Ethernet wired Connection vs WIFI

Question

I’m wondering how much of a difference it makes to connect some or all of my Sonos Speakers via ethernet instead of connecting over Wifi (for reference, I have an Eero mesh network that supports WIFI 6). It will take me some work to run cables to where my speakers are which is why I want to hear people’s opinions before making the effort.

My reasons for asking are 1) I have a record player going to a latest gen Five and would like to stream to the rest of the apartment without echos. 2) Same issue with an arc when I’m watching/listening to TV through HDMI input (i.e. I want to hear the TV in my bedroom while doing chores). The apartment isn’t separated enough such that when there is a delay from one speaker to the next you will often here the echo. If you use ethernet, do you get any lower delay options in the app vs when connected via WIFI?

Another question (and I assume this isn’t possible but would be nice if Sonos would allow it)… is there a way to connect two speakers together with a CAT 6 cable strictly for streaming from one speaker to another but use the WIFI for the overall internet connection? (I.E. My Five would stream via WIFI. But when I play a record and want to stream to my ARC, they are connected to each other via ethernet to minimize delay. This would be an easier option for me to run wires then trying to connect them both back to the router.

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Best answer by jgatie 26 January 2023, 18:28

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jgatie · Accepted Answer

Ethernet will not lower delays. The record player should be in perfect sync in all grouped rooms if you are playing it through Sonos devices. The TV will always have a slight delay in grouped rooms due to the need to buffer the low-latency source for the higher latency devices.

Stanley_4 · Answer

I’m a fan of wiring Sonos to Ethernet but not all need to be wired. One is often enough but I wire as many (not Sub or Surround) Sonos as I easily can. Then they work with the wireless Sonos to establish the SonosNet mesh.

The player to Five should work without delay to other Sonos. The TV Arc setup will have a delay when grouping with other rooms, usually not a problem unless it is in the same physical room or an open-plan space.

I haven’t done it but a discussion with Sonos suggested the possibility with my Wired SonosNet setup of connecting two Surrounds together via Ethernet and disabling the radio in one. Really odd situation where they were placed far too close together due to spouse related mounting constraints.

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