Contributor I

Answered

Please make Sonos work with the computer

12 replies
4511 views

So many of us want to use our Sonos system alongside all our media, not just streaming music. I have understood with research that there is a lag/delay with the sound when pictures too. This could be fixed with a plug-in for a browser or OS, which has calibrated the audio lag, so that we can watch Netflix or any other non streaming audio media. I am tempted to return the 2 Play:3's I bought because of this, and I'm sure I am not alone in this frustration. Having spoken to a Sonos Expert on the chat menu, she told me that this "might" be addressed in the future, and that the best thing to do is to leave a message on here. If this were to be solved, I as well as others would likely buy additional Sonos products. I honestly love the Play 3 as a product, makes great sound and great/simple interface, having had an Airport Extreme which had at least a headphone jack for streaming over 10 years ago, I'm surprised that it hasn't been part of the Sonos design.

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Keith NAnswer

Sonos Staff

No worries! I'm always happy to share details about my home setup. By night, I produce electronic music and DJ so I have projects on my computer and recordings that aren't easy to be found on conventional streaming services. Bringing computer audio to Sonos was something I wanted to do from the moment I was first introduced to Sonos and saw the same opportunities as you do. That being said, here's my system. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Here's a really great video where A-Trak shows his home setup that is very similar. Check it out.

Building community is like building a garden. You build the frame, till the ground, plant the seeds, feed the plants & sometimes you gotta pull the weeds.

Keith N

Sonos Staff

Hey there, hitopharry. While it's not natively built into the software, you can still bring your computer audio/media to Sonos. Personally, my computer is connected to a Sonos CONNECT through Line-in. This brings any audio from my computer to my entire household.

Additionally, there is RCA Line-Out (among other options). These feed my mixing console and go to my larger powered speakers in the Living Room. Works like a dream for music and when I'm watching a European Football match streamed online. The audio delay is negligible in my smaller apartment and not much of a bother when I'm in the shower and can't see the screen. 🆒

Read more about Line-In here.

Building community is like building a garden. You build the frame, till the ground, plant the seeds, feed the plants & sometimes you gotta pull the weeds.

hitopharryAuthor

Contributor I

Hi Keith

Thanks for the reply, good info. Only annoyance, is of course further investment in yet more kit, but glad to hear about negligible audio lag. Without being too nosey what setup have you got? Was it purely/mostly for this reason that you bought a CONNECT, rather than to play vinyl or other audio through the speakers?

Keith NAnswer

Sonos Staff

No worries! I'm always happy to share details about my home setup. By night, I produce electronic music and DJ so I have projects on my computer and recordings that aren't easy to be found on conventional streaming services. Bringing computer audio to Sonos was something I wanted to do from the moment I was first introduced to Sonos and saw the same opportunities as you do. That being said, here's my system. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Here's a really great video where A-Trak shows his home setup that is very similar. Check it out.

Building community is like building a garden. You build the frame, till the ground, plant the seeds, feed the plants & sometimes you gotta pull the weeds.

hitopharryAuthor

Contributor I

Great reply, thanks again, I've been geeking out on your diagram, above and beyond my response expectations! Let's just say this is all very reassuring, so much so I've ordered a PLAY 1 for my bedroom and will then move onto getting my LP and computer synced up with a CONNECT. I've noticed where you've got your PLAY 5 you've noticed 'Gen 2', so I'm assuming everything else (except maybe the boost) are 'Gen 1'. Have you found mix and matching Gens to be tricky? Just thinking I could always branch out buying an older refurbed product and adding to the network, and was there a point when you realised you needed to add the boost? Again, amazing responses, was nice youtube vid too.

Airgetlam

Note that for everything except the PLAY:5, there is only one "generation".

Bruce

Keith N

Sonos Staff

Glad you found that to be helpful! The way the KRK's and Sonos Ones are positioned, they are all pointed and tuned to the dead center for my living room. My computer is essentially my TV, and while it's not surround sound, it's two sets of stereo speakers and a SUB. Which is way more than I need for my 650 square foot apartment. 😛

Honestly, the BOOST was one of the first things I bought. I have close neighbors (that don't mind the music, thankfully) which means I have to deal with a "less than ideal" wireless environment. The more robust I can make Sonos, the more likely my system is to work flawlessly.

Airgetlam makes a great point here. The PLAY:5's are the only ones to be aware of the "generation" This can be important if you want to stereo pair, but significantly less if you want to simply group. You can stereo pair two PLAY:5 (gen 2)'s but if you were to have a mismatched set of (gen 1 + gen 2) they would only be able to group (just as another room) and not stereo pair.

Building community is like building a garden. You build the frame, till the ground, plant the seeds, feed the plants & sometimes you gotta pull the weeds.

E

Extreme002

Lyricist III

Note that for everything except the PLAY:5, there is only one "generation".

Incorrect,
The boost being like a gen2 bridge.
And The connect and connect amp are kinda Gen3

Originally there was a ZP100 (both units in one essentially) then the ZP90 (Connect) and ZP120 (Connect:Amp) these had the old sonos logo, blue feet and a Mute button, then they became what we have today. So the zp-connect change was more a sub generation change but still a change.

That being said, play one and 3s also had a change from mute button to play pause button, that was a coding change, as existing mute buttons still function as play pause now,

And the playbar has had a redesigned shutterless optical input jack added.

So theres been a bunch if running changes.

But no issues with inter generational players, We still have an original CR100 Controller, no touch screen, just a clickwheel like an original ipod

Airgetlam

Yes, but all of those devices that you listed had a name change. The PLAY:5 did not. We identify them as gen 1 and gen 2 here in the boards, but that's not the "official" designation, per the marketing side of Sonos.

Indeed, I agree, there have been a lot of changes over the years that Sonos has been in business. The PLAY:5 was the first time they chose to name new hardware the same name as old hardware.

Bruce

D

dadolknees

Contributor I

Reading through your conversations is quite interesting but a bit over my head. The addition of the Boost and Connect seems a bit pricy for me to just broadcast computer audio through SONOS speakers. The single way I see it can be done is a hard wire out from CPU to the Play5. BUT the PLAY5 is too strong for a 10 x 10 room. IS THERE AN ADAPTER OR AUXILLARY APPARATUS THAT CAN USED TO GET SOUND FROM THE COMPUTER TO PLAY3 OR PLAY1???

Airgetlam

The CONNECT, PLAYBAR/PLAYBASE, and PLAY:5 are the only devices that have a line in. They're all relatively expensive.

Bruce

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