Play:1’s/Sonos Ones. They all run on SonosNet and are set on a channel that is 5 channels away from my central router 2.4ghz channel. I have no stored WiFi credentials in the Sonos App Advanced Settings and have reserved their IP addresses in the DHCP Reservation Table, as mentioned in the threads on this forum. I’ve not had a dropout issue. My Son and Daughter have paired Play:1’s too, though not as many, and they’re not having any such problems either.

So my thoughts are you must have something local that’s causing this issue.

Have you spoken with Sonos Customer Care? A year wrestling with this issue seems much too long to me. I would give them a call.
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I know the “canned” Sonos answer to this problem is wireless interference, I have been fighting this problem for almost a year and have tried everything recommended. What I don’t understand, Is why my Play1’s have no drop issues until they are paired? Is there sudden interference once they are paired? It appears to me there is a major bug with the pairing operation, particularly if everything works great until you pair, then it goes to hell.

Any thoughts, explanations or clues are appreciated.
I am also now having this issue after months of flawless operation. Right speaker is no longer playing audio. Interestingly, the right speaker responds to Alexa commands/beeps/etc, but when I play music I only get the left speaker of the pair... I can’t even break/re-pair them as I can’t discover them from the Sonos app (maybe an iOS 13 bug?).

Volume control from the onboard buttons only affects the single speaker (saying “Alexa, turn it down only affects the left speaker, the one that plays music.. even though the right speaker responds for Alexa)

They are both connected to my WiFi without issue, which is a miracle because 2.4Ghz WiFi is a disaster on all channels here in the city.

a power cycle did not help; they behave the same after coming back on.

Here are their WiFi stats:


Thanks for the heads up. I've followed the guide by checking / changing wifi channel to one with least interference, removing a nearby wifi source, set up SonosNet, changed wifi channel on Sonos etc.

I've reproduced the problem with an optimal setup so have sent another diagnostic report to the customer care team.

That’s okay djgw. Hope the diagnostic submission reveals the root cause of the issue and that the communication with Customer Care can help to get it resolved for you soon.
Perhaps have a read through the two links in my post above and see if that helps resolve the matter. If not, then contact Sonos Customer Care to ask them to have s look at your diagnostic submission.

Thanks for the heads up. I've followed the guide by checking / changing wifi channel to one with least interference, removing a nearby wifi source, set up SonosNet, changed wifi channel on Sonos etc.

I've reproduced the problem with an optimal setup so have sent another diagnostic report to the customer care team.
Same problem here - happens regularly!
Diagnostic report 1458810722

Perhaps have a read through the two links in my post above and see if that helps resolve the matter. If not, then contact Sonos Customer Care to ask them to have s look at your diagnostic submission.
Same problem here - happens regularly!
Diagnostic report 1458810722
This issue happen multiple times a day to me.
report id 1008932623

Have you checked to see if this might be WiFi interference ... there are some useful things to try in these two links:

WiFi Interference

Network Stability
This issue happen multiple times a day to me.
report id 1008932623
Userlevel 7
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Same issue here. Diagnostics sent, #947515115. Thanks

Thanks for the report. I don't see a stereo pair in your diagnostic, and overall your system looks pretty good. I think Ken's advice to give us a call is good. Our phone team can help troubleshoot this with you live.

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