S2 Big Deception

Yes indeed, a big disappointment.

Sonos could have closed the gap with competition.

The point is even if I purchase an album, which allows me to download 24bit 94KHz FLAC files, these files will not play even from the local music library.  All the 24 bit downloads I get form Qobuz is in 94KHz, but sonos 24bit streaming is limited to 44KHz, rendering it unusable.  so have to download the 16bit version flac at 44KHz.

Which means all the time we spent organizing our libraries, will have to be redone if and when sonos 24/94 support is available (or if when one changes the streaming device).

As the leader of the streaming home audio system, I was hoping their S2 update would at least support the high-res streaming (or at least from local library it should support 24 bit/94Khz).

Anyway, I think you get what the disappointment is.  With massive amount of competition offering hi-res, not sure why they could not squeeze this in the S2 update. If there is a technical limitation, just say any existing units (gen1 or gen2), cannot handle high-res at 24/94 level…

Hello,

The geek inside me is also a bit disappointed with the limitations of the “His Res” audi capabilities.

I also have albums from Qobuz delivered with 24/96 or 24/88 and 24/44 but nothing in 24/48!!!

Most of the records I have are in 24/96. Therefore I can’t do the listening tests I wanted to do for so a long time!!!

In fact, I genuinely think that 16/44 is already enough for the human ears (I don’t want to launch the old troll again) so that’s why I chose Sonos over Denons Heos or Bluesound. I tested a Sonos One against a  Heos 1 and Sonos won. 

That being said, it looks like High Res audio implementation is not even close to “halfway”. Certainly to get the label High-Res Audio to put forward in display to compete against others brands…

Supporting higher sampling rates would certainly have required to put in the Legacy category much more hardware if not all of the current existing units except for the very recent ones...

If I’m honest I don’t believe that I could hear the difference between AAC and CDs or between Tidal and Apple Music at least on regular equipment so I very much doubt i could hear the difference to Hi-Res but that well worn argument misses the point.  I can hear the difference between different recording quality and different equipment. Therefore, I would like to be able to listen to all sources including MQA.at least when using my Hi-Fi with reference headphones.

The market trend is very much to streaming from buying music and HI-Res is expanding due to mainstream Amazon adoption and the expansion of bandwidth with fiber and 5G. The reason for lossy music files is becoming redundant. The Port is designed to connect to hi-fi but I would struggle to find another hI-fi streamer that doesn’t support Hi-Res. I would buy a Hi-Res streaming Port to replace my Gen 2 connect so I could listen to all sources otherwise I’m thinking of switching away from Sonos. 

I’m a big Sonos fan but from a technical and marketing point of view it needs to find a way of offering the option of Hi-Res streaming without obseleting its main products. Selfishly a Hi-Res Port that allows me to listen to all sources for focused listening on H-Fi would be the next step compromise. I suspect that the S2 OS is recognition that this is way the the technology and market is moving regardless of what any one thinks on the sound quality argument.      

Its seems like the hi-res audio support is the same in S2 as it was in S1. Sonos downsample audio to 16/44.1. This is at least what I can see when playing a 24/48 flac file via a Connect gen 2 hocked up to an external DAC.

Presumably the Connect/2 is running S2.

How exactly are you measuring this? At anything other than Fixed Volume a 16-bit file would output on the S/PDIF with a fully populated 24-bit width anyway. This has always been the case.

About the only way I can conceive of a “24/48” file appearing as 16-bit to a DAC is if the volume is Fixed and the lowest byte of the 24-bits is empty, i.e. the file is actually only 16-bit. 

The connect is running in fixed volume mode. Playing the same file via Roon and a hifi berry the DAC displays the correct sample rate.

I don’t think Hi Res audio was something they could just squeeze in, considering their main focus was on the S1/S2 split itself and the release of 3 new products.  I am actually surprised they did anything at all regarding the audio quality, and expected to see Hi Res, in any form show up a couple months from now at best.  I think disappointment regarding Hi Res is premature.

Ah, it’s the sample rate, not the bit depth. That makes sense, since AFAIK Sonos devices do a sample rate conversion on anything not in the native 44.1k format. In that case the DAC ought to show 24/44.1.

I agree with @melvimbe .  S2 is a platform for Sonos to build on, not a system that is delivered today and that is an end of it.  Judging S2 right now is just not clever.  Come back in five years with your verdicts please.