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Mike231
Avid Contributor I
November 8, 2018

Sonos AMP Low Latency

I currently use two Play 3's as Left and Right speakers for my TV, in uncompressed mode. These are fed by an analogue line from my AVR to a Connect. This introduces about 83ms of delay which I would like to reduce because it causes some lip sync problems. I know that the Playbar/Playbase etc can be bonded point-to-point over 5.8Ghz to Play 3's as surround speakers, and I understand that this has a lower latency. Is there any similar way that I can bond Play 3s or 5s as Front Left and Front Right to the new Sonos AMP with lower than c 83ms latency?
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    10 replies

    Airgetlam
    Airgetlam
    November 8, 2018
    Not currently in the Sonos software. The switch from 2.4Ghz to 5Ghz is not exposed to the user in any settings.
    Bruce
    Mike231Author
    Avid Contributor I
    November 9, 2018
    Thanks. So presumably that means that unless Sonos has changed the buffer size there will be c 83ms latency if using Play 3's as FL and FR. Or can you simply not use Sonos AMP with wireless speakers?
    John B
    November 9, 2018
    The latency is mostly deliberate, being a buffer for multiroom sync. The Connect was not designed for anything other than music, with multiroom capability. You are talking about a line in here. Wireless frequency is irrelevant. The Sonos Amp is a different matter. It will use HDMI-ARC like the Beam for TV, so IS designed for TV, but will need passive speakers, not Sonos speakers, for the front left-right.

    The Amp will be able to use Play speakers as rear surrounds, and it is here that the low latency of 5GHz becomes relevant, and is used, as with the Playbar/base and Beam.
    Mike231Author
    Avid Contributor I
    November 9, 2018
    John, I could have been a little clearer, sorry. I should have said "So presumably that means that unless Sonos has changed the buffer size there will be c 83ms latency if using the Sonos AMP with Play 3's as FL and FR. Or can you simply not use Sonos AMP with wireless speakers?". Agreed that Connect was designed for multiroom music, and the buffer is necessary. What I am wondering is whether the Sonos AMP, which is designed at least partially for TV, can do better in terms of latency, as does the Playbar with its surrounds.
    John B
    November 9, 2018
    Hi Mike - I think your post may have crossed with the second para I added to my post. I think you should forget the idea of Play speakers as fronts. You are just wasting the Amp's primary purpose, which is to put 125W per channel through passive speakers. It would be the most expensive line-in ever made, in your model.
    Mike231Author
    Avid Contributor I
    November 9, 2018
    I think you are saying that if I used Sonos AMP with Play 3 front speakers then I am stuck with 83ms latency, which makes that setup useless with TV because of lipsync issues. That's clear, thank John.
    John B
    November 9, 2018
    FWIW, I currently have a Playbar + Sub + P:1s for TV, and a Connect + high-end amp + floorstanders for music. I plan to simplify this to Sonos Amp + Sub + P:1s + floorstanders to do TV and music. Or at least to give that a try!
    John B
    November 9, 2018
    I think you are saying that if I used Sonos AMP with Play 3 front speakers then I am stuck with 83ms latency, which makes that setup useless with TV because of lipsync issues. That's clear, thank John.I am sort of saying that. I would rather stick to "don't do this, it's crazy" 😉 It is not what the Amp is designed for.

    The Amp should work well with TV when used as intended.
    lecter84
    Lyricist I
    July 10, 2019
    Hello there,

    it is quite an old thread.
    I just wanted to ask John if he had success in "simplifying" his setup with a Sonos Amp.
    How is the surround performance (regarding latency of passive fronts and active rear speakers?)
    Is there an possiblity to adjust latency due to different listening distances to front and rear speakers?
    jgatie
    jgatie
    July 10, 2019
    Hello there,

    it is quite an old thread.
    I just wanted to ask John if he had success in "simplifying" his setup with a Sonos Amp.
    How is the surround performance (regarding latency of passive fronts and active rear speakers?)
    Is there an possiblity to adjust latency due to different listening distances to front and rear speakers?


    An Amp with passive fronts and Sonos surrounds will have no latency. You can adjust the latency with regards to video, but it is optimized at setup to be synced with the video source via HDMI-ARC.

    What the OP wanted was Sonos Play units for fronts, and an Amp with an analog line-in from the TV for rear surrounds, which cannot be done.
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