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So, after this app debacle I’m on the hunt for technical solutions.

The one that I found is that I use Symfonium ( https://symfonium.app ) and oh great it supports UPnP ! I can play my files in the FLAC format (16bit/44.1 kHz) without problems !

But my music provider converts to OPUS 128kb/s for my smartphone because when I’m on the road… Roaming gets quickly expensive. I then get 48.0 kHz files that are then sent via UPnP to Sonos, just like FLAC.

According to https://docs.sonos.com/docs/supported-audio-formats, 48 kHz is supported for Opus. But it doesn’t work. Bummer.

But fear not I got one last card up my sleeve and it’s to transcode to MP3. So I’m trying MP3 320kb/s, in 44.1 kHz which again is supposed to work and… well, it doesn’t work.

I tried another UPnP device it was working flawlessly, and it even works over Chromecast… But we can all dream about Chromecast on Sonos when I see Apple and AirPlay working without problems it really sucks using Android with Sonos… :(

Any staff members or even devs to help me find why it is so stubborn even when everything is done by the books ?

The only ‘staff’ from Sonos who frequent these forums are forum moderators, not devs. You’d be better off, if you want to discuss the issue, to call Sonos Support directly to discuss it.


Any staff members or even devs to help me find why it is so stubborn even when everything is done by the books ?

It doesn’t seem like you’re doing everything by the book though, it seems like you’re trying to hack it. More power to you, but I doubt Sonos staff will be able to help much.


Any staff members or even devs to help me find why it is so stubborn even when everything is done by the books ?

It doesn’t seem like you’re doing everything by the book though, it seems like you’re trying to hack it. More power to you, but I doubt Sonos staff will be able to help much.

Hacking it is indeed what it sounds like, because since May Sonos doesn't fullfill my needs.

Therefore I am trying to find satisfying solutions by my own means. I am tech savvy enough to do so, but even when I am trying to find solutions I find more errors with this device, which is disappointing.


Have you tried bubbleupnp?

It seems to be the goto Swiss Army knife for network music playback using android devices and upnp/dlna.

There is also a completely separate bubbleupnp server which can present existing upnp/dlna devices as chromecast and/or openhome devices on the network and supports on-the-fly transcoding.

I don’t have a use for chromecast or the android app, but I do use the server software to turn my media players into openhome devices, which gives per device queue playback rather than needing my tablet to always run and maintain the queue.


It seems Sonos may not be fully compatible with certain formats or configurations. Try these steps:

  1. Check Sonos settings and update firmware.
  2. Adjust transcoding settings in Symfonium.
  3. Verify Sonos model compatibility with UPnP formats.
  4. Ensure both devices are on the same network.

If the issue persists, contact Sonos support.


Have you tried using Plex?

It’s a great all-in-one solution for streaming media across devices using your network. It works with DLNA and supports various devices for seamless playback. There’s also a Plex server you can set up to stream content from your library to compatible devices.

I personally use it to organize my media and stream it to various players, including my smart TV, mobile devices, and even some older devices that support DLNA. It’s simple to set up and gives you more control over the playback and queues, especially if you have a lot of devices in your home network.


Hi garfieldairlines,

It sounds like you’ve been troubleshooting quite a bit—props to you for digging into this! Let me try to help:

  1. UPnP Compatibility Check: Even though the Sonos documentation says 48 kHz is supported for Opus, Sonos can sometimes be picky when it comes to UPnP implementations and specific file formats. Have you tried verifying if the files are correctly tagged or if there’s any header metadata that might be causing compatibility issues?

  2. Symfonium Logs: Symfonium has excellent logging features. Have you checked the logs to see if there’s any error or clue as to why Sonos is rejecting the playback?

  3. Transcoding Issues: When transcoding to MP3, ensure that the files are encoded with a constant bit rate (CBR) at 320 kbps. Some devices have trouble with variable bit rate (VBR), even if the bitrate matches the specs.

  4. UPnP Settings: Some UPnP servers let you tweak settings for compatibility. If you’re using a server like Jellyfin, Emby, or Plex, double-check if there’s an option to enforce compatibility or force transcode specifically for Sonos.

  5. Alternative Protocols: If all else fails, you could explore DLNA or use Symfonium’s Chromecast/Audio Cast support as a workaround for better compatibility with Sonos.

Hopefully, one of these suggestions helps resolve the issue. If not, feel free to share more details, and we can troubleshoot further!

 


Upload your files to iBroadcast.com and tell Sonos to play from there.


It seems like the issue might be specific to Sonos handling UPnP for certain formats like Opus at 48 kHz and MP3 at 44.1 kHz, despite being officially supported. Since it works with other UPnP devices and over Chromecast, the problem likely lies with Sonos’ UPnP implementation. You may want to contact Sonos support or check their community forums for insights. Meanwhile, sticking to FLAC or experimenting with other formats might be a temporary workaround.


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